Category Archives: Drake passage

Cape horn stands like a pale ghost on the horizon peering at us through the gloom of a fog bank. In weather like this, with slick water and no wind, it’s easy to underestimate these waters that seem so benign. Even now however, the black rocks cloaked in their sinister white mist speak of crashing waves and a hungry sea. Shortly we are about to turn into the Beagle Passage an make for Ushuaia were I’ll have a brief interlude with civilization before turning back to the south … well … maybe the term civilized is pushing it a bit, but it is nice to have a few hours of freedom off the ship!

We are charging over the Drake Passage toward South America and leaving Antarctica in our wake. The sea stretches out flat before the bow and birds hang listlessly in the air off the stern. For the Drake it is very calm weather indeed and all aboard are enjoying a little rest after a jam-packed 18 day adventure that took us to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica. It’s been a fantastic journey but I’m looking forward to a respite from the constant activity … talking of which I think its time for a snooze…

Swiftly we slip across the seas
the passage calm the winds at ease
Yet still the whisper of the waves
Speaks of storms and seamans graves
While now we shelter from the fray
I know the winds are on the way

The birds are blithly drifting by
On graceful wings in steel grey skies
They sing the morrows storm to be
They wheel and dance on ruffled seas
While floating on this gentile breeze
They long to soar on wind swept seas

And now we seek to make the shore
A sheltered bay to wait the war
Of heavens wrath and neptunes greed
Of driven gales and tempests freed
And to the boundless sky I plea
Please spare us from the hungry sea

Another day in the Drake and so far the sea has been kind. Only a gentle swell despite a weather report that was covered in red scribble indicating high winds and high seas… looks like we managed to squeeze between the weather systems. In fact right now we are flanked by two other expedition vessels that all left Ushuaia on the same day as us. I feel like we are part of a fleet setting off to invade the Antarctic continent! Otherwise a typical day at sea: an early start up on deck taking photographs of the birds drifting behind the boat riding on the wind, then a couple of talks to tell the passengers about the birds and their biology and now a few minutes to myself to get myself ready for the next round of lectures and our landfall in the South Shetland Islands which at this rate should be tomorrow evening. The highlight of the day was watching a juvenile Wandering Albatross effortlessly skim over the waves as it turned its eye upon this strange interloper clinging to the rails on a slippery deck while pointing a long lens in its general direction while at the same time trying to duck the occasional wave. My impression was one of grandeur and grace… I can’t help but think the bird considered me in the amusingly clumsy category.

Another brief change of passengers in Ushuaia and we have set our bow for the Antarctic continent again. At this moment we are still in the Beagle Passage but as we are minutes away from leaving this sheltered area it is worth giving some thought to the body of water ahead of us. The Drake Passage. It has a fearsome reputation and one that is well earned. Countless ships came to grief in these waters in the days of sail and it is still not uncommon to get caught in serious weather that threatens even the modern steel behemoths that ply these waters today. In point of fact, just two days ago as we last crossed the Drake we were happily navigating through moderately calm waters whilst another ship, just hours ahead of us, came into some serious strife. A big wave crashed over the bow driving steel railings through the bridge window. The bridge is the heart of a ship and salt water crashing around is obviously not a great thing… within seconds she had lost all electronic and communications and was in serious trouble. Luckily for them a passing ship was able to deliver a satellite phone which as it turned out was the only possible form of communication for the vessel after this disaster.

Luckily for them they managed to get all systems running after a short period, but it is a timely reminder for two in the blue that these are serious waters and we need to be prepared! It also stresses the importance of reading weather patterns. As noted we had a relatively calm crossing (I use relative for I’m sure our little yacht would be tossed around in waves that barely rock a big ship like this). This was almost entirely down to choosing the right path in relation to shifting weather systems. When Widdershins takes to the Southern Ocean we will need to be on the ball and ahead of the game to get comfortably down to the most isolated continent on Earth!

The last couple of days have been a typical drake crossing with endless sea swell and seabirds. Having left Antarctica probably for the last time, the passengers on the Ioffe are making full use of the bar to drink various toasts to the white continent. Last night a little Chinese lady who does not speak a work of English cornered the expedition staff and literally forced us all to down several beers with her. Buying rounds of ten beers at a time and getting very grumpy when we tried to sip rather than scull. Strange the people you meet. Right now Cape Horn is hidden in fog but we are just offshore heading for the Beagle passage.