Nijmegen, van Peltlaan
Course 000
Speed Dead slow

As I write this from the “relative” shelter of my home I realize the color of my glasses is turning a nice pink. The digesting process has started. A lot can happen in 50 plus days. And it did!
From the dead calm oily waters of the Beagle Channel to the near gale force winds of Walvisbaai 5000 nm. later. We done it all and we came out richer and wiser! A landing on Cape Horn and a good weather forecast made for a good beginning of the trip. Secretly for me nothing beats an arrival or departure out of the Beagle. Specially not when your landing on the most famous nautical rock on earth. Our first landing on Antarctica set the standard high. Stern to with two lines ashore in Charcot Hr. Al operations guided by a young leopard seal.
The white Peninsula really delivered. Humpback Whales, Fin whales and even some Orcas! A secret spot on the mainland with some slides down a snowy slope are a good place to take in all these new events. A windy sail to Point Wild, Elephant Island was the end of our stay in Antarctica. As we set of with a toast to the “Boss” we sailed into the sunset, following in Shackleton’s own footsteps for the next two weeks or so. After a good crossing of only 5 days a Blue Fin Whale and a calf welcomed us to South Georgia. Larsen Hr our first anchorage looked like a post card picture from the Alps. It soon became apparent that there was an unusual amount of ice around, all of land origin. Some bergs had more than 8 arcs! A good hike along the post man trail at Godhull got the blood pumping in the sea legs again. Post cards sent from Grydviken (I beat mine home…) and of into the wild again. An early morning hike up to the Shackelton pass showed me that spontaneous outbursts are still the best. Food for the hungry, craving soul. As I dwell on the thought of the little head torches going up the cracks in the dead of night, I feel like I am in a boys book on a secret mission. Any way it made my day or week probably my year!

We said goodbye to South Georgia from Prion Island as we headed out into the open Southern Ocean. Winds where fair but kept us from fetching Tristan. After a lot of back and forth the Scania was turned on and helped us get to Stony beach! The first swim of the year in waters with normal temperatures… Wild seas and winds kept us from getting to the little settlement. However, we held on and made it in the end. Even the short visit was more than worth the “trouble” it took to get there. It dawned on me the last leg of our journey lay ahead of us. No more stops and no more highlights… What to do for entertainment… how to keep up moral… No need to worry! A swim stop and the birthday party for the sun kept the processing minds busy.

Journals where read experiences shared! We finally arrived after a last brush with the winds. I had said the forecast are very accurate maybe not accurate enough for some… 😉 but they got us just where I thought they would. At 1000 on the 31st the pilot left us right on time. Inside I laughed. We had shifted the clock twice, so we were two hours early… with plenty of diesel to burn…
Some might say “adventure is a form of bad planning” I say: live a little!
Thank you for everything but most of all for you adventures minds: Delores, Georgios, Joan, Tim, Karsten, Mirte, Natalia, Krista, Lawson, Lisbet, Isolde.
May your fortunes be varied as you fair far!
All is very well Gijs