The real adventure has begun. After a long day getting here, the Fearless Four have finally departed Ushuaia on the MV Fram en route to Antarctica. The descent into Ushuaia on our chartered aircraft was something special (and we will post some photos in due course – check our Gallery page for updates). But the following bus tour and short walk through the Tierra del Fuego National Park – no doubt memorable in other circumstances – was little more than a distraction to our real objective. As we write this, we are five hours into our voyage and reaching the end of the Beagle Channel and entering the dreaded Drake Passage. The Captain has told us that weather conditions are good and we should expect a relatively calm crossing. Apparently that is a disappointment to some who had hoped to experience one of the Southern Ocean’s legendary storms. The Fearless Four, on the other hand, remain wary and are not convinced what might be meant by the term “relatively calm.”
For the anoraks, our position at 02.45 GMT on 23 February, 2013 was 55′ 5” S, 66′ 36”W, traveling at 14.6 knots on a course of 126 deg. It’s a wee bit chilly on deck.