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Norwegian yacht seeks help

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Norwegian yacht seeks help

3News NZ

The yacht with Norwegian vikings and a New Zealander on board near Antarctica is in trouble (Customs)

The yacht with Norwegian vikings and a New Zealander on board near Antarctica is in trouble (Customs)

The yacht with self-proclaimed Norwegian vikings and a New Zealander on board in the Southern Ocean is seeking help from Argentinian Antarctic bases after their yacht was damaged.

Norwegians Jarle Andhoy, 34, and Samuel Massie, 19, caused consternation with authorities when they made an unsanctioned trip on the yacht Nilaya to the Antarctic earlier this year.

They were looking for traces of their yacht Berserk, which sank in a huge storm in February last year - with the loss of three lives - as Mr Andhoy and Mr Massie tried to reach the South Pole on quad bikes. Their equipment was left at New Zealand's Scott Base.

After finding no trace of the Beserk last month the adventurers, including New Zealander Busby Noble, 53, headed north.

Mr Andhoy's friend Rune Olsgaard told Radio New Zealand today the yacht Nilaya's boom was broken and they were heading to an Argentine base to get help fixing it.

They did not want to stay in Antarctic waters and would then head to South America, and Mr Andhoy would then return to Norway.

Mr Olsgaard said the crew did not anticipate difficulty with South American authorities, despite the unauthorised trip to Antarctic.

He did not rule out another trip to the Antarctic again next summer. They may try to get a bigger boat next summer so they could search the area the Berserk was last seen.

The crew is not sailing to New Zealand, believing they will face prosecution there.

Under New Zealand regulations, any ship heading from New Zealand to Antarctica needs permission from New Zealand authorities.

Mr Andhoy's expedition attracted criticism because he does not have permission to be in Antarctic waters and is putting potential rescuers at risk if he gets into trouble.

NZN

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Comments

16/03/2012 11:13:45 p.m.

Jim Seaview wrote:

QUOTE: "After finding no trace of the Beserk last month the adventurers, including New Zealander Busby Noble, 53, headed north.

Mr Andhoy's friend Rune Olsgaard told Radio New Zealand today the yacht Nilaya's boom was broken and they were heading to an Argentine base to get help fixing it."

We shouldnt worry to much about these glory self seekers as I am sure that Maori activist Busby Noble will have all the necessary skills to fix things.

With respect to the good beer TUI - Yeah right



15/03/2012 11:46:06 p.m.

Aurora Aust wrote:

Jarle's current spokesman, a Hells Angel (Jarle has all the talent for picking his companions of a rebellious teenage male) reports:

* The trip south yielded no answers, just 'more questions', because the people at the base(s) are 'not telling the truth'.

If Jarle has not attempted to contact them (and even he has not suggested that he has tried), they cannot have told him anything, including the truth. It seems the only truth Jarle would recognise as such would be absolution - he seems desperate for someone else to take responsibility and 'make it all better'.

* The yacht (specifically the boom) is damaged, and instead of heading for South America, is now heading for an Argentine base on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Jarle goes out of his way to cultivate a poisonous relationship with local authorities wherever he goes; it makes him extremely popular with the reality TV set and the twitterati.

He also promotes himself shamelessly, using the 'hall of mirrors' effect on the internet to to position himself as a living legend, one of the few with genuine expertise and experience in high latitudes.

He makes a habit of drip feeding multiple "versions of the truth" through his media contacts.
His fans can each pick a version to berate and contradict anyone to whom Jarle is less than iconic.

He also makes much of being self sufficient.

So it's odd that he would use such minor difficulties as a broken boom and lack of diesel as an excuse to throw himself on the tender mercies of another Antarctic base.

Bases don't carry spare diesel, nor do they enjoy their stretched resources being coopted by people in anything less than an unavoidable, life threatening crisis.

Viking longships required neither booms nor diesel. Both remain dispensable on a modern sailing vessel, even to those who are sub-heroic.

It's hard to reconcile the reality with the fictional, mythical persona.

In Jarle's case, it seems, that's simply business as usual.