Xplore Punta Arenas to Buenos Aires: 27 March 2009

Upside-down dolphin Of course Xplore is a dolphin -- you try and convince all the hundreds of dolphins that have been swimming and playing with us for the last three hours that we're not !! I'ts just that we are an upside-down one and a bit bigger than them. In their eyes we're just like all of their mates in the ocean: grey body, two fins, likes playing and bouncing off waves, never tires of exercise, and the faster you go the bigger the splooosh and bang when you go into the next wave. Definitely sounds like a dolphin to me! We slipped out of the Straites of Magellan like someone had wiped our ass with baby oil: we got the weather and the currents right and did 198nm in the first 24 hours. Day 2 wasn't slow either: 182 miles which then turned into a glorious afternoon of sun, sun and calm seas (classic precursor to another southerly blow). We had been watching closely this new system and as we scraped our way around the southern corner of the Golfo San Jorge we had confirmation that change once again was on its way. With a lowering cloud base the winds continued to move into the north ... there was nothing we could do but to be ready and make our sail changes down early, keep it easy -- it's going to be a very blowy three days. With four reefs in, number 2 Yankee partially furled and the same for the stay sail, we came to meet this new howler in the early hours of the morning. Xplore when she is tucked up for a blow she is great, "snug as a bug in a rug," I some times say (mind you those who are suffering - whom we call 'bucket heads' - don't quite see it in the same cuddly sort of way I do). We tacked off the inside coast of the bay and headed out into never, neverland (South Atlantic). Within an hour we started seeing the loom of lights out at sea, and Jules and I talked about what type of boats they were. My guess was they were squid boats fishing off the shoals in the bay, they use strong flood lights to attract the squid and then use "jiggers" which are a type of fish hook with many barbs that catches them. We plowed on to the east, trying to bring on faster the break of dawn. Dawn came and the sun squeezed through the myriad of broken wind blown clouds, fishing boats all long gone, a confused sea state still remained to build as were not even over 70 meters of depth. Sea birds are plenty and as this story started the dolphins came to play ! For the sailors out there, we were getting solid 34 to 38 knots of true wind, sailing at 34 apparent we are doing 7.7 knots through the water, a good run for a blowy day. We expect the winds to go further north, and then shift to the NNW and NW and continue to blow for the next two and a half days, with a course to steer of 034 degrees true we should make good ground, touch wood and fingers crossed, as all sailors do. More news coming as we head north and finally feel some warmth for a change Stephen

Update on Found Plane

The authorities have said it is Argentinian, an Avro Lincoln Mk2, plane number B-019 which was flying from Rio Gallegos south, had 11 people onboard and went missing on the 22nd of March 1950.

Apparently the Chilean Air Force at the time did and aerial search over 6,500,000 Km of territory to find it but never did. Check us out on CNN

Lost Souls in the Mountains

The glacial ice creaks and groans, the stout windblown trees rustle from the incessant gales that sweep the area, and at the base of the glacier lie the souls of adventurers who flew in their airplane with a dream of success in Antarctica.

We have not been able to report to you all about the discovery that the team on Xplore made during this last expedition in the remote fiords of Tierra del Fuego (TDF) until now. We were exploring the bays and glacial basins off the arms of Seno Almirantazgo when one of the shore party teams’ VHF radio started calling back to the yacht with a squealed excitement.

Rodrigo had gone further up the glacial valley than anyone else and what he found after crossing the glacial moraine would open a wave of intrigue about what he had uncovered.

Lying at the base of the glacier, partially covered with ice and moraine soil were the remains of a large aircraft that had smashed itself to pieces as it had flown straight into the mountains.

Rodrigo's first reactions were a mixture of excitement and emotion as he relayed to the shore teams and Xplore what he was looking at. Touching and turning over pieces in his hands, the size of the parts lying there could not be taken lightly. The huge landing wheel couldn't even be lifted. The sections of the twin tail planes showed telltale signs of the type of craft, and the seat belt in his hand was rusted and of a design from many years ago. The huge propellers lay there, still with their yellow tips, bent and twisted. But the discovery of a parachute that he started to tug on, as it was partially buried, stopped him short in his tracks as he realized that there may be something on the other end of it, and the shards of bones lying mixed within the soil and ice could be …?

Rodrigo returned to Xplore with a few items and a lot of photos, his heartbeat was still erratic as the whelm of ideas and emotions were shared within the whole team. Where did it come from, what nationality, where was it going? Who was onboard?

Just over 24 hours ago, Xplore docked at the fishermen's dock here in the Straits of Magellan, Punta Arenas (Sandy Point). Waiting on the dock were five men from the Civil Aviation, Army and Air Force, who looked very serious. They waited until we had Xplore tied up and then the questions started to roll, on and on they probed Rodrigo about the events and discovery.

Late last night we received news that some possible answers were coming to light. During the Second World War and into the 1950's the Chilean and Argentinean Air Forces had used Avro Lancaster aircraft in the area, and we had evidence of Spanish markings on the plane’s fuselage. These planes normally flew in military operations with eight crew and had the capability to carry 15 passengers/troops.

Even though there had been no listed missing aircraft in this part of TDF, the authorities had received news that in the 50's two Lancaster aircraft had departed from Argentina en route to Antarctica. With extreme weather along the way, both had turned and headed to Punta Arenas to escape the conditions. Only one landed.

Is the twisted wreckage that we have found the other lost plane?

The investigation continues

~ Stephen

Don’t go to sea on Friday the 13th !!

When you are woken with a slam to the top of your head at five in the morning, it can take you by surprise! Your mind tries to quickly work out what the hell is going on. Am I sleeping with a gorilla which has just tossed me out of the tree, am I sleep walking and smacked into a brick wall

-- orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, holy shit Bat Man, the boat has just hit something.

Sure enough, the forecast winds for Friday the 13th had arrived and that was the start of a very memorable day, for all the wrong reasons.

The night before at the dinner table, Victor (Victoko by nickname) was joking about Friday the 13^th. He was suggesting all sorts of nasty things, but even as we laughed, I had a small amount of dread in the back of my mind. Maybe it was that I knew the weather forecast, or maybe with so many years at sea I am becoming a little superstitious.

Now back to that thump in the top of my head. Any skipper knows when their boat is in trouble, and as I flew out of bed in only my underpants and skidded to a stop in the cold rain and wind, my fears were a very real reality. In our little anchorage where we were tied with three 26mm polysteel line to shore, we had lost the rear stern line and Xplore, in the strong winds, had moved forward and touched bottom (hence the sudden stop and my head banging against the cabin bulkhead (wall). “Damn and bugger,” I muttered to myself as I quickly jumped down the companion way and started the main engine. I had to get the boat and the situation under control damn fast.

My crew were pretty fast behind me and I was thankful that one of them handed me my wet weather jacket, as standing there on deck, just about naked wasn’t going to help the humor of the day (or maybe the crew couldn’t stand to see me like that). Anyway, we quickly got the boat and situation sorted out and Xplore was tied up once again in these blustery conditions. I had felt the katabatic gusts during the early hours in the morning but an exceptionally strong blast, with enough force of leverage had actually torn the tree that our stern line was attached to, out of the ground. Well, there's a first in life.

