A good sailing day and arrival to the South Shetland Islands
Following the Drake’s swing for the last days, today we are yet under another weather change. But now a steady brisk and good Westerly blows allowing for a day of great sailing.
Unlike the other journeys at the Drake Passage, the more or less stable conditions made for setting our canvas in the early hours of the day and kept it with some minor adjustments until late in the evening, pulling us on a good speed towards our goal at the South Shetland Islands. A great sailing day that also left us some time for sail-training talks and the start of the lecture program. Until now, busy on deck as we were during the last days, we haven’t got much chances to do. Also, a day that let our bosun and some other crew members continue with the repair process of the Fore Upper Topsail in the ship’s library.
Sailing at speeds that reach up to 8.5 to 9kn, EUROPA approaches the Antarctic lands fast. And indeed, it is just before dinner time that a white gleam on the horizon, standing out of the cloud cover, tells us the proximity of land, with its snowy mountains and glaciers. At the current speed, we would make it during the night to our first planned landing, but we would miss the spectacular views of the approach to the so-called English Strait and Barrientos Island at the small Aitcho Archipelago. And we wouldn’t like to miss this scenic passage.
The same scenery that the merchant captain William Smith saw in 1819 when his ship Williams was blown out of her trading route around Cape Horn and ended up all the way down at these hostile latitudes. It was officially the first time that any human being had spotted the much sought Terra Incognita Australis. Many sailed the world in search of it, mostly around the newly discovered Pacific Ocean since Magellan-El Cano’s first world circumnavigation in 1520, including the most famed of all exploratory captains, James Cook. In his three expeditions in the southern high latitudes, in the late 17-hundreds, he even circumnavigated Antarctica with his two ships the Resolution and the Adventure, reaching the South Polar Circle and all the way to an impressive 71° 10’ S between the Antarctic Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas, but never spotted any land. Cook is a character that will keep going back to our talks, stories, and writings during a great part of our voyage. He sailed these same waters, and he reached South Georgia Island, being the first one to land there and taking possession of the island for the British Crown. Still, many years had to pass until Williams first saw Antarctica. Then, he returned to his newly discovered land and actually landed at King George Island. It was then when the British Admiralty decided to embark with him one of his own Captains, Edward Bransfield, to confirm William’s findings and start surveying the region.
It didn’t take any longer for the word to spread about the newfound areas rich in seals and whales. In no time, first the sealers and then the whalers were doing their hunting and business in the South Shetland Islands.
To be able to sail in daylight through those passages of rough beauty between the islands and drop anchor for our morning landing, late at night some of the canvas is doused and furled, and for a while we even Heave-To. A manoeuvre to stop the ship whilst at sea, bracing in opposite tacks Main and Fore Masts. After a couple of hours, we braced again sharp on Starboard tack and at a reduced speed EUROPA keeps approaching land. By then, all the Voyage crew had finished their sea-watches, and were resting, or some had a drink at the bar, readying everything for tomorrow’s exciting new adventures and plans to go ashore.