Sailing around the world on the traditional gaff rigged schooner Windjammer

4th and 5th February
It would be hard to imagine a more favourable journey across the Drake Passage. It was not always comfortable with extreme cold on deck and also down below when the heater wasn't running and it was bumpy at times with confused swells, but with its daunting reputation for foul weather we were ready for much worse. In between periods of snow and rain we had bright sunshine highlighting the sparkling blue sea, a pleasant change from the fertile dark Antarctic waters and the tannin brown waters of Patagonia. Our escort of dolphins, Albatrosses and Storm Petrels were noticeably fewer than the way down, but always welcome.
With the wind in the E and NE we stayed W of the rhumb line until it turned to the SW and S when we headed more directly for Cape Horn. The final evening twilight was brooding with the seas becoming more confused and building, but shafts of sunlight pierced the snow laden clouds and the wind remained astern. The nights are providing more darkness again. We were tossed around in the darkness as the Southern Ocean swells came up against the steeply shelving continental shelf, 11,000 to 100 feet. We were only getting 25kts of wind but the seas were extremely violent and lumpy. I can only imagine what this place would be like with a full gale blowing. Our hope was to reach Cape Horn before the wind swung to the NE and the timing was perfect with the wind swinging onto the nose once we passed the Cape.
There was an interesting change of perspective of Cape Horn when coming from south east to north than our first visit as we saw the island and its high points more clearly and really did "round" the Horn. I think there was also a change of attitude to the Horn. When we were here 4 weeks ago Cape Horn was our destination, our challenge and we appreciated its history. This time, with the possible hazards and risks of the journey to Antarctica and across the Drake Passage behind us it felt more like coming home and there was a great sense of relief amongst the crew. What was seen before as the end of the world now seems like the start of the world.
Windjammer was unscathed by her voyage south with the exception of a broken shackle connecting the bobstay to the stem which sheered some where as we crossed north of Cape Horn. Once in the smoother waters inside the islands we stopped so that Ashley could replace it. Suspended just above the water in the bosun's chair he managed the job but not without an occasional dunking in the freezing waters when a swell came through!

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4th Feb
Now of course, having written about being tossed about,the wind has died and we are motoring over an easy swell on a relatively even keel.
It has been a day to catch up on some sleep as we only have been standing 1 hour watches with and only one on watch.
Last night the heater went off when the motor started and the boat turned into a fridge. We have been sitting down below reading wearing beanies and gloves!
This afternoon we crossed over the 60 degree latitude line so we are officially now out of Antarctic waters.
We are sailing in 10 - 15 knots WNW and because we have been able to turn the engine off we are able to turn the heater back on, but the conditions are very variable with occasional sprinkles of snow/sleet. Earlier this morning it was 4 degrees outside, but by the afternoon it had warmed to 8 degrees. Cathie prepared a warming chicken and barley soup for lunch and dinner was a beef stew with carrot cake and custard for desert.

2nd Feb
The day was spent preparing for our departure from Antarctica and crossing the Drake Passage.
Over the last couple of days Cathie and Maggie cooked up five main meals for the crossing and also spoilt us with a big bacon, egg and tomato breakfast and a delicious Lasagna for dinner. Ashley did his engine checks and filters and worked on the heater. We siphoned the last of the diesel from the drums on deck into the main tank and have 820 litres for the trip back to Puerto Williams. Down below we tidied up and stowed everything securely in anticipation of some rough seas and enjoyed a hot shower. Finally after an early dinner we let go our 3 shore lines, hoisted the dinghy on deck, secured it amidships and weighed anchor at 8pm. Right to the end of our visit the weather has been on our side and as we left Antarctica behind us on our 600 nm passage north the mountains glowed with purple hues clearly in the evening light.
In the 10 days we have been in Antarctica we have enjoyed some magnificent scenery, wildlife and a better understanding of this frozen continent. Visiting some of the research stations and learning of their history also gave us a lot of admiration and respect for the pioneers in this remote and hostile environment.
We are standing 2 hour watches with one on the helm and one on standby below and are making good headway with a 20kt North Easterly wind. Its quite cold outside so we are layering up on warm clothing (5 layers) which just about gets you through the 1 hour of healming. The good thing is you have a nice warm interior to return to as the heater is blazing away beautifully,

