Wednesday, February 07, Morning
Cape Horn and the Drake Passage. I had imagined it to be wild and rough with meter-high waves and heroic sailing. After all, the crossing from Tierra del Fuego to Antarctica is considered the stormiest waterway in the world. Instead, we motor through a calm and the good Selma rocks through the swell. Challenged by seasickness, she finds a victim. The rest of the crew have so far proved to be seaworthy.
3 days in Puerto Williams
The previous days in Puerto Williams were filled with various activities and final preparations for the trip and a wonderful opportunity for the whole crew to get to know each other better.
After clearing in with the authorities in Chile, we went on a hike up Cerro la Bandera, enjoyed a fabulous view of the Beagle Channel and the surrounding mountains and the feeling of having moved our legs properly once again.
On the Selma, Wojtek gave us a safety briefing, Ewa gave us an introduction to the kitchen and organization on the boat and, of course, Pjotr gave us our first lessons on handling sails, lines, winches, etc.
The mountaineering team checked the equipment, did the final shopping and took a last shower.
“Don’t stop me now” (Queen)
😃 And we discover: our crew can party!
After a pisco sour in America’s southernmost bar, the watch schedule was quickly sorted out. While we toasted to our adventure and told each other stories on the first evening, the second evening saw us dancing wildly and full of joie de vivre to our favorite songs until well after midnight.