Wow – thousand of years since I posted anything. I had wonderful year – got to enjoy South America and big blue couple of times. What a trip 35 – 50 knots on the nose pretty much all the way from Buenos Aires down to Ushuaia. Rough ride with a lots of excitement, banging and sleepless nights. Run into some trouble with a water pump right around Estrecho de le Maire (The Le Maire Strait) right in the middle of storm of gusting up to 50 – 60 knots of wind. 5- 6 meter swells coming over the bow and tide is against us (pushing the boat back to channel) . Pretty hairy 5 hours while the skipper is being thrown around inside the engine bay replacing the water pump that we got only couple of days before we left Buenos Aires. (thank god) I have been woken up by the storm and put on the helm as Ross Bidmead (who as it turned out later was doing this with broken hand) was pointing me in the right direction. Can’t go north as we could hit rocks or run into standing waves that are created in the channel where Southern, Pacific and Atlantic oceans are meeting. These standing waves are known to be 10 – 12 meters high and once a yacht get in it is just a matter of times before it is being rolled over – and again, and again. Not much of a chance surviving this. Can’t go south as we would get into open waters of southern ocean in the middle of the big-big storm. Not fun being around Cape Horn when it is blowing like this. Have done that my first time around. So we are keeping ourselves positioned, trying to avoid being rolled over by one of the huge waves while Darrel (the skipper is fixing the water pump) in 8 hours we were able to only make 1 mile (wind and tide against us) and this is with the newly fixed engine. On an average day one of the tanks is able to last about 40 hours and do about 200 nautical miles. In the storm in the Le Maire Straits we only were able to get 8hr and in 8 hr we did only 1 nautical mile. Essentially we were steaming full power ahead but 4-5 knots of tide against us together with 50 + knots of wind were pushing us back most of the time until we were able to duck into Beagle Channel and pick up some speed. While in the trouble in the middle of the strait we were talking to Argentinean navy (thank you Juan and Javier) refusing assistance (as this would most likely mean leaving the boat) and giving them position every 15 minutes – in a case we would end up needing rescue or assistance.
Made it safely into Porto Williams and docked next to famous Micalvi Naval Club and Bar. Had few drinks in the bar and spoke to some Chilean Navy officer who was telling us that they got into similar problem ( lost power in the middle of the storm right in the Le Maire Strait while on their 200ft navy vessel. They did not know if they are going to make it as they were being sucked right on the rocks.
I have been with Claire for over a year now and I think it is going really well. We have gotten a chocolate lab that we named Campbell. Cutest little thing. I have moved with Claire and her 8 year old boy Reuben.
We live in a beautiful place – one thing I cannot get used to is wild parrots that always fly away when we are (Campbell and I) walking through the field. I still think it is too cool. Sometimes up to 10 of them just take off and fly couple of meters from you. There are so many little (well – anywhere from .5 to 2hr) bush walks right around our house and having dog makes you get out nearly every day.
Claire just started new job in Air New Zealand and I am happy in my current job as a DBA. Although I might not writte here very often – I regulary update my flikr page. Alan H. – please leave me your email in comments and I will get in touch.
