7/3/08 7:30 am
We’re up at 5:45 and there
are protests “it’s too dark” but by the time we weigh anchor at 6:30 it
is light enough to proceed. There was only a bit of kelp on the anchor chain to
deal with. There is no wind to disturb our misty monochrome cocoon; it rained
most of the night and is still raining lightly, the water like glass, the few
islands we can actually see, shrouded in cloud.
Nik tries to fish and nearly catches a huge lump
of floating kelp; he retrieves the line
quickly. Gabriele sensibly goes back to
bed.
10:30
Still grey, still raining, still no wind so we’re
zipping along at 8 knots. We pass
two East bound yachts and see a tiny fishing boat in the middle of no
where. Later we notice a small tent
ashore and wonder if it’s shelter for the fishermen. I give in and have a full English
Breakfast with Steve. It’s
something about the weather and needing comfort food.
14:00
The wind came up at midday
and soon we had 25/30 knots on the nose but we had passed the open water section
by the time that happened. The wind stopped the rain for a while. We arrived at Celeta Brecknock at
2:00
pm, having travelled 58 miles. We had
considered giving this stop a miss as the weather was so bad, but as we arrived
the rain stopped again and we are very glad to be here. It is reputed to be one of the most
famous and spectacular anchorages on Tierra
del Fuego. The cove is a wide circular basin
surrounded by high peaks and vertical granite walls. We are anchored in a little
indentation with several shore lines to keep us away from the
walls.
17:30
It stopped raining long enough to go ashore for a
couple of hours and explore a little lake which is the source of a very pretty
waterfall. Nik and Steve wanted
something more challenging so Gabriele and I went back to the boat while they
went for a climb. I enjoyed the trek once I accepted the fact that on my tenth
step I went up to my ankles in mud.
When I entered yesterday's position I typed 070
Degrees for Longititude but it went in as 07 Degrees, hence the apparent return
to The Falklands. It has been
corrected.
