Windhorse Sailing

Day: 15
Position: 53.11 south, 66.44 west
Airtemp: 40
Heading: SE
Weather: Clear Blue, Variable wind direction 10 knots
Seas: calm

We are relatively becalmed in the “Furious Fifties.” We wait patiently for the fulfillment of the forecast that promises 20-knot winds from the north for the next 3 days. We are only 230 miles from our Goal, Ushuaia in the Beagle Channel. However, in between Ushuaia and Shangri-La awaits the Le Maire straits, considered one of the most treacherous stretches of ocean for its long history of wrecks resulting from strong tidal currents and “furious ” winds.

Historically, the Straits were first put on the map in 1616 by Dutch captain Willem Schouten who named them after Le Maire the owner of his merchant ship. Incidentally he then named that dark pyramidal rock known as Cape Hoorn after the small sister ship that burned at Puerto Deseado earlier that same voyage. Hoorn was also the home of the Dutch port their voyage originated from.

Le Maire Strait was then and is now the preferred and safer alternative to the straits of Magellan. Magellan is a longer passage, is narrower at many points and has currents exceeding 8 knots in places. Surrounded by mountain and glaciers also creates a prevalence of “williwaws” in the straits of Magellan. These icy winds can reach gusts of 100 mph and, deflecting off the terrain, can come from unpredictable directions. These factors make Le Maire straits our preferred route as well. Although I admit those same “williwaws” await us in the Beagle Channel.

Geographically, Le Maire straits lies between the southeastern tip of Tierra del Fuego and Isle De Los Estados. The Straits are 16 miles wide west to east, and 25 miles long with a north flowing tidal flood and south flowing ebb. In the middle of the Straits on the Tierra Del Fuego side is a cove called Bahia Buen Successo where one can find safe anchorage and an Argentine prefectura radio station with one lonely guy. We plan to say hello by radio only.

Tierra Del Fuego Province, almost a quarter the area of the whole country only has 250,000 people, half of which live in the port city of Ushuaia. The main industries there are fishing and tourism. It is a popular staging point for trips to Antarctica and sails around the infamous Cabo de Hornos. As far as Isla De Los Estados is concerned, there are no people, only a variety of penguins and sea lions. In 1902, after less than 10 years, an Argentine penal colony was moved to Ushuaia. The conditions on De Los Estados so harsh that the guards had trouble staying alive.

Drifting in wait of the winds we use the time to carefully plan our route through the Straits. Only 98 miles from our current position we expect to get to the mouth of the Straits at high water tomorrow at 1pm. We will give Cabo San Diego a wide birth of at least 6 miles to avoid the tidal rips that can create standing waves of up to 10 meters. As the tide ebbs over the following 6 hours and 15 minutes we will expect to make ground using the current that will build to 5 knots in our favor. It is our hope that that the matching directions of the wind and tide will keep the water flat further helping our speed. If we figure things right it will be a quick 25 miles. If weather and tide line up it’s a “go” for tomorrow. If not we anchor at Bahia Thetis just north west of the Straits and wait for proper conditions. For now we enjoy the sun and calm resting up for whatever comes our way.