RYA Course 24’. Approaching Tristan da Cunha.
Sunday 21 April 13:00 UTC / 12:00 Local
Day 14 at sea.
36° 53’ S - 014° 12’ W ; 90 Nm West of Tristan da Cunha.
We awoke today with the engines off and a warm NNE breeze in the sails. We are moving along nicely on a port beam reach with a reefed jib, a full main, and a reefed mizzen sail. With the sun rising on our port side, and a pod of pilot whales to welcome us, we are enjoying this part of the South Atlantic ocean. On board are three professional crew – Captain Paul and Watch Captains Tor and Holly – and one crew in training, Yannick. More about them in another blog post. Also on board are seven guest crew: Dennis, David, Tim, Phil, Rob, Carsten, and me.
On this lazy day we took a little time to reflect on what brought us here, what we have enjoyed so far, and what we look forward to when we finally arrive in Cape Town after 24 days at sea.
Each of us has a slightly different story, but a common motif, when asked why we signed up for this adventure.
Dennis, a 45 years olld Swiss cabinet maker wanted to learn about celestial navigation and heavy weather sailing. “I wanted to feel the strength of the strong winds and the force of the large waves that are common in the deep South Atlantic.”
For Tim, a 61 years old semiretired physician and British expat living in California, the answer came quickly: “I have wanted to sail far offshore for years. This was my chance to do it with skilled professionals on a well-prepared yacht in a beautiful remote part of the world.”
Phil, a retired British CFO living in Canada, is doing this trip for a second time! “Five years ago, I sailed on Pelagic Australis from the Falklands to Cape Town. Other than marrying my wife, it was one of the best things I have ever done. I jumped on the chance to do it again, but this time from Puerto Williams and with a 10-day cruise of the Beagle Channel. Another great experience.”
We were all amazed by the Beagle Channel. Even though we researched the area online, and read various blogs from previous Pelagic tours, nothing prepared us for the raw beauty of Patagonia waters.
David, a 66 years old retired property manager from Jersey, described it well: “The glaciers, the wildlife, and the majesty of the mountains rising from the sea takes your breath away. You need to see it with your own eyes, hear it with your own ears, and feel it inside you to appreciate the beauty of Patagonian fjords.”
Rob, a 61 years old. Dutch IT consultant and Carsten, a 69 years old semiretired physician from Germany are more adventurous: “We came here to round Cape Horn in a sailing yacht. We were not disappointed. What an amazing experience. Seeing Cape Horn and its lighthouse appear at sunrise was truly remarkable. A once in a lifetime trip for the few people who have the privilege to sail this part the world.”
As the days pass and Cape Town gets closer and closer, we are starting to think about what we will do once we make landfall in South Africa. Many of us look forward to a cold beer, or a bottle or two of fine South African red wine. Carsten is more practical: “I look forward to spending 4- or 5-days touring Cape Town and the surrounding area.”
Rob is the romantic: “I look forward to kissing my beautiful wife who will be there to greet me when we arrive in port.” Rob is a lucky man.
Thank you, Pelagic Expeditions and Vinson, for making this adventure possible. And a big thank you to Paul, Tor, Holly and Yannick for taking us safely across the South Atlantic Ocean on Vinson of Antarctica.
PS: This afternoon we spotted the volcanic mountain of Tristian da Cuhna. It turns out, celestial navigation really works!
John Di Matteo
Sailor
