Our main vision was our desire to become a unique operation: we wanted to offer a continuous adventure, with an extraordinarily different approach, but the main question was how?

What would make this happen?

Move away from the traditional, think of a new approach, of something that does not exist, the idea all of a sudden struck us! A Mothership! instead of a land-based lodge. Chile was the ideal environment with its highly protected waters, formed by channels that make navigation and sleeping aboard a real joy.

Next, our second challenge: there was no other operation in the world to serve as a reference; we had to design a ship that met all of our requirements, which were not few.

It had to be unsurpassably reliable and safe, and possess ocean-going characteristics that, under any conditions, would allow for docile navigation, providing great comfort to our guests.

We had to design all the built-in special characteristics to carry and support our jet boats, helicopter, and safety equipment, plus all the other regular implements required on an expedition vessel.

Styling was also crucial; the ship would have to look and feel like a unique, strong, robust vessel that was up to any job. It would have to be like a real workhorse: not too luxurious but with civil manners and great comfort. It should resemble a civilian Hummer Vehicle or a Hercules Aircraft with upscale amenities. It had to have a strong character.

We were also looking for a design that would allow our guests to freely interact on the bridge, in the kitchen and maneuvering areas for our boats and helicopter, so they could experience the tasks firsthand, while providing safety beyond compare.

Some of the technical features involved a steel hull, twin engines and twin propellers with variable pitch to be able to maneuver under any current or sea conditions while providing the ability to deploy the jet boats or helicopters, substantial range and comply with the most strict certification standards. The design of the hull would have to have pitch and roll characteristics and a wide beam aimed at docile behavior for passenger comfort. 40 meters in LOA and 9 to 10 meters in beam and a displacement of 400 tons was our target.

We knew we were asking for a lot, but we simply had to deliver.

IN THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME, WITH THE RIGHT MEANS

Nature is always changing, modifying its behavior, never predictable, it varies at will.

Why go against nature, why not instead provide the flexibility to go around it?

Imagine you are among the lucky few who can always enjoy the best fishing site and the most exhuberant scenery.

Only on our MotherShip can we accomplish such flexibility, there is no better and efficient way of transporting our guests in comfort, safety and with exceeding reliability.

Logistically being able to move us, and all our transportation needs to remote places at arms length of the previously selected sites is what this adventure is all about.

• Certification of the Vessel and its Equipment issued by the Maritime Authority of Chile, in compliance with all IMO (International Maritime Organization) provisions.


• Passenger Vessels Certification of the Vessel and its Equipment by the American Bureau of Shipping, in compliance with the Rules and Regulations for Passenger Vessels for 2006.


• Quality Management Certification of our Services under ISO 9001.


• Quality Management Certification of our Services under ISO 14001.


• Maritime Safety Management Certification of our Operations under ISM Code (International Management Safety Code)


• Certification of Protection Management of our Operations, under ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Security)

The favourable effects of sea water on the body are well known.

Our MotherShip thelassotherapy service will help our guests find energy due to the natural therapeutic virtues of sea air, sea water, sea weeds and mud.

World class pampering on The Atmosphere.

The Mothership's cabins have been built with extreme care, priorizing comfort and safety above all. You'll also find the décor of a highly refined taste, so you definitely won't miss anything from back home.

The cabin structure is as follows:

• 10 twin cabins
• 4 double cabins
• All cabins are exterior
• Private bathroom (includes hairdryer)
• Security box

Note: Power supply voltage is 220 Volts in Chile.

Our cabins are specially designed to give our passengers the privacy and comfort they need. We've made a great effort to provide our passengers with natural and tasteful interiors, to make you feel just as if you were home. You'll also feel our warm and attentive service during your whole trip.

Check out our deck plan (click for large version, in PDF):

Our helicopter, a Bell 407, is one of the worlds most fully equipped units, featuring IFR single-pilot capabilities to face almost any weather condition, plus the possibility of safely taking back guests to the mainland under intensive weather conditions or limited visibility.

Forward and rear 15 inch monitors with an unprecedented moving map capability will give you an outstanding graphical display of where you are flying. Cargo baskets will carry our zodiacs, outboard engines and all related equipment to spots that dictate safe means of moving around not only by foot. Other features include a deluxe interior with air conditioning and arctic heaters for all temperatures.

During your stay, you will have four types of adventures available, Heli-Fishing – Heli-Zodiac / Heli-Drift, Jet Boat and Ecotourism tours. The combination of all them is what makes Nomads a continuous adventure.

Specifications:

• Model: Bell 407
• Crew: 1 pilot
• Passengers: 6 seats
• Max speed: 252 km/hr
• Cruise speed: 222 km/hr
• Autonomy: 3:15 hrs
• I.F.R.

Transportation is the essence of our activity, being in the appropriate spot at the right moment is what extreme fly fishing is all about. This would not be possible without our helicopters, custom built jet boats and the support of our Mothership.

