Jan. 14 Cape Horn and Drake Passage

8C Sunrise 5:05

Our alarm was set for 4:45 am to be sure that we took in all of the circumnavigation of Cape Horn. The seas were relatively calm and the sun was trying hard to make its appearance.


When we rounded Cape Horn in 2016, the weather was significantly different. The winds were so strong that I had to hook my arm around the rail on the outside deck in order to stay on my feet. Today the front bow was opening for viewing with no worries of being blown away. 

We were plenty early as it took us almost an hour to get to the Horn. The bow got very crowded and it was impossible to get close enough to the rail to get a photo. We moved to our secret spot on deck 9 forward of the fitness centre. Maybe not so secret, but it is a small area that few people have found. We were sheltered most of the time from the wind that increased as we circled the horn as well as the intermittent rain. 

We approached the Horn from the north and got good views of the lighthouse and the Albatross monument that pays tribute to those sailors lost to the sea in this area. There are five inhabitants at the lighthouse station, including the family cat. There is probably not a more remote or rugged spot in the world. 

We continued our circumnavigation of the Horn in a counter clockwise manner. The sun would periodically break through the cloud and send rays down to the water.

 The views of the monument and lighthouse were better when we approached from the west. 


After a late breakfast, a much needed nap was in order. In the afternoon, we attended another lecture on ice research in Antarctica. The ship was starting to roll and by dinner time there was a decent swell. After watching the documentary, The March of the Penguins narrated by Morgan Freeman, we fell asleep to the rocking and rolling of the ship. Around 1:30 am, I woke up to significantly stronger and more frequent rolling. The captain had said we would encounter 40 knot winds and 6 metre swells, so I assume that was the case. 

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