| The sailing ship Paratii 2, used on this voyage,
took 8 years to be built. Concluded in 2001,
it was planned to overcome the dangers of Antarctica,
a region where winds of over 100 km/h and waves
25 meters high have been recorded. Between planning
and construction, Paratii 2 took ten years to
come into being, and Thierry Stump was the experienced
ship builder who executed the project which arose
from the drawing boards of the French studio
Bouvet-Petit- at the time the office which was
the most updated as regards the concept of stability
of shape.
Paratii 2 has had new technology applied
in the process of being built and possesses
novel solutions for a sailing vessel, such
as its hull, which is made entirely of aluminum – a
feature which allows it to resist blows from
shattered icebergs better. Using aluminum also
means that Paratii 2 is lighter than similar
ships built with conventional materials, and
allows it to carry more equipment and supplies
instead of inert ballast.
As a result, its
navigation is more independent.
The solutions shipped and
the innovating design are some of the novelties
of the sailing ship. It is worth pointing out
that the width of the boat in proportion to its
length is greater than usual, which allows it
to have a list of up to 115 degrees, and still
have more than 50% of its volume above the waterline – which
ensures that it continues to float until it can
be returned to the
correct position.
Without fixed ballast (boats
usually use lead), its balance is ensured by
the result of the equation of its measurements
and by the relation with the height of the masts.
33 meters high and weighing 4 tons each one,
they were constructed of carbon fiber using the
Aerorig system and have in their boom (the horizontal
part of the setting of its masts) a system of
electric ratchets to hoist the sails. The masts
are self-sustaining, i.e. they do not require
a set of steel cables to maintain them in a vertical
position. All the profile is maintained aloft
solely by the support of 2.70 meters
of its base. |
 |
The objective
of developing and implementing innovating systems
in building Paratii 2 was to manage to have a
working boat with a low operating cost, which
would allow it to be manned by a single sailor
whenever necessary. Prepared for long voyages,
it can go up to three years without needing to
call at a port. It can also be prepared to ship
filming crews, scientists, academics, mountain
climbers, divers and any crew which can generate
scientific, historical, geographic or purely
entertainment contents.
With extremely simplified
systems, Paratii 2 has a rudder and keel which
can be withdrawn, allowing it to enter shallow
waters. The two Mercedes-Benz engines, each of
350 horsepower, ensure up to 12 thousand nautical
miles of navigation without using the sails,
and are supplied by 33 thousand liters of special
diesel oil – less polluting, with a high
index of fluidity and resistant
to
low temperatures.
Contrasting with the operating
simplicity, the command cabin is equipped with
radios, computers, radars and an automatic pilot.
The communication system of the boat uses a wireless
network, connected to two satellite antennas
which allow contact with the base on earth from
any point of the voyage and also monitoring of
the boat from a distance.
Paratii 2 has a tank of 2 thousand liters of
fresh water and 3 thousand liters of salt water.
The boat is 30 meters
long (100 feet), 8.5 meters wide (beam) and weighs
from 75 to 110 tons. In spite of possessing the
dimensions of a large sailing ship, Paratii 2
has the mobility of a small boat.
| Technical
Features of the Sailing Vessel Paratii 2 |
| Length 28.8 m |
| Maximum Width 8.65 m |
| Draught 1.50 m |
| Sailing Area 395
m2 |
| Independence 12,000 minutes |
| Tonnage of Gauging of
Gross Cubic Content 108 tons |
|
