Nomads Latest News
All Systems are Ready to Begin the Nomads Adventure
Newsletter #1
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ATMOSPHERE
opens a new era in Patagonian navigation |
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Valdivia,
November 2006.
After this baptism -on November 4th- and the unveiling of its befitting
name, Atmosphere, Nomads of the Seas’' main ship is already
on sail. Starting from its very first trip, the commitment is to
give guests the opportunity to travel in complete safety, comfort
and style, while at the same time providing a superlative exploration
platform to discover the otherwise unreachable Patagonia.
More than 200 professionals from the Asenav shipyard worked shoulder
to shoulder with a Nomads of the Seas’ team led by its president
Andrés Ergas, to build and outfit the Atmosphere. For almost
two years, Andrés Ergas personally supervised every detail
up to the interior design, which was entrusted to Enrique Concha
B. & Diseñadores Asociados, a renowned Chilean design
office, to make sure the masterwork would live up to the notion
of all-encompassing experience that inspired its creation.
To Andrés, the greatest challenge behind the Atmosphere was
to build a liner that would be a powerful expedition ship and, at
the same time, a cruise with a unique and noble interior ambiance,
capable of rendering a trip through Patagonian territory, a complete
pleasure.
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The
Atmosphere received all international certifications applicable
to its category -Small Ship-. For further details, please
visit The Mothership section of our web site: www.nomadsoftheseas.com/mothership
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"Today we can proudly proclaim we have made it. The Atmosphere
strikes a perfect balance between interior comfort, steady
sailing, navigation capacity, potential for off road reconnaissance
and safety," Andrés Ergas affirms. |
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Each
square centimeter of the Atmosphere was carefully devised
and executed, and as a result, there is no other ship in the
world that can compare to it. Particular care was taken in
implementing every possible measure to achieve a pleasurable,
stable and safe navigation, with systems tailored specifically
to the size of the vessel and its sailing routes. Some of
the features of the Atmosphere, such as the bulbous bow that
minimizes the effect of the waves and keeps the ship -especially
the bow- from rocking, are exceptional for a ship its size.
For propulsion, the ship relies on two in-line engines with
4-blade propellers plus two auxiliary groups, and stability-wise,
with last generation stabilizers that, diverging from common
practice, function non-stop.
Tough
on the outside, warm on the inside
In general terms, maybe the greatest challenge poised by the
Atmosphere to its builders was to create an optimal layout
for the accommodation of the complex aero-maritime transport
system to be carried aboard. Its components are a Bell 407
6-passenger helicopter, six Jet-Boats, six Zodiacs for heli-fishing
operations and a 16-passenger / 2 crew members Zodiac Hurricane
920 with twin 250 hp. 4 stroke outboards. Most of this equipment
is carried in the stern and at a certain height, which demanded
a very meticulous stability and gravity center analysis.
The Asenav and Nomads’ building team were also keen
on refining the exterior design of the Atmosphere, without
taking away from its rugged, adventure-oriented personality
or from its exploration capabilities. One of their significant
decisions was to enlarge windows as much as possible, and
so the Atmosphere allows a much ampler view than is usual
for a ship of her dimensions. Furthermore, the window's diagonal
lines manage to somehow soften the Atmosphere's imposing outer
appearance. The navy-blue hull is another detail, dressing
the vessel in a shade that matches the Patagonian natural
color palette. "We wanted the Atmosphere to blend harmoniously
with the landscape rather than creating a contrasting effect,"
Ergas explains.
Indoors, the design concept is a statement of essentialness,
a spirit that imbues the whole interior of the ship from the
living and dining-room deck to the cabins deck. The reigning
color is a demure ivory, which acts to highlight the furniture's
sophisticated and clean lines, as well as the outstanding
craftsmanship of the interior design as a whole. Materials
were chosen for their nobleness and ability to inspire warmth;
wood and leather are at the forefront, with steel shining
in numerous details and serving as a visual link to the ship's
solid structure. |
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Design. Decorated in soft colors and noble materials,
the Atmosphere's interior is a perfect blend of practicality
and beauty.
Comfort. The Atmosphere is full of details
that were created to complement a pleasant stay in a refined
environment.
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A
TRULY PATAGONIAN FLIGHT |
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The
Bell 407 Helicopter is one of the
fundamental pillars of the Nomads of the Seas’ transport system.
It is key to reach places that would otherwise remain untouchable
and to provide a unique perspective of Patagonia. Among other capabilities,
it can fly at a very low altitude, stay in one place or reduce speed
in order, for instance, to allow passengers to shoot their best
photographs.
