Science

Expedition sailing yachts as a platform for marine and polar research

A research platform where big vessels can't go

• We make our expedition yachts available to universities, institutes and research groups for fieldwork in the Arctic, Antarctica and other remote ocean regions.
• Chartering a research vessel is usually the single largest cost in a marine project, and large vessels are booked years ahead. An expedition sailing yacht costs considerably less, uses very little fuel and goes to sea when your project needs it.
• You focus on the science. We take care of the yacht, the crew, logistics, safety and fitting your equipment on board.

Research the yacht is suited for

We adapt the yacht and the route to your work programme. These are the fields where a small platform is especially practical.

Oceanography

CTD profiling, water sampling, underway measurements, deployment and recovery of autonomous instruments and buoys in coastal waters, fjords and at the ice edge.

A yacht moves slowly and can stop anywhere, so stations can be placed densely and exactly where you need them: across a fjord, along a glacier front, on a transect from shore to open water. Under sail there is no engine noise or exhaust, which helps with acoustic measurements and with clean air and water sampling.

Marine biology and biodiversity

Plankton nets, eDNA sampling, benthos and macroalgae work in shallow water, surveys and observations of marine mammals and seabirds, scientific diving.

A small yacht makes it easy to work from the Zodiac: to reach the shore, a haul-out or a colony, or to sample in the intertidal zone. Quiet progress under sail disturbs wildlife less, which suits whale and seabird surveys and photo-identification. The work is done in a small group, and the day's programme can be changed as conditions require.

Biogeochemistry and microbiology

Water and sediment samples, initial processing and storage of samples on board, work in areas research vessels rarely visit.

Samples can be processed straight after collection: filtered, fixed and prepared for storage in the saloon. The route is built around your station grid, not the other way round, so you can cover areas for which ship time is rarely available: small fjords, bays and the coastal waters of remote islands.

Climate, sea ice and glaciers

Work at glacier fronts and the ice edge, meteorological and long-term observations, repeat surveys of the same sites season after season.

The yacht can stay at a glacier front or the ice edge for as long as a series of measurements takes, and return to the same sites during the season and year after year. This suits observations of melt, freshwater run-off and sea-ice conditions, as well as flying drones and setting up autonomous stations ashore.

Marine geology and coastal systems

Sediment sampling at shallow depths, soundings and surveys in narrow fjords and bays, coastal and environmental monitoring.

A shallow draught allows soundings and sediment sampling where a large vessel cannot go, and Zodiac landings give access to the shore for geological and geomorphological work. The format also suits regular monitoring: the same stretches of coast can be surveyed every season using the same method.

Field courses and science communication

Field courses for students and PhD candidates, filming for outreach projects and documentaries, media work.

On board, students see the whole cycle of fieldwork, from planning a station to the initial processing of samples. The group lives and works alongside the crew, and seminars can be held in the saloon in the evening. For film crews and journalists the yacht offers close access to the scientists' work and to the nature they study.

How a yacht differs from a research vessel

Expedition sailing yacht

Conventional research vessel

• Considerably lower charter and operating costs
• Very low fuel consumption: saves budget and leaves a smaller footprint in fragile environments
• Small professional crew
• No expensive port infrastructure needed
• Flexible timing: an expedition can be prepared quickly
• The yacht works for your project only

• High charter costs
• High fuel consumption
• Complex logistics
• Often shared between several programmes
• Booked a year or more ahead

Access where large vessels can't operate

A shallow draught and good manoeuvrability make it possible to work in shallow coastal waters, narrow fjords, remote bays, small harbours, at the ice edge and among isolated islands. And a short lead time lets you respond quickly to an unusual natural event or to changes in a glacier or an ecosystem.

Who is responsible for what

Your institute

• scientific objectives and work programme
• methods and scientific equipment
• grants and funding
• scientific permits
• data analysis and publications

Frozen Ocean

• the yacht and a professional crew
• expedition planning and logistics
• fitting and connecting your equipment on board
• safety, Starlink communications, provisioning
• maintenance of the yacht
• Zodiac operations for work on the water and ashore

Our yachts

Both yachts are steel-hulled, were refitted in 2025 and sail in high latitudes.

Admiral Lazarev

Our flagship for Antarctica. Steel hull, two saloons that can serve as a work area and a place to process samples, active fin stabilisers and equipment for diving operations.

The yacht Admiral Lazarev

• Length: 22.42 m
• Hull: steel
• Berths for scientists: up to 8
• Crew: 4
• Range: 4,000 nautical miles
• Fuel / water: 7,000 l / 4,000 l
• Watermaker: on board
• Tenders: 2 Zodiacs

Lea

A compact steel yacht for the Arctic. Shallow draught and long range make her practical for work in fjords, shallow waters and remote areas.

The yacht Lea under sail in a fjord

• Length: 18 m
• Hull: steel
• Berths for scientists: up to 8
• Crew: 3
• Range: 6,000 nautical miles
• Fuel / water: 6,000 l / 1,200 l
• Watermaker: portable unit
• Tenders: 1 Zodiac

More about the yacht

Where we work

Most of our work is in high latitudes: the Antarctic Peninsula, East and West Greenland, Norway and the Lofoten Islands, and on request Svalbard and Iceland. But the region can be anywhere. For long-term projects the yachts can head into the Atlantic or the Pacific and work there for months: we plan the route, timing and team around your programme. A typical format is 4–8 researchers with equipment on a 10–20 day expedition, but we take on custom projects too.

Yacht saloon with a table and a nautical chart

Planning the route over a nautical chart

Easy to build into grant proposals

• The costs of the yacht, crew, fuel, communications and logistics are set out in a single marine operations agreement. That figure is easy to include in a grant budget, and a lower vessel cost makes the proposal more competitive.
• You can start with a small pilot expedition to test the format in practice, and then move on to regular joint projects.

We represent Antarctic Ambassadors

Frozen Ocean also represents Antarctic Ambassadors, an initiative of IAATO that brings together people who speak up for Antarctica and help protect it. For us, science and care for the polar environment go together: the more we know about these places, the better we can preserve them.

How it works

Request

You describe the project: area, dates, team, equipment and objectives.

Planning

We choose the yacht and the route and discuss how to fit the equipment and which permits are needed.

Agreement

We sign a marine operations agreement with a clear budget for your proposal or institute.

Expedition

We prepare the yacht, welcome your team and carry out the work to your programme.

The equipment set-up and technical capabilities of each yacht are confirmed for each project. Send us your instrument list and we'll tell you what can be fitted and how.

Shall we discuss your research project?

Tell us about your objectives, area and dates, and we'll propose a yacht and an expedition format.