ANTARCTICA EXPEDITION on the callas sailboat, 1994

Expedition to Antarctica

"Sailboat Callas January 1994"

Cruise to the White Continent

This voyage carried out aboard the "Callas" sailboat owned by Jorge Luis Trabuchi, was carried out between January and February 1994. The story was published by the Barcos Magazine and has especially its testimonial value of that moment, which means that many things have changed and are not reflected in the present work.

On one of the watches, crossing the Drake Passage in the direction of the South Shetland Islands, I was wondering, among other things, "How did all this start?" . The situation was not the most pleasant: one of the crew members and a great friend with whom we spent hundreds of adventures together, was for a couple of days in the bunk in a situation that those who sail call "dead", is say: not fit for anything. Another of the tough ones, the kind that never decomposes, said: "The Drake made me lose my virginity; it's the first time he's vomited." To all this, during the morning, the helmsman on duty did not have time to release the steering wheel and left everything adorned with the last meal he had eaten. Luckily he continued to steer as such, while cleaning the instruments. You could tell that he had experience in adventures of all kinds, some of them true feats that test a person's mettle, such as doubling Cape Horn in a kayak. This is how sitting at the table, with a plate of food on a non-slip folder, I became the only one on board who showed up for dinner. A somewhat depressing situation if you are also the cook and saw how the work of making meat in the saucepan, trying to maintain balance and not hurt myself in any of the lurching, was going to finish feeding the fish. take guard at the helm. Luckily this was done inside the ship as it has an excellent covered wheelhouse. Looking out from the wheelhouse we saw how a gray sky joined in the distance, in an indefinite line of the horizon, with a leaden sea covered with waves and white foam. The icy water sprays reached the stern. The waves without being very large were approaching almost across the boat. The breaking crest made me open my eyes and look with great expectation as I thought: "Will it break above the ship or will it be able to climb to the crest? Thus, pending that 18 tons rise enough, a soft slap was felt that indicated that everything had happened. That was followed by a deep roll and, after the corresponding shaker, we had to compensate with the rudder and again we fixed our eyes to the horizon to look for another wave. Yes, it is the classic moment when every sailor wonders "What do I do here? How and when did it occur to me to get into this? ". All this began concretely when one night, after a regal dinner with abundant wine in the" Chilean snowdrifts "(Published in Boats No. 189-190-191-192), Jorge Trabuchi said:" And the next navigation will to be among the ice of Antarctica. "We immediately raised our glasses and toasted, affirming that no one was going to stop us even Antarctica. On that occasion we were sailing with Eric Trabuchi, only 3 years old, Cecilia Illa, Danilo Clement and Roberto Rocca. Together Brunet was with us, on a Beagle 26, with the Ludueña brothers. The night was spectacular, with ice and glaciers everywhere. We had lived one of the most beautiful days of our lives sailing among the broken ice of the Garibaldi Glacier of the Cordillera Darwin. A couple of big icebergs made us imagine what all that would be like. The only thing left for us was to get rid of the doubt. So there I was, just nine months later, giving birth to such a brilliant idea in front of a plate of meat. to the saucepan, next to a deserted table, in one of the most expensive cocktail shakers in the world.

Excuses or reasons

Why not? Perhaps that would be the correct answer or at least the one that I would have liked to give the most in each of the opportunities they asked me: "Why go to Antarctica?" Motivations can be many, we all had them and, in some cases, they coincided. But if there is something that is important to make clear, it is that none of us went to break a record, or with the desire to perform a feat; although the sporting challenge did exist. When we exposed the project to the naval and governmental authorities and especially in the National Directorate of the Antarctic or the Antarctic Institute, they looked at us as if we were unaware that we wanted to defy the laws of nature and that is why we set out to conquer the greatest southern latitude that we could reach in a defenseless sailboat. Even after returning, and already planning a longer stay in Antarctica, many look at us as if we were mentally disturbed. As enthusiasts in sailing through southern seas, it is natural to think of Antarctica. Let us remember that navigating the Beagle, Le Maire, the island of the States, Cape Horn, the famous lost islands and the Magellan we did nothing but tour the province to which we belong. On the other hand, we discovered that, although it is not easy to navigate the area, it has more of a "myth" than anything else. "Would it be the same to go to Antarctica? We only knew that much has been said about the Drake, much less has been written, but the versions were quite different. Some speak of hurricane winds with 20-meter waves, while others comment of gentle breezes and a sea like oil. To this the classic question jumped: What would the reality be? Pure exaggerations or would both versions have some truth? of the world, they set sail for the white continent. They returned, some time later, recounting the most unusual experiences. There were even some who left the ship abandoned and took the first plane never to return. Memory of a loner who decided to commit suicide with a sparkler, another fell off the top of the pole and so on thousands of stories. Pascal, from the "Scherzzo", went year after year and told us that he loved the place to play the piano that he carried in the dinette. Each madman with his raye But we knew very little about Argentines; only what was recounted by Gustavo Díaz and Hernán Álvarez Forn, who was the first to cross the Drake and visit the peninsula with a small sports sailboat, simply equipped. This is how we decided, as far as possible, to assemble a crew of "Fuegians" (and / or residents) who wanted to travel part of their province: Tierra del Fuego Province, South Atlantic Islands and Antartida; at least that's what it's called. As time went by, the claims lowered and we settled for assembling a "Patagonian" crew, with a guest from Buenos Aires. In this way, it would be the first Argentine sailboat, based in Ushuaia, to visit another part of his province. Other motivations were added to that, such as trying to re-edit the journey that the Corvette "Uruguay" made 90 years ago, something that we only partially fulfilled. My particular interest was to be able to feel "in situ" what the whalers and seals of the last century lived and especially the places that Dr. Charcot explored in his two Antarctic winterings (1903 and 1908).

The preparations

Thus we begin to search for information and to complete the ship's equipment. One of the most important things that was added was an AT-286 computer that in addition to using it for classic games, had a MODEM to receive via B.L.U. Weather charts: synopsis of the moment and the forecast. That gave us a great tool since we could go comparing the movements of the downward centers and the gradient of the isobars. The rest of the instruments, including the "Autohelm" autopilot, were those already possessed by the ship. One of the important reforms carried out during the year was the relocation of the winch and the chain box, which from the bow moved to the base of the mast. With this, it was possible to lift the bow of the ship since almost 400 kg changed places. The bow was modified to store vegetables and stowage in general. As this sector is not heated, it turned out to be a kind of ideal cold room for vegetables and fruits. They advised us to put a watertight bulkhead in the bow (anti-collision), propeller protector and reinforce the stem and bow in the sector near the waterline (where the ice would hit with greater violence). Those jobs were not done; I personally believe that they are useful and if you plan to go to those latitudes it would be convenient to do them. The ship was given a general tour, painting, nodes, and thousands of little things that emerge as one gets to work. It is worth clarifying that I participated very little in those preparations since I was hardly ever in Ushuaia. One of those who worked the most was "King George", who unfortunately could not accompany us on the journey.

Tips: hits and misses

We had several advisers on this little adventure. One of them was Olleg; He is a great French navigator, somewhat eccentric, a university professor, who year after year travels to Antarctica, 2 or 3 times in the season, taking tourists with his family. His ship is a large floating library, he has nautical books of all times. He was responsible for making us squares, freehand, of the main natural ports that we could use on our excursion. The only advice he gave us was to be careful not to get lost when we went out for a walk since visibility suddenly disappears; he also pointed out which nautical charts to bring. Another was Jean Paul Bassaget who once sailed well south with his double bow "Ksar"; always very cordial it is interesting to listen to the data that he is giving. Don Pedro Margalot was a true strategist of the defeats to follow and his advice was very successful. He was also responsible for showing us how to obtain all possible help from the weather reports and especially the tranquility that being communicated gave. During many hours of talks I was taking notes and I remember having written down from frequencies to gifts that we had to bring, as well as how we would be received and to which countries to send notes advising of our landfall on the peninsula. Really all the indications were useful, although at first I took some as totally irrelevant. Personally, I think that among the things that clarified the most for me were the percentage of days a year that there can be a given wind intensity. That is, the possibilities we had of coming across one thing or another and how to use the bases to obtain said information. Many aspects were expanded by Skip Novac but the truth we had was: they all maintained that we could do it without major difficulties, that each crossing is something particular and the subjective is present in a very high percentage. We receive the worst advice from ship, passenger or icebreaker officers, without experience in sailing ships, and from certain specialized agencies, who knows what.

Publications

A great friend and promoter of nautical activity in the south was in charge of the cartography: Don Héctor Julio Álvarez. In his role as Naval Attaché in London he took care of getting the letters and sending them. We use very little Argentine cartography. We distrusted her after what happened to Bahía Paraíso in 1989, but I can say with complete certainty that English letters are full of errors. These are increasing as you move south. A very important point is not to forget the ARGENTINE DEFEAT. It is very well written with lavish detail and is an invaluable help. Nor should we leave out a bird guide, if possible the one for seabirds. It is also interesting to have a book on marine mammals on hand. If you want to collaborate with the Fundación de Vida Silvestre or the CADIC of Ushuaia, take a walk and take the whale watching sheets and how to identify them. Besides being entertaining at least one makes an important trip not so much. The letters used were: (if at the time of ordering they change, they will deliver their modern replacement; they do not simply say: "they are out of stock") from the British Hydrographic Office No.3573, 3571, 3202, 3570, 3572, 3213, 3566 , 3560, 3200 this is from the Drake it is also good to take the Argentine ones, 1776,3205, 1774, it is also important to take all those that correspond to Tierra del Fuego and Isla de los Estados.

Various equipment and moral support

The issue of clothing was a difficult point to resolve. We take the bull by the antlers and turn to the best clothing specialists for high latitude sailors. So it was that the firm "MUSTO" provided us with everything we needed. The result, as we will see, was excellent. The garments used for two months, every day, seemed fresh out of the container. The Argentine bases were surprised to see them. After trying them, they wondered what would be the reason why they continue to dress as in the middle of the century. But we will see the subject under different aspects throughout this story. We also opted for the same solution in terms of mountain footwear and ice. The Canadian company "Sorell" took up the issue. The equipment for climbing mountains, ice, camping and cross-country skiing was the concern of our mountaineer: "Gato" Curuchet. This is how he filled the boat with nails, pegs, crampons, skis, ropes, tents, jackets, ski masks and a thousand other things that at first made you want to throw everything overboard. Photography and video: great unknown. This is how we decided to do everything twice. Bécquer Casaballe, owner of Fotomundo magazine, and I take care of the issue. Many cameras including two submarines and two Super VHS video equipment, as well as tripods, flashes, battery chargers and hundreds of films were brought on board. Of course, to all this must be added the equipment that each crew member carried for himself. But we will return to the subject later. One of the biggest problems in crossings of this nature was almost completely solved. We all had the support of our family and our partners, in terms of work. I think it was a bit forced, since in all cases it was not the first time, nor would it be the last, that it crossed our minds to go out for a few days. On the other hand, all the families participated, in one way or another, in the enlistment of the ship. It really was a great sum of forces and as the date approached, it was greater. We also had the support of the Provincial Government that through the In.Fue.Tur. (Instituto Fueguino de Turismo) provided us with the funds for fuel and food. Both the Municipality of Ushuaia, as legislators, artists and model makers were involved in the trip, providing us with elements to deliver at the bases. This is how a very heavy chess set sculpted in marble went to the Esperanza base; an allegorical lighthouse at the End of the World, at the Jubany base; platelets for the other Argentine bases; Expedition flags, for each point that we touched; tourist information of the Province to be delivered to foreign bases; To this must be added dishes from the government, models of bark canoes, books, magazines, maps, various souvenirs (T-shirts, divers, World's End hats) and a long etcetera. At times he felt what those captains of the "age of discovery" must have felt, when they loaded the ships with gifts for possible encounters with different cultures. It was disconcerting to see how a little attention can throw off the strictest and most impolite base chief (Frei base).