With all that commotion early in this "Lucky" day, I needed an hour sleep before I could face the new day, probably more to let my nerves settle than anything. I faintly dozed and then "shaken but not stirred," we moved on.

So out we headed. The mission for the day was to survey three islands and check them for wildlife nesting locations. The SE winds had eased, but were still gusty as we turned the corner and headed back into Seno Almirantazgo. We moved along under motor at a smooth rate and life seemed normal. An hour later, we were reaching our first island, when crew Audrey informed me that there could be a problem with the starboard heads (toilet). Sure enough, I checked the toilet and it was blocked. I persevered for 15 minutes, trying everything under the sun to unblock it but she was buggered. In a foul mood, I stormed back up on deck, knowing that a full strip down of the pumps were needed.

After a smoko break, I headed down with a bundle of tools and started pulling it apart. Lo and behold, it wasn’t a shit that had blocked it, but a huge piece of Fuegan kelp had been sucked up into the water intake pipe and blocked it solid. “Well,” I said, “this is turning into a fine day,” as we started to rock and bounce a bit.

Back on deck, the winds had turned and turned bad, straight on the nose, and by the looks of the clouds poring in from the SW, this was not going to be a good day. Big cumulonimbus clouds, wind blown were flying along, and we were being pounded. With headsail out, we clawed our way up the Straits of Admiralantazgo.

Waves and water were pouring over the decks as the combination of wind against tide were giving us really shitty conditions, and those waves were getting bigger by the hour. This was going to be a very slow day. At the nav area, I was working away at a revised schedule and options of where we could go and be located by the end of this "Lucky" day, when all of a sudden I heard a “Sploosh” as I felt the boat lurch from another wave. “Oh shit,” I think someone heard me say as I rushed forward to the cabin areas, to find that two of the hatches had been closed, but not properly, and sure enough, we had taken a good dose of sea water into their areas. “Bugger, damn,” I spluttered, “what a fine day this is turning into,” as I crawled around the floor with a sponge and small bucket before all the seawater soaked into everything.

Hmmm, time for a cuppa (mug of tea) and a few ciggies (cigarettes). We continued with the rhythmic thump thump, splash splash as we tacked our way to the NW. Three more miles and then we could make the final 100 degree turn that would take us into Bahia Brooks. But along comes crew Julia who informs me that someone had left the head’s valve open and that the bathroom was flooded with salt water!

“!#$!^^^$%#&#&#&%#.” Yes, you can imagine I didn’t say nice things but hey, this was Friday the 13^th. The question was, what was going to happen next ?

We all sat quietly and kept our thoughts to our selves; we all know that "Shit Happens" but today was really taking the piss out of us. Like a cat on a hot tin roof, we waited and made sure that we checked and double-checked everything that we did and what was happening. We didn’t want any more of this game today, we had all had a gut full.

Quietly we slipped into our anchorage that evening, tired and in need of a good stiff drink. No other unexpected things happened that afternoon, but needless to say, the selection of strong trees were very good.

Xplore and the adventure here in Tierra Del Fuego continue.

~Stephen

Xplore arrives Ushuaia: 12 February 2009

ED. NOTE: Xplore arrived safely in port at about midnight 12 February 2009. After re-provisioning Xplore will depart Ushuaia, Argentina for Punta Arenas, Chile where guests will embark on a 10-day voyage through Tierra del Fuego.

Xplore Cape Horn Report: 12 Feb 2009

One foot on the table There is an old maritime saying that once you have rounded Cape Horn you are entitled to enjoy your after dinner drink with one foot up on the table - you can be sure that tonight all of us will be doing exactly that !! This, of course, means that we passed the rock, in the middle of the night as the sun still slept behind the horizon, with what I must say were mixed emotions. Although not fully visible, apart from the low light of the moon, I could imagine the moody rock laying silent witness to the sad fate of so many mariners and their ships across the centuries before us. In addition, also signaling to me that we all had had a safe passage across the infamous Drake Passage and I could go back to sleep knowing we were making our way towards the relatively safe passages and islands to its north and eventually our home port Puerto Williams in Chile. It was also with some deep thought that I knew we had left behind us four days ago the large sleeping white beauty, the Antarctic, brooding over its -- and indeed all of our fate -- due to the ignorance and mismanagement of mankind for way too long now. The return across the Drake Passage seemed longer than the trip going but even as a kid in the back seat of my parents' car, the trip home from one of our adventures always seemed the longest. Even as a total novice to this sailing lark I could tell that there was plenty to do and more than enough to keep the crew busy and happy. From the webbing on the head of the main sail giving way 24 hours into the passage, there was plenty to be done. From installing a new trysail, fitting a larger Yankee, to rigging the Spinnaker pole (you know, the ones that you see in the pictures of the boats in the Around the World races allowing the sails to balloon at the front !? :o>) and lastly, positioning the boat to take advantage of the very last puff of wind. As always, Stephen took all of this in his stride - although I must say his mini adventure to the top of the main mast -- in what I would describe as nothing more than a roped up swing saddle -- was the closest I have seen him to wishing he had trained to be an accountant for his chosen career. You know, as we all continue to push the boundaries of travel and in my case keep pushing the envelope with regards to witnessing and experiencing more and more off the so-called 'beaten track', I am personally guilty of ignoring or underestimating the personal dangers associated with this type of travel and the risk I may be exposing myself or my partner too. In a place where, for example, exposure to being in the open sea could measure your life expectancy in minutes, Antarctica is not a place to be underestimating these dangers. I think it goes without saying that when entering into such an expedition as this that you use a skipper who has both the experience of the Antarctic region itself (measured in years) and the maturity of years at sea in pretty much all conditions which nature can throw at you. For Sonia and myself, I can honestly say that we felt our lives were in more than capable hands at all times and my hat goes off to Stephen and his crew for their hard work and pure professionalism at all times. Cheers, James and Sonia

