August 6 - 20, 2011

Sail with Daniel J. Cox on a private 8 guest boat charter expedition around Svalbard, Norway in search of the great white bear!

Svalbard means the land with the cold coast, or more accurate only "cold edge". "Sval" is a Norwegian name for "cool" and "bard" is an old name for "edge".

Our 67 foot steel boat has been specially designed and equipped for sailing Arctic waters. The ice-strengthened hull has proved itself in heavy ice conditions. The interior has been renovated in 2009 for extra comfort and amenities. Unlike larger ships that offer similar expeditions we are able to follow our own schedule. We have 2 zodiacs to get all guests out immediately if polar bears or other wildlife is spotted. No line ups or waiting. We will be a small group of 8 guests, giving us more flexibility, stealth and maneuverability. Our chartered vessel has worked with numerous television and film crews including the BBC. They know what we need for quality photo opportunities.

Based on research and our photography needs we have decided this trip will be 14 days at sea to get to the best locations. There are no guarantees of what wildlife we will find but feel we need this many days to offer a great trip.

Our goal is to locate and photograph polar bears however there are also beautiful landscapes including fjords, mountain scenery and glaciers. Other wildlife opportunities may include whales, a variety of seal, walrus, reindeer, arctic fox and a variety of bird life including puffins, ptarmigan and snowy owl.

One on one time with Daniel will help you develop your photography skills. His teaching style takes more of a hands on approach while actually shooting in the field as opposed to classroom lectures.

Meet Daniel and his wife Tanya who will accompany you throughout the journey.

This trip is for people that do not want to go on the typical luxury cruise. Our vessel is small, clean and comfortable. Our focus is photography. Anyone that wishes to join our excursion has to be able to socialize well with others.

Daniel wanted to share a gallery of images from his August 2009 Expedition (different boat). We will be traveling in the same area during the same time of year.

Svalbard Expedition Gallery of Images August 2009

Letter From Daniel To Guests

Below is our sign up form if you wish to book. Fill in the word document online and email to Tanya info@naturalexposures.com

Sign Up Form

If you have any additional questions please contact Daniel or Tanya by email above or by phone at 406.556.8212.

Trip will depart/return from Longyearbyen (LYR), Norway.

August 6
Arrive in Longyearbyen, Norway. We will be staying at the Radisson SAS Polar Hotel. This evening we will have a group welcome dinner.

August 7
Late morning transfer to our vessel, sailing scheduled time at 12noon. Today we will begin our journey by sea. More information to come:)

August 20
Return to Longyearbyen by 12 noon
- return flight home

Due to the remoteness of this area of the north our exact route and itinerary will vary according to weather & ice conditions, wildlife and other factors that may not be in our control. Flexibility is very important to the success of this expedition. Natural Exposures and our boat crew will work together to give you the best experience possible.

Yacht Charter Specs

Image Gallery of Vessel

English MCA certificate for category 0 (unlimited sailing). The boat and equipment are checked annually by a British surveyor. The Skipper and crew have their English certificates.

• Length : 20,42 m.
• Width : 5,26 m.
• Draft : 2,82 m.
• Mast heigth above water : 26 m
• Sail area (max.) : 220 m2
• Spinnaker : 351 m2
• Average speed under sail : 9 Kn.
• Average speed under power : 8 Kn.
• Diesel tanks (total) : 1800 l.
• Water tanks (total) : 1100 l.
• Wastewatertank : 200 l.
• Main anchor (Delta) : 50 kg. / 110 lb.
• Anchor chain : 120 m.

The boat is equipped with:

• Reflex diesel heater
• 2 x hot air heater
• Refrigerator
• Freezer
• 2 x toilet
• 2 x shower to be used only if water
supply is sufficient
• Watermaker
• Autopilot
• Depth Speed and Wind indicator
• Sonar forward looking Depth sounder
• 2 x GPS
• VHF fixed and portable
• Radar
• Iridium phone with data modem
• Diesel generator
• Solas approved life rafts 3 x
• Lifejackets
• Epirb 2 x
• 2 x Zodiac with 15 and 25 hp outboard engine
• iPod player
• Inverter for 220 volts (charging laptops and camera’s)

A refit of the yacht was completed in late 2009 at the yard in Gdansk. The new boat has a Deck Saloon lay-out and a more protected cockpit, so we can enjoy the environment from behind glass as well as outside.

Layout
10 guest berths = 5 cabins for 2 persons and 2 toilet/shower compartments. There is a huge storage area for food and equipment. And with tanks holding 1800 litres of fuel we can go a long way if the wind lets us down for any length of time.

August 6 - 20, 2011 - 14 Days Sailing

Arrive anytime of day Aug 6 to LYR
Depart LYR anytime after 3pm Aug 20

Price: $10,500 double occupancy

No single supplement available on vessel, private room at Radisson on LYR Aug 6 would be $150 additional.

Installments:
Deposit due at time of booking ($1000, Visa/MC or check accepted)
1st installment $5000 September 1, 2010
Final Payment payable March 1, 2011

Payment for 1st Installment & Final Payment - CHECK ONLY made payable to Natural Exposures and mailed to our office at:

Natural Exposures, Inc.
810 N. Wallace, Suite E
Bozeman, Montana 59715

• 1 night accommodation in Longyearbyen, Norway at the Radisson SAS Polar Hotel on Aug 6 (breakfast, internet, VAT & taxes included)
• Group dinner evening of Aug 6
• Transfers from hotel to boat Aug 7
• Transfers to airport from boat Aug 20
• 14 nights on private boat charter
• Meals onboard
• All fuel & landing fee (Ny Alesund)
• All gratuities

• International Flights to/from LYR
• Transfers to Radisson SAS Polar Hotel
• Bar and beverage charges
• Emergency evacuation/medical insurance/ trip cancellation
Dan and I personally recommend and use InsureMyTrip.com and/or GlobalRescue.com
• Passport/visa expenses, government arrival/departure taxes

Policy: A waiver from Natural Exposures and our vessel will need to be signed by each guest. A minimum of 7 participants for this charter. If we do not meet this minimum we have the right to cancel this expedition.

If you need to cancel your booking at anytime, we will do our best to resell your space. Deposits are non-refundable. We will refund (minus deposit and any discounts we may need to give) only if we resell your space. Once a reservation has been made medical circumstances will not be considered as exceptions to our cancellation policy.

No partial refunds are possible for unused services including but not limited to hotel rooms, meals, air, vessel or land transportation, activity days or other sightseeing excursions.

Our guests must understand that the amenities, accommodations, type of transport, route, schedule and itineraries may change without prior notice due to local circumstances or events. Events causing these changes may include but are not limited to mechanical breakdown, flight cancellations, illness, strikes, political disputes, weather, border crossing problems, and other unforeseeable factors.

By booking a trip with Natural Exposures you have agreed to the following TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

Suggestions on what to bring:

• Binoculars
• Layers of clothing including waterproof jacket and pants
• Hat & gloves
• Fleece jacket
• Sleeping bag
• Rubber boots & hiking boots
• Medications you require
• Sunglasses

Camera Gear Suggested: TBA

This trip is for the adventurer. Physically each guest needs to be in good health, fully mobile and lead an active lifestyle. Life onboard a small boat requires some physical agility to move through small doorways and up and down stairways. We will be in a remote area without nearby access to medical facilities. The physical demands will mostly involve wet and dry landings from the vessel and getting into and out of zodiacs. There is a social nature to the trip where shipmates have private rooms but share common quarters. Please let our office know if you have any food allergies or requirements. We will do our best to accommodate!