The ill-fated Berserk. Photo credit: Wildvikings.com
When does a free-spirited, rebellious explorer cross the line into just plain crazy? The story of the Berserk’s Norwegian captain, Jarle Andhøy, is a cautionary tale for the most audacious adventurers out there. Andhøy, 36, has a history of scuffles with the law. In 2002, he traveled to the Arctic Circle to follow in the footsteps of a Viking king, inciting fines for failing to obtain insurance or submit a route plan. He then was found guilty by the Norwegian government of environmental crimes including provoking a polar bear. In 2007 he tangled with the Canadian authorities during another unauthorized expedition, this time through Canada’s Northwest Passage.
But last month the madcap adventures came to an abrupt halt with the sinking of Andhøy’s small steel-hulled vessel, the perhaps aptly-named Berserk, in Antarctica. Three crew members are missing and presumed dead, while Andhøy and one companion (who were attempting to reach the South Pole on motorbikes when the ship disappeared) survived. “The place where this incident happened was a very easy-going place to sail, it’s near a sound, near land, safe anchorage…” Andhøy, a self-described “Wild Viking,” told the New Zealand Herald. “This ending is very, very surprising. There’s no logic to it.”
But the sailing community and Antarctic experts disagree. Sailing in Antarctica requires a complex set of permits and approvals, none of which Andhøy bothered to get. “There are a whole lot of treaties down here and they have managed to violate every one of them,” said Antarctic Scott Base manager Troy Beaumont to reporters in New Zealand.
An interview in ExWeb with one of the world’s most seasoned Antarctic sailors, Skip Novak, confirms that Andhøy put his ship and crew in grave danger by sailing into the Ross Sea. “I would not take any small vessel or yacht into the Ross Sea at any time of year,” Novak—who had earlier advised Andhøy that his plan was ill-timed and dangerous—told ExWeb. “Too much risk from ice and too much exposure, meaning little or no place to shelter the yacht.”
It appears that Andhøy won’t be allowed to endanger the lives of more crewmates anytime soon. According to a Norwegian news outlet, when Andhøy returns home to Norway he will face possible prison time and may be forced to pay the costs of the unsuccessful search and rescue operations in the wake of the Berserk’s sinking.
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