The last preparations; finally we set sail

Drinking water we carry the necessary for the crossing of the Drake. In Tierra del Fuego and in Antarctica this is not a problem. There is water everywhere. Sometimes you just need to bring the ship closer to shore to fill the tanks with a funnel and a hose. The canned goods went to the bow bilge and near the mast, both the freezer and the refrigerator came out full of meat and chickens. Warehouse items were placed above the water and fuel tanks so that they are not reached by moisture. These ranged from instant desserts to noodles, polenta, mashed potatoes and just about anything you can find in a supermarket. Yeast and flour was brought in sufficient quantity to make bread every 3 days. Thanks to the ability of "Gato" this happened only once in 56 days of travel, when 3 buns appeared on the table. Cold cuts were loaded in abysmal quantities, so and everything was not enough and at the bases they provided us with all the rest we need. A big mistake was in the calculation of alcoholic beverages. With a "I do not take" 3 crew members were deleted from the list. But what was the surprise to see how Bécquer, Marcos and even Daniel (only beer) were rejoining the list of drinkers. Again all the bases, including China, Korea, England and except for Chile and Russia (in the latter they drank pure alcohol) contributed to our lack of hardship. Marcos Olivadey, from Puerto Deseado, with his experience in survival food, took care of servings of quacker, vitina, Campbell soups, nestum, chocolate and other fast and nutritious foods. The last thing to be brought on board were fruits and vegetables. These included everything from kiwi, to cabbage, garlic, bananas, melons, tomatoes, apples, oranges and whatever we saw that could be kept for a long time and came in drawers. We loaded so much that at the bases we were distributing fresh fruits and some vegetables. In addition to the 1,200 liters of Gas Oil in the structural tanks, Jorge Trabuchi was in charge of carrying 8 drums with filtered Gas Oil stowed near the pole in case there were any problems.

Ushuaia, January 11, 1994

We set sail just one day later than planned. This was motivated by Jorge forgetting the birthday of Sandra, his wife. We do not know if the "witch" (or zebra) put the strips on, but the result was that we left the next day. At 0910 on the 11th we set sail from the Club Náutico Ushuaia dock. At the helm were Don José Estabillo, Governor of Tierra del Fuego, and Don Carlos Berisso, Admiral of the Naval Base; Jorge Trabuchi, captain of the Callas, kept him company. From the dock we were greeted by friends, family members, and simple onlookers, all mingled with Ministers, Secretaries, legislators, artists, scientists, soldiers, custodians, newspaper journalists and television cameramen, with whom we filmed each other. The situation turned out to be emotional and fun to essentially chaotic. You could get to hug a Minister, shake hands with a cameraman or kiss a pretty girl who knows where one came from. The trip promised, lest we go out like simple sailors who are going for a ride. The nice thing about this is that it doesn't make anyone nervous. Especially when we decided to cast off and we found that with all the cargo and guests we had we were stranded. A powerful reverse gear solved the problem and thanks to the gomon of the "Biri Biri" we did not damage the boat, we used it as a gigantic defense.

The Beagle Channel

At 0930 the speedboat "Concepción del Uruguay" picked up the guests and with a formation of honor they said goodbye playing the siren. From that moment on, we let Regina and Pato, from Yugoslavia, appear on deck, which we were taking to Puerto Williams, Isla Navarino (Chile). Some "piolas" were not lacking, such as Machado who, when spying inside, asked what those guests were doing. Luckily, the Beagle treated us very well and in a smooth sailing we arrived at Williams at 1600. With the Yankee and the older one, the smooth movement allowed us to finish with the stowage and take a nap. When we arrived at the bay, we met the "Ksar" and the "Pellagic" that were going towards Cape Horn and with the "Croix St.Paul" that the Drake would cross with us. We join the "Milcavi" transport that, sunk, acts as a dock and headquarters of the "Club de Yates". There we made the entrance papers and warned our intention to set sail immediately towards Cape Horn to wait there for some meteorological report that would give us encouragement to go off to cross the Drake. Immediately afterwards, a strong purchase of Chilean wine was imposed at ridiculous prices without missing a good supply of Pisco and Chilean chili. At 10:30 p.m., after dinner we continued our trip to the Cape. The prognosis was good so the decision was to take advantage of every moment of good weather. In general, at night you do not usually navigate but with radar and experience in the place there were no major problems. This is how Daniel Kuntschik, who until a month before starting the trip was captain of the Coast Guard, took the helm and we let him navigate that area that he knows so well. This trip had already cost him enough. After requesting a license to sail to Antarctica, which was denied, and after requesting permission to participate in this sporting event, which he also was denied, he asked to be discharged. This is how the great thinkers of "superiority" value the people they have and formed. He now privately operates the pilot boat that won the Beagle Channel tender. It is a comfort to think that not all security forces have the same logic of reasoning. Otherwise we would be in the most complete insecurity.

Nassaw Bay and Lennox Cove.

Throughout the night we sailed through a very crowded Beagle Channel. Cargo and passenger ships crossed the pilot boat, icebreakers heading to Antarctica, warships and fishing boats. From a wind of 14 knots we went to 35 in Nassau Bay. At 5.30 'we decided to turn around and anchor in Lennox cove (homonymous island). As we did in the cove next door, we were called by VHF, from the Chilean Lennox post, warning us that we could not anchor there. At 10.30 ', given the change in weather conditions, we weighed anchor and left for Cape Horn. The wind had dropped to 10/15 knots and rotated from the S.W. to the N.W .. As soon as we left we saw how the "Ksar" anchored correctly in Caleta Lennox and after a while we heard how a boat of the Chilean Navy was questioning Jean Paul about what he was doing in the place. Obviously this launch was directed towards us. Both 2-masted and white-hulled sailboats lend themselves to some confusion, but the unusual thing was to see how these soldiers continue to harass everything they can in the last remaining bastion. From the rest of Chile, Democracy was separating them. The feeling of boredom we felt was tremendous. The only thing we wanted was to reach the "mythical" Cape Horn. Luckily some crossed dolphins decided to accompany us to Caleta Martial where we anchored. With them as company and the gigantic Cape Albatross we spent the rest of the afternoon. We were already at the door of the Drake.

Expedition to Antarctica

• Pollution, bases and trash

• Disappointment Farewell

• No motor inside a crater

• Half Moon Island

• Waves more waves

• Potter cove, jubany base

• Base Artigas, Frei and Bellinghausen

• In China and without motor

• Storms, fears and coexistence

Pollution, bases and trash

There is always talk of pollution, and what happens in the scientific bases, to call them somehow. Without being more papist than the Pope and without being the nonsense of some environmental groups, with their silly measurement of the contamination of the water when they collected it from the sewage pipe (filming from 1989), I think that a lot of really negative things are being done . In reality, these bases, in a high percentage, are just excuses to be able to have a presence in a continent that can provide wealth. It is the only continent that did not have to displace a previous inhabitant. Without further claims, the governments of the world project their ambitions for power by enlarging their borders. This is how on the 25 de Mayo island we find bases from Russia, Chile, Uruguay, Korea, Poland, Brazil, Peru, China, Argentina and a Yugo - Slavo refuge, formerly one country, now divided into two. In other nearby islands are Spain, the US, England, France, Australia and many others that continue to occupy a place. Luckily they partially comply with certain recommendations such as the transfer of garbage that cannot be processed, back to the continent from which it came. At least that's what Argentina does. They separate papers, plastics from organic waste and from metals and glass. We saw how huge shipments (of several tons) were prepared at each base throughout the summer to take them back to Argentina. We also saw a number of obsolete engines, generators and other equipment on Russian ships, lashed on deck. Did they reach Russia or did they fall in the middle of the sea? With the other waste, each country, in fact each base, adopts different solutions. Plastic and paper were burned. Recycled organics; glass and metals, to the country of origin. In some bases they compacted the happy aluminum cans making tiles for local use. Unfortunately there have been many abandoned bases that were not raised. The excuse is that they can serve as a refuge. In the state they are, they are useless and it was only a good excuse not to spend money on raising a base. But what is the problem with this? It happens that both the animals that inhabit the white continent and man, occupy the few parts not covered by ice. The first to reproduce, the others for "scientific" purposes. When the man retires and leaves a base the animals return. This is how in Puerto Lockroy (Author's note: Now a museum and impeccably clean, the abandoned English base is inhabited by a large colony of Papua penguins. Using a great sense of adaptation they come to build their nests inside barrels that in at some point they contained fuel (Author's note: In subsequent visits I know that all this has taken a very positive solution and the stations are cleaner every year.)

Farewell to Deception Island

After loading Gas Oil at the Decepción base, since we had to refuel without water, and some food that they offered us, in addition to wine and beer, we got ready to continue our journey to Media Luna Island. In it is the Lieutenant Chamber Detachment of Argentina and of which they had told us that it was going to be deactivated. The people of the Gabriel de Castilla base invited us to have a few drinks as a farewell. This is how, after having dinner at the Argentine base, we went with Corina Risso, head of the Argentine scientists, and with Marcelo Primo (head of the base), to chat with the Spanish. There they were, in addition to the military, a group of scientists. The drinks ran: wine, chamomile, sherry, brandy, whiskey, port, beer, and various spirits. The result was the predictable one: a generalized joy and, on the part of the civilians, too strong. Of course, the usual themes came up: such as distance from home, why so many people return year after year, and the issue of the relationship between men-women and civil-military. Except for isolated cases, everyone is very clear about this relationship and there are no major problems but it always ends in the same thing: thinking about everything that one is going to do as soon as they return to civilization. For Ramón (a very funny Spanish volcanologist), such a fan of the Opera that on Thursday nights the two bases met to enjoy an excellent collection brought from Spain, things were quite clear. As soon as he arrived in Punta Arenas he was going to do what he always did: go to "Casa de Piedra" or "Tragotekas" or any other club, to have a drink, laugh and make jokes in the best sailor style of the beginning of the century. Regarding these places he had a great repertoire of tricks and stories. For example: "If you enter one of these places with little light and you have already had a little too much to drink, and two or more young ladies come to you, man not to lose heart: When in doubt, the most busty." Always showing off his sense of humor, he recounted an experience lived long ago. His partner, a little more drunk than he, saw twice and could not calculate how many ladies were in the place and asked him: "Ramón, how many women do you see?" "Since I was not in much better conditions, he opted for a scientific solution: I counted the boobs, divided by two and found that there were 5 women." So the evening continued with comments of all kinds and tin philosophy. Referring to her co-workers, and especially the nice Isabella, a 26-year-old Valencian, who was dedicated to weighing baby penguins, with the imaginable consequences: "- .. and look at this one, what will happen, without boobs and all shit from the penguins, which I saw. ”A constant that we found on almost all bases was that a sense of humor was always present. The next day we set sail a little bit later than planned. One last shower at the base it was imposed as a fundamental condition, who knows when we would have another.

No motor inside a crater

Now all on board a strong wind made us sweat. They were blowing more than 40 knots from the northwest and we were under the wall of the volcano. We start the engine and head towards "Telephone Bay" where the sailboats are now moored. It is actually a small sack near the real bay that has that name. This formation appeared after the last eruption in the 70s. It was to be hoped that now it does not occur to change its shape again. Already very close and ready to go, with a gale of 35/45 knots we were left without a motor. Water in Gas Oil. We hoisted the pawl and it ended up at the wheel outside. Jorge and Gato dismantled as quickly as possible, filters, decanter glasses, injectors, gas oil pump and everything that could contain water with some Gas Oil. Trying to keep the ship from walking, I put a bow to Neptune's bellows. But at 3 or 4 knots the 7 miles were going very quickly. You just had to try to keep the boat without losing windward. The leeward coast is stony, glacial (black with volcanic ash) and the depth is too great to anchor. Again the classic question: what the hell am I doing inside the crater of a volcano, in Antarctica? Sure there must be better programs, but there we were. Near Caleta Balleneros (a few hundred meters from the mouth of the volcano), he started the engine. Joy reigned and we turned around. We enter the small bag and we embrace the French sailboat built in ferro-cement, Oliver's "Kikillistrion". This one with a group of tourists was waiting for a French lady to recover from the Drake to continue towards the peninsula. She apparently had a strong intestinal inflammation that required the attention of the "sorcerer" (nurse) of the base; before the great joy of her. The internal climate of that ship was quite deplorable. They hardly spoke to each other. I think everyone was "enjoying" the Antarctic experience in their own way. How is it that 3 tourist-crew members get on a sailboat for more than 30 days, without previously knowing each other, and with a destination like Antarctica? I will never understand. In short, we set sail the next day. With filtered and decanted Gas Oil. If you have a motor, it is not convenient to drive with a sail alone. The coasts are not well surveyed and icebergs tend to cut the path more than once.

