A Travel Album: Sailing to Antarctica

In February of 2008 six men--all over 50 and only one with any real sailing experience--crewed a 60 foot racing sailboat from Ushuaia, Argentina down the Beagle Channel, through Chile to Cape Horn, and then 500 nautical miles due south across the infamous Drake Passage supported by one highly experienced and long-suffering captain and one mate. The "Drake" has befuddled and destroyed sailing vessels for hundreds of years as it courses around the tip of the South America and squeezes into a roaring easterly current between the two continents. Almost six days down and another six days back pulling 2 hours on, 4 hours off shifts around the clock as we steered and tacked and heeled and reefed and motored through the southern latitudes and across the Antarctic convergence zone and into the bays and hidden inlets of the continent. Oh, we also pulled full galley duty during our four hours "off," including cooking in the 3 foot by 5 foot space. Then 12 days exploring the glorious and mostly untouched bays and inlets and glaciers with vistas beyond description, fickle weather that changed in minutes, and animals unique to the harsh environment. Come aboard and see what we saw on our adventure!