Welcome to the Antarctic Continent
Navigate with the experts
Our Services
SKUAPILOTS is committed to providing high-quality Antarctic navigational support, backed by our team of experienced ice advisors. We are dedicated to ensuring that your voyage is a life-changing experience, marked by safety, uniqueness, and unforgettable memories. Our ice advisors are equipped to assist all types of vessels, including cruise ships, research vessels, logistics vessels, and yachts, venturing into Antarctic waters south of Cape Horn.
Weeks or months before the ship arrives in Antarctica, our team of experts can assist in planning the voyage to reach the most attractive points of interest on the white continent. Additionally, prior to navigating the Drake Passage, our primary objective will be to provide the captain with expert guidance to ensure a safe and successful voyage.
OUR CERTIFICATIONS & CLEARANCES
All our ice advisors are fully certified according to the IMO STCW Polar Code (7.11 & 7.12 Basic & Advanced Training for Ships Operating in Polar Waters, IMO STCW, Table-A-V/4-1 Basic and Table-A-V/4-2 Advanced). Furthermore, some of our ice advisors have also served as instructors for these courses, both in Chile and abroad.
All of our ice advisors hold the title of “Senior Ice Advisor” as stated in the Seagoing Permit, issued by the Maritime Authority of the Republic of Chile.
In addition, our professionals can provide you with the support you need in the following areas:
SAR (SEARCH & RESCUE)
In the event of an emergency or unforeseen situation, our advisors are familiar with the support that each local base can provide. Additionally, our proficiency in Spanish facilitates seamless coordination with the Antarctic Search and Rescue Patrol, composed of ships from the Chilean and Argentine navies.
helicopter OPS
Similarly, they have a complete knowledge of the air operations that characterize this complex area because they have commanded ships with helicopters in Antarctica.
Glaciology & Meteorology
In terms of meteorological and glaciological support, our advisors are experts at accessing the best sources of information from Chilean and international agencies. The assistance provided by the various bases and port authorities located in Antarctica and around Cape Horn is particularly valuable. Their real-time data on Antarctic ice and weather conditions is essential for making the safest decisions regarding routes and timing of each transit.
planning & points of interest
Our presence and assistance during your voyage, from planning to daily activities, allow us to provide competent captain's advice, ensuring safety for people, the ship, and the environment. This will make your expedition to Antarctica an unforgettable adventure. For many years, the SKUAPILOTS team has selected the most interesting sites on the "White Continent" and the best routes to reach them.
MEDEVAC
We can coordinate special assistance, such as helicopters, medical assistance, or evacuation.
Antarctic cartography
It's also worth noting that we have nautical charts of Antarctica in both print and CNE formats.
The Drake
The Drake Passage is known for being one of the stormiest seas on the planet. Our advisors have the necessary experience to determine the best time for the crossing in order to avoid risky situations for passengers and crew. They can also suggest alternative routes to Antarctica during the voyage to ensure safe navigation.
Ice Pilots
The main competencies of our Ice Advisors are:
- Retired captains from the Chilean Navy or the National Merchant Marine with extensive experience on board and several expeditions in command or as advisors to ships operating in Antarctica.
- Many years as fjord pilots, authorized by the Chilean government to conduct passenger, cargo, scientific vessels, and yachts in the Magellan Strait and the extended Chilean Patagonia Channels & Fjords.
- Approved courses in operations in Antarctic waters, certified by the Chilean Maritime Authority. In some cases, instructors for these courses & IMO Advanced Polar Code certified for courses 7.11 and 7.12.
- Experts in the norms of environmental protection and conservation of the Antarctic continent.
- Fully familiar with the different and specific resources that can be found in the area. Of all the countries in the world, Chile is the closest to Antarctica… We are “locals”.
Francisco Azócar
Authorized Chilean Fjords Pilot since 2010; Over 9 Antarctic campaigns as Commanding Officer of a CHN patrol ship and icebreaker Almirante Viel. Cap Hornier.
Ricardo García
Authorized Chilean Fjords Pilot since 2006; 6 Antarctic campaigns as Commanding Officer of icebreaker Almirante Viel.
Roberto Garnham
Authorized Chilean Port and Fjords Pilot since 2006; Over 9 Antarctic campaigns as Commanding Officer of a CHN patrol ship and icebreaker Almirante Viel.