Cuverville Island is a sugarloaf shaped island with a bare moss covered north face shelving into the sea. Between Couverville and Ronge Island the narrow channel where we are anchored has provided a good anchorage since Norwegian whaling days. The massive mooring chains left on the rocks and a shattered water boat are still evident.
Jonkie was up early fending bergy bits off Windjammer. These bergy bits may be anywhere from the size of a loaf of bread up to a small car and make a racket when they knock against the hull with the current. Cathie was also awake early preparing meals in advance for the Drake Passage crossing and the aromas wafting forward were in my dreams.
Couverville has the biggest Gentoo rookery on the Antarctic Peninsula. Thousands of them crowd onto the bare rock knolls on the north side of the island. Now one parent always stays on their little rock nest tending their young but shortly, as the chicks mature, they will be left in a creche and both adults will be out feeding. We have not tired of watching their social habits and spent the morning enjoying their antics. Maggie even saw 2 Skuas steal a chick from an unwary parent.
Leaving Couverville we motored on a flat calm sea across the De Gerlache Strait to the Melchior Islands. These lie between Anvers Island and Brabant Island and are a popular starting point for the return trip across the Drake Passage.
We anchored for the night in Omega Channel between 2 of these small low islands about 100m from a 50m ice wall. It is like parking in a freezer. Before going below we had a walk ashore and then took the dinghy further up the channel for a look. On a small iceberg we spied 4 Leopard Seals. These ferocious seals devour many of the young penguins when they first enter the water. They are known to attack anything even dinghies so the tender is always hoisted when not in use. They have very reptilian faces and are up to 3.5m in length and weigh up to 450 kilos so we gave them a wide berth!

31st Jan
Bright sunshine greeted us again this morning and the late risers amongst us tumbled out of bed around 10am. We had the very hospitable Juan, the Chilean naval leader of Base Presidente Gabriel Gonzalez Videla show us around. The base is perched on a small islet known as Waterboat Point. 12 men, 6 from the Armada and 6 from the Airforce man the base 4 months of the year and a rotation of scientists also spend time here over the summer.
The base is crowded with Gentoo Penguins with an estimated 4,000 surrounding the buildings. There was even a rare albino Gentoo amongst them. Some of the chicks here are quite large, have darkening plumage and are nearly ready for their first swimming lessons. The waters edge was quite clear and it was fun watching the Gentoos swim close by the boat and then pop out onto the fringing rocks. As we were preparing to leave the Dutch barquentine the "Oosterschelde" cruised past. A three masted traditional vessel on its round the world voyage.
In the afternoon we motored around to Andvord Bay. This very mountainous area with its coast lined by ice cliffs is constantly calving huge icebergs which litter the sea and make passages hazardous.
We have an "ice pilot" stationed on the bow helping the helmsman avoid the icebergs with hand signals as it is hard to see the bergy bits from the helm. As we slowly progressed up the bay we passed a Humpback Whale sound asleep on the surface.
Minke Whales cruised around us and large groups of Gentoo Penguins porpoised out of the oily smooth waters as they filled up on krill to feed their chicks.
At the head of Andvord Bay we came up to the "National Geographic Explorer" anchored near the beach and her passengers could be seen like ants climbing the snow covered hill to a lookout over the bay.
This is known as Neko Cove and we also trekked up the hill and enjoyed the lookout down over the glacier.
Leaving Neko we motored slowly around through Herrera Channel to Couverville Island and moored with two lines ashore and anchor out. Cathie had a welcome hot meal waiting on the table when we finally climbed down the companionway hatch at 10pm.

We started the day with a dinghy excursion around the bay looking at iceberg sculptures and some water boats marooned on the shore. A bright sunny day with a NE breeze had us sailing away from Enterprise Island and down the Straits of De Gerlache. It was relatively warm so for the first time in Antarctica we were not wearing jackets on deck and enjoyed soaking up the sun.
There were numerous whale sightings during the day but the most spectacular was a large pod of 20 - 30 Orcas which swam by very close to us.
The scenery is almost overwhelming. Wherever you look you have spectacular mountains rising from the sea with glaciers and ice caps in between. Murray described it best; "boating in the Alps". The dense ice cliffs fringing the coast "calve" icebergs which are sculpted by wind and rain into fantastic shapes.
Maggie has had a baking frenzy cooking up bread, chocolate chip cookies and a delicious banana cake which we enjoyed as a dessert.
From the Straits of De Gerlache we turned into the Neumeyer Channel between Anvers Island and Wiencke Island. This narrow channel with its steep mountainous sides was littered with icebergs. As we dodged the icebergs the wind came around to the SE and the temperature plummeted making the iceberg lookout on the bow very chilly.
We syphoned the 4 x 120 litre drums of diesel into the main tanks during the afternoon and this topped out our main fuel tanks. As we approached Port Lockroy "Endurance" which we were rafted up to at Micalvi YC was pulling out. Parked in the bay was a 48m ice rated luxury motor yacht "Hanse Explorer". After dinner we accepted the invitation of her skipper Jens to look over her. She had a group of 12 charterer's onboard from the the "Mars Bar dynasty". She is a very comfortable and functional vessel owned by a German shipping tycoon. Passengers pay around Euro 1100 per day. She burns 2.5 tones of fuel a day and operates in Antarctic waters during these months and then heads up to cruise the Arctic and Northwest Passage in the northern summer. There was lots of bergy bits of ice in the anchorage. There is a continuous burbling heard through the hull of water lapping over the ice and during the night there was the occasional bump of chunks of ice against the hull.

