14122011 Ushuaia - 3 Prison and Beer

After Lars’s good works on the batteries we decide to take the day of and play tourist. Its glorious days 25C with clear skies and no wind to diminish

the suns heat as we head for the Prison in T-Shirts...

The old prison is and enormous five spoked building on the eastern end of town which has been converted into a maritime,

cultural and historical museum as well as housing an art gallery and several coffee and gift shops.

Each cell has become and exhibition area and the building itself is part of the display with some cells maintained as they were with exhibits showing prison life.

Outside is the narrow gauge train that used to take prisoner and carry logs and stone from the forest and quarry as well as the steam engine

that drove the sawmill. In another area is the original lighthouse, an odd threepenny bit shaped single story building.

                  Lighthouse                                                                          Narrow gauge prison train 

One floor is dedicated to Antarctic exploration and there are many detailed models in the displays.

                    Stuck in the ice                                                             Dressed for the cold

Having spent most of the day there, an attack of the hunger pangs sends us of to eat and then to collect our washing from the Laundry.

As it is around the corner from the Brewery we pop in to order a Keg and ask them if they will deliver our Laundry when they come. No problem.

2000 and Guillemot arrives with an 18 litres container of beer, a gas bottle plus all the necessary plumbing and sets it up.

This is to be a test run for the Christmas party and Antarctica where it will be the ideal solution to waste disposal problems as we won’t have any cans or bottles to dispose of!

                   Delivery                                                           First taste

Soon we are sampling the “Beagles” best red beer, all in the name of research of course and in true expeditionary spirit Peters German guests

along with Santiago a local tourist guide, join us in our work. Later we invite our Norwegian neighbours on “Anne Mari” join us, you’re never alone with a full keg of beer!

                     Norwegian visitors

To end the evening we watch a firework display from off our stern that seems to be connected to a very large Dutch cruise liner that has arrived during the day

                           Cruise ship                                                                        Fireworks

15122011 Tickets and things

I spend most of the morning trying to change my air ticket only to find that it cannot be done and if I want to cancel it there is no refund.

Lars has been down checking oil and water levels in the various machines. I catch up with him at lunch time in our wi-fi café busy trying

to transfer money to Thomas who is ordering Pumps and spares from the States and Canada while soaking up the sun at home in Sao Paulo.

Peter has gone off on a long hike with his friends and won’t be back for some time.

Returning to the yacht we set about repairing the damaged spinnaker pole fitting that had sheared its bolts.

This involved drilling and tapping two new bolt holes in the mast track and cutting down a couple of bolts to the right length.

               Repaired fitting                                                                      English guests

The crew of the “Mina 2” and Roxanne join us for happy hour and more research. As it has been another blazing hot day,

up around 25C, we have taken the precaution of lowering our cylinder off the side of the yacht into a cooling 14C sea. Perfecto!

16122011 Water-Maker

Today it’s the turn of Water-Maker to be serviced. This involves re-plumbing the system via large drum so that chemicals can be added to circulate

in a loop through the system, cleaning the filters. Unfortunately there is an additional lift pump in the system that needs to be switched off,

but like so many things on boats it’s totally unreachable as it’s placed behind the engine and the bulkhead. We decide to plug it and hope it has a pressure sensor to switch it off.

Meanwhile Roxanne has been to visit to tell us that the repairman for the bent station will be delayed though she kindly volunteers to translate

for us when he comes. It’s overcast today and the temperature hovers around 19C. There is a gentle southerly breeze though every now and

then we get struck by “Woolly” then sends the dial rocketing up to 29 knots in seconds before returning to a more placid state.

Peters off hiking again but at least it not to hot it could be a bit breezy on the mountains.

The Jetty is relatively quiet after the previous days activities of food supplies, rope and a procession of 40gallon fuel drums were being lined up to fill

the tanks of various yachts alongside. Fuelling is pretty basic as there are no facilities other than a trolley to deliver the drums along the Jetty.

The fuel is then siphoned out of them and down into the tanks of the relevant boat. 

Late, our repairman arrives and inspects the damage; we manage to converse with the usual hand gestures and pigeon Spanish,

as Roxanne had to leave before he turned up. We think he’s coming back Monday or Tuesday!

                    Killed fender                                                              Fender killer

Even after cleaning the filters of the Water-maker look pretty grubby, so hang the expense, we fit new ones. Christmas has come early for some.

While in spending mode I look out through the portlights and see one of the fenders in tatters. On further inspection it looks like it had caught a nail

on the jetty and with the tide it had ridden up and down finally piercing it. It’s now replaced with one of our new red buoys.

            Filters old and new                                           Mina2 and Podorange(ex Challenge yacht)

All change on the Jetty “Mina 2”has moved out to make way for a 75 foot steel lump. Discretion being the better part of valour,

as it would have made mincemeat of his Oyster 485 which now lies tied outside him. The French yacht ahead of us has run himself aground inside

the Jetty to dry out and clean his bottom which looks like a jungle of weed. The virtues of a lifting keel allowing such luxury.

                   High and dry                                                                       Scrubbing the bottom

Bob the Blog