Carlos Mackenney
Authorized Chilean and Fjords Pilot; Several Antarctic summer and winter campaigns as Commanding Officer of CHN icebreaker Almirante Viel. Cap Hornier
Pedro Urrutia
14 years as Authorized Chilean Fjords Pilot; 5 Antarctic campaigns as Commanding Officer of CHN rescue ship Galvarino. Cap Hornier.
José Valdivia
9 years as Authorized Chilean Fjords Pilot; Several summer and winter Antarctic campaigns as Commanding Officer of CHN ships Yelcho, Vidal Gormaz and icebreaker Almirante Viel.
Authorized Chilean Fjords Pilot since 2010; Over 9 Antarctic campaigns as Commanding Officer of a CHN patrol ship and icebreaker Almirante Viel. Cap Hornier.
Authorized Chilean Port and Fjords Pilot since 2006; Over 9 Antarctic campaigns as Commanding Officer of a CHN patrol ship and icebreaker Almirante Viel.
14 years as Authorized Chilean Fjords Pilot; 5 Antarctic campaigns as Commanding Officer of CHN rescue ship Galvarino. Cap Hornier.
Authorized Chilean Fjords Pilot since 2006; 6 Antarctic campaigns as Commanding Officer of icebreaker Almirante Viel.
Authorized Chilean and Fjords Pilot; Several Antarctic summer and winter campaigns as Commanding Officer of CHN icebreaker Almirante Viel. Cap Hornier
9 years as Authorized Chilean Fjords Pilot; Several summer and winter Antarctic campaigns as Commanding Officer of CHN ships Yelcho, Vidal Gormaz and icebreaker Almirante Viel.
RATES & FEES
Because of our proximity to Antarctica, our ice specialists spend less time on board, and less time and money are spent transporting them to and from embarkation and disembarkation ports, especially if these ports are located in South America. These factors make our rates highly competitive compared to those of other providers offering the same service.
“A special discount will be applied if a customer requests more than one service during one season for vessels belonging to the same company”.
Our rates are per trip and in U.S. dollars. They are agreed upon in advance on a case-by-case basis, as they vary depending on the trip’s duration and difficulty, the vessel’s characteristics, and downtime during the trip.
Feb. / March 2026:
SkuaPilots On board MS Borealis.
We had the great opportunity to work aboard the astonishing MS Borealis under the command of Captain Mikael Degerlund. Thanks to his great seamanship, we were able to sail through some breathtaking locations, including Wilhelmina Bay, Plata Passage, Errera Channel, Andvord Bay, Paradise Bay, Neumayer Channel, Port Lockroy, and the famous LeMaire Channel, where we reached 65° 05′ South latitude. All of the guests were amazed by this unique experience.
February 2026:
SkuaPilots in McMurdo, US Antarctic Station.
SKUAPILOTS participated with two Ice Pilots in the complex operation of moving the new pier (NSF DISCOVERY PIER) from NZ to the USA McMurdo Station, which arrived intact at its destination (2.100 NM)”.
Fore more details, visit:
https://www.workboat.com/tradewinds-tug-hauls-steel-pier-9-200-miles-to-antarctica
Jan. / Feb. 2026:
SkuaPilots On board "Celebrity Equinox".
Skuapilots had an excellent working relationship with the bridge team of the “Celebrity Equinox” during the 2026 season. Under the outstanding leadership of Captain Leo Palaiokrassas, all three voyages were resounding successes. The guests were delighted by the breathtaking Antarctic scenery.
08 April 2025:
Skuapilots in Seatrade 2025. Miami, USA.
Our CEO and founder, Gerardo Covacevich, held a series of productive meetings with key clients. These encounters allowed us to better coordinate our efforts and deepen our professional relationships, further strengthening the bonds of mutual trust that define our work.
6/11 March 2025:
Elephant Island, Antarctic Sound, Gerlache Strait, Cuverville Island, Neumayer Channel, Port Lockroy, LeMaire Channel, were some of the excellent points of interest that MS Oosterdam, under the command of Captain Kevin Beirnaert, developed. Our SKUA Pilot joined the bridge team and did a great job with them, working together.
12 January 2025:
Great meeting with the captain of MS “Villa Vie Odyssey”, Capt. “Val” Giuglea. As the former captain of MS “Balmoral”, he led the extraordinary voyage to Antarctica in February 2023. During this voyage, strong professional and friendship bonds were forged between him and his crew and the Skua pilots who embarked on this remarkable occasion.