Half Moon Island

When we arrived at this small island shaped like a half moon, we did it accompanied by a family of humpback whales. It is always pleasant to see these large mammals repopulating the waters of the continent. This island, outside the tourist itineraries, is halfway with the island 25 de Mayo. They received us very happy. Usually they don't have many visitors and Lieutenant Román Silva made everything available to us at the base. Our intention was to visit them and continue our journey, but thanks to the excellent group of people we met and the fact that my left knee was dislocated, we had to stay. "Gonzalez", a native of Córdoba, was the "witch" of the base, that's what they call the nurse or doctor. He did a perfect job immobilizing the joint and diagnosing torn menisci, sinus capsule, and stretched ligaments (the cruciate ones). Placing the leg where it belongs, we did it on the beach as soon as the silly accident happened. Osvaldo and Hugo, biologists from the group of scientists at the base, became makeshift bone-fixers. This is how I stayed to sleep on the base in the cabin of the cook who prepared some incredible dishes. Consulting the subject, they confessed to us that he was the Admiral's cook in Buenos Aires. It turns out that as a cook was missing for one of the bases, he was sent. With a hypertensive attack, he was on a rigorous diet. Oscar (oceanographer), along with Adriana and Liliana took care of the kitchen and prepared pizzas for everyone. Once a week the people in the kitchen are given frankly, and this is occupied by the one who feels more capable or by the luck of the draw, unfortunately for the rest. Some bases in other countries, the kitchen and cleaning shift is rotating, with one person (or two) taking care of the issue once a week. As the Spaniards call it, they must comply with the turn of "María". After a stay of a couple of days, Román, Osvaldo and Hugo offered to take me to the ship on a stretcher. As it must go through a steep snowy slope, they decided to lower me on a stretcher-sled. I had to share it with several boxes of Argentine and South African wine, ham, chocolates and the mooring lines of the boat. After the usual maneuvers, we continued our journey to the Jubany base, which we arrived at at 7:00 p.m. January 23 accompanied by two groups of humpback whales.

Waves more waves

The waves are also particular to each part of the Drake. In general lines you can see a long and majestic wave from the Pacific. When it reaches Cape Horn, it breaks down into shorter waves and sometimes with a breaker given the great change in depth. To this wave must be added the waves produced by the wind and storms. The sea can become "chaotic" when we add to this the wave that occurs when the wave rebounds against land and takes an almost opposite direction. The truth is that we saw majestic sea waves, very high, it would be difficult for me to calculate their height since the distance between wave and wave was great (about 100 to 150 meters). But that obviously must be a real problem for the big ships and not for us who raised and lowered them as if we were a seagull resting in the sea. It gave the sensation of being in a mountain landscape, since from the crest of one wave you could see the valley to the other wave and also several others with their extended and pronounced valleys between them. In no sea in the world did I come to appreciate such a spectacle. It was something sublime. If we talk about height it is possible that they have calmly passed 12 or 14 meters but be careful: I am not talking about a breaking wave like Hawaii for surfing. But something placid and exciting. At times of storm we pass waves of about 5 to 6 meters high that were on these waves. Those were the real waves that gave us spray and shook us a lot. Towards South Shetlands this swell changes as the current comes from the Antarctic Peninsula. In the Fleet Sea (between Shetland and the Peninsula), although there is still the climate of the Drake, the waves are short and the wave is small. On the contrary, towards Cape Horn or the island of the States, the sea is quite chaotic as a result of the rebound of the Pacific wave against land, as we have already mentioned, aggravated by storms and strong currents.

Caleta Potter Jubany base

Tourist ships of different nationalities usually visit this repaired cove on the island of May 25. It is itself the largest base we visit. At the time of our arrival they had just inaugurated a new laboratory ("Dallmann") which, under an agreement with Germany, will be dedicated to joint research. With 88 people, the place was not superfluous. But the reception they gave us was the most emotional. The head of the base, Lt. Ship's Guillermo Tarapow, much loved by the rest of the human group (a rare thing), gave us diplomas and at the same time he was the depositary of the different gifts that we brought for his base and for the "Esperanza" base. Only 5 showers were in service, so we were given the 5 pm shift when the rest of the people were working. Overcrowded were several fiber tents and "igloos" that were occupied by scientists to sleep. In fact, we were struck by how heterodox the group was. The military were members of all the armed forces, their chief being the only representative of the navy. Among the scientists there were Italians, East Germans, Argentines and West Germans, who did not get along very well with those from the East and these in turn did not speak to the Argentines. To complete the picture, there was a group of Argentine "scientists" (from INTA) who went to study wheat germination and a couple of psychologists from UBA (Juan José and Patricia). I think they must have gone to study because scratch makes all those people get together there. With the help of Ricardo Casaux (Pipo, head of the Argentine scientific group) and a large rubber boat, we were able to fill a couple of 200-liter drums with water, mud and Gas Oil. We had managed to decant the contents of the tanks but we did not know what to do with the residue. The only thing we knew was that we were not going to throw them into the water, so we left them two drums to repatriate to Argentina. We also had the opportunity to meet Héctor (Juan Zar) our first radio contact with Antarctica and the Doc from the base: Eduardo. A great person with good medical knowledge that he wanted to cast me at all costs. We worked up and I let him give me an inflatable leg warmer, with the promise that if it continued swollen and without mobility I would put it on. Not that I'm very stubborn, but being with one leg in a cast inside a sailboat in Antarctica is not the most pleasant. Korea, Uruguay, Russia, Chile, China and a long stay. This is how after a short stay we continued our journey to Marian Cove just 7 miles away. There is the Korean base: "King Sejong". After approaching the dock, they welcomed us very cordially. While they took photos and filmed us, we explained that our intention was to go down to visit them. They asked us to give them an hour of time and then they would gladly receive us. After the deadline they went to look for us and they led us to a large table set in the gym that was prepared with different drinks and food. The chief apologized by telling us that a fire had destroyed part of the station and that a large group of his people were staying at the "Hotel de las Estrellas" at the Chilean base. We repaid the courtesy with a visit to "Callas" where we offered them a disgusting cooked mate (it couldn't have been worse). They also had the opportunity to drink mate, which they did not like. After the usual presents: Ginseng tea, cigarettes and Korean beer, for a packet of yerba, we let go.

Base "Artigas", "Frei" and "Bellinghausen"

We continue our trip to the "Artigas" base in Uruguay, at Jasper Point in Maxwell Bay. This island, and especially this bay, has several bases very close to each other. This is how a short visit turned into a dinner to stay overnight. The head of the base (Lt. Cnl. Oscar Gran ‚) invited us to stay as long as we wanted and once again our warehouse and pantry was stocked with new gifts. I took the opportunity to continue consulting doctors and that is how the Uruguayan doctor (Víctor Franco) ruled that if the leg was immobilized, everything would be fine. Which was agreed by a vet who did not know he was studying in Antarctica. The next day we set sail to travel about 5 miles and anchor in Caleta Fildes where two bases are separated only by a melt stream. These are the Frei (ex Prat) base in Chile and the Russian "Bellinghausen". As they say, only the little Volga separates them. Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Russian base was next to that of East Germany, which was absorbed by them. The cold, although courteous, reception from the Chilean authorities was largely offset by the good disposition of its people. This is how the doctor at the base (Dr. Alger Rodo González and the radiologist Rojas) took charge of taking X-rays of the knee and then applied a good bandage and a session of rays and short waves. In fact, all he did was bring a great deal of reassurance in addition to certifying that nothing serious was happening in the joint. A couple of injections and a box of anti inflammatory was the goodbye. According to what the doc. They receive a salary of 520% ​​with respect to the continent. This base has a Post Office, Bank, Public Telephone, souvenir shop, hospital, hotel and airstrip. The hotel rate is not cheap at all (180 dollars the room) without much concern given that this service is used by personnel from other bases or ministers and other personalities who come to "Antarctica" on an official visit, being their respective governments that pay the hefty bills. When we arrived, the hotel was occupied by Koreans and Peruvians. The latter could not reach the "Machu Pichu" base, a little further from the Uruguayan one, due to the poor state of the roads. There were also personnel from the Chilean base who were building a gym. In "Villa las Estrellas" live 13 families (about 50 people). There is a lady who is a teacher and teaches the children of the other couples in her house. She is strictly forbidden to advance through the streets of the town to any man who is not from the place, something quite understandable. It is unusual to see in the afternoon how these women take their children for a walk, dressed to the point of looking like Martians, through the rest of the base. In summer they reach 200 people, with 90 staying throughout the year. Flight frequencies depend on weather conditions. One day there can be up to 3 flights from Punta Arenas and then they are sometimes discontinued for weeks. A ticket is in the 300 dollars. Many more cordial Russians, were in full transition of command. This is how we met the two bosses, the incoming and the outgoing, who report to the Russian Artic and Antarctic Research Institute. Seeing the state of this base is depressing. All broken or almost broken, with people dressed in old and frayed clothes, they are experiencing the ravages of an economy in total misalignment. Currently there are 14 people when before they reached 40 in summer. With salaries of $ 25 per month, family members must send them money to be able to make purchases at the Chilean base. For two years that is his only distraction. In the absence of alcoholic beverages, they prepared an excellent "spirit" composed of pure alcohol diluted with water, with which they ensured that the "northern lights" could be seen. We were struck by the fact that as civilians they had a large and well-maintained range of amphibians. On the other hand, they have powerful communications equipment and can support their submarine fleet by transmitting at 1, 5 or 7 KW in very long waves in addition to normal communication equipment. They also have large fuel tanks for their ships. We were struck by the fact that almost all the personnel were dedicated to the transmission teams (2 bosses and 6 radio operators), maintenance and meteorologists. Research programs were not in development. We honestly learned a lot from them. When a storm prevented going outside, we chatted for many hours. This is how we learned about their ambitions when we arrived in Russia and their fears.
I remember that the radio operator hoped to find a job for $ 400 more so that he could live comfortably with his wife and daughter who was born while he was in Antarctica. Alexy Menshov, arrived at the base for two years with a monthly figure of 500 dollars. His intention was to save a little to return to St. Petersburg and be able to move. That 500 was reduced to $ 25 per month and the result was that the wife had to go to work to send money to him. Chatting with the chief (Vladimir Kuchin) we found out that he was 18 from Antarctica and 11 from Arctic. His replacement had no Antarctic experience; he was only in the Arctic for 14 years. The outgoing chief looked more like a castaway on Gilligan's Island than head of science base. He wore a shirt that once had long sleeves, now they were cropped and frayed, old pants and shoes from the time warp.

In China and without motor

After a busy night, where the ice that filled the bay decided to go away thanks to the action of the tide and the wind, giving us constant blows or gentle friction, we continued to the "Great Wall" base of China. Very courteous, we were excellently well received. We never imagined that the few hours of landfall at "Hydrographers Cove" would turn into little more than 12 days. Without ever knowing what the real reason was, the engine began to make a horrible noise. We immediately saw how it had broken the legs that hold it to the hull and the propulsion shaft had a sad curve. At that time we were leaving for the Primavera base, in the Antarctic peninsula, which we expected to reach in just over 48 hours, but the damage left us without an engine in an area that is quite necessary. Icebergs, stones and changes in the wind direction make pure sailing difficult, somewhat risky and very slow. With little desire we had to ask the Chinese for help. They towed us to a small stone pier near the base and we were stranded there. We started the repairs that were in charge of Jorge and "Gato". I dedicate myself to public relations and I think I have become the biggest "hosepipe" in Antarctica. The Chinese gave us everything from small tools to workshops, a jeep to move us from one base to another, people to help us make water, they took care of the garbage and on top of that they invited us to dinner in what we called "China Town". There was no shortage of ping-pong championships that, out of simple courtesy, allowed us to score a few goals to finish us off in seconds. With billiards things were different and sometimes we got on the same page.

