Day 20 – Christmas Day at Sea

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About 0330 we transitioned from the inside passage out of Puerto Montt into the Pacific and got nailed by 20’ swells and 35-knot headwinds, which got us rocking and rolling again. In the Captain’s midwatch report he said this is “average” for these latitudes (now 46 degrees south). We are steaming in open ocean on a course of 192 degrees at 19.5 knots with the stabilizers out, and we will continue to get pounded until we hit the inside passage to the Gulf of Trinidad at 2330 tonight. Sunrise is now right at 0600, with sunset right about 2230, so we are headed toward the land of the midnight sun, southern style. We will tour Chilean fjords most of tomorrow, with a stop at Amalia Glacier.



As it is Christmas the ship is in full regalia. Santa showed up for all of the little ones this morning (see photos), and Steve was surprised with a beautiful new chronograph from Carol that weighs more than she does, and requires a DVD to figure out how to work, but it an awesome time piece. It is one of those Citizen Eco Drives, which is solar powered and has a perpetual calendar, so no more having to remember what day or date it is. So for the remainder of the day the game was to ask Steve, “What time is it?” Enjoyed breakfast and a small gift exchange with friends, and will meet for a large cocktail party in one of our friend’s suites prior to dinner tonight. We have been collecting Christmas gifts throughout the voyage and they will get passed out when we return stateside in late January of 2013. We hope our family and friends are having a great Christmas Day at home! Our next port of call is Punta Arenas, Chile, and our last stop in this beautiful country. We will have a chance to climb a 4,500’ peak that will provide serious photo ops of the Beagle Channel. Then it is on to Argentina and we will see if they are going to let us stop at their ports. So far, no word from the Captain or his Command Staff. We finished the evening with a wonderful holiday show that included all of the folks performing on the ship.

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