3 July 2024:
Several Skua pilots, as former commanders of the old icebreaker “Viel”, were invited to the commissioning of the new icebreaker “Almirante Viel” of the Chilean Navy. This vessel was completely built at the ASMAR shipyard in Talcahuano, Chile. Its great capabilities left us amazed and proud of the great work done by the Chilean workforce.
7 April 2024:
During the last port call of the MS ‘Celebrity Eclipse’ in Valparaiso, Chile, its captain, Captain Michael Sympouras, was kind enough to invite our CEO and founder Gerardo Covacevich on board. During this pleasant meeting, we had the opportunity to reminisce about the good times we had on board, share our sailing experiences in Antarctic waters, and explore more alternatives for guests to have a breathtaking experience on the frozen continent.
January/ March 2024:
A great and unforgettable experience during 4 journeys to Antarctica, aboard the Celebrity Eclipse. Very good work by the Skua Pilots with the Bridge Team, under the leadership of Capt. Michael Sympouras. The guests enjoyed the amazing scenery of Paradise Bay, the Gerlache Strait, Elephant Island, and the amazing marine life.
06 November 2023:
Our Ice Pilots Carlos Mackenney Sch. and Francisco Azócar N., talked about their operational and navigational experiences in Antarctica to the IMO course 7.12 “INTERNATIONAL ADVANCED TRAINING FOR SHIPS OPERATING IN POLAR WATERS”, in the Chilean Maritime Instruction and Training Center.
We had the great opportunity to share our experiences with Naval Officers from Argentina, Australia, China, Colombia, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, Türkiye, UK, USA, and Chile.
25 July 2023:
Proud to have been invited by the Chilean Maritime Instruction and Training Center, to share our navigation experiences in Antarctic waters, to the IMO course 7.12 “ADVANCED TRAINING FOR SHIPS OPERATING IN POLAR WATERS”. We had the opportunity to share our experiences with future officers and Captains certified according to the Polar Code.
30 March 2023:
Skuapilots participated in the Seatrade Cruise Global, Miami 2023 with our CEO and Founder Gerardo Covacevich. There he had the opportunity to have important meetings with authorities of the cruise industry and the international maritime field, to strengthen our ties and common interests.
February 2023:
“A great teamwork took place between two Skuapilots and the bridge team of the MS Balmoral, commanded by Captain Valentin Guiglea. With excellent meteorological conditions, they were able to navigate the beautiful Neumayer Channel, Port Lockroy, Lemaire and the narrow Errera Channel”.
March 6th, 2020:
“The main tourism authority in Chile, Undersecretary Mónica Zalaquett and her closest collaborators, received SKUAPILOTS, opportunity in which we presented them our project and also offered to help in any instance our advice on Antarctic matters is required”.
January 27th 2020:
SKUA Pilots was invited to participate in the annual meeting of Antarctic Policy Council at our country’s Chancellor’s Office on January 27th 2020 and was represented by two of our Ice Pilots. The event was chaired by the Chancellor Teodoro Ribera, and other authorities present were the Defense Minister Alberto Espina and the Environment Minister Carolina Schmidt. The Chief Commander of the Chilean Navy and the Director General of the Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine also attended the event.
Contact Us
Antarctica is the most hostile continent in the world. Navigating its waters present very particular difficulties and characteristics. To a geography made up of numerous archipelagos, islands, channels and fjords, large quantities of different types of ice are united. Some ice, permanently generated from the continent, give rise to glaciers, ice barriers or platforms and those characteristic floating masses called icebergs. Others, originated in the freezing of sea water and of quite different properties, form the dynamic “pack ice” that can reach two meters thick. All of the above show the indispensability of having a broad and deep knowledge of the scenario for a safe navigation in these peculiar waters.
Gerardo Covacevich
Founder & Chairman Of The Board
gcovac@skuapilots.com
Phone: +56 9 99492720
Punta Arenas, Navy Officer (Ret)
and retired authorized pilot with a
28-year experience in the
Patagonian Fjords.
Eugenio Arellano
General Manager
earellano@skuapilots.com
Phone: +56 9 98206499
Valparaiso Navy Officer (Ret) who
was the Head of the Pilotage
Office of the Chilean Directorate
General of the Maritime Territory
for 12 years.
Carlos Mackenney
Operations Manager
earellano@skuapilots.com
Phone: +56 9 93288834
Valparaiso Navy Officer (Ret)
Several Antarctic summers and
winter campaigns as CO
of Chilean Icebreaker
Almirante Viel.
Ice Advisor from 2019
Cap Hornier.
