Windhorse Sailing

After rounding the Horn, Gavin, Dirk and I headed back north to the Beagle Channel and Puerto Williams. We anchored for a night in the Wallaston islands at a place called Coletta Martial and made it to Puerto Williams from there some 30 hours later. After a short rest we checked out of Chile and made the six hour trip up the Channel back to Ushuaia and checked back into Argentina. All things considered our rounding went splendidly and took four days altogether. This is a small miracle considering the unpredictability of the weather at the Horn. We could have been pinned down by gales for extended periods of time at either anchorage. As it fell out, we had perfect conditions for a safe
rounding.  Having chosen winter as our season made this a more likely scenario.

According to the guide books, winter is also the most beautiful time of year to cruise the Chilean channels to the west and north of Ushuaia. It would have been a dream to do so, but it wasn’t to be. Dirk could not spare the weeks necessary due to upcoming Medical School exams and Gavin was anxious to return to his yacht, Soairse, and his girlfriend, Jody, both waiting for him in Indonesia. Regardless of far off obligations there was still time celebrate our great achievement, and I must say Ushuaia isn’t a bad place to celebrate.

A city of about 70,000 people Ushuaia is home to a thriving fishing port and a growing seasonal tourist industry. It is the launching point for expeditions and tours to Antarctica as well as growing number of charters going around the Horn. During winter the draw to tourists is the new ski resort at Cerro Castor that Dirk and I took advantage of for a day. I wasn’t excited about skiing, but Dirk rarely gets the chance to see snow much less ride on it so I joined him for the day. I was quite surprised. It is a well developed mountain resort and despite the lack of altitude, it has excellent snow. With all the tourist attractions comes a wide array of international stores and restaurants. It should come as no surprise that we found ourselves to be regulars at a bar called The Dublin Pub.

At this point it gets to be a bit blurry, but a couple days after our return to Ushuaia, Dirk took off for home and Gavin and I had some decisions to make. The first was whether or not we should make the trip up the Channel to the glaciers. We would need at least two weeks to make that trip worthwhile and neither of us wanted to give two weeks. I also had a pressing obligation that was very important to me. I promised I would be home in the States by September 1 well in advance of my brother’s wedding. We ultimately decided that we needed to take advantage of this opportunity. The next day we hired a guide and did on land in four days what we were unable to do by boat.

Our guide, Carlos, took us up into the Cordillera of Tierra Del Fuego national park. We climbed on and under the glaciers of this prehistoric land. The scenery, as best as I can describe it, was unreal. Blue ice lakes in high mountain valleys with the Beagle Channel visible far off in the distance. Carlos our guide promised us the Austral Borealis in the night sky. I think he was full of it. The “southern lights” are rare sight and it’s my guess he knew it was going to snow all three nights. If the “southern lights” appeared we were unable to see them. As far as animals, there were few. Aside from a Zorro Gris (gray fox) that broke into our food bag there was little sign of land bound wildlife. It is a harsh land and I was glad to get back to Shangri-La.

Hiking in the Cordillera of Tierra Del Fuego national Park

In a glacier during our hike.

Back in town, Gavin and I found our way to The Dublin Pub. Our friends Gabby, the bartender, and Marcielo, the owner, distracted us with a copy of their extensive music library and invites to parties after hours. We took full advantage of their hospitalities, but we still had a decision to make. It was my decision, but I needed my friend Gavin’s expert help. Where was I to leave the boat when he leaves and I go home for my brother’s wedding? A big decision and like most big decisions it was made irrevocably in this bar where we found ourselves to be regulars.

The graduations of our discussion are remembered as follows —after two pints of Beagle Channel lager, serious and concentrated conversations; after three, high fives and high praise for each others role in the adventures; four pints gave way to grand ideas; after five pints a gauntlet could be heard hitting the ground. And finally, at six pints, those grand ideas were destiny. Thereafter it is only clear that we made it to the party and had a great time having lifted the burden of making the decision. It was decided that one of us would solo sail Shangri-La 1,200 miles back up the Argentine coast to Mar Del Plata. I wasn’t about to let someone else solo my boat, even if it was Gavin, and even though he wanted to do so. My decision was made and over the next few days the preparations were made. Gavin flew out on August 16. I set sail at 3 am August 17.