The ice cleared out of the anchorage at Flounder Island last night and we got going this morning at 4 A.M. with a very light northerly breeze under grey skies. Our route took us between many small islands where countless massive bergs had grounded in the shallower water, sometimes making it hard to even identify the islands. We had to pick a way around the bergs and in many places push through bands of brash ice. There was a sense of being in a true wilderness where the raw power of nature dominates all and we were aware of how alone we are down here - a good and humbling feeling. A stretch of open water followed where the mist rolled in and for a short time we could see neither land nor bergs. Then, as if we had crossed some invisible line, the curtain of cloud drew back and ahead bright sunshine bathed the mountains in golden light. Beautiful bergs in every form imaginable drifted in the navy blue sea - we saw a fairy castle complete with turrets and arched entrance, a sleeping dinosaur, a perfect swan, a dragon's ridged spine and if possible the scenery was more awe inspiring than ever. At 66 33' S we crossed the Antarctic Circle, a thrilling achievement - it has been an incredible and challenging adventure getting here. Our destination was Detaille Island, a tiny mound of rock cradled in a horseshoe of majestic mountains created between Adelaide Island and the Antarctic Peninsula. There was a lot of ice around the island with numerous bergs aground but once we had negotiated our way into a bay on the north of the island we found it was clear of ice. It took some time to get tied up properly as there were few suitable rocks on shore, but in the end it was done. We sat out in the cockpit, watching as last light turned the icecap a marvellous shade of pink and appreciating the special moment of arriving at our furthest south....
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We had planned to get a very early start this morning and push on south. Overnight our bay at Flounder Island filled up with ice and we had another fairly sleepless night adjusting lines (see photo) and pushing off the bigger chunks. At 5 A.M. the entrance was almost entirely blocked by brash ice and visibility was very poor in low grey clouds and drizzle. We didn't need much more to persuade us to stay put for the day, and went straight back to bed! Later the weather improved slightly and we went exploring ashore where we saw our first Weddell seals hauled out on patches of snow and a few Adelie Penguins....
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Yesterday morning we left Port Charcot and began heading south, hoping to cross the Antarctic Circle in the next few days. The first miles took us through an amazing area of grounded bergs, every shape and size imaginable, and as we wove our way between them it was like sailing through a vast natural gallery of ice sculptures (see photo) We spent several hours marveling at the grandeur and beauty of the bergs and watching seals hauled out on smaller floes. We stopped for the night in the Argentine Islands where we walked up to a high point for spectacular views back towards the mainland at sunset, then got underway again very early this morning as we had a 60 mile run south to the Fish Islands. It has been a remarkable day. We started out in bright sunshine on a crisp and pristine day and it felt as if we could see for ever. The never ending chain of mainland mountains stretched away south and in all directions were massive ice bergs gleaming bright white. It seems that the further south we get the more spectacular the scenery becomes and the more wild and untouched the environment is. A light breeze helped us on our way and we used the jib in open stretches of water as we are counting every litre of diesel. All day the clouds were building up behind us and as we approached the anchorage on Flounder Island a grey wall was advancing, swallowing the islands we had recently passed. By the time we had tied our lines ashore it was snowing hard and we were glad to get cosy down below with the heater going.....
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