Mind the Weather
22 September 2014 | Puerto Wiliams,Chile
Keri
Photo (c) Gregg Daly
South Georgia & Charlie’s Hobo Weather Stations
In a few weeks time, we will be studiously scrutinizing the grib files and satellite images, looking for a favourable weather window for crossing the notoriously rough seas between the southern tip of South America and the Falkland Islands. In Port Stanley, we will be meeting our team that are joining us for a voyage to the Antarctic Island of South Georgia and once again, before departure for South Georgia, weather systems will be studied and the most suitable moment will be chosen to set sail on the next leg of our passage.
The weather in these regions is perhaps one of the most discussed topics between sailors, especially those of us in relatively small yachts. “Whoaaa! That was one big blow”, comments one wizened Captain after a hurricane force storm blows through, swiping the southern tip of the Falklands and pinning us against the dock in Stanley on our last trip there three years ago. Wind speeds of 100 knots were recorded at the airport, 80 knots and gusting at the dock. This all leaves one wondering, is this normal or are weather patterns changing?
How do we know the weather is changing? Who are the people investigating climate change and how are they doing this?
Well, here in our small sailing community in Puerto Williams, there was someone who was doing much more than their part towards knowledge of climate change. Charlie Porter was an eccentric American living in Chile for more than 30 years. He is best known for his rock climbing exploits (often solo) in places such as Yosemite and in Baffin Island, but here in Chile he was first a sailor, then a scientist. Using his sailing vessels Wild Pigeon, Gondwana, and then later on Ocean Tramp, Charlie sailed up and down the Chilean Patagonian Channels, combining his climbing skills with his insatiable curiosity and installing Hobo weather stations, time lapse cameras, sampling tree rings and studying anything else that might give an insight into the history of the climate and its global effects.
Charlie’s passion for knowledge drew him on several voyages to the Antarctic Island of South Georgia, where he installed three Hobo weather stations. These stations, along with the chain of stations he has installed along the coast of Patagonia, have been recording the wind, rain, humidity and radiant light now for over 13 years, the only coherent data records that currently exist for much of this area. Greg and I had a chance a number of years ago to make a few different voyages with Charlie, the most memorable when we volunteered to be mules to help him haul his ice coring equipment up onto the Patagonia Icecap near Seno Exmouth. This trip gave us a greater appreciation of his determination and dedication.
In February 2014, this all came to an abrupt end with Charlie’s unexpected passing. Not only did his death leave a huge void in the community here in Puerto Williams, but there was a risk that all the data he collected, and would have continued collecting, would be lost. Carlos Olave, a scientist working with CEQUA in Punta Arenas, along with climatologist Nicolas Buturovic from the Instituto de la Patagonia (Universidad de Magallenes), have been given the custody of Charlie’s data. Both Carlos and Nicolas have sailed with Charlie and co-authored papers on their findings bases on data collected from the weather stations. We now have the honour to be working with Nicolas and Carlos in the continuation of Charlies work. The first step in the new growth of this project is South Georgia, where we plan to access, maintain and upgrade the existing weather stations installed by Charlie. For this, we are very grateful to Onset Computer Corporation who have very generously donated 2 new complete Hobo weather stations for this.
South Georgia is just the beginning. Our goal, along with Carlos and Nicolas, is to keep going with the project here in Patagonia and to continue where Charlie left off.