With a forecast of SW wind at 10 -15 knots we had high hopes of exploring Detaille Island over several days but the weather down here is never predictable and on the night of our arrival the wind came through at 30 - 35 knots from the SE and blew a near gale for 36 hours. Although the bay we were in was protected from ice there was little shelter from the force of the wind which, due to "Wandering Albatross" being tied 4 ways, was directly on the beam. Things were quite wild and uncomfortable on board and launching the dinghy in those winds is a tricky undertaking. But the sun shone the entire time and when we did get ashore the island proved to be a magical place. Young Weddell seals were hauled out all over the expanses of snow and they are far more photogenic than either the Crabeater or Leopard seals, with pale markings against a darker pelage and big, trusting eyes. A thriving colony of Adelie penguins dominated the southern half of the island and the chicks were already fledging into adult plummage. Some were very advanced and had just small patches of fluffy down left, often on the top of their heads which made them look as if they had a crazy hair-do! There was an abandoned hut near our anchorage where a British unit was once stationed. It remains in good condition and was both fascinating and somehow nostalgic to look around. It seemed frozen in time, as if the men had just popped out, with jackets still hanging on pegs, boots lined up on shelves, tools at the door and cupboards full of porridge oats and tinned mince, the labels quaintly old-fashioned. Telegrams lying on one of the bunks were dated in the late 1950's and it is probable that the hut has not been used regularly since then. We could easily have spent longer here but another NE gale is forecast in the near future which will fill our bay with ice. So today we made use of the last of the southerly winds to sail north back to Flounder Island, 65 miles away and the closest secure anchorage....