Our custom jet boats will be manufactured by Roguejet in Medford, Oregon, and specially designed for our operation with joint input from us and Bruce Wassom, owner of the company and one of the most experienced welded aluminium boat builders and drivers in the industry. He has fished and explored numerous rivers in the Patagonia region of Chile, navigated rivers in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal, in Alaska, Canada and the U.S.A.

Our fleet is made up of 6 fully equipped Jetboats, plus 2 SOLAS Rescue Boats, 4 Helitour Mission Zodiacs, and one Huricane 920 RIB Zodiac.

Jetboats' Specifications:

• Longitude: 7 mts (23 feet)
• Capacity: 6 passengers
• Engine: 200 hp effective
• Autonomy: 7 hrs.
• 2 supplementary electric motors
• Aluminium case
• GPS, Chart Plotter, Depth Sounder

Huricane 920 RIB Zodiac Specifications:

• Longitude: 10,20 mts (33 feet)
• Capacity: 18 passengers + 3 crew
• Autonomy: 600 nm
• Engine: 2 outboard 250hp engines (4 stroke)

Specifications

• Overall Length:
  45.7 m / 150 ft


• Beam: 10.0 m / 33 ft


• Maximum Displacement: 700 tons


• Range: 6.000 nm


• Twin Screw Propulsion


• Bow Thrusters


• Four fin stabilizer systems


• Steel hull


• Aluminum superstructure

Capacity

• 18 fishing passengers
• 10 non-fishing passengers
• 32 crew members

Class Notation

• A.B.S. + A1 (E) Passenger Vessel + A.M.S.
• Complies with I.M.O. and S.O.L.A.S. Regulation ISO9000 & ISO14000

Traveling by sea through channels and fjords, and occasionally in open sea makes all of this an adventure which requires preparation and planning. Our ship needs to reach destinations regardless of the weather, ocean conditions and visibility, in order to take our guests to the best spots and surroundings in every expedition. This is one of the main requirements of our ship: being specifically built for these purposes under the most stringent certification standards, and with thorough attention to every construction detail. The best suppliers of all items, always keeping safety, reliability and quality in mind, will provide our ship's infrastructure.

Our main idea is for meals to be presented in a new, attractive and interactive way. The Show kitchen is designed for every guest to participate throughout the entire elaboration process of our meals. The see-through kitchen will give our guests the opportunity to actually step into the exact spot where all meals are prepared, with the chance to take home all of our treasured secrets and gourmet recipes.

The Atmosphere has an open bar, but if the guests want a liquor or drink that is not covered, they will have to pay for it.

Chilean Wines

In Chile, the vitis vinifera is commercially grown from latitudes 27°S to 39°S. Driven by their hunger for conquest, Spaniards found in this part of America the first region with conditions that were really suitable for vineyard growing. By mid XVI Century, Chile had rapidly become the first wine growing country in the continent and in the Southern Hemisphere. California had to wait yet another two hundred years to come to know the benefits of wine.

Barely thirty years had elapsed from the constitution of the Republic when visionary and prestigious Chilean entrepreneurs introduced noble varieties, assisted by European technician specialists, mainly French. Thus, wine growing started in this country, thriving from the most exceptional conditions throughout the world.

Phylloxera is non-existent; 90% of the wines come from noble stocks; average productivity of these varieties is one of the highest in the world.

Open Bar

The Mothership also counts with a fully equipped bar, stuffed with the best brands from all kinds of liquor. The bar is open during the whole day and the drinks are for free. However, not every kind of liquor is included in the package. So be sure to check beforehand, as those which aren't included will be charged separately.

1) General

The entire ship will comply with the rules/regulations of the Classification Society of Germany Gemanischer Lloyd. This means that all essential parts of the boat, hull as well as equipments, are built/purchased under supervision and with certification that it complies fully with the quality standards stated in the rules.

Furthermore, the ship is equipped considering rules of the National Authorities of the state under which flag it will sail (Chile). These national rules follow recommendations of international organizations as IMO (International Maritime Organization) and SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) and under the special safety standards of a Passenger Vessel.

Safety issues on passenger vessels are complex and will herein be grouped and described in a short description.

2) Damage Floatability, Damage Stability

• Collision bulkhead in the bow against ships total flooding after frontal collisions.
• Double bottom against ships total flooding after damage from grounding of the boat.
• Subdivision of the hull by watertight bulkheads and there hydraulic operated w.t. doors against sinking after flooding of hull compartment/s due to hull damage.
• Freeboard high enough to maintain the main deck above waterline after flooding of compartment/s due to hull damage. Special shape of compartments that dangerous heel and stability loss of the boat after flooding of compartment/s will not happen.

3) Bilge Pumps

Bilge pumps and bilge flooding alarm system with central indication on the wheelhouse. General service pump as spare bilge pump.