Xplore in the Drake Passage: 11 Feb 2009

This morning a few thoughts from port watch which has hitherto been silent in the blogosphere ... One thing that is nigh impossible to convey to those not lucky enough to experience it firsthand, is the sheer beauty and exhilaration of being on a large fast boat with a balanced sailplan on a downhill romp (wind in the aft quarters) in the open ocean with a following sea. I have tried and failed many times, on this boat and others, to capture on film (or chip) the gracefully choreographed poetry of motion as the boat weaves its course ... the rig aloft creaking and groaning (or is it 'oohing and ahhing'?) as it powers up into the wind on the crests of large ocean rollers ... and then -- as if knowing too much of a good thing ruins the novelty -- it expels all this energy sliding down the waves in a gliding flourish, de-powering as it goes, ready to be held high on the next wave and sip from the cup of nature's force. Well my 'poetry' is of course drivel, but I was just caught up in the emotion of sunrise in near-perfect sailing conditions with something cultured like Chopin, which is playing gently in the background (someone else left it on, of course) at the nav table (although naturally I am spending much time outside enjoying the elements rather than the relative serenity - and warmth - that the virtual world has to offer). As the low pressure system we have been monitoring has moved over us it has gifted us with steady south westerlies ranging from 20 to 35 knots during the course of the last 16 hours or so. The sea-state has calmed considerably during the course of the night (not counting the 10 or so metre ground swell that is) and the boat has been powering along at between 8 and 12 knots consistently, with similar measure being made over ground. This, the best sailing of this trip so far, was delivered at the just the right moment, after more than a few watches of frustration at 'mixed' conditions shared amongst us all as we have waited what seemed like an eternity for weather predictions, and therefore our strategy to address it to play out. As Steve shared in one of his last communications, our frustration at the mixed conditions was somewhat amplified by one small spanner in the works: the mainsail headboard imbroglio (i.e. it busted). After a day of letting what will be be, I think this caper had the strange effect of energizing us, causing us to stand up and try and to do better with the resources immediately at hand: those being a big powerful green boat and some other flappy white things (well some of them are the sailmaker's yellow) to play with. And here we are: the flurry of activity yesterday paid off, and this morning at dog-watch changeover we are 120 nautical miles from our waypoint near Cape Horn, slipping steadily in the right direction, rather than 300 miles from that waypoint, crawling the surface of the Southern Ocean, following weather around as was yesterday morning. How times change, and they will again, and so we enjoy these moments while they last. This attempt at a blog is incriminating evidence. Better break free of the nav desk cocoon and spend some time outside or risk a bollocking from Steve. It is too nice out not to really ... One final fortunate note: some colour has returned to the faces (and appetites to bellies) of a few unfortunate Xplorers who have been rather subdued of late. A good thing ... [ED NOTE: At last report Xplore was 85nm from Cape Horn, with plans to sail directly to Puerto Williams and onto Ushuaia by Friday.]

Xplore in the Drake Passage: 10 Feb 2009

How much can a Koala bear? This morning whilst I was hanging in my harness at the mast head 26 meters above sea level and being thrown around like a rag doll, I wondered how many more years I can take this crap. My hands were already frozen as the ascent had been a slow and tiring climb, Audrey and Serge were on deck managing the halyard which was my lifeline but their faces I couldn't see; my total focus was getting to the masthead and recovering the main halyard so we could rig and hoist the trysail, which is a replacement (very small) main sail. Yesterday had been a long and frustrating day, where the only words I could say to my crew Audrey -- who has been sharing the same watch -- was that I was fractious. I had just received news early in the morning from my father (who was meant to have joined us on this trip) that my stepmother was about to pass of cancer within the next few weeks. For 25 years she has been with my father, and I have spent time with them a few times in Darwin: a lovely lady who had come into my father's life at the right time for both of them. So yesterday, even though I knew we had to make sail changes and recover the halyard, I didn't have the emotional or physical energy to face it. The sea state had still been very lumpy, but maybe that was just me convincing myself that it was better to just sit out and wait for smoother seas and a little bit of personal energy. So back to the masthead: I know some crazy people who would pay for the experience at a masthead at sea, like in a carnival showgrounds ride: you pay 5 bucks and get the hell thrown out of you. The G-forces are quite extreme as the masthead whips from side to side and then back and forwards in such an unpredictable way, you just have to hang on for dear life like a Koala Bear !! With legs wrapped around the mast you can only slowly go from each spreader to spreader, a brief spell at each point to grab your breath; as any longer and you would lose your nerve and merely make the freezing process stretch out painfully longer. My biggest concern was that my hands weren't going to be able to be used to re-attach the halyard to a short strop connected to my harness so that I could drag in back down the mast on my descent. Another deep breath and I was ready to move down, the insides of my calf muscles were humming, the lactic acid from being clenched around the mast as my prime means of holding on while I attached the retrieval line. Audrey and Serge on deck weren't sure what I screamed to them, with blank faces they didn't know if needed to go higher, or was I in trouble ... for me I just wanted to get the hell off this sideshow ride! Down I needed and fast, but not too fast as each part of the descent I needed to un-attach the retrieval strop and pass it around the spreaders, then re-attach it and move on down. As I reached the deck, my body and face just slumped, I think a cardboard box full of cotton wool would have been perfect, my body ached and was so cold but we all had got the halyard down. Now it was time to warm up and plan for the next stage of manoeuvres. With an hour we were ready to go. We cleared the forepeak and prepared the trysail, new lines run and other modified to do the job, we changed over that pesky main halyard onto the head and up she went !! Woooo hooooo, a different flappy white thing -- haven't seen that one before. Next we prepared to change the No2 Yankee headsail for the larger No1, new sail flaked on deck, halyard ready to drop, we all crouched ready to receive the smaller sail onto the deck. Down she came and we all went at it like Rottweilers in a butcher shop. I had seen a cloud line on the horizon which could bring some not-needed extra wind which would only make the process much harder, but within 20 minutes we had switched headsails and were back on course. Now the waiting game could continue. We have all been so bored in waiting and watching the movement of this large low pressure system that now we were ready with our new armoury and a plan, we wanted it now, but no such luck as the winds within the centre of lows are weak, indecisive, and fickle (hence why I have the time to write this). The plan -- if it goes to plan -- is that we should get good fresh-to-strong winds from the SW as the low passes over us. This should give us good speeds in the desired direction of Cape Horn and then our entry into the Beagle Channel, but for now only time will tell when the winds will come. More news to come ~ Stephen

