Position 54:46.35 S 069:40.61 W

Yesterday we set off for the Western arm of Seno Pia.  This is a glacier strewn fjord about 40 miles from Puerto Engano.  A serious chill has engulfed us here with the snowline now down to sea level in parts. 

Departing from Engano we eventually entered the famous Beagle Channel, commonly referred to as “Glacier Alley” and it wasn’t too long before we saw a stray “berg” heading towards us.  Stewart estimated the weight to be about a ton, which by ice standards is tiny, but which could still do a considerable amount of damage if we just rammed into it.  As we headed into the fjord, we saw more and more brash ice, and spectacular glaciers.  Our anchorage was well protected but we were very close to an advancing pack of ice coming down the fjord to close it off over the winter.

This morning our aim was to head off, up to the glacier at the end of the Western arm of Seno Pia, but the pack ice stood in our way.  Although it wasn’t thick by Shackleton standards, it was still always risky entering the ice.

Stewart let me take the boat off the anchorage before we attempted to get up to the glacier.

“Crunch” as the boat first hit the ice, followed by a continuous cracking as the boat pierced the ice sheet.  Looking at it from the bow, the ice would shatter with “lightning streaks” radiating out as if watching a magnificent display of sheet lightning in a storm. After about a quarter of a mile the ice became thicker, with a higher concentration of bergy bits, which caused us concern, so much so that we had to abandon our quest to get  to the face of the glacier, so as not risking having to winter up here in Seno Pia.

We are now of to Caleta Olla where I will be mooring up the boat, so I will write again soon,

Ian Jinks on Pelagic signing out