In Antarctica! We Made it Across the Drake

We start our first Antarctica trip of the season, with a total of 11 amazing people onboard. We made it across the Drake! Everyone had a different experience and has shared it below!

Annie: So, so, so happy! A dream passage with many whale blows (but no whales), wandering albatross and a lot of good sleep. Happy to be back out at sea and happy to cross Drakes safely. Good people, good vibes and good food! Bring on Antarctica!

Donna: It was like being in a commercial washing machine on heavy duty mode.

Meryl: Having a great adventure with everybody on the Ocean Tramp! So far all has gone very smoothly. We have seen lots of sea birds and even a few penguins jumping from the water. The Drake Passage was a little rough, as expected. I had a touch of sea sickness for a time, and I even rolled off my bunk onto the floor… at least grandma got a good laugh out of it.

Katherine: I loved it! Napping between watches, too many empanadas. Because you’re rolling around so much, basic things become really difficult – like changing your underpants. Adam had the best watch partner.

Wendy: I didn’t see much of the drake as I was unconscious. All my extreme preparation for seasickness failed. Luckily for me, the side effects of something I was taking made me sleep like a baby penguin. It’s so surprising to see so many birds flying around hundreds of miles from shore. Pretty miraculous stuff. Sailing through the Beagle Channel was really great and beautiful, and we had a dolphin escort for hours. And beyond the Drake, we’ve spotted a penguins, a whale spout or two. So looking forward to the next two and a half weeks til we have to sail that dreaded Drake again.

Heike: they said it was smooth but I certainly didn’t think it was smooth. Turbulent water + seasickness = sleep. The sightings of the dolphins were a highlight.

Bertrand: I followed my first migrating whales while steering, but had to keep going ahead in order to pass the Drake as fast as possible 😉 Enjoyed the company of new friends I’ve never seen before including Peale’s dolphins, wandering albatrosses and prions. Seen my first Iceberg in front of the boat during my night watch: turned starboard and then we saw Shetland Island! Une traversee qui s’est tres bien passee en 4 jours, ca a bien brasse mais tout le monde a survecu ! Maintenant on va traverser les Iles Shetland pleines de manchots avant de traverser vers la Peninsule !

Miguel: Full of new experiences and navigation lessons from Laura. Our strong team can beat any passage.

Adam: The Drake crossing is an experience I will never forget. I was very anxious at the start as this passage is well known by many as a challenging and unpredictable feat. From complete calm to frigid temperatures and 35 knot winds, I was quickly reminded why the Drake can be so dangerous. Along with the chaos, the Drake displays many examples of grace such as a wandering albatross gliding low and high above the turbulent seas. Of the many hours spent at the helm, my most memorable moment was when I looked out the starboard side with Cape Horn on the horizon. Eleven strangers from all walks of life were four days away from tipping our glass, saying with a proud smile, “We crossed the Drake passage.” Cheers my new friends.

Laura: Overall a fairly smooth Drake. Max wind speed was 35 knots and we even had to motor for nearly a day of the Drake. Still even a smooth Drake is still a bit long. We made the passage in under 4 days, so that was good!!

Fede: I slept the whole Drake, what can I say.