** Xplore loses main halyard in Drake Passage **

Shit Happens Well what was a smooth departure from Antarctica, with a good breeze and forecast, soon became a very careful game of chess for skipper Stephen and his team. At 2325 first mate Audrey went on deck to trim the main sheet as the winds had picked up, we had already reduced the Yankee and were sailing with four reefs in when the unexpected happened; after only a few turns on the main sheet Audrey saw the world collapse around her, the entire main sail went 'bang' and started flapping like a rag, then dropped to the deck and boom. Stephen at the nav table heard the squeals from Audrey and quickly popped up on deck to see that the main halyard had parted at the headboard of the main sail. With flaps and flakes of sail piled onto the boom in total disarray, Audrey and Stephen proceeded to lash the sail to the boom in not-so-easy conditions. Blowing in the 30's, luckily the sea state hadn't built into the washing machine that it could have; we were still on the continental shelf of Antarctica making any strong winds the recipe for large seas. We hung on and tidied the mess on deck, the halyard was at the top of the mast waving around like a school kid up a tree, 'come and get me down.' it was calling, but for the night the top of the mast was where it was going to stay. We slowly thawed out below as any wind and water in the south makes for cold, cold conditions; even though Audrey and Stephen are more than acclimatised to these temperatures, more than 10 minutes on deck means your hands and faces are freezing. We sat and talked about what had happened, and Stephen started to look at the ramifications to the careful course planning he had devised for the crossing. The key factors that effect Xplore now are as follows: Xplore has 1.75 tanks of fuel left onboard (approximately 500 liters). With minimum engine revolutions we will still use approximately six liters per hour. The sea state is still too rough for anyone to venture up the mast to recover the main halyard, let alone carry out a temporary repair. Seas and temperatures don't allow at present to change the No2 Yankee to the slightly larger No1. We currently have winds above 21 knots that means that under sail we can make 6.5 knots of boat speed which is quite reasonable, we have planned on making a minimum of 140 nautical miles per day to be able to position ourselves in the SW corner of the next monster blow that is already starting to show its first stages of building to the west. Whilst pondering options and plans on their first day-time watch today, Stephen and Audrey were watching the winds speeds slowly drop, and as the winds dropped the boat speed diminished. We sat and saw it tumble 5.9 - 5.4 - 5.1 ... oohhh God ... 4.9 ... Stephen was staring at the wind gauge and began talking to it, 'Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh come on up you go Hewey! Please just a littler bit more, don't leave us this way, we love you and your strength!!!' Audrey by this stage knows that Stephen can be a little bit crazy but this was taking it to a new high: 'He's gone bonkers!' The next thing that Stephen said to the wind to encourage it was that he would sacrifice a 'Chocolate Hob Nob' to the seas as an offering !!! Audrey was mortified. Hob Nobs are the most prized cookies onboard, purchased from the Falklands -- we are already on the last packet, for Stephen to offer them away was treason. But always good to his promises, minutes later Stephen entered from the galley with one Hob Nob in hand and proceeded to exit the companion way and throw it to the winds and the sea. Audrey nearly wept: as a confirmed chocoholic this was terrible. We sat and watched the wind speed to see if Stephen's stupidity would work. 18.2 - 18.7 - 18.9 and then 19.1................ Yehhhhh, Audrey was gobsmacked, it had worked ! Our boat speed continued but if Hob Nobs were needed to continue motivating Hewey then we were going to need a truckload. We continued along, with average speeds enough for us not to have to use the motor and maintain a reasonable course. This crossing may be a slow one, more news to come ~ Stephen

Xplore departs Antarctica: 7 Feb 2009

A skipper's prerogative to change his mind We all were patiently waiting for the verdict on when we had a good weather window to depart the Pitt Islands and Antarctica. During the 5th it looked suitable for the next day, however fate and weather had their own cards to play, and on the morning of the 6th the GRIB files ( weather data file that show wind direction and strength, Gridded Reference in Binnary) told a different story. Not only did they show that a departure on the 6th would mean that we would have a strong blow mid-crossing, but it showed a monster low hitting the Tierra Del Fuego coast and Cape Horn with wind strengths over 60 knots. We had to have another plan. The next best option first looked like early on the morning of the 9th, so with looks of joy, we settled back down to enjoying Antarctica and the Pitt islands: team tobogganing races down the snowy slopes; zodiac cruising in an area which has a wealth of animal wildlife; and the chart survey team with Skipper Stephen continuing their rounds of the myriads of islands, trying to plot and chart this rocky mess of islands. By mid-morning of the 7th, we saw a change in forecasts and were able to make plans for a revised departure late in the day. Most of the boat preparations had already been done so some last minute extra 'sea-going food' was prepared. James and Stephen finished off the charting needed, with final depth soundings of the enclosed anchorage that Xplore had sat in for three days, as the entrance to this cove is probable the tightest that Skipper Stephen has taken Xplore or any other yacht through, and the soundings were to prove invaluable -- with forecasts of slightly stronger winds in the afternoon, we needed to position Xplore with precision, as water colour with wind on it doesn't show the hidden depths. With a plan, the entire team -- the shore line crew, zodiac crew and depth spotters -- pulled off a flawless exit. Xplore slipped through the narrow gap (15 meters wide) which has an 80 meter glacial overhang looming to tumble on one side and about fpur meters within the water for sideways tolerance ... you could hear the collective sigh of relief and the un-clenching of butt cheeks as the depth sounder started to rise and we emerged into deeper waters. The next hour was spent doing the final preparations for the Drake Passage. Zodiac deflated and stowed, shore lines away, anchor removed and everything 'ship shape' on deck and below. With winds in the low 20's from the NE we hoisted our main sail with three reefs and slipped away from this magical place. Soon the ocean swells and the heeling of the yacht took their toll and the happy faces of life on a flat horizontal plane started to change. The faces slipped away to their cabins as they knew the best position for getting your sea legs is in bed. Xplore and her core crew settled down to life again on the ocean waves. More news to come as we head north. ~ Stephen PHOTOS RICHARD LARONDE

Xplore in Antarctica: 6 Feb. 2009

Ed Note: Xplore was scheduled to leave Antarctica at 0500 6 Feb., however the weather was forecast to be on the nose for most of the passage, and up to 60k off Cape Horn, so Stephen has postponed departure up to three days. More to come.