Clothing.

The Musto firm provided us with water suits, boots and warm clothes in what they call three layers. That is, underwear, a second layer of fleece and then the water suits. These were the two-piece Offshore and the one-piece Ocean. The M1 and M2 boots were both excellent, both on top of the ship and for walking around Antarctica. It is worth remembering that there is a lot of thaw and the ground is usually wet (snow, ice, mud, water or swampy), except when there are rocks. In addition to being warm, underwear was easy to wash and dried quickly. The second layer, fleece pants and jacket were overcoated. So much so that we used one or the other and never the two together. They must be useful in Antarctica but in winter. The wetsuits were so good that the bags definitely replaced all the other gear we had worn. At the bases they asked us to test them, marveling at how light, waterproof and totally dry they were. They are also very strong without having demonstrated the two months of continuous use. Details such as the fleece hood, fleece collar and hand warmers make them out of the ordinary. We could do the maneuvers without a glove that for when the cold was excessive we brought them to temperature with the hand warmer pockets.

Storms, fears and coexistence.

Being tied to a stone pier with irons that keep it armed is not the most pleasant. We were able to get close and hold thanks to the high tide. The difference of tides oscillates in the 80cm to the meter. The dock at the Korean base was not very good as even at high tide we couldn't get there, we were half a meter away. We accommodate decks, timbers and the fenders of the boat to cushion the blows. Then we put in two sets of crossings and springs. With the halyards tied to the ground we tried to keep the boat from listing in the wind. In other words, we sew it as best as possible. Even so, the storms kept us in check. The first one was from the NE. With winds exceeding 50 knots the snow fell horizontally without allowing us to open our eyes for long. It happened in the middle of the night and thanks to the Chinese who put tremendous light bulbs on us, we were able to work quite well. In the small bay the waves that formed reached a meter in height. They collided with the ship in a violent way, making it float enough for it to hit with great force against the iron of the dock. Her helmet began to dented. The work was hard and it took a while to get it to separate something. The force of the sea is such that the deck of the ship woke up with stones (pebbles of about 2cm in diameter) from the seabed. It was not the only storm, there were several and from different sectors. It was normal for the boat to be completely covered by a layer of snow of more than 40 cm., While they fought with ropes that exploded more than once. It was a tough test of seafaring knowledge and especially of coexistence. You couldn't be on deck. The living space had been reduced to the dinette, the dock-house and the bunks. There we spent our days and nights always alert and trying to get out of the mess. The friction was inevitable. Luckily quite well resolved, although the tensions existed during and after the trip. The other crew members, and especially Marcos and Jorge, were the tempers. It is unusual how after discussions and / or fights somewhat strong and frequent, a true friendship has been born between the members of the group. They were very difficult moments that, although the grassroots gave us all the necessary support, we had to solve it ourselves with the limitations of the case.

Antarctica expedition on the Callas sailboat, PART 2

• Callas: a new Argentine base?

• Communications

• Little China and its people

• Shaft repair

• At the last minute

• We finally set sail

• Human antarctica

• To play with the icebergs

"Callas": A new Argentine base?

This fortuitous event, as it was that the axle bent with good luck that it was possible to repair it, allowed us to blind ourselves in many aspects. With the passing of the days we were becoming one more station on the island of May 25 (or King George). So much so that we received visits on a daily basis. This is how the head of the Polish base, the German scientists Peter and Klaus, the Brazilian mountaineer Douto, the head of the German researchers passed through the ship and on weekends Mario (Chilean postmaster) brought his friends to take photos on board. Needless to say, the Chinese visited us daily.

Communications

The communications were constant and we spoke both with the other bases, as with the passenger ships, of investigations, and by B.L.U. We were in constant contact with the Argentine Navy, Civil Defense, and radio amateurs, both from Ushuaia and Buenos Aires, who were in charge of calling our families. We also spoke with Pascal about the sailboat "Scherzzo", who, tired of the cold, left for the Caribbean and anchored in Martinique predicted a good Antarctic journey. The only thing we couldn't communicate with, except for V.H.F. It is with the Argentine Naval Prefecture. Obviously the B.L.U. They don't care about it and if there were guards to listen to it, I doubt they had it on. We called them 4 times a day during all the days of the trip. It is also unusual that we could communicate with Civil Defense (of the Government) and with the Navy and Radio amateurs, never to achieve it with them. They could save money and deactivate the service. We would save sailors time and we would know that in an emergency we would not have to count on them. It is worth clarifying that the antenna that the ship has is the stay aft of the mizzen. The frequencies varied according to the time of day. The South Atlantic navigators' wheel is very interesting, which starts at 6 pm. operates every day. With her, in addition to the gossip of friends, we learned the weather conditions they were going through. Weather charts and all the information one could possess were relayed. I remember the reports from "George", a Frenchman who was sailing towards Puerto Montt: (read with a French accent) "Ooo, be careful. A low speed coming, followed by 7 more low. Winds between 40 to 80 knots. From the North sectors, going west, south and then north east. All casualties will pass in 2 days. " It was terrifying, every time it appeared we tried not to listen. The "end of the world" was at hand and we were going to be the first to receive it. Over time we got used to it. Something unusual were the "Phone patches" that were achieved from Antarctica with sailboats that sailed along the Río de la Plata and carried a cell phone. To all of them, many thanks, especially to Victory 40 "Morón" who was returning from Florianópolis and called all the family members. On that occasion we were tied to a sunken whaler off Enterprise island and it was the first time in 45 days that I was able to hear Cecilia's voice. Alberto Culasiati was in charge of speaking with relatives who, on vacation or working, were in Buenos Aires. His team is in a very tall building and we would sometimes talk when he was flying over 3,000 feet. Needless to say, he copied it loud and clear. What did the prefecture do? Total unknown.

Little China and her people.

In appreciation of your courtesy, we would respond in an analogous way. We received them on the boat in small groups and exchanged different types of "Souvenirs", such as hats, T-shirts, coins and postcards and magazines. We also invited them to dinner but we did that on their own basis. This is how we cooked noodles (Chinese for "knot") for 35 people. We made 3 different sauces and a dessert. They for their part cooked a typical and very special dish. They invited us with a fish brought from China, of which they gave us only the heads and eyes to eat. Surprised and some a little disgusted, we savored such a delicacy while we looked askance as they ate the "spaghetti" and the rest of the fish. The fish's head and eyes contain a wide variety of properties with which they entertained us. Luckily the Chinese beer was abundant and excellent, so not so much a strong sorghum liquor that according to them comes from the family of the great "Confucius" (the name will come from the way the liquor hit it?) And it all concluded with "take out" (red rice wine) hot. The cultural exchange between both groups was great. They thought that the "Cultural Revolution" was a disaster and, among other things, they told us things such as the possibility of having only one child and, if there is another, the purchase of papers for someone who has died. According to the second head of the base and also the meteorologist, Xue Zhenhe, affectionately called by us "Skua", a normal salary, from the chief to the laborers, is 120.- dollars. They receive an extra 200 per month paid by the Chinese Antarctic Institute. The days passed in beautiful walks to the "Bellinghausen" (Russian) base, passing through the "Frei" (Chilean) base, where we stopped only as long as necessary. The Russians were excellent hosts, they gladly tried to straighten the shaft, which they did half-heartedly given the lack of a suitable lathe and more than once they invited us to lunch or dinner and of course to play pool. The most difficult part of this relationship was that few knew English and the majority understood some words of Spanish due to the Chilean television that all bases receive (Canal Estado de Chile). The Chilean base is also in charge of receiving the correspondence as well as gathering the one that goes out. They enabled mailboxes for the different bases. Sometimes we continued to the "Artigas" (Uruguayan) base where on Sundays there was a barbecue in the grill named "La Tablita", which they wisely roasted with shipwrecks. In fact, both his boss and the rest of the people received us as if we were true brothers.

Shaft repair

The days passed, between moments of enjoyment and true anguish. We had already communicated with Ushuaia and two axes were being prepared: one in Buenos Aires and another offered by Don Vicente Padin, a great pioneer-navigator from Tierra del Fuego. Prostrated by a terminal illness, he remembered that in his shed of old things there could be something that would serve us and thus with Danilo Clement and the radio amateurs we managed to get that shaft, with its corresponding propeller, on board the Bremer icebreaker which I would move to the Jubany base. Likewise, the Poles were not far behind and from the "Arctowski" base, consulted by Guillermo Tarapow, head of the "Jubany" base (Argentina), they invited us to bring our axis to fix it.

The Russians warned us of the different approaching ships and told us that the "Academik Shuleykin", the icebreaker in charge of replacing the base personnel, had a lathe suitable for the dimensions of our axis (32mm diameter per 1.70m long). After waiting 3 days for him, she appeared. She first she engaged in the complicated maneuver of making fuel trying not to spill anything. We were able to go up only after they finished this operation. She continued to change personnel and leave the supplies necessary for a year of life. It was at that moment that the Chief Engineer introduced us to the mechanic that he would try to make the best of our battered axle. Of course they invited us to lunch while they worked. We were given a guided tour of the entire ship by the deck captain. If on the one hand it was very interesting to see the modern construction of this Russian icebreaker made in Finland in 1982, I was tremendously disappointed to hear from the captain who sold us his pullovers, his "kubanka" (typical Russian fur hat) and even us offered his winter uniform. He invited us to have tea in his cabin and we chatted about what awaited him back in his homeland. Everything was like that, the girls we saw in the kitchen and who also worked in the officers' dining room tending the tables, made a few extra pesos serving the boys on the bases for a dollar. Sure, they couldn't charge much more with the $ 25 per month they received. On deck we watched as they had fun fishing and the ship was almost setting sail and they handed us the straightened axle. The farewell of such excellent people came that, although they invited us to come to their homes, we knew it was a farewell forever.

We finally set sail

In a quick maneuver, of three tides, we were able to position the axis and leave everything settled. The only thing missing was to have a high enough tide to leave the dock where we were moored. The issue was not easy given that we accommodated the boat with a tide of a little more than two meters. With the storms and the movement of the ship, it dug a small well, in the bed of pebbles, from which we had to get out. To all this at the time we did not realize that with the tide that we entered it was one of the largest of the mas and if we did not leave at any of the next 3 high tides it was very likely that we would stay in that place for more than 10 days. The work of getting it out was hard. We got it one night, almost at midnight, when we were about to give up. It was on the last try. With the engine at maximum, windlasses and winches at the maximum power of her and heeling the boat at about 30 degrees with the halyards on the ground, the boat was gaining a few centimeters and then moving a little more until she was able to leave. We were already afloat. Again we were free to roam Antarctica and, above all else, return to America.

Human antarctica

In that short time we had known an unsuspected Antarctica: the "human". I think that few are those who have access to live in different bases and share games, work, meals and talk about the problems that are had in each country. There we understood how much of a lie there is with the scientific works that are developed in this continent. For example the Russians were not doing any research work, even the automatic meteorological laboratory was out of service. They just spent their time in a decaying base with excellent communications equipment, which served to support their great fleet in the cold war era. Now they provide service by selling fuel to ships that request it with the usual risk that this represents to the ecosystem. Chile with a great desire to be the exclusive service providers; Korea merely occupies a place while developing some scientific project. Of course, the other countries cannot be outside, so more and more "scientific stations" arrive. Maintaining one of these bases varies depending on the case, but for Uruguay the figure is close to a million and a half dollars per year (salaries, food and logistics). For Russia with 25 to 30 dollars a month of salary and everything falling apart it cannot cost much. The Chinese are at the rate of $ 4 a day, although they have a lot of new equipment and it is certainly the best "science station" in South Shetland. The lust for power of many governments, or the thought of at least not running out of part of the cake, endangers this "virgin" continent. In worse condition are the "Yugo - Slavs" who, since they do not receive support from their governments (now they are two different), are dedicated to hose food and other elements in the other bases by means of their kayaks. This is how two of them disappeared during a storm on May 16, 1993. An Argentine patrol found the following note on a stranded ship on Nelson Island (Douthu Point): "WE LEFT THIS SHIP 11/8/1993". Written with an awl on cardboard. Apparently it was them, who, being close to the refuge, decided to reach it on foot through the glacier. All the rescue operations mounted by Argentina, Uruguay and other countries failed. Honestly, having that note in our hands made us shiver. To think that they were alive for several months while they were thought to be dead and also a few kilometers (5 km. Approx.) From the largest concentration of bases that exists in Antarctica, made us think a lot. We were ready to set sail for the Antarctic Peninsula. An uninhabited place compared to where we were.

