Position 54:56.4S 69:09.4W

At 8am Caramor was ready but it was still dark. Franco fired up the internet, we wanted to know the outcome of the referendum. Was Britain still part of the EU? Last night, not all the regions had reported. It was as we feared, a small majority of people in England and Wales voted to leave Europe. How could this be? Do they really think that those things that make them unhappy will change by leaving Europe? Franco and I were shocked, a sense of betrayal, we go away for two little years and the rug is pulled from under our feet.

Despite our feeling of doom, the sun rose again, lighting up the mountain tops with the most amazingly beautiful colours. I rowed to shore to retrieve our two lines and within minutes we were away. A stiff breeze was blowing our way from the east down the Beagle Channel and we made the most of it. A navy patrol boat whizzed past and called us up on the VHF radio. “Are you all right?” he asked, “Of course we are, thanks”. He insisted “Really all right? there is nothing wrong?” We decided that he was either referring to the fact that we were sailing (it seems most yachts don’t bother), therefore our engine must be broken or he had heard about the outcome of the referendum and was concerned we could be suicidal. 

Sunrise over Beagle

For eight and a half miles it was plain sailing, then the wind started playing tricks, it would die completely then gust up strongly from a completely different direction. We ran around sorting out all the sails and then it would die again. This went on for quite sometime. Eventually it died completely but we had managed to sail two thirds of our mileage. Ahead was Punta Divide where the Beagle Channel splits into Brazo Noroeste (North-West Arm) and Brazo Sudoeste (South-West Arm). We reported our position to the Navy lighthouse and motored up Brazo Noroeste. Behind a large island, we tucked deep inside Caleta Olla. 

Punta Divide where the Beagle splits

We will spend a few days here as there is some good walking and a few spectacular glaciers nearby.

Quite apart from all the things that really matter, such as 70 years of peace in Europe, the decision to leave Europe will impact on us thousand of miles away, on the other side of the planet. Between South America and Australia lies the Pacific Ocean. The first leg from Chile to the Marquesas Islands will take six weeks. These islands are the first in French Polynesia, an area of the Paciflc the size of Europe. Yesterday we could have island hopped for as long as we liked as they are French and therefore part of Europe, tomorrow, who knows? It will be months before the full ramifications of this vote come to light.

Kath