Day 50 - at Sea

Friday 28th Feb 2020

A slow cruise north, made slower as we are somewhat ahead of schedule due to yesterday's aborted call.

Weather overcast all day again, this is getting to be an unwanted habit.

Today the wine tasting, South American wines today, some good some less so.  Also the art exhibition of paintings by the budding artists among the passengers, some quite exceptionally good, just goes to show the skills some bring to the classes and others just beginners who still produce good work.

Day 49 - Puerto Montt, Chile

Thursday 27th Feb 2020

Puerto Montt is a port city in southern Chile’s Lake District, known as a gateway to the Andes mountains and the Patagonian fjords.  Just outside the city lies Calbuco, an active volcano.

Early morning arrival.  Anchorage today, so it’s tender operations.  But, it’s windy and a little rough so all delayed while the Captain considers the safety of the passengers and the ship… and it’s all cancelled.  Everyones early alarms wasted.  Revised daily programme for activities arrived eventually.  So it’s more chances at trivia, darts etc.

Soon after 10.00 am we sailed for San Antonio, a distance of 589 nautical miles.

Days 46 to 48 - at Sea

24th to 26th Feb 2020

Monday 24th Feb 2020

Today sailing through the Chilean Fjords.  Should have been spectacular but clouds very very low and for most of the day a steady rain.  The whole area rather like the Norwegian Fjords, rocky cliffs, a few trees and plenty of waterfalls.  Didn’t appear to be any people nor much wildlife except a few birds.

Arrived at the Amalia Glacier at about 4pm, the glacier, also known as Skua Glacier, a tidewater glacier located in Bernardo O'Higgins National Park on the edge of the Sarmiento Channel. 

The glacier originates in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.  Weather still poor though views of the glacier still good.  

The water of the fjord has a milky blue/green tinge caused by the fine ground rock suspended in the water, after leaving this soon disappeared further down the fjord.  The ice of the glacier showing that lovely turquoise/blue colouring of highly compressed ice, without air bubbles, despite the lack of good light.  Sadly no good distant views of the Andes behind the glacier.  A couple of hours here pirouetting to give everyone as good a view as possible. 

Tuesday 25th Feb 2020

An early arrival at the Pío XI Glacier, also known as the Brüggen Glacier, is the largest western outflow from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. 

View as we awoke

Now about 66 km in length, it is the longest glacier in the southern hemisphere outside Antarctica.  Again a couple of hours pirouetting and again weather still low overcast cloud and rain.

Then it’s off again towards the Pacific Ocean. 

Today is Pancake Day, so it’s crepes for lunch, well they are almost pancakes, lemon and sugar accompaniment.  It was going to be pancake races between the different departments of the crew but the inclement weather caused a cancellation, probably too slippery and anyway not conducive for the spectators to stand around watching.

In the late afternoon out into the ocean having traversed the passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Wednesday 26th Feb 2020

A day spent heading north through the Pacific.  The day still overcast but no rain today and also warming up a bit, even a little sun in the afternoon.

This evening the latest South American Voyage cocktail party followed by a show in the theatre “Dance Passion” with the RCTC.

Day 45 - Punta Arenas, Chile

Sunday 23rd Feb 2020

Punta Arenas is a city near the tip of Chile's southernmost Patagonia region. Located on the Strait of Magellan, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, it's often used as base for excursions to the surrounding wilderness and Antarctica. The Plaza Muñoz Gamero has a memorial to explorer Ferdinand Magellan, and the Museo Nao Victoria features a replica of one of his galleons.

Today it’s a tender port.  Weather not too good this morning, some rain, generally overcast.  So, cancelled our plan to go ashore, there not being much to attract us to join the queue to and from town, just enjoyed the quiet ship.

Today a first for us, we went to lunch in the Britannia restaurant, quite surprise it has taken us so long, perhaps we will try it again in a few years.

Weather cleared up later but early last return tender kept us on board.

Soon after 3.30pm we sailed for Puerto Montt, a distance of 1202 nautical miles.

Day 44 - at Sea

Saturday 22nd Feb 2020

The Magellan Strait a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is the most important natural passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  

Overnight returned north through the Atlantic and later entered the Magellan Strait.  Magellan discovery of and first entry into the Straits on 1st November 1520, this now being almost the 500th anniversary.

Sorry not much to report today.  We did manage to spot a couple of Commersons Dolphins, a local speciality, it being a white bodied species with black head fin and tail, very brief views, no photo opportunity.

Day 43 - Ushuaia, Argentina

Friday 21st Feb 2020

Ushuaia is a resort town in Argentina. It's located on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, the southernmost tip of South America, nicknamed the “End of the World.” The windswept town, perched on a steep hill, is surrounded by the Martial Mountains and the Beagle Channel. It's the gateway to Antarctica cruises and tours to nearby Isla Yécapasela, known as “Penguin Island” for its penguin colonies.

Overnight we entered the Beagle Channel and arrived at Ushuaia soon after we woke.  Not too early a meet for our tour but still an early start.

Just a short walk along the dock to our catamaran, our transport for the trip down the Beagle Channel.  Plenty of room for the group onboard with seating inside and outside decks for viewing.

The town and the channel both being surrounded with spectacular peaks still with patches of snow.  

Setting off down the channel, the Captain being very careful to stay on the Chilean side of the channel, the Argentinian side being out bounds!  Our first destination, Bird Island, home to numerous Imperial Cormorants, a few sea lions and a lighthouse.  

Imperial Cormorants

All along the route there were many birds of many species flying by, most notably Black-Browed Albatross which are frequent and common hereabouts.

One unusual tourist attraction is the “Rusty Boat”, a ship run aground  and abandoned just near a farm, of which there are a few along the channel, this one now taken over by the Chilean Navy.

Surprisingly a sighting of humpback whales as we headed to the main feature of  the trip.  

This being a headland with a very large colony of breeding Magellanic Penguins together with a fair few Gentu Penguins and one King Penguin with a very small chick, plus various other birds.

Magellanic Penguins 

Gentu Penguins 

King Penguin with a very small chick

Return trip back up the sound didn’t reveal any new viewing opportunities, just a nice sail back, still managed to take quite a few photos anyway.

Drop off, suspiciously, at the far side of all the souvenir shops, so a bit of a walk back to the ship.

Soon after 5.30pm we sailed for Punta Arenas, a distance of 477 nautical miles.

Days 41 to 42 at Sea

Revised Itinerary

Day 41 - at Sea

Day 42 - Cruise by Cape Horn

Day 43 - Beagle Channel and Ushuaia

Day 44 - at Sea and Magellan Strait

Day 45 - Punta Arenas

Back on schedule again!

Wednesday 19th February 2020

Much cooler, much windier, much rougher, proper sea weather, this passes for summer around Cape Horn.

Our southerly course today running against the cold water Falklands Current flowing up the Patagonian coast.

Thursday 20th February 2020

Trivia win - they come few and far between this voyage, too many bright sparks!

Weather rather dull again today.

Late afternoon arrived at Cape Horn.  Ship turned around just near the lighthouse and monument.

Monument to lost sailors of the world, in the form of an Albatros, traditionally  the Albatros embodies the souls of dead sailors.

The lighthouse is manned by a Chilean naval officer with his family, contracts last either one or two years, the current officer has his wife and three children with him, the youngest having been born on the island two months ago.  We then circumnavigated the island.  The Captain sounded the ships horn to mark the southernmost point of our voyage, just 450nm from Elephant Island, part of Antarctica.

We then retraced our route north towards the Beagle Channel.