Drake Passage
Yesterday Endeavour sailed from Ushuaia, Argentina for the last time this season. All evening we cruised through the peaceful waters of the eastern Beagle Channel with the towering mountains of Tierra del Fuego on our port side, and the equally rugged landscape of Isla Navarino to starboard. Early this morning we made a close pass by the infamous Cape Horn and then turned south to cross the Drake Passage.
Five hundred miles of ocean separates Cape Horn from the South Shetland Islands, which lie another 80 miles off the Antarctic peninsula. Although Cape Horn is an island, it lies on the continental shelf, and so can be said to be the southernmost point of the Americas. We are well south of New Zealand, Australia or South Africa, and here the westerly winds and seas roll around the globe unfettered by any landmass. In the great days of sail, many a ship spent weeks and weeks in these waters fighting the westerly winds, trying to go from Atlantic to Pacific.
In our comfortable ship we have things quite a bit easier than the seamen of past generations. Although we experienced strong westerly winds and a lumpy sea this morning, once we got into deeper water, off the continental shelf, the sea evened out into the longer more regular swell typical of these latitudes. The waters off Cape Horn are 100-120 meters deep, while now, 120 miles south of the Horn we are in over 3,000 meters of water.
The sea state and winds change constantly in this part of the world, and each change has a bearing on our progress. As an expedition ship we maintain a flexibility unheard of on traditional ships. On our Antarctic expeditions we continually evaluate and re-evaluate speed, weather and ice conditions in order to make the very most of the time available. Pictured here are the Chief Officer Göran Persson and Expedition Leader Matt Drennan on the Bridge discussing routes and options long before we arrive in Antarctic waters.
No matter how many times one makes this passage, it never fails to remind how very remote a place we are visiting. Antarctica lies beyond the normal range of human experience, both physically and emotionally. Few places remain in this world that are so distant as to make a sea voyage of several days obligatory. This is one of the factors making this a land apart, and we will come to see many others in the days ahead.
Yesterday Endeavour sailed from Ushuaia, Argentina for the last time this season. All evening we cruised through the peaceful waters of the eastern Beagle Channel with the towering mountains of Tierra del Fuego on our port side, and the equally rugged landscape of Isla Navarino to starboard. Early this morning we made a close pass by the infamous Cape Horn and then turned south to cross the Drake Passage.
Five hundred miles of ocean separates Cape Horn from the South Shetland Islands, which lie another 80 miles off the Antarctic peninsula. Although Cape Horn is an island, it lies on the continental shelf, and so can be said to be the southernmost point of the Americas. We are well south of New Zealand, Australia or South Africa, and here the westerly winds and seas roll around the globe unfettered by any landmass. In the great days of sail, many a ship spent weeks and weeks in these waters fighting the westerly winds, trying to go from Atlantic to Pacific.
In our comfortable ship we have things quite a bit easier than the seamen of past generations. Although we experienced strong westerly winds and a lumpy sea this morning, once we got into deeper water, off the continental shelf, the sea evened out into the longer more regular swell typical of these latitudes. The waters off Cape Horn are 100-120 meters deep, while now, 120 miles south of the Horn we are in over 3,000 meters of water.
The sea state and winds change constantly in this part of the world, and each change has a bearing on our progress. As an expedition ship we maintain a flexibility unheard of on traditional ships. On our Antarctic expeditions we continually evaluate and re-evaluate speed, weather and ice conditions in order to make the very most of the time available. Pictured here are the Chief Officer Göran Persson and Expedition Leader Matt Drennan on the Bridge discussing routes and options long before we arrive in Antarctic waters.
No matter how many times one makes this passage, it never fails to remind how very remote a place we are visiting. Antarctica lies beyond the normal range of human experience, both physically and emotionally. Few places remain in this world that are so distant as to make a sea voyage of several days obligatory. This is one of the factors making this a land apart, and we will come to see many others in the days ahead.
