From Port Eden to Golvo de Penas

47´35.7S 074´50.4W course 340´ speed 6,3

From Port Eden to Golvo de PenasWhat a beautiful day. It is horrible that we have to do this part without our guest crew, but we are still trying to see all the beauty around us. Such sights, such exciting navigation and so strongly do we see this landscape turn into a winter wonder land.
This morning at 6 Jasmijn and I took over the watch from Gijs. We were just next to Port Eden, with a small amount of cellphone reception, we tried to send out some pictures, but failed. After the lights of Port Eden, came a part of narrow passages between buoys and islands, steep cliffs and rocky patches with sea weed. But we did not see a thing! The darkness was intense and as Jasmijn and I worked our way from one passage to the next our adrenaline levels peaked at multiple spots. Only at the last passage, which was a lot wider then all the others, did we get some daylight just before sunrise. On the towering hills and mountains around us, we started to see some lighter patches. The night had been extremely cold, and so it made us wonder wether this was just some fog.. or possibly snow.. and as the morning dawned and the higher mountain peaks got the first rays of sun, we could see, everything above the tree line was covered in fresh snow! That explained our frozen hands and need for cups of tea!

We made our way passed an old wreck, saw some giant petrels, some gulls and a jumping fish and then our watch was over again and Gijs and Fabien took over. Their watch started sunny, had some patches of drizzle, but was mostly good weather. We had a beautiful dinner made by Gijs, home made pizza (!) and then Jasmijn and I started our second watch of the day, heading out to Golvo de Penas. We passed Pedro lighthouse and are now experiencing some ocean swell and changing winds. A shower brought is the right amount and direction of wind.. we were doing 7.5 knots for a bit, but now the shower has passed and the wind turned against us. Golvo the Penas is a stretch of open water, where we head out into the South Pacific, before we can duck back into the Channels. The Channels are a bit of a detour, as we can’t always sail straight to our goal, but they shelter us from all the Northerly wind that is out on the ocean..

We are hurrying along, we make as much speed as we can and keep up the good spirits.. if we cross the bay fast, we may have some luck.. but the weather is about to turn against us.. Fingers crossed we are out of the Golvo de Penas before that happens!

All is well on board, Jet