Greenland is a land of the midnight sun, with nearly round-the-clock sunshine all summer. Chartering amid its towering mountains and astonishing nature will be extra special next August, due to a solar eclipse. Not only that, but if you charter the yacht Aqua Lares, you’ll have a once-in-a-lifetime experience that includes education straight from a NASA astronaut and oceanographer.
EYOS Expeditions, which specializes in off-the-beaten-track destinations, is organizing the experience. Extraordinary experiences are at the heart of more and more of its charters, too. From naturalists to videographers, EYOS connects guests with specialists who bring insight into what they’re seeing and doing. For the charter aboard the yacht Aqua Lares, EYOS has arranged for Kathy Sullivan (above), an astronaut, geologist, oceanographer, and U.S. Navy officer. Sullivan was a crewmember on three Space Shuttle missions, in fact, and the first woman to perform a spacewalk, in 1984. Later on, she became the first woman to dive the Mariana Trench, the deepest place on Earth. Sullivan will share information on the science behind the sun, the moon, and planets, along with details about planetary exploration.
Additionally, EYOS has arranged for a photographer to join the charter. Specifically, the photographer is well experienced in explorations and celestial events. You, your family, and friends can learn how to photograph the eclipse safely and memorably. Aqua Lares’ route takes you along the path of totality in Scoresby Sund in eastern Greenland. The world’s largest fjord network, it has no light pollution, for example, and extends hundreds of miles inland. Monstrous icebergs, untouched terrain as far as the eye can see, and the weirdly wonderful light from the hidden sun should make for spectacular images.
As for the yacht Aqua Lares —the ex-Legend, which has been to Antarctica and the Arctic before—she has a fascinating history. She was a Soviet Union icebreaker at launch in 1974. A private individual acquired her many years later, converting her into a yacht from 2015 to 2016. She actively chartered from that point onward as Legend, selling last year to her current owners. A crew of 28 elevate service for your party of up to 22. Additionally, when you’re not taking in the sights, the megayacht has a Balinese spa, a cinema, and dive equipment, among other benefits.
The solar eclipse charter package, in one of the most dramatic settings on earth, is available from August 11 to 18.
EYOS Expeditions eyos-expeditions.com
More About the Yacht Aqua Lares
LOA: 253’11” (77.4 meters)
Beam: 43’4” (13.2 meters)
Draft: 20’6” (6.25 meters)
Guests: 22 in 11 staterooms
Engines: 2/3,400-hp Smit-MANs
Range: 7,640 nautical miles at 10 knots
Builder: IHC Verschure (original build), Icon Yachts (conversion)
Stylist: ME Consulting (original build), Diana Yacht Design (conversion)
Naval Architect: IHC Verschure (original build), Diana Yacht Design (conversion)
Interior Designer: John Misiag Design, Shelley McNaughton Interior Designs