The Holy Grail of Sailors the world over: Cape Horn
Position: 55 degrees, 59 minutes South, 67 degrees, 16 Minutes West. We arrived there in absolutely perfect conditions: relatively calm seas, about 20 knot wind, almost clear sky - at least on and off. Mini weather systems scud around and change the scenery from one minute to the next. We approached under the iridiscent arch of a rainbow (very romantic), braved a couple of hail showers, bathed in balmy sunshine, hid from gusts of wind around some convenient corner on the deck, watched the Chilean pilot leaving the ship in a somewhat scary procedure. A mini frigate, machine gun and all, staffed with a small navy and an English Sheepdog, pulled alongside tossed around by a rather wild sea (at that moment anyway) and the pilot jumped from the Amsterdam onto the frigate - and they took off in a roostertail of spray.
Our trusty albatrosses accompanied us again. The weather was so unusually favourable that the Captain decided to circumnavigate the entire island of Cape Horn, in order for us to observe it from every angle - a very very rare pleasure.
At the southern face of the fabled Cape the Captain celebrated our successful feat by rotating the ship 360 degrees, which made a few bits of crockery slide off various tables in the upper deck dining room, as the ship took a sudden sideways lurch when caught by broadside swells (still quite respectable). Another hailstorm whipped by throwing a curtain of icy pebbles across the Cape, another magical rainbow appeared arched over it, and then we headed south.
About 600 nautical miles to go across Drake Passage, a most infamous stretch of Southern Ocean, usually punished by raging storms. We hit a 'hole' between two weather systems and enjoyed a peaceful nonrocky passage, calm enough for dancing and wining and dining in absolute peace. Sure a lot different from my last passage here, where the ship was hit by a twin rogue wave, each about 80-90 feet high.
I hope that the weather holds....