To play with the Icebergs

After saying goodbye to the "Artigas" and "Jubany" bases, we arrived at "Decepción" and then continued to the "Primavera" base. The navigation was excellent but from there we had to be very attentive to the appearance of icebergs. We had already found broken glacier ice, but when we came across the first "Tabular" it was something majestic. With about 60 or 80 meters high we began to walk its front part of about 700 meters long. It is like running into a sailing island, with cliffside beaches that, from time to time, releases huge masses of ice that fall into the water, generating smaller icebergs and a large amount of broken ice. The sightings followed one another. The course that we had to keep was added the "slalom" between ice of all kinds or, failing that, abrupt changes of direction to avoid these "islands". During the second night we were ready to call at the "Primavera" base of the Argentine Army. Compass navigation was a bit difficult given the large amount of ice. So we were guided by the radar and especially by a dim light that was seen at a certain height where we calculated that the coast was. For a couple of hours we followed her. It matched the alleged location of the base. So we went to her making a thousand assumptions: would it be a ship ?, the base ?, an optical effect ?, and oddly enough, there was no shortage of someone who launched: - "Not being the bad light?". At 1:30 in the morning we stopped seeing her; We continue by radar avoiding icebergs and going around a lot. At one point the entire radar screen was white. That meant we had come across a seemingly impassable ice wall. We prefer to stop sailing and remain adrift with our icy companions. With the first hours of the day we begin to see what we call "The Spring Wall". Icebergs everywhere, some high, others rotating due to their lack of stability, collided with each other pushed by the wind and the current, the waves were in charge of moving the broken ice and all this was added by minke whales, Weddell seals and seals. Ross, and a few sea leopards basking in the sun. On the coast and like an alpine village, a series of orange buildings showed us that it was the base. VHF calls on channel 16 were not answered. Just at 8.30 a voice answered us that, in addition to welcoming us, gave us instructions to go around the ice. From about 100 meters above sea level, the radio station served as a control tower and guided us perfectly. In command of the operation was Captain Marcos Ramirez (Head of the base) who knew how to guide us perfectly with his course of ice. In an unusual way we moored the boat to an iceberg. "Gato" nailed a stake, Daniel passed a rope and together with Marcos they took turns not to get crushed between 3 other moles that moved smoothly, but were still tons of displacement, in all directions. The result was that we ripped the pulpit off the ship. Jorge, Gato and Becquer descended to the ground to say hello and explain that we would only stay 10 minutes since we were very late in our journey. Thus, when they were received by Sandra, Mónica and Gabriela, from the group of scientists at the base, the plans changed quickly. Our stay lasted for little more than a day and we can say that it was one of the most beautiful places we visited. To the typical Antarctic landscape, we must add an exuberant animal life, with slopes covered in green and even some flowers. Regarding animal life, it seems that in this bay all the species gathered to show in a few seconds, as a quick publicity, what can be found in the rest of the peninsula.
If we add to this that it was one of the rare days with sun, without wind and people who were very cordial, rather than "spring" it seemed like "paradise". After the usual delivery of the expedition flag and other gifts, we received the invitation to shower, have lunch, walk and of course stay for dinner. As a farewell, diplomas were handed out, correspondence sealed, and we received crates of wine and other supplies. At the radio station and trying to remove the thorn that had been left through the night before, on the subject of "bad light", I launched into the air: "Who was the last to go to sleep?" . With an innocent "I" from the mouth of the station operator, we single out the person responsible for leaving us without a guide. Sure, the last one turned off the light; Total, who can walk around in a place like that?

Photography

This subject was a great unknown to us. The experience I had in nautical photography and the transfer of equipment on sailboats for more than 14 years did not give me the necessary security. Consulted several specialists all recommended to be very careful with cells and batteries since low temperatures quickly account for them. This is how I limit myself to taking 3 Canon A-1s that, although old, give good results. They even continued to function after a dip in seawater and after a crashing wave on the Drake washed the other. Also from the game were a Nikonos IV-A (underwater) and its flash and a Canon Weathermatic 135 mm for snapshot type use. As for Video we have 2 Panasonic AG-455 from Super-VHS. It was timely given that one of the machines was planted. The other, despite being wet several times with sea water, continued to work. The batteries were going down fast. It is good to calculate a yield of almost 50%. More than 10 hours of video were recorded and the biggest problem was the tapes that got wet and the temperature changes. Especially when the cold entered a heated place with high humidity that caused the machines to condense the humidity, stopping working. The problem itself arose from cold to heat and not vice versa. As a professional photographer, Beccquer Casaballes brought Leica M-3 and M-4 cameras and two Pentax (K1000 and Z-10). In addition to various lenses and filters. An important point to keep in mind is that sunny days are almost non-existent. Gray, rainy or snowy days are the most frequent. The films were the new Kodak Ektachrome Select 100x and Fuji's Velvia 50 ASA. The light was enough.

Enterprise Island, Cuverville Port and Paradise Bay

Leaving "Primavera" was hard but necessary. There were many miles ahead that we had to cover more or less quickly. The first call, if we could find it, would be at Port SVEND FOYN, on Enterprise Island. According to data from another sailboat there was a sunken hull that could serve as a dock. Arriving at night, or with little light, to an island that is not known, with nautical charts that are not very reliable, since stones, shallows and islands appear where they are not, to encompass a sunken ship (which for something sank, leaving part out of the water) is not the easiest to do but we did it. This bay was used as a natural harbor for whalers and wolfhounds. This whaler sank in 1916 and is the "GOVERNOREN" of Norway. We found harpoons, blocks and a salamander that were incorporated into our sailboat with the idea of ​​taking them to the Ushuaia museum. Going around the surroundings we find "vitas" (amare stakes) stuck in the rocks and nearby islets as well as the remains of a caldera, what was a deposit of barrels and in a nearby islet, 2 alije vessels and 3 smaller boats. Everything gave the impression that the activity continued, at least until after the Second World War, with the ship serving as a pontoon. With a heavy snowfall we set off for "Cuverville Port" on Cuverville Island. When I refer to these types of ports, it is worth remembering that our boat does not exceed 15 meters in length. They could be called marinas and it meets the status of port because it can be anchored or moored to land (to a rock or sunken ship) and has protected waters. But by no means think of a typical port where a passenger ship can enter unless she wants to run the risk of staying forever and becoming another point of attraction. Although we planned to land, we continued on. Which we deeply regret given that near the "DANCO" refuge (about 4 miles away) a cordial female voice called us by radio inviting us to stop at "Cuverville Port" where we would be gladly received. Faced with our unusual refusal, she insisted, saying that there was a large quantity of Vodka and coffee and that we should not worry about the rest. She was an Australian who, together with a Canadian and a group from the University of Cambridge, were studying the environmental impact that tourism produces on the island's penguins, birds and animals. I don't really know why they chose that island since tourists don't go there. Well, they will know. Navigation to the site was entirely by radar. It snowed all the way and next to a glacier wall, about 15 miles long, it was necessary to avoid icebergs and broken ice. It was one of the most unusual navigations that I did in my life. After lunch it was my watch. I settled into the steering wheel as we drove along with Major and Yankee. Snow was gathering on the inside of the sail and falling suddenly. The booms, in addition to snow, had ice and all the shrouds and steel cables were covered with a layer of ice. Everything on deck was covered with about 10 cm. of snow. It wasn't very cold. Inside we kept at least 14 to 16º C. The radar next to the G.P.S. they guided us wonderfully. As we approached land, navigation became a view of the coast but aided by radar. The G.P.S. it became unreliable. We pass the "DANCO" refuge, totally abandoned, accompanied by a group of "minke" whales. In my life I thought I was going to see so many whales. The sightings were already several times a day and we usually saw them in groups. I was always quite afraid of these mammals, which in my opinion are one of the greatest dangers that a sailboat can encounter. But I must be frank: the whales approached a few meters from the boat, studied us and then continued to accompany us for a while but at a greater distance. Entering Bahía Paraíso, a group of minke played moving from one side of the ship to the other and crossing the bow as dolphins usually do. I can't imagine what would have happened if an unintended collision happened. Luckily it never happened.

Water temperature

In Ushuaia the temperature sometimes reaches 13 degrees inside the bay and a meter deep. As we sailed south it steadily descended. This is how a few miles from Cape Horn it was 5 degrees and then down to 2 degrees due to Deception and one degree already in the vicinity of the Peninsula. Near Bahía Paraíso the temperature at a depth of one meter dropped to -2º C. and this continued in several places. On the surface, the fresh water from the glaciers froze in large patches. The icebergs were everywhere. It was there that we decided to test the tightness of the MUSTO Offshore wetsuits. At first I almost drowned. When floating in the water I noticed that the legs floated too much and thanks to the shallow depth where we carried out the first test, it did not float upside down. Then I realized that the amount of air that one needs under the abdomen is regulated with the belt, thus allowing the excess to pass towards the torso. If the accumulated air is too much with the valve one manages to deflate it; you have to proceed in the same way to inflate it. Not only can you float, but it also allows you to take a few strokes without water entering. The hermetic closure and both the cuffs and the neck are totally watertight. Without pretending to be anti-exposure I could swim and not feel cold in waters at -2º C. with Musto underwear. I only had problems with my hands that were turning brown and in excruciating pain. The rest were with an optimal result. The tests were carried out 5 times, swimming and climbing icebergs, boats and going ashore. No water entered and he did not feel cold.

Expedition to Antarctica on the Callas sailboat, PART 3

Callas on his journey through Antarctica

Base Brown

Accompanied by a "minke" whale, we passed the "DANCO" refuge, which was completely alone. At almost 9:00 p.m., we arrived at Bahía Paraíso, where the Almirante Brown Scientific Station of the General Directorate of the Antarctic is located. The arrival was majestic. On the horizon almost south of the water a small orange square was visible. We were surrounded by 7 "minke" whales that only left before the arrival of the rubber boat from the base that was going to guide us to the most suitable place to anchor. While there wasn't much ice on our way, we found a worse thing: patches of frozen water. We measure the temperature of the sea; It was at -2º C. The southern summer was ending and it indicated that we should return soon. Again the reception at the "Brown" base was exceptional. There, among other activities, we celebrated the birthday of one of the crew: Daniel Kuntschik. The head of the base, Lic. José Francisco Gallo, turned out to be the best pizza maker in Antarctica. We had already enjoyed this specialty in every Argentine base we arrived at, but honestly it would have to be decorated. One pizza after another came out of that little kitchen and, for the good of all, no two were alike. This base suffered a fire that destroyed the central building, where several commercials were filmed. The causes were apparently intentional. It turns out that a few years ago one of the occupants decided to purify the place and one fine day he set fire to the base. Since then it has remained somewhat small. A small laboratory near the burned building and a shed that houses the kitchen, a bathroom, dining room and living room, and upstairs the bedroom for its 13 occupants. Really unfortunate conditions that we could only appreciate in abandoned shelters. The way to make water is that of the first Antarctic pioneers: look for ice and melt it. After going to the bathroom, one must go down to the sea, on slippery stones, to collect a bucket of water and "flush the toilet." I sincerely believe that these survival conditions do not help any scientific research work, no matter how hard the scientists try. In any case, Margarita and Gabriela, along with the other boys from the base, insisted on showing us that: "although the house is small, the heart is big." So we spent an excellent night where the birthday party even had a cake with a bonnet and party favors. Although on the other hand we had to take turns using a knife and fork since there were not for everyone simultaneously. Occupy a space with a scientific shield? Is such a base deployment worth it, or would it be preferable to concentrate all efforts on 3 or 4 bases leaving the rest? Questions that will not be answered.

