Simply Abu Dhabi XXXV

2 2 8 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I W hoever came up with the old adage that ‘size matters’ was clearly unfamiliar with Vripack’s legendary Doggersbank Offshore series of yachts, or more specifically, with 29m explorer Gayle Force (ex-Patriot). Despite being built in 2003, the compact voyager had failed for many years to venture far from her home on the west coast of North America. But that all changed at the end of last year when her owners – Wayne and Gayle Laufer – embarked on a year-long voyage under the stewardship of Captain ScottWhittaker, and Gayle Force became the smallest private Marshall Island flag boat to ever venture to the Southern Peninsula. First built in the Netherlands in 2003 by Bloemsma &Van Breemen, Gayle Force forms part of Vripack’s legendary Doggersbank Offshore series. Known for its heavy-duty use, low emissions, clean engine rooms and long-lasting equipment, the Doggersbank epitomises Vripack’s design philosophy; to create safe, durable yachts with light, elegant and comfortable interiors that make you feel at home, at sea. For Captain Scott, however, the real adventure began long before the voyage itself, with a long 20 months spent in the shipyard “decomplicating” the numerous changes that had accrued over time. “One of the biggest things that Vripack helped us with was weight/balance. We ended up taking around 25,000 pounds off the bow of the boat and replacing the unnecessarily large 23mm anchor chain with the original 16mm version”, he says. “We also converted the crew lounge into a third guest cabin, and importantly added zero speed stabilisers. I really feel that with an expedition boat, the only defence you have is to slow down. It’s not a long enough boat to stick your nose into it, but to slow to 3-4 knots, stay upright and keep running – Gayle Force does that really well now.” On 20 November 2018, Captain Scott and his crew left Panama City, Panama and made the non-stop 3,000NM journey straight to Valparaíso, Chile. The 14-day maiden voyage remains the longest single journey they have undertaken so far, confirming the yacht’s solid 5,500NM range running twin screw. “It was one of those things that I wanted to do for the boat, and for our ownership, and for the crew”, explains Captain Scott. “I wanted to know what the boat can do.” With only two days in Valparaíso they moved on to Puerto Montt in Chile and cruised the “inside” of Patagonia where they experienced “relentless winds and high seas, and the boat took a phenomenal beating, as did the crew”. Punta Arenas became the base for stepping off and returning fromAntarctica, where they were permitted to arrive on 18 January, but required to leave by 2 February. Time was of the essence. The plan developed by weather; the Weddell Sea proved to be too “iced up”, so the route took them through the Brown Bluff, Deception Island, Penguin Island and Port Lockroy. Captain Scott tolerated his fair share of adversity, too, having elected to bunk down on the bridge for the Antarctic leg in a bivy sack and sleeping bag to accommodate the ice pilot and naturalist. “It’s a Aforcetobe reckonedwith Heading to Antarctica is never a simple task. Even on board an expedition vessel the risks are plenty. But when cruising on an “unproven” 29m explorer – the smallest private Marshall Island flag boat to ever venture to the Southern Peninsula – you need to be sure of two things, a) that you have an open mind, and b) that the vessel is designed by Vripack. b y J u l i a Z a l t z m a n