4) Life saving equipment

• Certificated Auto Inflatable Life Rafts with a capacity of 150 % of persons on board of the boat on each side. That means there is always more than sufficient capacity available even the life rafts on one side cannot be launched due to heel or other obstacles.
• Certificated Rescue Boat under a quick launching davit with engine power strong enough for the purpose to quickly pick up person/s fallen over board or handling of life rafts afloat after launching in a ship abandon condition.
• Life Buoys with lifelines and safety light ready to be quickly launched after "man over board" condition.
• Life vests for each person with sound signal whistle readily on board stored including special life vests for children.
• Pyrotechnic Distress signals for SOS (safe our souls) condition.

5) Emergency Radio Equipment:

• EPIRB automatic radio transmitter, which comes automatically in to action after floating in the water. This transmitter sends radio signals to help others to locate the boat under distress condition.
• Last recourse for SOS mayday radio transmission is due to connection of emergency signal transmitter on 24 V batteries banks located in high position on the boat.

6) Electronic navigation equipment with grounding/collision prevention characteristics

Marine RADAR equipment incorporating the latest technology and user features as:

• Performance standards specified in IMO (International Maritime Organization).
• Good target enhancement functions with the purpose to track other floating objects, which may become collision partners.
• Sea chart overlay facilities, which combines the RADAR image with electronic sea charts giving complete information of conditions around the vessel. This feature can prevent collisions with rocks on the ground as well as groundings and is a very significant contribution to safe navigation.
• Real time head up mode gives true motion trials refreshing the image every few seconds to give true conditions for the position of the vessel at any time.
• Second, spare RADAR with similar features to back up the main RADAR in case of failure.
• Echo sounder with monitoring of depth changes on the track to compare with chart information to prevent groundings.
• Accurate GPS (Global Positioning System) to locate the boat as exact as possible to prevent groundings.

7) Redundancy of Propulsion and Steering System

Two independent propulsion and steering systems, which gives redundancy safety against systems failures due to mechanical problems or damage from touching outside obstacles. As simple as possible and robust outside ship propulsion equipment with fixed pitch propellers which is not easily damaged by a slight touch of floating or fixed objects.

8) Diesel Propulsion/Ships Energy Generation Operating Options

Two propulsion motors, two main generators, one auxiliary generator, one emergency generator. Operating options of the system:

• High speed under way, two main generators for propulsion and ship consumers/two propulsion motors running.
• Economic service speed under way, two main generators and one auxiliary generator running/two propulsion motors running.
• One main generator out of service due to failure sees option 2).
• Auxiliary generator out of service sees option 1).
• One propulsion motor out of service, second propulsion line and one main generator in service.
• Engine room flooded due to hull damage, emergency generator in service.

9) Fire Fighting Equipment and use of Materials with inflammable characteristics

• Materials and compositions of fire insulation and fire zones in compliance with the SOLAS regulations.
• Materials in accommodation in compliance with SOLAS rules.
• Automatic fire detecting and alarm system in any space of the ship with central monitoring on wheelhouse.
• Hand fire alarm system ready to be operated from any space of the ship.
• Water Sprinkler system witch comes automatically in operation via heat/smoke sensors.
• Ready to use hand fire extinguisher near to any space of the ship
• Water fire extinguishing system and firefighters outfits for use of crew in fire fighting conditions.
• CO2 flooding for engine room.
• Main seawater fire pump backed up by emergency fire pump located outside engine room in case of engine room water flooding due to hull damage.

10) Emergency Lighting/Electric generation failure

Boat is equipped with emergency lighting in case of electric generation failure, emergency generator starts up automatically.

11) Emergency Escape Routs inside ship

• No long routes without escape way at the end.
• All escape ways easy to open from inside and wide enough to let out the number of persons in the area in shortest time.
• Escape routes marked with escape fluorescent reference markers.

12) Medical first aid

A complete medical kit available on board for first aid conditions.

13) Other equipment on board, which contributes to safety

The helicopter on board is last not least very effective emergency equipment in any dangerous situation. More boats, jet boats, can also contribute in emergency situations.

14) Safety through good physical condition of crew and passengers

The boat is equipped with an efficient stabilizing system, which reduces rolling of the ship in under way condition as well as in cero speed condition by two pair of stabilizing fins located at the round bilge of the hull. The fins are operated by a hydraulic system, which is controlled by different software, one for cero speed and other for under way condition.

Even in severe weather, the physical condition of the persons on board will not be affected. That improves capability of the persons in any dangerous situation and contributes highly on ships safety.

Our Marina also counts with an exclusive Gift Shop, where you can get presents and souvenirs to remember your journey with the Nomads. You can find all sorts of souvenirs, gifts, sports clothing and personal use items, all of which are exclusively designed for Nomads of the Seas.