Xplore in Antarctica: 5 Feb. 2009

Last report before we leave the Antarctic Peninsula [Ed note: dispatch in both French & English, below] Ce mercredi 4 fevrier le soleil nous offre un spectacle magnifique de la peninsule et ses glaciers (Hotine, Bussey, Trooz, Belgica...) mais l'air est vif et glace. La nuit nous a laisse 10 cm de neige sur le pont, et a blanchi encore et encore ces terres vierges. Le voilier quitte son nid douillet de Stella Creek de Argentine Islands pour se diriger sous moteur, trinquette et yankee, Sud Ouest vers les Pitt Islands, un groupe d'iles a l'extremite nord de l'ile Renaud (Biscoe Islands), nomme ainsi en l'honneur de William Pitt, British Statesman, en 1832. Nous nous dirigeons encore vers le Sud, vers ce cercle polaire antarctique, 66 degres 33 minutes, vers le jour eternel de l'ete austral. Mais nous savons que Pitt Islands seront notre ultime etape de cette expedition extraordinaire. Le voilier se faufile entre les rochers et les ilots de cet archipel. Steven ne connait pas encore le coin et les cartes sont vraiment imprecises. Steven trouve finalement rapidemment et facilement un mouillage bien au calme entre les petites iles, au 65 degres 26 minutes Sud et 65 degres 22 minutes Ouest. Steven projette l'idee de bien cartographier cette partie de l'archipel, entre l'ile Jingle et l'ile Weller. Nommes en 1959 en l'honneur respectivement de Alfred Jingle et de Samuel Weller, representes dans Pickwick Papers de Charles Dickens. Jeudi 5 fevrier au matin sous un beau soleil mais toujours aussi frais, en zodiac, Steven cartographie les environs immediats du mouillage, au crayon, main leve, cela ressemble a du L. de Vinci alors que Serge tente un crayonnage style P. Picasso abstrait, tout est histoire de style et d'experience... Nous decouvrons par la meme occasion une faune nombreuse de Fur Seals, Weddel Seals, Blue-Eyed Cormorants, Adelie Penguins, Antarctic Skuas, Antarctic Tern, Big Gulls... L'endroit est tranquille sans presence de voiliers ni de ferry-boats. James et Sonia terminent un bonhomme de neige et Simon et Julia nous trouvent une troisieme barbatte enorme. Cecilia chante et danse dans le zodiac pilote de maitre par Audrey a la decouverte des Fur Seals. Richard se transforme en boulanger et Steph en patissiere maison. Tout le monde profite de cette derniere journee antarctique. Demain, nous partons vers le Nord, vers la traversee du Drake, direction le cap Horn et Puerto Williams. Le barometre indique 1001 hPa, avec 41% d'humidite et 15,5 degres a l'interieur du voilier alors que la temperature exterieure oscille entre -2 et +8 degres Celsus. This Wednesday 4th February the sun offers us a magnificent view of the peninsula and her glaciers (Hotine, Bussey, Trooz, Belgica...) but the air is crisp and fresh. The night leaves us 10cm of snow on deck, and whitens even more those virgin lands that surround us. Xplore leaves her protected nest in Stella Creek in the Argentine Islands to motorsail to the South West towards Pitt Islands, in the northen tip of the archipelago of Renaud Island (Biscoe Islands). The Pitt islands were named by the explorer William Pitt who in 1832 discovered them and then when the British re-surveyed them again in the 1900's they adopted the tales of Charles Dickens to name the islands, hence why so many are named after charecters from his books. The voyage to these islands took us closer to the south towards the polar circle where the endless days, with constant light occurs at 66 degrees 33 minutes during the summer solstice of late December. Everyone though onboard knows that this last stop that we are making is the closing door to an incredible voyage of discovery that has taken us along the length of the normally navigable Antarctic Peninsula. As we enter the archipelago of the Pitt islands, the air is tense as skipper Stephen hasn't explored the island group and the navigation charts are basic to say the least; every corner, every island, is the difference whether the yacht floats or hits rocks as the coast line is littered with unpredictable outcrops of submerged obstacles. But Stephen finds quite quickly a nice, calm and protected anchorage to fit his 'fat English girl' in between all the little islands, at 65 degrees 26 minutes South and 65 degrees 22 minutes West. Stephen then suggested to chart the area of the archipelago, between Jingle and Weller islands, Dickens' characters in Pickwick Papers in 1959. Early in the morning on Thursday 5th February, with a nice but crisp sunshine, a team of four people led by Captain Stephen leave the boat with the zodiac and start drawing the surroundings of the anchorage with a pen and a sheet of paper. Stephen's drawing looks like a piece of art from Leonardo de Vinci, whereas Serge's looks more like abstract art, maybe from Picasso ... Style and experience often talk... Zooming around in the zodiac they also realize that the fauna is more abundant down here than in the northern part of the peninsula ... Fur seals, Weddel Seals, Blue-Eyed Cormorants, Adelie penguins, Antarctic Skuas, Antarctic Terns, Big Gulls... The place is quiet, without any other yacht or cruise ship. James and Sonia are just finishing a snowman, Simon and Julia find a third big fender. Cecilia sings in the dinghy - maybe to attract the fur seals, Richard turn himself into the official baker onboard and Steph bakes lovely sweet cakes. Everybody enjoys this last day in Antarctica. Tomorrow we will be heading North again, towards Cape Horn and Puerto Williams. The barometer shows 1001 hPa, with 41% of humidity and 15.5 degrees inside the boat whereas the outside temperature varies between -2 and +8 degrees Celsus. ~ Serge [Stephen reports the weather looks fair for the departure; they will decide after 'a good sleep' - Ed.]

Xplore in Antarctica: 4 Feb. 2009

Snow on the water, fire in the sky The last few days here in Antarctica have seen a myriad of changing conditions, weather, people and experiences. Xplore moved from the snug anchorage of Hovgaard / Plenneau island and made our way down to the Argentine islands in the southern end of Penola Straites. A short stop was made at Yalour islands where we were able to land to enjoy the "Daffy Ducks" of penguins - the Adelies - so comical and fun to watch; the team had a great afternoon watching their antics. With smiles on the faces of all, skipper Stephen set another one of his projects on the team ... 'Their Mission' -- if they decided to accept it -- was to take Xplore from the Yalour islands and enter the rocky low island archipelago of the Argentine islands, make passage through the narrow channels and complete the task with the yacht tied up in the inner mooring basin near the Ukranian station, known as Stella Creek. This was all to be done without Skipper Stephen onboard. First mate Audrey was a little stunned at first, once being given the brief, but with helping hands and a variety of knowledge she put the team together with a plan of action. Skipper Stephen headed off to Stella Creek to rig and prepare the shore lines and rock strops for their entry. Like all good team building exercises there is always going to be a bit of tension and friction, but this didn't faze Audrey and the crew. Skipper Stephen and one of the team in the zodiac returned back to the start of the inner channels to keep a close eye on progress from a distance. Seeing their yacht being tied up from off the boat is a bit like a mother watching her baby take their first steps without holding their hands: a little nervous, but with pleasure in the eyes as the team completed a smooth and uneventful passage. The Argentine islands have always been a special place for me to take clients as they have, if conditions are good, a wonderful labyrinth of ice caves within the islands. If snow and ice levels are good, dry and stable it is possible to enter the caves and follow the ice tunnels inside. Richard and Stephen made a first entry early in the morning to ascertain the conditions; being that we had had southerly winds from the previous two days, the caves were frozen and stable. We returned to the yacht and arranged for some extra ice crampons and picks from the Ukrainian station, who are always happy to help and assist. The sunlight during the day was magical and complete, a quiet stillness surrounded the entire Antarctic continent. Stephen took multiple groups through the caves during the day; being able to enter over 200 meters within the cave gave, to some, challenging climbing, for most of the team had never stepped on glacial ice, let alone gone under the ice in caves! Being inside glacial ice caves is a little like scuba diving without tanks: the ice filters the light to a soft blue, deep within the caves. The light can be dark, but as we traversed within, portal lights brought more light, to display cathedral ice columns and stalactites. Everyone was speechless, I have never seen the faces beaming like little sun rays so much. We finished ice climbing by 8pm; with an invitation to visit the Ukrainian station that evening, we decided it was necessary to delay dinner (bad mistake) until our return trip, as the stations work on strict times for visitors. What many don't realise is that the Ukrainians - apart from doing research and monitoring of climatology, ozone levels and ice conditions - they have also perfected the art of vodka making in their spare time !! As the base originally was an English base ( Faraday ) the previous tenants had constructed a perfect replica of an English bar. which just has to be seen to be believed: a pub with pull table, good music and a lot of vodka mixed with the crew and teams of two yachts made for one hell of a party ! Without too much detail, the party continued 'til midnight, when some very shaky legs needed to be guided back to the zodiac and then to Xplore. Boy it was lucky a few of the team were "Ship Shape" as we may have lost a couple in the drink ! Dinner happened late that night, but the effect of the vodka had taken its toll, many a sore head slipped off to bed for a very long sleep. More news to come as Xplore explores onwards. ~ Stephen