28th Jan
Another sunny day with a fresh SW wind. We took the dinghy around Damoy Point to visit Damoy hut which was built in 1975 as a summer support station for the airstrip on the glacier above. The 400m airstrip was marked out for the twin Otter aircraft used to supply Port Lockroy. Aircraft have been used in Antarctica since 1928 when the Australian aviation pioneer Sir Hubert Wilkins made the first flight. We climbed up to the ridge where the airstrip used to be and had a great view over Port Lockroy and Windjammer looking tiny against the mountainous backdrop.
Port Lockroy was discovered in 1904 by the French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot. It was used by whalers as a safe anchorage for their whale factory ships and as a starting base for Antarctic expeditions.
A permanent base was established in 1944 when the British erected Bransfield House. This was known as Base A and was to accommodate the military involved in Operation Tabarin a military operation with a political goal. Its purpose was to confirm a British presence on the Antarctic Peninsula where German, American and particularly Argentinean and Chilean claims had overlapped the British claimed territory.
After the war it was used as a scientific base until 1962. It has been restored to its former condition and is now a museum, shop and Post Office run by the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust. It is manned over the summer season by 4 girls who host 18,000 visitors arriving on cruise ships!!!
We had a good look through the building, posted some cards and bought some souvenirs.
Surrounding the base are hundreds of Gentoo Penguins and their young chicks. They are unperturbed by the stream of tourists passing within metres of their nests. Some of the parents have 2 chicks and are constantly vigilant to protect their chicks from the Skuas and Giant Petrels that feed on them. Walking amongst them are Snowy Sheathbills. These birds are scavengers that will eat anything available around the penguin roosts, even their excrement.
Leaving Port Lockroy, we motored south passing lots of bergy bits some with sleepy seals and some with penguins on board. Jonkie calls these "penguin tours".
At one large iceberg near the entrance to the Lemaire Channel we launched the dinghy to take photographs. The iceberg formed a perfect arch to frame Windjammer with sunlit mountains as a backdrop. We race under the arch in the dinghy across the steel green pool of the bowl framed by the arch.
Our anchorage in Port Charcot on Booth Island is home to hundreds of Gentoo Penguins. It was a lovely still evening so for the first time since arriving in the Antarctic we had a pre dinner drink on deck and enjoyed watching the penguins comic moves on the snow and rocks and marvelled at some penguins who have chosen to nest halfway up a mountain, well over 200m above sea level. This is the first time this trip that we have not used the anchor but are secured by 4 lines ashore.

Although it snowed in the night leaving a coating of snow on the boat the weather gods continue to favour us and it soon cleared. The crew went for a walk with the penguins after breakfast. We are amazed at how far the penguins travel and how steep a slope they can climb. It means that the further up they go the further they have to waddle down to the sea over snow ice and rocks. With their flippers held wide for balance they are fun to watch.
On an oily flat sea and with a very light breeze on the nose we motored around the west side of Booth Island and headed south. A lot of very large icebergs were drifting in this area and they provided a special foreground with the mountains rising steeply behind. The ice sculptures are a constant entertainment. We passed 2 cruise ships and another yacht. This beautiful area is a highlight for visitors to the Antarctic Peninsula with unbelievably steep black mountains covered in snow and glaciers fringing the sea.
We continued south into the Argentinean Islands and stopped near the Vernadsky base. These low flat islands are reminiscent of Scandinavian archipelagoes and are a sharp contrast to the sheer cliffs of the Lemaire channel. This base was originally a British base called Faraday but is now leased to the Ukraine. They pay a peppercorn rent but maintain the base and share any scientific data.
Alexander, a meteorologist, showed us around the base and shouted us a nip of home-made Vodka in their bar.
Windjammer is very snug now Ashley has made some modifications to the heater regulator and it is working like a charm.
This is as far south as we are going and from here will head north through the Lemaire Channel and further explore this region before heading back across the Drake Passage.

