Position 54:56.10 S 067:37.11 W

Today we are in Puerto Williams after arriving yesterday afternoon at about 1600 hrs.  The journey here was surprising in that it was blowing quite hard, but the sea state was relatively flat.  The glaciers are all behind us now, although we could see the skiing area behind Ushuia, as we came down the Beagle Channel, sailing along the border between Chile and Argentina.

We are moored up in Puerto Williams alongside the Micalvi, which is a wrecked ship, now converted into a yacht club.  It is grounded, and all of the lower decks are underwater at high tide.  The club itself looks cosy, although last night it wasn’t open, so I hope they open tonight as we are off tomorrow.  As dinner was being prepared for of us found a local “bar” where we grabbed a well earned beer.  The bar constituted a gathering of cheap plastic patio chairs, and some tables, and an enclosed log burner at the side of the room.  It became a hive of activity as the local “Man Utd” team Colo Colo were playing, and the locals turned up in force.

Puerto Williams is a Naval town, with a proud tradition of the sea.  Most of the houses here have flag poles sporting the Chilean flag, something that we just don’t do enough of in the UK, in Chile they are really proud of their country.

Here in Puerto Williams there is a cut off section of the bow of the Yelcho which was the Chiliean Icebreaker lent to Shackleton to rescue his men from Elephant island in Antarctica in 1916, and is an impressive sight indeed.

We have spent the day cleaning the boat, and going through the safety gear in preparation of going into offshore conditions.  Our plan is to set sail early tomorrow for an anchorage a few miles from Cape Horn, waiting overnight before trying to get round the horn on the following day.  If all goes to plan, we will get to see Cape Horn after all, but unfortunately not be able to land on it as hoped.  One day I will return with Jackie, and we can do it together.

The Falklands beckon us now, and we are all eager to get underway, all of us looking forward to different things.  For me, the Falklands brings the history of the war, but more importantly Penguins, millions of them.  So far in Chile I have yet to see one!

Ian Jinks on Pelagic signing out