Heading out onto the Drake!
After the pilot boat came alongside during our eight o’clocky meeting, we waved off our last contact with an outsider and focused in on preparing for what the coming hours would bring.
The red watch started off the night, taking the first stint up until midnight. There were meetings between the other watches to discuss tactics for the night: what were the wake-up techniques going to be, how would we decide who does helm and who does lookout and how many layers should I bring. The conversations were brought to a halt as members tried to catch some hours of sleep before the next watches.
Another group of Dusky dolphins joined us as the sun set, casting warm colours across the last of the lush, green landscape. Those on deck enjoyed capturing the scene as we rounded the last of the Chilean Islands, turning our course to the south southeast following the coast before peeling off towards the Antarctic Peninsula. As we left Tiera del Fuego behind, its glowing appearance under the setting sun gave it a new resemblance to the name given to it by Magellan in 1520, when they saw numerous open fires throughout the landscape and gave it the name Land of Fire: Tiera del Fuego.
Just before the light went, the red watch worked with the crew to set the jibs as we crashed out into the strengthening winds and ever-growing swell. Europa was dancing with the waves as she powered south through familiar waters. However, the freshly-at-sea amongst us were not so elegant in our staggering around the moving ship. The white watched managed to maintain a good turnout for watch, allowing time for some rest in the deckhouse between learning their rolls of lookout and helm. By 4am it was time for the blue watch, but as the hours went by, the number of voyage crew seemed to dwindle with some even showing signs of guilt for their good health in contrast to the majority.