Port Charcot

From Bahía Paraíso we were accompanied by three "minke" whales and with a gentle rain, which later turned into snow, towards Booth Island. Our intention was to land at the same place where the great French navigator Charcot wintered. Antarctic pioneer who arrived for the first time in 1903 with the "Le Francais" (later bought by Argentina, becoming the Austral with the intention of being used for the resupply of Orkney) and in 1908 with the Pourquai Pas ?. Landfall at the site was a bit difficult given that a strong wind from the N.E. It took us in a direct direction but it also did the same with the icebergs. The result was that we had to continue and anchor on the other side of the island. On the other hand, what we could observe with our eyes and the radar had little to do with what was represented on the charts. Islets, stones and even large islands or bays were not listed, and if they were listed they were in another position. It is true that everyone warns of this problem but it is very different to be living it and with enough uncertainty to make the boat pass through where theoretically there are stones, dodging icebergs and fighting with waves and winds of 50 km. per hour. On one occasion, near the coast, we found ourselves surrounded by stones and islets. According to the defeat that we continued with the G.P.S. There should be nothing, but the concrete thing was that we turned around to try to get out the way we entered and look for a new step. On the mount of Booth Island we saw the "cairn" placed by Charcot in its first wintering and that until now is maintained. In addition to being a reference point, it was (and is) used to leave correspondence or messages to other vessels. This is how we left a couple of letters to see what happens with them. We also find part of a shelter built with stones and the remains of boilers and various installations. "Adelie" penguins (named after Mr. Charcot in memory of his wife, I hope he took it well) and two-haired wolves kept us company. We were quite uncomfortable that night. It turns out that after anchoring at the stern and mooring us to two rocks on land, the tide began to go out. Strong gusts from the northeast push us toward the coast while riding a rock. The keel began to beat but we could no longer get it out of the stranding. At about 2 in the morning the ship was completely lying on the stones on the port side. Every so often a wave made it float a little to hit again heavily. I went out to see how the rubber boat was but it rested almost dry on the keel, we had left it tied to the starboard side. Nothing could be done so is to continue sleeping on the port side.

"Kodak" Channel

According to those connoisseurs of Antarctic issues, this area is one of the most picturesque; so much so that the Le Maire Strait is known as the "Kodak Channel". We went there. The show is awesome. High, glacier-covered peaks drop steeply into the sea. Thousands of icebergs of all shapes, broken ice of all kinds and whales (humpbacks and minke), penguins and seals accompanied us all the way, which, just in case, we did it twice. If we've ever seen anything dazzling in life, I think this is the place. To complete our amazement at our bow we sighted a red sailboat. It was the French sailboat "Metapassion" that Michele and George have been sailing for 15 years, although this is the first time in Antarctica. George came to visit us and after recommending a couple of places, including the English base Faraday given the abundance of beer, we said goodbye to Ushuaia.

The English base.

The landing at Faraday was easy and the natural harbor is really excellent. This base is located in the group of islands known as "Islas Argentinas". In the ultramodern base, until a year ago they had dogs that were eliminated given the recommendations of the Antarctic treaty (it limits the introduction of non-indigenous animals). The scientific base depends on the British Antarctic Survey and its 10 men are from different universities (most from Cambridge). The 35-year-old chief received us very kindly, inviting us to visit the base after 7:00 p.m. . Until then, work is done and visits are carried out for later. Obviously, we visited the facilities, which are excellent. It was, without a doubt, the most modern base that we found and meticulously equipped and orderly. But the biggest surprise was upstairs. In that place, in addition to the kitchen and the library, there is a typical English "Pub". With an excellent carved wooden bar, it has everything from the classic dart game to stools, leather armchairs, windows throughout, video and an excellent variety of lagers and stouts. With 24 cans in our stomach (won the championship), and 6 in our pockets, for the boat trip to the sailboat, we went to sleep. In the morning we planned to go to "Port Lockroy" where there is also an English base, but abandoned. By inviting them to visit the ship they showed great interest in doing so, of course, in England sailing is something natural. Whether because of tradition, history or because they live on an island, sailing is part of their life. Although we have a great coastline or live on the Big Island of Tierra del Fuego, we look at the sea only thinking with our stomachs: eat squid, spider crab or cholgas. This is how their boss authorized everyone to go on a rotating schedule. Throughout the morning we dedicated ourselves to inviting tea and explaining, time after time, the specifications of the sailboat, our journey and what Tierra del Fuego was like. After noon we set sail. Again a gray, rainy day, from time to time it snowed. When will the sun rise? We ask loudly. Colin, the base meteorologist, told us not to wait for that to happen; only 25 days a year appears "febo". We looked at him with such a face of incredulity and disappointment at the same time, that with his very British phlegm he assured us that even in London there were more opportunities to take photos in the sun. With a smile on his face he commented: "- Of course, everyone takes pictures when the sun is out. That way, those who have never been, get the impression that in Antarctica there are only palm trees and a little more temperature; but the reality is this. " He continued with his tea slowly and looking at the bottom of the cup, as if he were trying to guess when the "sun" would rise. As in most other bases the staff rotates, by contract, every 2 years. Unlike the other bases, they leave the service with an average of 150,000.- dollars saved. This station, like another on the Weddell Sea, will be abandoned in 1996. It no longer makes sense to maintain them, as their operating cost is high. The meteorological measurements they carry out can be made by automated laboratories. The other experiences can be continued elsewhere. I actually think they are practical: when the Antarctic Treaty is renewed for another 50 years, it doesn't make much sense to be spending money in custody of something that, if they want, they take it when they feel like it. We leave with some satisfaction and sadness. After having reached the southernmost latitude of this trip (65 ° 15 'South) and having become the Argentine sports sailboat to get further south (which does not prove anything, except that if you have the desire and time you can do ), we started back. In reality our intention was to advance further, which we had to put aside due to the loss of time we suffered repairing the axis and the state of the ice that began to block the passage. So much so that on the radio we heard how the Icebreaker A.R.A. Irizar, along with two other Englishmen, were unable to advance.

Shelters and abandoned bases

As we passed Peterman Island we saw the abandoned Argentine refuge and two people skiing on the glacier wall. They immediately took off their jackets and greeted effusively. Yes, Michelle and George fully living Antarctica; in a small bay we saw the "Metapassion" moored to the shore. Once again we arrived at Puerto Charcot, where we stayed a whole day enjoying the good weather. While some were dedicated to photography, "Gato" skied, Marcos and Daniel accounted for the garbage by incinerating it and Jorge set about preparing the boat for the crossing: changing the oil in the engine, filters and much more. Port Lockroy gave us a surprise: anchored in the bay we found the "Metapassion". Luckily we had one of the few sunny days we had during the trip (4 in total) and we spent a walk, touring the abandoned base at the beginning of the 60s and doing the equipment test work that had been requested. . We found a couple of places where whales were disposed of. Huge skeletons and semi-destroyed boxes occupied by penguins, were the remains left by man. This port, recognized for the first time by Charcot, was used by whalers and wolfhounds. The base kept from buckets with coal to feed the stoves, cabinets full of various semi-rusty preserves and even magazines and books in the bar. Outside, the remains of smaller boats followed the rusted and semi-rotting fuel drums that now serve as protection for the penguins (Gentoo) to nest. Nature slowly recovering a space that belonged to her. Why not disarm them? The answer to this is interesting. According to the governments, it is important to leave them armed since they can be used in an emergency. Actually an answer that for those who do not know the place can make sense. In this case, just a couple of kilometers away are the Dorian Bay shelters. One is Argentine and the other English.

Dorian bay

Again we find the French ship "Metapassi ¢ n" anchored near the shore. At about 100 meters we put the "Callas" and go down to land. With George and Michelle, who were coming from skiing, we arranged to have a barbecue before dark. The Argentine refuge keeps a couple of "snowcats" and some tools. On the other hand, the English refuge is equipped so that a dozen people can live comfortably in it. It has kitchen utensils, kerosene lanterns, flashlights, equipment to make water, food of all kinds, tools, beds, warm clothes, a library and even paper and an envelope to send mail. Of course the grill was in the Argentine refuge. The dinner lasted for several hours and after the "barbecue", followed by French marine songs that Michelle sang while George accompanied her on the harmonica. Without a doubt it was the most unusual night we spent in Antarctica. Something like the farewell. I remember what Georges and Michelle told us about their first sailing: "We hadn't read any books, to any of the celebrities, we just wanted to sail. So we bought the boat and went out. The wind began to increase more and more. . We were shrinking sails. Michelle asked me: Is this a storm? How would I know. We have never been in one before, so we waited to see what happened. Later we found out that it was a very strong storm. We were glad we had gone without realizing our first storm. " Writer of 2 books, one of the advice that he gives in the first book of his, within the list of things to be very careful, is: "Beware of books." There he recounts how it was that in a moment of emergency he sought help in a famous book by Eric Taberly, "Manual of Maneuvers" and thanks to that, be it due to misinterpretation or whatever, he almost lost the boat. He maintains: "You have to be sensible and practical. In an emergency you don't have to read a book but see what happens to the boat to solve it." He has been sailing for 15 years with his wife and his great sense of humor. They have two grown children, one an engineer and the other a doctor, and they are now grandparents. They plan to dedicate a few more years to this way of life so that they can enjoy the world that God has given them. I don't know if you have to imitate them, I think it would be impossible given how particular they are, but it is worth knowing and learning from them.

More whales

With little wind and almost all the time by motor, we headed towards the Melchior archipelago where there is an abandoned Argentine base. During the journey, taking advantage of the very calm sea, we dedicated ourselves to taking photos and filming. Large numbers of seals and birds constantly surrounded us. The change in attitude that we found in the fauna of the peninsula was incredible. They approached friendly without the slightest fear of the man. We saw the sea leopards hunting penguins a few meters from us; as well as the skuas killing a tern in the air. Predators and predators approached us with total ignorance of who is the greatest predator in the world: precisely us. The biggest show was given to us by a large group of killer whales and two humpback whales. It was very close to Melchior at 1735 and lasted about 30 minutes. First we saw the unmistakable fins of the humpbacks. Nearby a group of killer whales made up of 1 male and 3 females swam in circles rapidly. Another group of killer whales (2 males and 4/5 females) began to zigzag closer to the humpbacks. At the bow of the sailboat a third group (3 males and 5 females) appeared and swam quickly to cut off the whales. The show was awesome. Different tactics were using attackers and attacked. Sudden dives followed by impressive jumps. The fins of the killer whales went by at high speed always trying to surround the "humpbacks". These, in a desperate defense, decided to seek refuge near the sailboat and they located one on each side. It was at this moment that a large male killer whale suddenly appeared leading a mass attack. We felt sorry for the poor whales, but the fight was going on so close to us that we feared for the integrity of the sailboat. The whales, without being intimidated, charged at full speed to the group of orcas that suddenly decided to retreat. We did not understand what happened. We really thought we were witnessing the end of the "yubartas". In reality it would have been a link in the food chain. But; Why did the killer whales give up their attack when they were so numerous? Will they have continued later? Questions without answers; situation to which Antarctica was getting us used to.

Melchior and the return.

The landfall at Melchior was the last on the "white continent." There we completed the water tanks and waited for the weather reports to start the crossing of the Drake. She snowed constantly and the cold was intense. Thus and all we remove the floors of the ship and generalize a shower for the entire crew. While we still didn't get to smell like buffalo, we had at least 7 days of sailing left. During them, fresh water should be scrupulously cared for. The thermo tank works with the engine and gas oil stoves giving a good amount of hot water. Then we pump the bilge and take the opportunity to wash the boat well. On the way out, we met the French sailboat "Kikilistrion" that had come from crossing the Drake. According to Oliver, her skipper, everything had worked well and in less than 6 days she had been able to cross. At the same time we listened to Allex on the radio, from the sailboat "Croix St. Paul", which was taking refuge near Cape Horn with winds exceeding 150 km / hour. Between the departure of the "Kikilistrion" and the attempt of the "Croix St.Paul" there had only been 24 hours difference.

