OCEAN TRAMP – Drake Passage – David Rider

Sorry – this is going out a few days late – stay tuned for more updates)

Greetings from the infamous Drake Passage! We’ve had an incredible first few
days aboard the Ocean Tramp on our way to Antarctica. Our trip began on the
1st of December, a beautiful sunny and calm day in Ushuaia, Argentina. My
partner Gaya and I were the last to arrive at the dock, where we met our
fellow passengers (there are 5 of us in total); Helen, our scientist
on-board who is studying penguin acoustics; and our amazing crew of four:
Damian, Niall, Lucy, and Caesar. After passing through customs and settling
our things in the cabins, we pushed off from land, eager to take advantage
of the window of good weather.

The Drake Passage, the part of the Southern Ocean that separates Latin
America from Antarctica, is known for tossing ships (and bellies) around.
But the seas were calm our first day, and we cruised along by motor at a
speed of 6-7 knots. Along the way, we watched flapping shags, foul-smelling
sea lions, majestic wandering albatross (or is it “albatrosses”?  – this is
the big debate on-board), and diving petrels. A flock of fatigued swallows,
way off course from their migratory route, circled the Ocean Tramp; one
tried to hitch a ride by landing on my hand. Helen even spotted the blow of
a baleen whale.

By our second day, the winds had picked up from the North West and the sea
swell grew. While this wasn’t great news for our fragile stomachs, it did
make for excellent sailing conditions. We unfurled the jibs, swung the main
and mizzen booms around, and shut off the motor. The ship heeled to port (I’m
writing this now while wedged into a corner to keep from falling over), and
began heaving, rolling, and pitching as our speed increased. With the motor
off, we only hear the wind sluicing through the cabin and the creaking of
the ship as it moves from side-to-side.

Damian, our Captain, says it will be another two days before we see land
again. Until then, we will take turns on watch with the crew, allowing us to
fully disconnect from the world and appreciate the power and wonder of this
mythic ocean.