From a Nomads of the Seas’ perspective, this model presents
unparalleled comfort and safety advantages. And to reinforce the
latter even more, a flotation system strong enough to resist an
emergency water landing and a complete survival kit were fitted
to the original helicopter.
Francisco Esquivel, the pilot in charge of the Bell 407, asserts
that Patagonia is a fairly friendly place to fly, even if the region
does offer its share of rains and winds. Francisco is an ex officer
of the Chilean Air Force and has extensive experience overflying
this territory; one of his specialties are the huge ice fields of
Campos de Hielo Sur, set on the border between Chile and Argentina. |
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THE
HURRICANE 920 RIB IS REALLY ABOARD
THE ATHMOSPHERE |
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The
mighty zodiac Hurricane 920 RIB, with its 16 passengers
/ 2 crew members and high speed capacity, arrived in October and
is already occupying its navigation outpost aboard the Atmosphere.
The embarkation and disembarkation feat is made possible by an
ingenious crane mechanism developed by a group of Chilean engineers,
a bare necessity when considering that the Zodiac Hurricane 920
RIB is in itself quite respectable in size -33 feet/10 m long-
and usually only rests in marinas or ports. But since this watercraft
was considered integral to a number of Nomads activities that
call for swift and safe water transportation, the engineering
team stopped at nothing to assure that the Zodiac would inhabit
its intended space aboard.
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Not
only the Atmosphere was
especially built for Nomads of the Seas and its remarkable operation,
the jet boats carried aboard were also custom-made. Their model,
Motor Jet, is capable of tackling very shallow rivers and lakes
and was specifically designed to service fly fishers, with platforms
both in the bow and stern and two electric engines that offer noiseless
motion.
The six jet boats are highly specialized and only manufactured upon
request. Each individual piece is modeled and assembled by hand,
ensuring a product of unbeatable technical quality… just about
the standard required by Nomads of the Seas. |
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FIRST
GENERATION OF NOMADIC GUIDES FINALIZES ITS TRAINING ABOARD
THE ATMOSPHERE |
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With
a final experience on board
their actual place of work, Nomads' first group of guides completed
more than 1,800 hours of training in a wide range of theoretic and
practical subjects. Each guide had to pass a total of 52 different
courses before qualifying to work with Nomads.
The final part of the training was devoted to familiarize the team
with the Atmosphere's unique features and to practice specific tasks,
such as the on-deck touchdown of the Bell 407 helicopter and the
handling of the cranes that disembark the Zodiac Hurricane and the
jet boats, to name a few.
Osvaldo Anwandter, Nomads of the Seas’ Expeditions Manager,
explains that the all-encompassing training that the guides brought
to a close with a month aboard the Atmosphere, has polished them
off as exceptional professionals armed with the diverse skills needed
to participate in such a specific and demanding expedition cruise.
“It was a revolutionary program to match a completely unique
project. 1,800 hours of training have left our guides ready to offer
a complete, quality-oriented service and to be part of a project
whose ethos is excellence," Anwandter concludes. |
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OPENING
NOMADS OF THE SEAS' TRIPS WILL HAVE WORLDWIDE COVERAGE |
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We
already shared our inaugural trip with explorers from Oregon, USA
, on November 11th. Now our vessel Atmosphere will be honored with
the visit of prestigious journalists throughout five familiarization
trips, which will be part of it first steps of operation
The invitation extended to prominent travel writers from different
US, European and Asia-Pacific media has been almost unanimously
accepted. And so guest lists are almost ready for the five Nomads
of the Seas’ familiarization trips set to inaugurate a new
era in ecotourism and fly fishing in Patagonia.
General as well as specialty journalists will have the chance to
experience first hand all the programs and activities that Nomads
has in store. They will share the experience with renowned fly fishers,
whale watchers and ecotourism experts, who have also confirmed their
attendance.
And so it is that from the very onset, Nomads of the Seas establishes
a new style in familiarization trips, a uniqueness that is rapidly
becoming a hallmark of all Nomadic endeavors. |
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The
program's main objective was for its participants to develop
abilities in a number of fields, namely: complex maneuvering
of the jet boats, heliport operations, piloting jet boats,
guiding trekking excursions and photography. Other subjects
covered were water reading, marine biology, ecotourism,
biogeography, aquatic entomology, botany, ecology, zoology,
ornithology, cetology and astronomy. In the social sciences
sphere, some of the topics were archeology, regional history
and social anthropology. Finally, the students were also
trained in guest service, hospitality basics, catering,
wine tasting, first aids, survival techniques, rescue operations
and safety, while in parallel undergoing demanding physical
training routines. |
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