Norwegian Antarctic-bound adventurer passes 60th parallel south

Feb 7, 2012, 15:20 GMT

Oslo - A Norwegian adventurer making an unauthorized trip to the Antarctic said Tuesday that his yacht had entered the Southern Ocean, in his quest to find traces of another yacht which disappeared with three men a year ago.

The 22-ton steel Nilaya yacht had passed the 60th parallel south, Jarle Andhoey told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK via satellite phone.

Passing the parallel without permission could result in a fine. Norwegian authorities said earlier that Andhoey did not have the required authorization to go to Antarctica.

Andhoey said Nilaya's crew was faring well. They include a Russian, an Argentinian, a New Zealander and Andhoey's countryman Samuel Massie.

The mission is aimed at finding out what happened to the missing Berserk II. A ceremony is to be held at the location where the 14-metre yacht vanished.

The yacht disappeared a year ago, after Andhoey and Messie left it near New Zealand's Scott Base to make a trip to the South Pole on four-wheel-drive quad bikes.

The yacht's emergency beacon was activated soon after they were dropped off and sounded for several more hours. It was believed the yacht and its three remaining crew had sunk in one of the worst Antarctic storms in 20 years.

Seasoned adventurers had warned that this year's conditions, which include sea ice, were likely to be tough, NRK said.

Andhoey broke off the interview Tuesday due to 'ice conditions,' and later said there was more ice than last year.

Sea ice would prevent the team from searching for the missing yacht under water, but the expedition planned to investigate pre-arranged locations on land, he said.

'We will check if they left any equipment behind,' Andhoey said.

The 34-year-old adventurer previously told NRK that the Russian-flagged Nilaya was not equipped with an emergency beacon, in a deliberate decision not to put other lives at risk, but added that the team would not take any unnecessary chances.

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