Sailboat Jonathan - The crew
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Captain Mark van de Wegstarted his serious off shore sailing with a circumnavigation by way of the trade wind route in 1985 – 89. In a traditional wooden 30 footer. In the days that astro navigation was still an art to be mastered before setting of on an ocean voyage. After his tropical years the Arctic become the focus of many voyages. Greenland, Iceland and Spitsbergen were all in the bucket list. The fascination grew and after a wintering with Jonathan III in Lillehookfjord, Spitsbergen, he stayed in Longyearbyen. For 10 years chartering in the high Arctic was the way of life. Going out with wildlife photographers, scientists, divers, hikers, skiers and sailors made up for a very diverse season. With often a late season trip to East Greenland to finish the sailing for the year.
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Opposite Poles Attract
In 2011 one of the boats, Jonathan IV, a former Challenge 67, was sold. Opening up the opportunity to go for the old dream, sailing the North-West Passage. In May 2012 Jonathan III set off from Longyearbyen for this epic trip. Early September Point Barrow was reached in Alaska but it was not until the anchor was dropped in False Pass, in the Aleutian Islands before the trip was over.
Many miles have passed and now in 2020 Jonathan III is based in Puerto Williams, (60 nm from Cape Horn). So now the CV includes the wild coast of Patagonia, the Drake Passage, Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula, Falklands, South Georgia and the South Orkey Islands. Even for a well-seasoned sailor there were quite some new techniques to master in the higher latitudes of the far south.
Mark holds the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency UK) ticket of Ocean Yachtmaster up to 200 tons, commercially endorsed (this includes all necessary certificates like, radio, safety, survival at sea, fire fighting, MCA proficiency in First Aid etc.).
In the autumn off 2013 Caroline Theoret joined Jonathan in Vancouver BC. Together they sailed 14500 nm down to the Antarctic Peninsula. They sailed to Antarctica for many expeditions until 2019. They did some charter work in Spitsbergen in 2018 on Skydancer a 23 m schooner. See our "Last Sailing Voyages" and "Our Voyage" to know where Mark and Caroline have been sailing lately.
Many miles have passed and now in 2020 Jonathan III is based in Puerto Williams, (60 nm from Cape Horn). So now the CV includes the wild coast of Patagonia, the Drake Passage, Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula, Falklands, South Georgia and the South Orkey Islands. Even for a well-seasoned sailor there were quite some new techniques to master in the higher latitudes of the far south.
Mark holds the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency UK) ticket of Ocean Yachtmaster up to 200 tons, commercially endorsed (this includes all necessary certificates like, radio, safety, survival at sea, fire fighting, MCA proficiency in First Aid etc.).
In the autumn off 2013 Caroline Theoret joined Jonathan in Vancouver BC. Together they sailed 14500 nm down to the Antarctic Peninsula. They sailed to Antarctica for many expeditions until 2019. They did some charter work in Spitsbergen in 2018 on Skydancer a 23 m schooner. See our "Last Sailing Voyages" and "Our Voyage" to know where Mark and Caroline have been sailing lately.