Now, Voyager
EYOS arranges luxury yacht expeditions to the most inaccessible waterways on Earth. Welcome to a new world of wanderlust!
Megayachts are so predictably found in sunny, sophisticated locales — Monaco, Cannes, Antibes — that it could be said such storied ports of call are the native habitat of these giant sea creatures. Imagine, then, the cognitive dissonance of standing on the deck of a 196-meter supercruiser as it glides past icebergs in the Northwest Passage.
Antibes, this ain’t. Replete with ice sheets and below-freezing temperatures year-round, conditions in the Northwest Passage are among the harshest in the world. First navigated by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen in 1903, the 900-mile sea route between the Atlantic and the Pacific represents a lust for discovery that pushed waves of exploration as Europeans sought a water route to Asia.
Today, the Northwest Passage is among the most sought-after destinations for clients of expedition-style yachting firm EYOS. Each year, the company arranges private charters through the Northwest Passage, which has seen fewer than 200 vessels complete the journey in history. Unlike Amundsen, who famously trained for his expeditions by sleeping beside windows thrown open to the Norwegian winter, today’s travelers have access to all the amenities of a five-star hotel and what amounts to an all-access pass to the world’s most exotic wonders.
EYOS-led expeditions have also set sail in Antarctica and South Georgia, Melanesia, Australia’s remote Kimberley region, Vanuatu in the South Pacific, Madagascar and the Seychelles, among others. Trips are at least a week, but many last much longer. They start at about $180,000 for a group of up to 12 people.
It’s an understatement to call them vacations. As Ben Lyons, the company’s CEO, explains: “We are in the business of delivering life-changing experiences.”
In 2008, founders Rob McCallum, Tim Soper, and John Apps created EYOS (or Expedition Yacht Operations Specialists) in response to the burgeoning ranks of yacht owners who’d grown tired of shuttling between Mediterranean and Caribbean ports.
It’s an understatement to call them vacations.
In order to fulfill a desire for more inventive itineraries, the captains of these yachts needed advice, training, and help handling the expensive and often time-consuming permitting processes involved in sailing to remote wilderness locations.
To travel to Wrangel Island, a nature sanctuary in the Arctic Ocean between the Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea, EYOS secured the first-ever permit for the area. Wrangel Island is administered by Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources; Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the document.
Using their collective knowledge and contacts gleaned from years in the expedition yacht industry, the EYOS team began to advise clients on outfitting private vessels, or, when necessary, chartering them. They sourced guides and naturalists to lead passengers on hikes on shore or excursions by small watercraft. Today, the company boasts a global network ready to optimize a traveler’s experience, whether that means a lecture on the breeding cycle of marine mammals or locating the blind cave fish endemic to Madagascar.
Expertise from EYOS and the advent of new technology has given mainstream travelers access to what was once the province of scientists and researchers. “Ten or twenty years ago, there wasn’t the infrastructure to provide these kind of experiences,” says Lyons (who, full disclosure, has written stories for Porthole).
Adventure is no longer so arduous. In 2008, for example, EYOS arranged a twoweek charter to Antarctica for a family with several members prone to seasickness. To minimize some of the roughest travel, the company combined a private yacht charter with two private air charters. Instead of a three-day trip by sea through the infamous Drake Passage, the family transferred from LAX to the 48-meter charter yacht in just 17 hours. No one got seasick, and the
Expertise from EYOS and the advent of technology has given mainstream travelers access to what was once the province of scientists and researchers.
time savings meant more moments spent among tottering emperor penguins.
To make such itineraries possible, EYOS lays meticulous groundwork, often beginning the planning phase a year or more in advance. EYOS inspects clients’ yachts and advises the client on any structural improvements necessary for the desired destination. For example, yachts traveling through polar regions must be reinforced so they are able to break through ice, if necessary.
“The yacht that spends most of its time in the Caribbean and Mediterranean generally is not capable of going to Antarctica,” Lyons says. EYOS staffs vessels with an ice pilot practiced at choosing the best course. “Ice navigation is something you only learn through experience,” he says. “It’s still very much a visual art. You need to be able to look at the floe of ice [and
determine] which is soft, first-year ice, and which is hard, multi-year ice.”
There’s more at stake than just the best view at sunset. In challenging climates and extreme environments, a good expedition leader can be the difference between making a landing and turning back. And when it comes to the constellation of land-based excursions EYOS leads off the yacht, experience is equally critical.
In the Northwest Passage, crewmembers are armed to protect passengers from polar bears, a common sighting as Canada is home to half the world’s polar bear population. Helicopters staffed by an expert flight crew provide awe-inspiring flightseeing trips timed to make the best of changing conditions, such as the summit of a 6,000-foot mountain at 6 a.m. They can also be used to expedite trips by ferrying passengers to and from the yacht. Some clients have even taken helicopters to the next level — heli-skiing off pristine peaks in Greenland.
Most EYOS expeditions also rely on Zodiacs — rugged, inflatable boats that allow groups to make landings on remote beaches and rocky shores. From this vantage, travelers are treated to up-close-and-personal (but still safe) wildlife viewing. In the Arctic, this means polar bears, walrus, and musk ox, a mammal known for its thick coat and powerful aroma.
Human nature is another part of the appeal of such journeys. Experienced field guides enable EYOS clients to connect with, rather than simply observe, indigenous cultures. Nowhere is this more crucial than in Papua
No one got seasick, and the time savings meant more moments spent among tottering emperor penguins
New Guinea, which is the world’s least-explored region and home to some of its most intact traditional communities, including 5,000 different clans who together speak more than 850 distinct languages.
Working with interpreters to tap into the island nation’s rich culture, EYOS expedition staff have arranged for clients to witness the mesmerizing Baining fire dance, a ceremony in which men wearing animal masks made from bark move around and through a blazing fire to the beat of drummers. The dance is a traditional initiation into manhood.
In Vanuatu, in the South Pacific, EYOS clients have taken in another unique test of manhood: the ritual known as “land diving” that is performed on Pentecost Island. Often described as the original bungee jumping, land diving involves young men attaching vines to their legs before jumping from a 100-foot wooden platform. The goal is for them to get close enough to the ground so that their hair brushes it, thought to bring a good yam harvest.
For women on Vanuatu, pastimes are not so death-defying. On the island of Gaua, it is said that “water music” originated when women and children washing clothes in a creek noticed the echoes made by their actions. By splashing and slapping the water, the women created unique rhythms still performed today.
Because EYOS expeditions forge connections — to people, animals, and wildlife — clients leave with more than memories.
“From my own time working on ships,” Lyons says, “people come away fundamentally changed.”