Link to Photo Album
30th Jan A wonderful day in Antarctica, The best yet! Great weather, creatures and scenery.

A very clear night chilled the sea around Windjammer enough to freeze over and we woke with 1.5 - 2mm of sheet ice around us (sea water freezes at - 2 degrees). Before leaving Vernadsky we climbed the hill above our anchorage and had great views over the base and across the Penola Strait to the Antarctic Peninsula, known here as Tierra De San Martin or Graham Land. To the NE we could see Peterman Island and Mt Scott. Out in the Bellingshausen Sea fields of huge icebergs floated into the distance. Maggie managed a backside tobogan down the steep snow slope to the boat, and of course we had to follow. Yuri the base commander stamped our passports and Cathie donated her "unlucky" bra, (she was wearing it when she broke her shoulder) to their collection in the bar, as well as two clip on koalas and a Windjammer post card. There was no wind so we motored north slowing to ease through dense masses of bergy bits. Lots of fat Crab Eater Seals were out basking on icebergs and seemed unperturbed even when Murray and Maggie launched the dinghy for a closer look, except for one which snarled at them. It appeared that the entrance to the Lemaire Channel was blocked by ice but we weaved our way through and were rewarded with an awesome passage between the narrow sheer sided Channel where snow and glacier covered mountains nearly a kilometer high line the sides. Half way through Cathie suggested we stop the engine and drift with the current while we ate lunch. It was perfectly still with the quiet only broken by the snorts of a curious seal that had taken up residence under Windjammers hull and the blows of the Antarctic Minke Whales cruising around us. We saw a lot of Minke and Humpback whales during the day and many penguins propelling themselves clear of the water as they porpoised by. Our "Triumphal Ice Arch" was only 1.5 miles from where we had seen it 2 days before and again provided a photo frame for Windjammer. It was also interesting to see a (enter the collective noun for seals here) of seals playing at the edge of the iceberg where the current lifted over the submerged ice ledge. Passing between Bayde Island and the mainland we passed massive ice cliffs and glaciers pushing huge icebergs into the sea. Both the Argentinians and Chileans have bases in Paradise Bay. We passed the Argentinean's oddly called Brown Base first with 2 "Prefecturer" vessels anchored out front, we considered joining them but there were too many icebergs in the vicinity. We continued on for another hour to moor at the Chilean base at Waterboat Point. It was 11.30pm by the time we were anchored with lines ashore and were sitting down to dinner. We had traveled 51nms and enjoyed a brilliant day, suitable for entry into any marketing brochure.

24th Jan - 63 degrees south After lunch we walked up to Neptune's Window on the edge of the crater and looked down the blackened barrel of a volcanic fumerole to the ocean on the outside of the island. We looked down on the mud-flow which overwhelmed this area swamping the whale boats, oil barrels and whale bones left by the whalers. All these relics lie semi-submerged in brown silt and are now home to birds, penguins and seals. We met our first Gentoo Penguin, a doe eyed fur seal and some sharp billed Brown Skuas. They were nestled on the ground enjoying the warmth generated by local thermal activity. One of the visiting scientists had a thermometer in the sand near Windjammer and the reading was 67 degrees C. It had snowed off and on all day and by the time we returned to the boat it was snowing heavily and whitening the beach. This seemed like a perfect time for a sleep in the next morning.