Again the Drake.

With this uncertainty, we left for Tierra del Fuego, speculating that at some point the wind would rotate west or southwest. At the moment it was snowing and a gentle breeze from the northeast forced us to pull edges from the beginning. The pronounced tidal wave again reaped its first victims. The truth is that we had almost 5 days of winds from north to north west; that is to say from the bow. We started a rapid advance towards home, since it blew between 30 to 45 knots. Unfortunately moving away from the direct course and getting to pass the Island of the States. There we turned to the west and of course the west wind appeared. In short, it was a long and eventful journey. But thanks to the meteorologists from the Marambio base we had a great time. They were able to warn us that if we continued to Cape Horn the force of the wind would be greater. This is how we stayed almost a whole day keeping the same position until the storm passed. They also warned us of a storm in the Beagle Channel and even when the sun was going to appear; which he did in the middle of the trip, for a few hours and with an excellent nightfall. The 540 miles that separated us from Cape Horn were made 992 miles to Puerto Williams; for which we use 8 days and 2 hours. Although there are never two equal moments on the high seas, the situation was similar to the one-way crossing. Without really understanding why, "Gato" broke down again. The rest also suffered something in one way or another, but all were able to navigate. The only thing they refused was to accompany me with the fried eggs with bacon or ham that I like for breakfast, except for Jorge, who was on fire in all of them. From the bunks you could hear shouting: "Don't be mother fu ..., how can you eat that". In short, everything unfolded normally.

Breakages, repairs, and clothing

The motor and shaft apparently had no further problems. If the problem was with the exhaust pipe that was beheaded. This caused us to have to navigate with the door ajar but soot got everywhere. We arrived in Ushuaia with a black color but not precisely because of the sun. The HOOD canopy worked well. The only defect was that in the major we had to replace almost all the garruchos. I think the trinquetilla is the best invention for sailing in the sea or with a lot of wind. As for the clothing provided by the MUSTO firm, both the water suits, the fleece, the underwear and the boots were excellent. At no time were we cold. Actually it even suffocated us a bit. The suits used were the two-piece Offshore and the one-piece Ocean. This, without having the pretensions of anti-exposure, was light and in the water we could stay afloat and swim without water entering. The M1 boots like the M2 were excellent. Not only on top of the ship but we use them all over Antarctica. Nothing to do with the rest known. One of the ideal things was underwear. We have never used it but it is an excellent result. Offshore suits have a hood with fleece, double hermetic closure with a very good fit on the face. Fleece collar and "hand warmer". In other words, a fleece-lined pocket that serves to warm your hands quickly. The closure of the pants on the boot is magnificent. It takes a lot of water to get wet. The hood with fleece is ideal. We have never seen such well thought out clothes with excellent materials. None suffered the slightest breakage. The water sacks and pants were worn both sailing and for constant use throughout Antarctica. We did not use any of the other jackets supplied by different firms.

The last miles

After a quick shower at the Milcavi Yacht Club, we continued to Ushuaia, luckily in tow of the tourist catamaran "Angel MB" which took us to more than 9 knots. It was a blessing since with the South West fort that we had we would have arrived well into the night. We were ignorant of the reception they had organized. About 20 miles from the bay of Ushuaia we were escorted by the speedboats of the Navy (Barranqueras and Concepción del Uruguay) and the GC 80 of the PNA. Closer, were also present the sailboats of the nautical club, the boat "Surubí "of the Governor, in addition to boats and a large number of curious and family on the dock. I especially remember Don Vicente Padin, who in his wheelchair, already in what was his last exit from his deathbed, asked to be taken to meet us. According to him, he told us he wanted to do it sailing but his wife and his relatives refused to do it. This pioneer navigator from Ushuaia drove from log rafts through the Beagle Channel, to sailboats, boats and ships, reaching more than 367 dispatches during the same year, that is, arriving from Ushuaia more than once a day. But the biggest shock I received was to see the green color of the forests of Tierra del Fuego again. I had finished my watch around 11pm as we approached Picton Island. When I wake up the next day I notice that there is sun and I look out the window. The first thing I saw was a dense forest of lengas with very green foliage. We were sailing across Picton Island very close to shore. The impression was tremendous. The black and white of Antarctica was still etched on his retina. Here a new world was discovered: that of the sub-Antarctic forest. Gone was the dreaded and stormy Drake Passage. Perhaps the most dangerous that exists for any navigator. Thanks to him, Antarctica was protected from man for centuries. Now technical advances allow ever easier crossovers. Tourism increases year after year as well as the presence of new countries. With a bottle of Champagne we celebrate our return. We were not the same ones who had left. Many things changed within us and many more will change as time goes by. But we all understood something already: "This continent without inhabitants to displace, without the wars and massacres that meant the formation of each country in America, without subsequent claims on who are the true owners of the land, is in the sights of all governments. of the world.

Let's hope they don't destroy it and that it can stay the same as the Antarctica that Amundsen, Shackleton, Scott, Charcot or Ensign Sobral saw earlier this century. For future generations.

EXPEDITION TO THE ANTARDITE ON THE CALLAS SAILBOAT, PART 4

Cape Horn, just one more step

Anchored in Caleta Martial we received a visit from Jean Paul Bassaget who on board the "Ksar" was taking tourists to the Cape and from Allex who with the "Croix St. Paul" was taking tourists to Antarctica. With the latter we planned to cross the Drake together. The Crox St. Paul was a maxi racer prepared for the Whitebread, which never got to participate. Bought by Allex, in France, she was refurbished to work on charters. This year she had two trips to Antarctica planned. He also sails with his family and his little son is always happy to cross the Drake, since in this way he is saved from the distance primary classes that he does to continue with the French schooling. As we can see, this of the Drake is something very subjective. We looked at each other as if asking: either this kid was a superman or the parents were crazy, which is more feasible than the first, or this is child's play. After embracing "Callas", Allex studied with us the letters of the time. The report was encouraging and much more so was the fact that when we contacted Héctor, radio operator of the Jubany base, he gave us the forecast prepared by the Marambio base, which predicted a few hours of very good weather. This first communication was made by BLU in 4490. It is always useful to have the frequencies of the bases. Again we decided to wait a bit and after dinner we started sailing south. At 10:10 pm, the two sailboats left Caleta Martial. At 0020 'on January 13 we left behind the mythical "Cape Horn" and in our bow we only had 442 miles of the most feared sea on the planet. We had planned to enter the Fleet Sea off Smith Island. Being the highest of those that make up the South Shetlands, it was recommended to us to make the landfall. The truth is that we never saw it since low clouds and fogs only allowed us to navigate the area by radar. We notified Radio Hornos of our passage and the direction we were going. They congratulated us and after giving us the forecast they reminded us of the frequencies in which they listen to H.F. The internal temperature of the boat dropped from 22.5º C to 18º C. Outside the thermometer did not rise above 11 degrees and the water temperature had dropped by 3 degrees, it was only 8º C. At 2.30 we had a drink with "Gato" the guard. After half an hour I was alone. The rough sea that very often surrounds the "cape", claimed its first victim. Waves 2 to 3 meters across, with a crest breaking, made navigation a bit uncomfortable. The wind asserted from the S.W. at 30 knots; we put the yankee away and left only the mizzen and the pitchfork. The ship at 5/6 knots of speed was advancing rapidly. By this time Allex's "maxi-racer" had disappeared from our bow. She should be moving at 9/10 knots.

Drake's passage

Petrels and the gigantic Cape Wandering Albatrosses began to appear early in the morning. A fascinating spectacle. He had dreamed more than once with this image recounted in many navigational books, but the reality surpassed any fantasy. Watching them fly with those immense wings, their tips brushing the crest of the waves, was majestic. According to the legends, killing one of these bugs is a bad omen, the truth is that they hunted them wildly and in addition to eating them they took advantage of the feathers (duvet), with their legs they made bags for tobacco; with long bones punches, needles and mouthpieces, and in many museums in Europe you can see the beak placed on wood as a trophy. This was the beginning of a navigation of who knows how many days towards an unknown and uninhabited land, except for men confined in their bases. Only place where a man can live. This continent does not support the development of human life. Only some birds and marine mammals have it as a natural habitat and remain in it throughout the year. This perspective made us feel like astronauts in a small capsule preparing to land on another planet. In the middle, a sea with very bad press, served as an uninhabitable space. On this first day others began to follow one another, with the same internal feeling, although the external conditions were constantly changing. The waters near the "cape" are very chaotic. The Pacific finds a very abrupt change in depth and the classic extended wave of this sea begins to compress and have waves with breakers. Just 60 miles offshore the depths vary from several thousand meters to a few hundred to quickly reach the Cape Horn archipelago. This land is the only one that the sea encounters as it turns around the world. In a few words: we dance beautifully. ”She remembered Cecilia's intentions to accompany us on this journey, luckily she was saved from it. Although the consequences were not greater, I remember that when we finished the crossing I was full of bruises from the successive blows that he gave me with the lurching, either while steering or cooking.

Dizzy?

Among the positive things we had on board was that despite the movement the boat behaved perfectly well and the most important thing was that neither tried to deceive the other, or himself, how he felt and what state he was in. In many ocean regattas I had to listen: "No, this never happened to me, I must have liked the salami that I ate the day before yesterday." The excuse of how bad you feel about the food you eat is unusual. In fact, one expels them for a simple matter of dizziness or total "jumble". The reason, in general, is a combination of factors that may or may not be present in different amounts: lack of habit of movement, nerves, stress, poor sleep, inadequate nutrition, cold and often simply "shit." The truth is that it is quite normal but it seems silly not to admit it and, even worse, to disguise it with other conditions such as indigestion. On the other hand, it tends to happen very often, when you have not sailed for a long time, and usually as soon as you marinate, seasickness is left behind.But crossing the Drake, with its sinister fame, has many of the ingredients already mentioned. . The few more than 440 miles of sea that separate Cape Horn from South Shetland make up the region in the world most feared by all sailors, from the first one who passed through them.

Characteristics of this Strait.

Thousands of ships disappeared in those waters. In fact, by leaving no traces, it is not clear where the shipwreck happened but storms exist and waves exist as well. It is true that the situation that exists in the Drake is very particular for each type of boat and in turn for each person. But if we look at the situation objectively, we have that the low pressure centers in summer follow each other between 36 to 72 hours. Simply put, it means a chance of a storm every 2 to 3 days. But although the wind is strong (60% winds of 40 knots; 20% of 60 knots and the rest that varies from calm to 80 knots with a 5% chance of hurricane force winds) it is not so much and less for a good boat prepared. There were no great experts in the crew and we all made the crossing for the first time. The truth is that the "Callas" took us and brought us without major problems. The speed with which the casualties pass, is given by the position of the high pressure centers that are in the north of the Drake; one on each side of the Andes mountain range (one in the South Pacific, the other in the South Atlantic). For this same situation in the lower third of the Drake it may be blowing southeast at 25 knots while in the center of the strait there may be about 35 knots from the west, to have near Cape Horn 70 knots from the northwest. All simultaneously. This means a storm at the Cape, a shaky center of the Drake, and an almost calm arrival in Antarctica. Thus, on the same day there can be three different situations depending on the location of the boat. Of course, there may be a storm with hurricane-force winds throughout the strait, which occurs in less than 5% in the year. According to the statistics, the winds from the southwest are frequent with an intensity of 40 knots in 60% of the year; with a 20% probability they ensure that the wind reaches 60 knots and the rest is distributed among the other possibilities. Although everyone affirms that the prevailing wind in the area is from the southwest / south sector, the north wind occurs very frequently and especially the northwest, with intensity from strong to very strong (40 knots) which can last several days, 10 or more. This is exactly what happened to us, unfortunately when we returned. There are many sailors who comment on the same as the case of the "Pequod" (by Hernán Alvarez Forn) and the "Oviri", among many others. It is worth rescuing the rowing crossing of the "Sweet Tomatoe" registered in the "Guinness" book. This "rowing" boat specially designed for tumbling is 8 meters long and carried auxiliary sails. With him they crossed the Drake passage in 1988. They speculated to have 10 days of north wind, which would be warned by meteorological reports from the US, the truth is that they crossed it and with winds from the northeast to the northwest. According to gossip they did everything under sail. The boat was brought back from Antarctica to Puerto Williams by a Chilean ship. This clearly shows us that the north wind in summer is present with great intensity and duration.

