First, if you're a sailor and you've ever REALLY wanted to feel alive, take
a trip like this. Your perspective on life will change
For you've ever wanted to sail around Cape Horn or through the Beagle
Channel, take a look at www.manboat.com to see some incredible photos. Many
of these could be made into posters. If you check the links (on the left)
you will see some spectacular shots taken in the Beagle Channel that you
won't find anywhere else on this planet.
During this trip, there were times when we wondered what the hell we were
thinking or drinking when we left our relatively safe anchorage and found
that we were being blasted by horizontal wind and water in 30+ ft seas and
winds upwards of 60 knots. We had to postpone the rounding for one day
because Cape Horn was registering 75 knot "breezes." Many of the shots on
the www.manboat.com were taken during our delay from the top of Hermit
Island (about 22 miles WNW of Cape Horn). Check the photo on the top right
of the homepage where the sun is trying to break through. Click on it to
supersize. Pretty awe inspiring, huh? As I find time, I'm going to put
some audio of the trip and a Video taken during the sail around Cape Horn on
the site -- if anyone is interested.
By the way, when you're in 8 to 12 meter seas and 60+ knot winds, you
can't keep the boat within 30 degrees of a heading. Nor can you look to
windward. Nor can you hear anything except screaming, howling wind with the
sound and feel of something like birdshot hitting your foul weather gear.
There are a lot of links on the page, but the ones on the left are pretty
descriptive.
If there's enough interest in the photos I'll put up several hundred more
along with the audio and video clips. The audio is really pretty interesting
since it was captured at various periods of the trip. You can hear what
happens when a Williwaw hits. All I've read about them turns out to be
real -- during one five minute period I was standing on deck in 5 knot winds
and two minutes later we had 70 knot winds ... and we were on the leeward
side of a 1500' island. I suddenly understood what Joshua Slocum meant when
he said that a tree would have to be all roots to grow in that area.
For those who notice, some of the photos from the top of Cape Horn are
reversed (courtesy of the developer). I've flipped most of them around, but
just so you'll know, the 100' high slab that has split off and stands apart
should be on the left (or southern) side of the photo.
Was it fun? YES, it was awesome! Was it dangerous? Well . . . no more than
riding a motor scooter on an LA Freeway. Was it worth it? God, YES! For a
sailor it was the trip of a lifetime. Life has never felt so good as it does
when you're looking it straight in the eye.
I want to go back!
Hope you enjoy the site,
Spence