25th Jan Jonkie and Ashley were up at 0200hrs letting out more stern line and taking up some anchor chain as the anchor was dragging. At 0400hrs Ashley roused us out of bed and we got under way as plans had been formulated overnight and with a big day ahead an early start was required. It was a completely different scene this morning with a snow shrouded boat and icicles hanging off rails, sails, booms and lines. A frozen world. Letting go the stern line from the high steel structure ashore led to an accelerating, sliding descent by Nick and an undignified icy landing on his bum. We have all enjoyed reading Dana's "Two Years Before The Mast" in the warmth of our living room. Today we had the chance to have a small taste of his icy experiences. Raising the foresail required more effort as the track was coated with ice. The sheets were ice encrusted and the deck was very slippery with ice and snow. We raised the foresail and unfurled the balloon jib. The wind instruments at the masthead were frozen solid and the Chilean courtesy flag was stiff as a board. It was still snowing. Raising the main we were showered in shards of ice as the sail unfolded and the slides scraped the ice off the mast track and the blocks bent the ice off the halyards. While we were sailing we had to keep a sharp lookout through the low cloud. Snow covered islands of frozen rock loomed eerily through the mist and massive icebergs were also scattered about. Strangely, the small ice growlers seemed luminescent in the dark Antarctic waters, some spotted with little black dots that were penguins. Watches were kept to 1 hour to keep everyone fresh and thawed. The wind blew 15-20 kts from the NE and we had a great sail to our proposed anchorage between Bluff and Challenger Islands. As we sailed south towards the Antarctic Peninsula we saw more and more icebergs and lots of Humpback whales. A surprise sighting was a 133m Norwegian fishing ship. Jonkie suspects that they are harvesting Krill and that is also why there are so many whales about. Our planned anchorage at Murray Bay, nestled between ice cliffs, was already occupied by two large icebergs when we arrived at 2100hrs. Anchoring room is at a premium in these tight nooks so we had no option but to motor a further 15nms to Portal Point on Recluse Peninsula - part of the Antarctic continent. It was midnight by the time we had anchored with a line ashore and were all secure. Midnight is normally the darkest hour of the night, however we still had enough light to see what we were about and even to see the rocks underwater at the anchorage entrance. It was a long day but an excellent sail. We covered 119nms and are now within easy reach of the other sights we plan to visit. The heater worked well all day and we celebrated our arrival on the Antarctic Peninsula in the warmth of the galley with a tot of rum.

26th Jan A hearty Australia Day breakfast of eggs and tomatoes with toast warmed us for a walk ashore. The weather has lifted and we can now better appreciate this beautiful frozen landscape. Large icebergs float in the bay and massively thick ice banks line the shore. We had good light for photographing some penguins and some seals wallowing on the shore. They are totally unconcerned by our approach. Around midday we motored the short distance to Enterprise Island and rafted up beside the ketch Santa Maria. She in turn was rafted up alongside the shipwrecked Norwegian whaling ship Governoren. Over a hundred years ago this vessel caught fire and was deliberately run aground. All the crew were rescued and today the wreck provides a good mooring in a very sheltered bay. It is also home to a a large flock of Antarctic Terns nesting on board and on the rock face nearby. Nearby are two decaying wooden whale boats dragged up onto an island taking you back to bygone period, this place is quite harsh and confronting in every sense.

23rd Jan We had some fog last night which reduced visibility to about a mile. At change of watch, 0130hrs, however the wind freshened and cleared the air. We raised the main and staysail and with foresail already up made good speed. It was a relief to turn the motor off and save on fuel because even though we are carrying extra fuel it is a precious commodity in the Antarctic where you often have to motor for lack of wind. There was plenty of natural light to work on deck in the early hours as at this latitude the darkest part of the night is like twilight.

By 0230hrs we were in sight of Smith Island one of the South Shetland archipelago and when the sun rose around 0430hrs it lit the icy shear cliffs. Later in the morning we sighted our first big iceberg, a real beauty, near the low profiled Snow Island, we estimated it to be about 100m tall x 400 wide and 600m long, icy blue. It looked like a giant floating Pavlova. In the distance we could see our destination, Deception Island. This recently active volcanic island (last eruption 1969), has one of the biggest calderas in the world, a natural, well sheltered harbour called Port Foster. We dropped sails at Neptune's Bellows, the narrow entrance to the Caldera and motored across to Telefon Bay and anchored in a small caleta known as Stancomb Cove. Our journey from Puerto Williams across the Drake Passage to Deception had taken 4 days. It is a relief to be here as there was some trepidation before crossing this infamous piece of ocean. As it was we had a relatively smooth crossing when you appreciate that over 20% of the time it is blowing a gale or stronger here. We toasted our safe arrival in the Antarctic with a couple of rums.

24th Jan A welcome sleep in and a hot shower had us all feeling refreshed and ready to go exploring. We weighed anchor, motored across to Whalers Bay and dropped anchor with a line astern to a part of the old whaling station ruins. Whalers Bay was operated as a whaling station by a Norwegian company from 1911 until 1931 when the whale oil price slumped. Using some of the abandoned buildings the British Navy set up a base here in 1944. They operated an air base from here which supported other British bases in Antarctica. In 1967 they were forced to evacuate the base because of volcanic activity and although reopened in 1968 it was finally abandoned a year later when further volcanic activity caused a mud-flow that destroyed most of the buildings. We spent the morning poking around the old base and enjoying the antics of the Chinstrap Penguins. This is a popular stop for the Antarctic cruise ships and two came and went during the day. There was also a Chilean Naval vessel in the bay with a large scientific party on board. Apparently any naval vessels have to divest all weapons before coming into Antarctic waters. They are off to Dumas Island to erect a new research building.