Waves more waves.

The waves are also particular to each part of the Drake. In general lines you can see a long and majestic wave from the Pacific. When it reaches Cape Horn, it breaks down into shorter waves and sometimes with a breaker due to the great change in depth. To this wave must be added the waves produced by the wind and storms. The sea can become "chaotic" when we add to this the wave that occurs when the wave rebounds against land and takes an almost opposite direction. The truth is that we saw majestic sea waves, very high, it would be difficult for me to calculate their height since the distance between wave and wave was great (about 100 to 150 meters). But that obviously must be a real problem for the big ships and not for us who raised and lowered them as if we were a seagull resting in the sea. It gave the sensation of being in a mountain landscape, since from the crest of one wave you could see the valley to the other wave and also several others with their extended and pronounced valleys between them. In no sea in the world did I come to appreciate such a spectacle. It was something sublime. If we talk about height it is possible that they have calmly passed 12 or 14 meters but be careful: I am not talking about a breaking wave like Hawaii for surfing. But something placid and exciting. At times of storm we pass waves of about 5 to 6 meters high that were on these waves. Those were the real waves that gave us spray and shook us a lot. Towards South Shetlands this swell changes as the current comes from the Antarctic Peninsula. In the Fleet Sea (between Shetland and the Peninsula), although there is still the climate of the Drake, the waves are short and the wave is small. On the contrary, towards Cape Horn or the island of the States, the sea is quite chaotic as a result of the rebound of the Pacific wave against land, as we have already mentioned, aggravated by storms and strong currents.

Internal barometer.

But all this would be nothing to any sailor if it were not that the sun usually shines by the absence of it. Every time he showed up it was a real party. I think that I express myself badly since it only appeared 4 hours during the 6 days that we delayed in the crossing of the passage to the return and on the way out it did so for almost more than 10 hours. Don Pedro Margalot, a great expert in these seas, had advised us well. Australes, that the greatest uneasiness is produced by the eternal gray of the sky and the leaden gray of the sea. When the sun appears, everything takes on another aspect. The blue of the sky turned to a whitish blue towards the horizon where it contrasted with the deep navy blue of the sea. Immediately the internal barometer of the crew members changed with this color. It coincided, in both cases, with a decrease in the intensity of the wind and therefore a more serene sea, but I think it could have continued blowing with everything that the result would have been the same: happy faces and general improvement of the ailments and mood . Of course, it is not like taking the clothes out to dry in the wind, but if you can go out to take some sun under the shelter of the float. The subject of temperature is something important. We did not have very low marks in any of the crosses. Inside the ship it never dropped below 10 degrees, the outside always above zero. We usually maintained a temperature of 17 to 20 degrees, although there were a couple of days that given the muddy water that they sold us with some Gas Oil, at the Orión plant in Ushuaia, we ran out of stoves. We had to wait for it to calm down a bit and by decanting the mud, we loaded Gas Oil without water in the tank that feeds the stoves. Luckily Jorge had brought drums with filtered fuel that got us out of more than one trouble. It is also worth clarifying that at both crossings it was never necessary to steer in the cockpit. If we did it a couple of times, it was for pleasure. The same did not happen on the peninsula when we were avoiding ice or entering ports since we had better maneuverability with the big wheel as well as better vision.

From the logbook.

Sometimes it is incredible what one writes without realizing it. At the moment they may seem disconnected notes, but afterwards they all maintain a sense, sometimes terrifying.

Thursday 13-01-94. "... 4.30 hours We have only 394 miles to go to Smith Island. Jorge and Marcos take over from me. 12.55 No one had lunch, I prepared boiled potatoes and cabbage salad so that the thing stays inside the stomach but I am the one The only one who has lunch. I leave for someone else but they are all half dead. I have some wines while I listen to Pavarotti and Frank Sinatra, what an old man. I am enjoying everything. The chaotic wave was fixing. There is a Pacific wave but also wind waves and the unusual rebounds. Sometimes they look like wells, ditches or small hills. We go motoring accompanied by the famous Albatross of the Cape. They are majestic. 15,33 2 crossed dolphins appear. I listen to Pueblo Blanco and Paper Boat. I remember Don Pedro Soto, a great navigator who taught me a lot, not so much to navigate but as a person. Especially when I wrote his memoirs. Unfortunately his children did not take the will to publish them. He wanted his book to be called just like this song. According to him ace It was life ... ".

"Friday 01-14-94 ... I don't like what happens, it will be the second day that they don't eat except Daniel. At 1400 h. We lowered the mizzen sail totally raffled with a 35 knot wind and 4 meter waves. There is no other. We are left without a mizzen. The course we are taking is East / Southeast. I encourage the floor, at least mine. I was left without a video camera, a wave passed over it and ruined one of the photos. " "Everything wet, water enters through the chain gutters and lockers. The stoves do not work due to the list. At 1630 the steering wheel gets stuck. The sector had a piece of wood that Jorge removed. We spoke with the Croix St. Paul, the broke the major. Allex is weathering. I think a lot about Cecilia ... "

Saturday 01-15-94 "I sleep on the kitchen floor since two bunks are wet. Everyone is having breakfast today, a good sign. South wind, cold, the sun appeared. Internal temperature 16º C, outside 5º C water at 3º C . We will not have a problem with the vegetables that go in the bow without heating. " 1300 h. Forecast of Prefecture. Any nonsense, it must have been passed by the enemy or it is from the Río de la Plata. He says that we have a storm from the SW when we sail with Northwest wind and sun. Today Jorge has to play as a mechanic. It took him more than 2 hours to change all the Gas Oil filters, decant the water and mud, purge the engine and a long, etc. ‚etc: THANK YOU Orión plant in Ushuaia, because for decades they have been in charge of selling water and mud with some Gasoil."

Sunday: 01-16-94 "Everything is going better. Calmer wind and less swell allows a greater speed. People were turning sour except for" Gato "who is still in the bunk. We give him to drink the syrup from the peach cans that it tolerates well, in the absence of serum. Albatrosses, petrels and checkerboards accompany us. Marcos tries to photograph them. I fully enjoy everything, we had a good time, as they must have suffered when in the last century they crossed without knowing where they were going. What courage, it would be like going out with a rocket for a walk on Mars. Of course without technology and even worse without knowing that Mars is there. "

Monday: 01-17-94 "With Marcos we sighted Storm Petrel. It is incredible that a simple bird makes our existence happy. Last night I slept in the Dinette, the rest wet. Soft wind (25 knots) allows us an almost direct course. Little swell allows us to wash the cockpit, ropes and vomited candles. At 1100 h. Marcos spots a Snow Petrel (all white). Cold. The stoves still do not work. Everyone eats except "Gato" who defends himself with syrup. Although he did his first meal: Capelletini with beer, it all ended up in the bucket. Jorge has fun playing mechanic and fixing the stoves: again more water in the Gas Oil tanks. Near Smith Island the wind is going astern and with Yankee and Trinquetilla are approaching quickly to the Fleet Sea. Calm sea. There is little left to see land. "

Tuesday: 01-18-94 "0045 Cloudy, foggy, calm sea, 7 knot wind, drizzle, dark, we sighted land thanks to radar. Snow Island and Smith Island 16 miles away. Toast with Pisco and Whiskey. At 0300 hours Daniel it passes between the islands. It warns us and we go towards Deception. The Drake is finished. "

Without the intention of extending the story too much, I think that these lines taken directly from the newspaper give an idea of ​​how the days went by. It is a bit what was experienced in general from a very subjective point of view. In reality, no one could tell the whole trip, while one sleeps or is in another, things are happening that he does not even know about.

South Shetlands: Deception Island.

Everything changed in the Fleet Sea. A sea with waves of one meter carried us aft towards Deception Island. "Cat" got up and began to recover quickly. All cloudy and foggy, navigation was by radar until almost reaching land. Only at this point did we see the first iceberg, although it was not very big. When the first is sighted you have to be vigilant because from then on they will continue to appear. A few miles before the wind began to dissipate clouds that, like a gigantic backdrop, revealed mountains and glaciers. Neptune's bellows, that's what they call the entrance to the volcano because of the sound it makes when the wind passes, appeared in the bow and we entered the island. This great active volcano is one of the points that every excursion to Antarctica has touched since this Continent exists for humanity. A good port, with enough capacity for hundreds of ships, it has an enviable microclimate. The worst of the storms here is a simple gale. Since the last century, it has been an ideal landing place for fleets of whalers and wolfhounds that settled in "Caleta Balleneros" with three important factories. One of them, "Hecktor", belonged to the important company "N. Bugge Hecktor Whailing Cia.". Remains of these facilities and the abandoned English base ("Biscoe House") can be visited. Also what remains of the cemetery, after the last eruption, with the grave of the Norwegian "Tommerm Hans A. Culliksen (1/4 / 1871-4 / 1/1928)" who died quite far from his homeland. Nearby is a hangar and the remains of a single-engine, high-wing, orange-painted plane and the corresponding runway, some 700 meters long by 12 wide. This was the first track that existed in Antarctica and for many years the only one. Now we have the Chilean one built in the March Base, the Argentine one in Marambio and a French one. Today nature is adapting itself to the place again and where there was a deposit of barrels to pack sea lion oil, a wolf pen of the almost extinct Antarctic double-haired wolves settled.

Female voices

But one of the most pleasant surprises was when from the ship we launched a call on VHF, on channel 16, to see if someone would answer us. Surprised, we heard a delicate female voice welcoming us to the crater of the volcano, announcing that it was the scientific staff of the Deception Detachment. Then a thick male voice appeared, with the unmistakable Spanish accent, inviting us to visit the Gabriel de Castilla base, Spanish for more information. So we spent a couple of days touring the island, the bases and drinking different Spanish wines, brandies and excellent meals. The head of the Decepción base, Lieutenant Marcelo Primo, turned out to be an old acquaintance of mine who accompanied us to the island of the States and other journeys years before. The reunion in Antarctica made everything seem unreal, which was because we had been assured that the base was closed. Instead we find 13 soldiers and a group of scientists (geologists-volcanologists waiting for the volcano to explode, something unusual but true) with an Italian guest and everything: Franco from Florence. This, in addition to the pertinent studies, dedicated himself to teaching Italian to others, although I do not dare to reproduce in this story the brutalities that he taught. Witness how the boys shouted in unison, while they painted the ceiling and walls of the base, insults, little songs and a very wide range of obscenities while he conducted them, like a conductor, correcting the pronunciation, and inducing them to continue, while we headed to a routine scientific inspection, it surpassed any imagination. Of course, the classic visit to the great colony of chinstrap penguins was not lacking, nor was the bath in the warm waters of the bay before the astonished look of the penguins. The temperature a few centimeters from the ground reaches 70º C, in Bahía Péndulo.

Tourism versus Ecology?

During our short stay, a couple of sailboats with tourists and several ships entered. First the Bremen with 88 tourists, then the Marco Polo with 457 tourists on board and at 10 the Explorer who stayed in Caleta Balleneros entered. Tourism or not tourism ?. Prohibiting cannot be done, but how to manage it so that it does not have an unfavorable impact on the fragile ecosystem that prevails in this continent. Negative enough was human action. Nature is slowly recovering but what to do with 457 tourists who come down to visit a penguin colony. It is not the case to say that they are in extinction, since there are more and more according to scientific studies, but it is true that if they visit a colony when they are brooding it is very likely that they will leave the nest with the consequent ecological disaster. But what about scheduled plane trips. This means landing strips, buildings for this purpose as well as hotels and everything that later implies maintaining a hotel with people occupying it. Isn't it better to have a ship with specialized guides that explain and enforce a minimum of standards? Others propel the visit in sailboats: the impact is so small that it cannot affect. In fact, we came to see whales, killer whales, dolphins, penguins, albatrosses, skuas, seals and whatever animal appeared nearby. I think we were an attraction to them and not the other way around.