Xplore in Antarctica: 30 Jan 2009

Bonjour ! Nous reprenons la route sous un beau soleil qui rechauffe les corps et les coeurs en direction de Peltier Channel. Seulement 5 miles jusqu'a notre prochain mouillage. Steven prend a son bord les trois jeunes femmes qui travaillent a la base de Port Lockroy. Il les ramenera en zodiac dans la soiree. Joie et bonne humeur autour de smarties et de chocolats. Le canal Peltier est magnifique. Il fait 6 miles de long et est oriente NE-SW. Il separe Doumer et Wiencke Islands. Il est situe dans l'archipel Palmer. Decouvert et nomme par J.B. Charcot en 1904 en l'honneur a Jean Peltier, physicien francais. Nous stoppons a Peltiers Crack. 64 degres 52' S et 63 degres 34' W. Plusieurs colonies de Gentoo penguin nous tiennent encore compagnie. Nous croisons Podorange, un Challenge 67, voilier comme le notre mais celui-ci de couleur orange. L'ensemble de l'equipage part en exploiration sur Doumer Island. Nous observons des Cormorans imperiaux (Phalacrocorax atriceps) et leur petit. Leur contour de l'oeil est bleu et nous pouvons les approcher de pret. Nous decouvrons la base saisonniere chilienne Yelcho qui semble bien a l'abandon... Une etrange impression s'en degage. Serions-nous les derniers survivants ? Tout se degrade vite par ce climat violent et rude. La nature reprend son rythme impertubable et sa place immuable. Exit construction et ciment, bois et fer, portes et fenetres. La fin est proche a moins d'une prompte restauration comme celle spectaculaire de Port Lockroy. Le ciel est bien bas pour la prochaine etape : Port Charcot que nous atteignons le 29 janvier. Nous laissons Lemaire Channel sur la gauche et decouvrons le site d'hivernage de J. B. Charcot lors de son expedition en Antarctique en 1903-1905 avec son navire Le Francais. C'est une petite baie de 1,5 miles de large parsemee de cailloux et de icebergs au nord de Booth Island sur l'archipel Wilhem. Ce site fut nomme ainsi en l'honneur du pere de J. B. Charcot, Jean Martin Charcot, fameux neurologue freudien francais. Nous decouvrons le gros cairn etabli par Charcot et son equipage sur un petit sommet de la pointe Herveou de l'ile Booth puis une partie de notre groupe s'engage vers l'ascension d'un sommet plus consequent de l'ile ou la vue est de toute beaute. Nous observons de pret un Leopard Seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) et un phoque de Weddell (Leptonychotes weddellii). En fin d'apres-midi nous levons l'ancre pour Pleneau Island, un joli site observe encore une fois par Charcot. Le passage de Lemaire Channel, un des plus beaux sites de la peninsule nous met tous en silence. Ici, nous sentons peut etre au plus pret comment la creation organise et ordonne la Vie. Nous passons la barre symbolique des 65 degres. Le mouillage de Pleneau se situe exactement au point GPS 65 degres 06.406' S et 64 degres 04.526' W. A bientot ~ Serge PHOTO: RICHARD LARONDE

Xplore in Antarctica: 30 Jan 2009

Walking on sunshine The travels of anyone here in Antarctica is an achievement; but those who ventured here over 100 years ago did it with a dream, a goal and what they believed at the time was the latest technology and equipment. We look back at those brave, brave people with admiration -- and wonder how they survived. We also need to be pleased with what we achieve in this modern era, because the length of time that we have, and the locations we are able to visit in such a small space of time whilst surviving and enjoying the experience amongst such a harsh environment, can only be viewed as success. I am not trying to pat myself and my team on the back, but it is so easy to become blase' about adventuring here in the south, because the south and Antarctica hasn't changed like technology has. It is still the same as it has been for hundreds of years: ice, snow, wind and water all mixing and forming at below-zero temperatures. Xplore and the team have covered some miles since our last report ... no reports generally mean that we have been busy and haven't had a lot of time to sit back and reflect, and busy we have been! Since last reported, we left Enterprise Island on a low cloud morning with soft snow falling, carefully slipping through the waters of Wilhelmina Bay. Dodging the ice floes along the way we arrived at the island of Cuverville at the northern entrance of the Errera Channel. This was the first encounter that the team had with a large penguin colony and they certainly weren't disappointed. The clouds lifted and the sun nearly shone, and the wafting smells of the guano (penguin shit) invaded everyone's noses, placing a memory of scent in their brains that time will never remove ... We moved on later in the afternoon through the iceberg graveyard of the Errera Channel, which swings to the SW and opens the path to Paradise Harbour and Waterboat Point. I wanted to take the team there because it is one of the easier places to land on the mainland Antarctic continent. At Waterboat Point there is also a Chilean summer station and a healthy Gentoo penguin colony, and if the conditions are right (wind direction and ice) it is possible to anchor there for the night. With the afternoon sun dropping and cloud level increasing, we dropped anchor and landed the team there on the "Continent" official. The bay was crowded with icebergs and growlers so the decision was easy to make: this was going to be a very short stop as to remain for the night would mean a night of no sleep with bergs and ice banging against the hull. At 2145 we weighed anchor and set course for the Neumayer Channel, with our final destination being the English historic station of Port Lockroy. We arrived at 1am and completed a four-line tie in, in the back corner of the bay called Alice Creek. Tying in with four lines means that we find locations that are small enough for us to enter, have enough depth that we can float at low tide, but give us protection from the weather; and the shallowness of the sea bed stops any large ice bergs from floating in as they ground out before hitting the boat. It had been a long day and even the arrival drinks on deck were very short, everyone was tired, and the forecast was for a sunny morning with low wind -- something that doesn't happen very often in the south. The first rustles of activity happened at about 8.30am: the sound of the toilet flushing with the mechanical hand pump, and the click-click noise of the stove lighter as the first kettle of the day went onto the stove. Sunshine was streaming in through every hatch and window beckoning everyone from their warm duvets to dance in the warmth of the sunlight on deck -- magic !! Sunshine-y days in Antarctica are rare some years, but when they happen it washes away any memories of the cold, windy. low cloud and snowy days that can last for long periods. 'Like taking your hands out from a wet soggy glove and putting them next to a warm fire, the warmth and heat enters your soul, and its those times that you really know why you came on this adventure to the frozen continent at the end of the world. Like kids in a lolli shop the team was full of life, running to see what was over the next hill, rock, or around the corner to the next cove. Snow shoes were all taken, cameras clicking away as battery life couldn't survive the onslaught; damp clothes and bedding were strung out on deck like a Chinese laundry soaking up the rays of light. The calmness of the bay - which has Harbour Glacier fringing the edges - gave rise to the changing state of the glacier's movement: you could sit on deck and hear the creaking and groaning sounds of its movement towards the sea. All glaciers must eventually end up in the water ... it may take thousands of years, but the sea calls the ice to its shores, and today was one of those special days where large sections of glacier ice were being set free. Like gun shots within an amphitheatre, the ice giants tumbled like Jack and the Bean Stalk, they fell and crumbled and sent waves of smaller ice to every corner of the bay. More news to come ~ Stephen PHOTOS: RICHARD LARONDE