When I came on watch this morning at 0300hrs we were at 60.01 degrees south, officially in the Antarctic, so during Ashley's watch we had crossed into the "screaming 60s". It is not screaming yet however but blowing 25 - 30 kts from the SE, It is noticeably colder though with snow flurries falling. We are motor-sailing under foresail into a confused swell and bouncing all over the show. Ashley has been battling to keep the heater going with the regulator distributing uneven amounts of fuel. We have had to shuffle berth arrangements because of the amount of moisture in the forecastle. Maggie is now sleeping in the saloon and Jonkie and I are in the middle cabin. We have had a friendly and attentive flock of Cape Petrels, sometimes called Cape Pigeons leap-froging Windjammer, hovering alongside , landing ,and when we are past catching us again. Also ghosting along with us all day has been a large grey southern Great Petrel. Our position as I write this is 61deg 26mins S, 063deg, 37mins W so we have 93nms to go to Isla Deception.

20/1/14 Once clear of the islands the sea banked up and at 2200hrs last night we reduced sail down to the staysail and reefed foresail. It was blowing 35kts and the confused steep swell was sitting Windjammer on her beam ends. There was a lot of water over the deck and in the foreward hands boots and some even made it down below making Ashley and Cathie's bunk and the forecastle very soggy. The waypiont off Deception Island was less than 500nms away. In the morning the wind died and we raised the mainsail, but before long we were motorsailing. The very light NE wind was not enough to make reasonable progress. We have an escort of Black Browed and Wandering Albatross entertaining us with their majestic, seemingly effortless gliding flight.

21/1/14 The waypoint on Deception Island is 294nms away. 0600hrs this morning. The wind is still light and from the south, so pretty much on the nose and we are still motoring. Apart from being careful of conserving our fuel, the down side of motoring is that our diesel heater doesn't work when motoring and the interior of the boat is decidedly cool without it running. The seas are moderate and undulating enough to assist the Albatross in their flight. We never tire of watching them. The ancient seamen believed that albatross were the reincarnation of drowned seamen.

From Coleridge's, "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

At length did cross an Albatross, Through the fog it came; As it had been a Christian soul, We hailed it in God's name.

At Cape Horn, next to the Albatross Monument for sailors who lost their lives trying to round the Cape is an eulogy composed by the Chilean poet, Sara Vial.

I am the albatross who awaits you at the bottom of the world. I am the lost soul of mariners from all the world's oceans who perished while rounding Cape Horn. But they did not die in the storm-tossed waves. Today they fly on my wings for all eternity, in the final embrace of the Antarctic winds.

One can't help but appreciate the aptness of connecting the ever present Albatross to sailors past.

P.S: Captains note - The ships heater is now back in action "the galley growlers" will now have to find something else to growl about!

14th - 18th Jan This week has been all about preparing for our expedition to Antarctica. Ashley and Cathie prepared long lists of things we needed to do before our departure and we have been working our way through them. It reminds me of Camel Safaris out of Alice Springs, (different ships!), where after departure there was no going back for anything undone. The best feeling is leaving all that behind and making a start on the journey. So here we are ready to go. The main missing piece is here. Maggie arrived this morning after a marathon flight with a 6 hour delay in Auckland and a 5 hour wait in Buenos Aires for her connecting flight to Ushuaia. It took the whole morning to clear out of immigration and customs in Ushuaia and even though we had a 20 knot SW wind pushing us down the Beagle Canal towards Puerto Williams we didn't make it to the port captain's office in time to clear out of Chile so we stayed overnight.

19th Jan Antartica Journey Begins Sunday morning in Puerto Williams and there was only a dog awake. We had to wait until 1000hrs before customs and immigration were ready to start and it was 1230hrs before we weighed anchor. With a steady SW at 15-20kts we cleared the Beagle Canal and turned south sailing between the islands of Lennox and Nueva. Ashley has done a crew briefing, Cathie has posted the watch roster, the safety lines are in place and we are headed past Cape Horn and into the Drake Passage. Antarctica here we come!