21 March 2014 | 53 54.7'S:067 45.9'W, Beagle Channel
05 March 2014 | 64 49.7'S:063 29.6'W, Lockroy
04 March 2014 | 64 49.7'S:063 29.6'W, Lockroy
03 March 2014 | 65 06.5'S:064 04.4'W, Pleneau
28 February 2014 | 65 03.9'S:064 01.9'W, Port Charcot
23 February 2014 | 64 49.5'S:063 29.6'W, Port Lockroy
22 February 2014 | 64 49.5'S:063 29.6'W, Port Lockroy
20 February 2014 | 64 49.5'S:063 29.6'W, Port Lockroy
20 February 2014 | 64 49.5'S:063 29.6'W, Port Lockroy
14 February 2014 | 64 49.5'S:063 29.3'W, Port Lockroy
12 January 2014 | 64 49.2'S:063 29'W, Port Lockroy
27 December 2013 | 64 49.2'S:063 29'W, Port Lockroy
23 December 2013 | 64 49.2'S:063 29'W, Port Lockroy
20 December 2013 | 64 49.2'S:063 29'W, Port Lockroy
26 November 2013 | 60 15.9'S:065 54.7'W, Drake Passage
23 November 2013 | 64 49.7'S:063 29.6'W, Jougla Point, Port Lockroy
16 November 2013 | 64 49.7'S:063 29.6'W, Jougla Point, Port Lockroy
13 November 2013 | 64 49.4'S:063 29.7'W, In the fast ice, back bay Port Lockroy
11 November 2013 | 64 49.7'S:063 29.8'W, Half a mile from Port Lockroy
07 November 2013 | 64 49.7'S:063 29.8'W, Half a mile from Port Lockroy
Real hail stones
19 December 2011 | Drake Passage
Chris Harris
Well the forty knot blow that I mentioned at the end of my last entry really did happen. The breeze started to pick up in the middle of the day, the 16th, and we started to get some strong willawaws hitting the anchorage from the northern sector. In between the woolies the breeze across the anchorage was a light 15 knots as is often the case in these steep sided anchorages. The problem with Deception and its volcanic geology is that everything is steep sided!
Our friends on 'Australis' had by this time anchored in the outer basin of Stancombe Cove and I went on deck with my camera to take a photo of Australis with smoking white water around them. As luck would have it while I was waiting with my camera they got hit by a massive gust; which they recorded at 80 knots - I got a couple of nice photos of that one. Later in the evening they got their chance to take photos of us getting hammered as the wind shifted slightly and our part of the cove began to take the heavier gusts.
As the evening wore on we began to hear what sounded like hail hitting the decks. On investigation we found that stones were being blown of the ridge above and were landing all around just like hail except that the stones were actually stones ranging in size from dust to about 12mm diameter. We will be clearing Deception Island out of parts of the boat for months to come as by morning there was a carpet of stones on deck.
We went on deck a few times during the evening to adjust the lines holding the bow in place to help Pelagic to ride closer to the wind and reduce the wind loading caused by the biggest gusts which usually came from the same corner of the cove. During these excursions we wore ski goggles to protect our faces from the flying stones but otherwise it wasn't too uncomfortable. The loads on the lines during the gusts were enormous and we had to careful to watch for approaching gusts and make sure that the lines were tied off before they hit as there was no chance holding a line during a gust even with several turns on a winch drum, but by timing our work during the lulls we achieved what we need to without too much drama.
Magnus and I discussed a few contingencies in case our mooring lines started to break and then took turns at standing an anchor watch. Magnus took a watch from 11pm until 3am while I tried to get some sleep. This was probably the peak of the blow with numerous gusts hitting us at over 60knots - the gusts may well have been stronger but they are short lived and the wind instruments don't get up to full speed before the gust is past. In between the gusts the wind would drop to 15 knots and the boat would swing quietly back to a neutral position in the centre of bay waiting for the next one to hit. I took the watch from 3am onwards and by about 5am most gusts were around 30 knots with an occasional 40 knotter. By breakfast time the cove was much quieter but we could see that there was still a good 30 knots blowing out in Port Foster.
The 'Australis' crew came over for coffee later in the morning when the wind was suitable for tender operations so we were able to have a quick chat and catch-up with Ben, Skye, and Magnus. We'll see them again in a few days for Christmas and no doubt something a bit stronger than coffee.
Australis departed for Ushuaia later that day. Magnus and I decided to wait another day for more favourable winds and eventually departed Deception Island yesterday morning (the 18th). We are now well into the Drake and are experiencing light head-winds. The best tactic at the moment is motor sail as close to the wind as we can and we are more or less on course making fair progress given the light conditions.
We have been in fog most of the time so there hasn't been much to see. A few Light Mantled Sooty albatross in the Boyd Straight and the usual Pintado petrels since then. A couple of minke, and a couple of humpback whales. Last night we passed a few large icebergs, one of which I measured on the radar as over a mile wide. I gave that one a wide berth but still had to steer through a lot of bits breaking off it ranging in size from a large truck to a snowball - Bergy bits, Growlers and Brash ice. The visibility was about three boat-lengths at the time!