traversing the remotest coastlines and dramatic glaciers of this beguiling continent. During the Antarctic’s offseason, the expedition yacht will serve as EYOS’s base in tropical Melanesia. “This is one of the least-explored places on Earth, yet has long been part of our DNA,” says EYOS cofounder Rob McCallum, who lived on Papua New Guinea for 13 years.
In the secluded, pristine cruising grounds of Indonesia’s Coral Triangle and Raja Ampat, hand-built teak-and-ironwood phinisis are the vessels of choice. But traditional doesn’t necessarily mean rustic.. The itinerary includes surfing, snorkeling with whale sharks in Sumbawa, and the option of diving with scientists for manta-ray research and conservation in Komodo National Park.
A volunteerism component was also shared by one of Cookson’s Fijian charters, where the explorer yacht documented the seabed of a local bay. “That data helped a local tribe extend the marine-protected area of the bay,” says Bateman. Going off the grid