After a night at Enterprise Island, Port Lockroy, on Wenikes Island was to be our anchorage for New Years Eve. This is a British Antarctic Survey base, manned for two months of the Antarctic summer. There is a thriving Gentoo Penguin colony surrounding the base. When we visited the chicks had just hatched. You could sit on a rock and have penguins waddle past you. It was very funny to sit and watch their antics. For New Years Eve celebrations we were invited onto an Antarctic cruise liner that was in the area - what luxury, we had forgotten what it was like to have so much space!! A good night was had by all in the cruise ship and in our own little yacht after.
Port LockroyThe next morning, it was south once again, this time a day sail to the Lemaire Channel, 65 degrees south and this is as far south as we were going. It is a steep sided channel- just 1600m wide - that runs for 11km between the mainland and Booth Island. Sometimes ice can block the way and ships are often forced to retreat and sail around Booth Island. We slowly made our way through it under engine, with someone half way up the mast to guide the captain through the icebergs. For a while it was touch and go whether we would get through as the bergs were quite big and could damage the boat. Eventually we got through, but with less paint and antifouling than when we started! The beauty of a place like this is astounding and very difficult to put into words. Each side mountains rose and the sun shining off them emphasised the brilliant whiteness of the snow and ice. Blue icebergs were in abundance, reflecting off the still water. In one sense this was the end of our journey into the Antarctic. We were now heading North with baited breath into…The Drake Passage.
Lemaire Channel
forcing our way through
the 1600m wide passageFor our journey back to Tierra del Fuego, via Cape Horn we had great weather - the gods had to be smiling on us. Most of the 4 days were sunny with winds of about 20 - 25 knots. About half way across the passage, the wind died to about 10 knots and this meant engine time. Then just as we were nearing Cape Horn our engine decided that it had enough and packed up. Like any enthusiastic sailor rounding Cape Horn to port was a high point. The wind did increase a little but it meant we could not stop at Cape Horn and that our journey to Ushuaia would take about a day longer. In the early hours of the 5th of January we finally got into the port at Ushuaia, all in one piece and with lots of tales to tell!
Cape Horn
Michelle takes the helm!
Previous