Xplore in Antarctica: 25 Jan 2009

Water finds its own level Since last we wrote, water has come and gone, winds have changed, and the Antarctic snows and ice have settled. Deception Island was deceptive as usual: those who have experienced the South Shetland Islands will understand that in this northern archipelago of Antarctica, if there is going to be tough, strange and unpredictable weather, then that's where you will find it. Our entry through Neptune's Bellows - the narrow opening into the centre of the still-active volcano - was impressive as usual: the volcanic organ pipes on the shear rock cliffs, Neptune's windows that overlook those who dare to enter, all make for a special experience. Entering Whales Bay, which opens in the southeastern corner of the main volcanic cauldron, is where the Norwegians first established a whaling station to process blubber and products, a testament to the thousands of peaceful mammals taken in Antarctic waters. To date (the end of the whaling era, we hope) there have been an estimated 1.1-million whales taken in Antarctic waters. The remains of the disused station still raise their ugly heads, even though nature has tried to remove and hide past sins. The volcano, which is still active, is forecast to erupt again in the not-too-distant future ... When? Only God knows. It last erupted in 1967 and again in 1969; spewing millions of tons of molten lava and fine volcanic gravel over the island and Antarctic territories within the region; reshaping and hiding its ugly scars, a face lift not quite completed. Time will tell when it finishes the job. Our time there in Deception was excellent: walks on shore, to Neptune's Windows, amongst the whaling station and disused aircraft hangars from the secret British World War II operations in the 1940's ... and four of our team of adventures couldn't go past without having a shoreline heated bath in the waters warmed from the volcano. With weather stable in the morning, shore activities were easy and relaxed. The afternoon though started the wheels of change and the weather deteriorated; snow and winds started to make our anchor position dubious, and by evening dinner time the skipper was on edge -- the forecast had been for it to remain more easterly, but now it was swinging into the southeast and placing us in a vulnerable position parallel and close to the beach. By 2100 it had swung more and we softly touched the bottom of the sandy bay. 'No real problem there, but move we had to. We shifted about 3/4 of a nautical mile to the southern section of Whalers Bay where we were positioned better for the southerly winds. By 2300 we had anchored securely after three attempts, and the crew went back to bed. By 2340 the winds had swung and again we touched bottom: the deep ocean floor rises so fast that you can only anchor close to the beaches there. By this time I had had enough of Deception Island and her games; she was telling us we were no longer welcome, the message was loud and clear. We motored through Neptune's Bellows as the skies to the west showed us the orange-golden rays of the setting sun. The lumpy sea from the day's winds made for a motion more like a jack hammer working on a road re-build program, and there were some uncomfortable looking faces which slipped off to bed as a few of us manned the boat for the nighttime passage 105nm to the next destination. Daylight rose fully and delivered one of Antarctica's very special sunny days. Light winds from a fair direction made it possible to motor sail along the Gerlache Strait and the mood from previous low cloudy days and snowfalls melted from the minds of all onboard. Lunch on deck in the sun, with clothing layers being removed, proved that Antarctica is not always brutal. We sailed and motored our miles towards Nansen North Island - also referred to as Enterprise Island - where there is a safe anchorage, well-used by former whalers and sealers on its eastern shoreline. The afternoon was a special one and God and his creatures were happy. Around 4pm we sighted whales in the straits not far from where we were. With everyone on deck it appeared these huge mammals were like us relaxing and enjoying the day. We slipped a little closer to see if they would like to say 'Hello' and to our joy we experienced one of the most breath-taking displays of animal inquisitiveness that I have seen in these waters. Three Humpback whales all close together decided that they liked Xplore (understandably so) so they played and circled us, popping up and having a long look at the green hull and the funny looking tiny people lined along the decks. You could hear the sound of the camera motor drives humming as people's fingers pushed harder on the buttons - hoping their cameras would take more pictures and capture the golden 'money shot'. As Antarctica whale experiences go, had we left these waters that day without seeing another animal, everyone would have been happy: you could not have experienced a closer encounter. Onwards we slid along the Gerlache and Enterprise Island started to make itself visible. Navigating in Antarctica is a game of show and tell: what seems close is far away, as the clarity of light and the total whiteness makes it virtually impossible to recognise many islands, objects and bearings. The cove, protected from virtually all conditions, has the luxury of a beached whaling supply ship which had caught on fire in the area. The skipper, not prepared to sink in the icy Antarctic waters, drove the ship onto the shores of the cove and saved the entire crew. Now it is a virtual marina dock which yachts often tie alongside, giving protection and an easy place to be able to relax from the always uncertainty of changing conditions. We stay and begin to play, more news to come. ~ Stephen PHOTOS: RICHARD LARONDE

Xplore arrives in Antarctica: 21 Jan 2009

A piece of Brazil in Antarctica Plans change and so does the weather. Skippering here in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica means that you have to recognise conditions as they change, and change with them. Our well thought-out plans to head for Elephant Island changed just as we were 124nm from the eastern Cape Valentine. With the weather changing to the ENE and becoming windier, we altered course to King George Island. The options had narrowed so the move to KGI was sensible, as low cloud and snow would have meant that even if we had reached Elephant Island, we would not have been able to see it or land due to the high winds. With no anchorages there we would have been left exposed with few options but to continue pushing all night with poor conditions. But after three days traveling across the Drake the team and myself needed a break and a safe anchorage. With charts out and some local knowledge "Mud Maps" we turned into Admiralty Bay in early afternoon. The visibility was no more than one mile, so it wasn't until we had made the entrance to the channel that we started to see glimpses of land; 'til then it had all just been blotches on a radar screen. Our first option was an anchorage in Lussich Cove, well suited for southerly winds and we still had ESE. We entered over a very shallow moraine bar where we only had 2.8 meters of water under the keel. Not content with the winds blowing off the glacier within the bay we opted to move to the west side of Keller Peninsula, which on the eastern side where the Brazilian Base Commandante Ferraz is located. Anchoring close to the shore with excellent holding, I sighed my normal and deep relief that we had once again crossed safely with no problems. Twilight came, and we enjoyed good food and wine on a level table with everyone's spirits lifted. Sleep came early for me, and I believe for many others. I woke a number of times during the night to check on our position and conditions; at 2am we continued to have a dusting of snow just to remind us of where we really were. Dawn came, and we enjoyed lifted skies and nearly sunshine as we prepared the Zodiac for shore landing. Near to where we were anchored is a refuge hut for the Brazilian station for field research (or possibly to get rid of troublesome base staff??). As we prepared the Zodiac, three quad bikes came over the hill and the Brazilians were there on the beach. It took us another half-an-hour to finish and launch our boat and our first landing in Antarctica was underway. Then, with everyone on shore, some of the crew came back to prepare for the day. To our surprise we received a call 15 minutes later from the shore: it seemed that one of the Brazilians was in trouble. In traveling along the rocky hillside one guy had flipped his quad bike when the loose rocky ground had given way. His condition wasn't good as they suspected a broken arm, and their request was for us to ferry him around the other side of the peninsula with our Zodiac, as for him to return to base on another quad bike was going to be excruciating agony. With pleasure to help as is always the attitude of the South, two of us picked him up on shore and made the voyage to the other side. He was a lovely guy, but even at slow speed you could see the pain that he was in. As we traveled around he had communication with the base and they asked what nationality his rescuers were: French and Australian we were!! As we walked up the beach to the front of the station two of their staff were raising the Australian and French flags at their station mast to say 'thank you for the help'. We entered and were given the warmest welcome you could have asked for, with hot Brazilian coffee and friendly faces; and an invitation for the entire team to come back during the afternoon for a complete station visit and afternoon tea / coffee. More news to come ~ Stephen

