Tuesday, November 16th 2010 56º00’S 67º10’W
“A man ought to rate his achievements only by the satisfaction they give him for
they will soon be outdone, outshone and speedily forgotten by everyone but
himself.”-Bill Tillman
Did we ‘mention’ last night that we hoped to see Cape Horn? Well, Julio, as always has never ceased to amaze us. With his communication to the Chilean weather base stationed at the Horn, we were granted permission to get as close as 3 (yes, three) nautical miles, instead of the ‘standard’ 12! A perfect start of the day for us, as we all went outside to see one of the world’s most infamous coast lines. This feature has always been the geographical goal of many a mariner as well as his nemesis. In the ‘old days’ many a ship foundered whilst trying to round the horn. (It didn’t look that bad to us.)
During the morning we were invited to tour the ship’s engine room. In small groups we were escorted by the Chief Engineer, Alex, to take in the sights and noise of the section of the ship that drives the vessel. There are no repair shops where we venture, so the maintenance and constant vigilance of the engine is so important on a ship. Alessandra, our Purser waited at reception for us to settle our shipboard accounts - not that we minded so much, but it was a reminder that our journey was almost over.
In the afternoon our final recap, slideshow and final farewells to our expedition staff was held in
the lounge. The pilot was on board as we made our way into Ushuaia, and we maneuvered into
the port.
Early evening the Captain gave his farewell speech and toast for this, our amazing journey of
over 1,823 nautical miles. The hotel staff bade us farewell in their own unique style, and wished us
a safe journey home.
What a journey, what experiences, as we go to bed smiling now that this incredible
voyage is over.
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