Punta Arenas, Beagle Channel and the Drake Passage

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The ship docked at Punta Areanas. A port in the Strait of Magellan just above the reaches of Tierra del Fuego. Punta Areanas is Chile's most southern shipping and transport hub. I found it very much likened to a mountainous town in the American rockies. It didn't really have that South American feel about the city. We mainly used the stop to run a few errens.

After departing from Punta Areanas the ships course was to sail back down the Strait of Magellan, onto the Beagle Channel. Another famous waterway draped in maritime history. History that every sea, channel and ocean beyond this point all seem share one way or another.
The Beagle channel became quite narrow and its sides increasingly steep. Crawling down from these sides were our first sights of Patagonian glaciers. Massive powering rivers of ice creeping from the reaches of mountain ranges, carving their way through rock and ending their life in the sea. The Channel was surprisingly green, with the odd fresh shipwreck left in it's banks.

As the ship was ahead of schedule the Captain announced that we would 'Round the Cape'. To say that this Cape has a reputation is a bit of an understatement. It was initially used to by merchant ships as an alternative to the Strait of Magellan as the Spanish were heavily taxing this passage. Leading to ships going around the outside, or as it became to known as, 'Rounding the Cape'. Rough seas and its treacherous jagged coastline presented a navigational nightmare, hence it was a risky route. Leading to the expense of many ships and crew. Giving the saying ' If you Round the Cape once you can put one foot on the table, twice and you can put both feet on the table'!
As the ship sailed out of the Channel and towards the Cape the seas seemed very calm. In actual fact the seas were that calm that MV Discovery was able to to sail remarkably close to Cape Horn. Just 1.7km off, which, as I'm led to believe is quite unheard of! Because our route to Antarctica is due south the Ship had to double back on itself, effectively rounding the Cape twice - so there we go, both feet on the table!!
As we passed the 'Horn' which was quite visible from deck, indicating that we had crossed from the Atlantic Ocean back into the Pacific Ocean. The Cape was alight from a convenient break in the clouds, releasing more surprisingly green landscapes for such a baron corner of the planet.

Up next was a short thirty odd hour journey, skidding down the Southern Ocean, over the notorious Drake Passage. Because of the position of the Southern Ocean, at the depths of the planet where vicious winds batter the waves for days, temperatures so cold only a few species can naturally survive and currents rage in the only ocean that isn't land-locked, free to flow uninhibited around the basin of the planet. The Drake Passage occupies the the water between Cape Horn to the Antarctic Peninsular, i.e the narrow part of the Southern Ocean. Here is where the massive power and energy of this Ocean attempts to squeeze the same amount of ragging water through a much smaller gap. The result gives the justified stigma of a passage, with quite simply ridiculously rough seas.

So what would our fate be?! Well as the Cape was so calm we sailed into the Passage unnoticed. As the journey progressed into the evening sun it seemed we had hit it just right, a 'Drakes lake' as they say!
Awaking the following morning, with the seas still calm it seemed we were going to get away with it. 'The Pacific had more clout than this!' We quipped. Em well maybe not.
As the morning passed the ship started to rock. Out on deck the winds started to 'brew' something. Then the ship started to duck and dive a little. Before we knew it we were sailing through force 7 gales, swells of up to 10m, big enough to 'slap' the hull with conviction. Those on board either clinged onto 'things' to keep balance or just filled little white bags....apparently it was later announced that the seas were 'moderate' for the Drake Passage. Even though my guts remained intact, I don't really want to experience a 'rough' Drakes passage . Maybe better luck on the return journey............
Full Photos on Flickr

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