Xplore to Antarctica: 18 Jan 2009

The "dog watch" was in raptures ... Dawn in the Southern Ocean summer happens early; light is full at 4am, and when the daytime watch came on deck the talk was all about 'the whale'. The first whale sighting of the trip was an excellent one with a Fin whale coming right next to Xplore as we slid along at a healthy 8.5 knots. Daytime winds started to ease in the mid-afternoon as forecast, lifting stratocumulous clouds showed broken patches, and the rain eased. Well across the convergence zone, where the relatively warm water of the Southern Ocean blends into the cold icy waters from Antarctica, we had small amounts of the telltale fog and mists that can last for days. By evening meal time though we could see to the west the opening clear skies of the centre of the passing low that had slowly been moving to the east. A number of us sat on deck as the sun finally dropped to the horizon, at 10.20pm, soon to rise again in a few hours from the east. We sat in hopes of possibly seeing the "Green Flash" as the hues of different colours painted the sky from blues, pinks, reds and greens, a wonderful recuperative sight -- especially for those who suffered a little bit of seasickness during the first days of the passage ... We continue with 230 nm to Elephant Island, first known by whalers and sealers beginning in the 1820's for the large number of Elephant seals. We hope to be able to land there at the site where Sir Ernest Schackleton departed on his rescue mission to South Georgia to save his men. He left these frozen shores in the tiny James Caird with a handful of his team mates to make the epic voyage across the Southern Ocean, and finally save the entire team with no life lost some months later. More news to come ~ Stephen and the team on Xplore

Xplore to Antarctica: 17 Jan 2009

Swing low, sweet chariot Xplore departed Puerto Toro on the eastern side of Navarino at 1100 hours local time [17 Jan 2009] with still fresh to strong winds from the back side of the low depression that has swept the coasts of Tierra Del Fuego. All onboard seem to be in excellent spirits as we head on a course of 142 degrees true to make our landfall in the Antarctic archapelago of the South Shetland islands. Winds are due to swing more to the west during the day and during the next 36 hours ease. At present we are still experiencing squally gusts of hail as the clearing cumulonimbus clouds race through across the southern skies. Boat speeds are in the mid to high 8 knots as we are not trying to push the boat hard, but just try to let everyone onboard settle into life at sea: no one wants to be a buckethead, so the easy start approach is best. More news soon. Stephen

Xplore underway to Antarctica: 16 Jan 2009

Writing about the preparation and the work that goes behind an Antarctic expedition can take time, but needless to say that it doesn't happen overnight. XPLORE has been based in the port of Ushuaia, Argentina for the last nine days. readying the boat for the passage from South America to cross the Drakes Passage. Our main concern in the big picture of things is what the weather is doing and what are the ice conditions, in the Drake and on the continent of Antarctica. This season stated with large amounts of ice being present in the south with vessels having difficulties with how far they could go south, The cruise ship Ushuaia ran aground and holed her hull early in December, leading to a full evacuation of their passengers, with the Chilean navy coming to their rescue to tow the damaged ship back to safe waters of South America. And sailing yachts that ventured south in December had tough ice conditions: some trips returned early as it was hard to get into the safe anchorages that are normally used for small craft. All in all weather systems have been tough early on with high winds, snow and icing during the start of summer. Luckily, news of changing weather, and the commencement of more stable summer weather started to come through with some vessels sending reports of long sunny days and higher temperatures in late December and early January. For us, our team of people all came together to Ushuaia, mid-January with our departure planned from there on the 15th. For days I had been closely looking at the weather prognostics for a good sailing window that we could leave on ... there was one on the 11th ... another on the 13th (lucky hey !! ) ... but for the 15th there was and still is no joy. With everyone onboard, safety briefings completed, and customs cleared with Argentina; we slipped our lines from the dock and headed east along the Beagle Channel to the military port of Puerto Williams (PW) in Chile. We headed to Puerto Williams for two reasons: the forecast for a savage low pressure system due to hit Tierra Del Fuego during the night; and the other, that late to join the team is a couple from New Zealand and the UK -- and one of them (James) has been there in PW, as Sonia had come to Ushuaia to pick up final personal clothing and gear supplies for the expedition. Sailing the Beagle when its good is a joy, and the trip to PW was magic sailing. But fresh breezes from the north, which prelude the changing weather conditions, hung heavily in my mind as I watched the barometer drop all day. At 730am the Bar was 991, by midnight it was 962 -- 29 millibars in one day. We entered PW and cleared customs and immigration into Chile, probably one of the fastest turnarounds with paper work because we needed to get a new Zarpie (permission to weigh anchor) from the Navy department so that we could continue navigating in their waters. With the forcast looming, we cleared PW as I feared they would close the port for potentially two days -- possibly more if the intensity of the low was blocked into a stationary pattern. Chillean forcasts only reinforced what our weather systems onboard had been telling us, N to NE winds 45 to 50 knots shifting during the night to S to SW 60 to 70, with gusts predicted into the 80's. The last thing I needed as skipper was another 23 nautical miles of travel at night to round onto the eastern side of Isla Navarino ... and when you smell the aromas of the Thai green chicken curry bubbling away on the stove, the saloon all warm and a half-finished Heineken beer on the side bench, who would want to move? But move and travel we did, to the tiny fishing settlement of Puerto Toro (PT), the most southern settlement in South America. We motored and ate excellent food as the Beagle Channel continued to lull us into the false image of peace and tranquility. Lines went onto the dock in PT at 2355 and the port Navy personal kept the generator on for 10 minutes longer to give us light on the dock. The night remained calm, no wind, nothing. We sat on deck and enjoyed a laugh and a bottle of wine, sleep came over me and I slipped off to the warmth of my duvet. 650am woke me with the boat rocking at the dock, side to side with not so smooth a motion ... nature called and I rose to check on conditions: wind gusts were tossing us at the docks and the shift to the South / SW had come through. No one is moving today -- not XPLORE nor the other two yachts who had snuck onto the dock for protection during the night and early morning. Everyone has the same idea, 'Dont go to sea!' We sit, relax and wait Stephen