There are lots of reasons why sailors cruise to the polar regions. These include:
• A perception (sometimes misguided) that global warming is making higher latitudes more
accessible
• Cruising in the lower latitudes has become overcrowded and commercialised
• It is the ultimate ‘eco-tourism’ destination
• Cruising sailors, more than others, love ‘pushing the boundaries’
This has resulted in a big increase in the number of yachts cruising in Greenland, Svalbard, Alaska, the Northwest Passage, South America, the southern oceans and the Antarctic.
A group of experienced high latitude sailors, mindful of the concerns mentioned above, have written the Polar Yacht Guide as a voluntary code of practice.
The PYG, which is specifically designed for yachts, is in three parts: (a) Safety of navigation and voyage planning for all polar waters, (b) Arctic waters and (c ) Antarctic waters.
The PYG is intended to supplement existing guides and pilot books. The authors and contributors believe it will be more effective than mandatory legislation.

See RCCPF publications 'Arctic and Northern Waters' & 'Cape Horn and Antarctic Waters' for further details of the northern and southern polar regions