Cape Horn

The Island Sky is a small (only 50 cabins) cruise ship. The decor is "old school" with lots of brass and wood panelling. Our cabin is on the lowest deck (deck 2), right in the middle between the hospital and the restaurant. This will prove to be a godsend later in the voyage!

The Polar Latitudes team that will be our guides throughout the journey, all are Eurpoean and the language of the ship is English. The catering crew are Philipino and all are under the tutelage of our Finnish Captain. The cabin is big, with a large double bed, a seating area with sofa, coffee table and TV and a shower room. It looks big now, but will soon be filled with all manner of coats, boots, drysuits, survival suits and an assortment of life vests for different activities.

The whole ship has tannoys everywhere including in the cabin and we are soon receiving our first "happy campers" message. Cocktails with the Captain followed by dinner on the aft deck outdoor dining area on deck 5. At the meeting we are told there was no fuel in Ushuaia and we only have enough to get us to Antarctica, but not back. However, they have radioed a Chilean tanker that will rendevous with  us in the Beagle Channel just off the Chilean town of Port William ("the most southerly town in the world"). We are already finding out that Antarctic cruises, rarely go to plan!

As we cruise down the Beagle Channel sitting on the aft deck eating a sumptuous dinner, the sun is now shining, the temperature is back up to jumper weather and the sea is calm. It is idyllic. The catering staff rush from table to table topping up glasses, plates of food coming and going and the chatter of the passengers as we begin to get to know the people we will be sharing the experience with. All are speaking English but with various accents from around the world. We hear Indian, German, American, Argentinian, a touch of Aussie and a smattering of Chinese to name but a few. All is peace, all is calm. Surely, this cannot last.

There is a bonus to buying your fuel from the Chileans. The Expedition Team have become extremely excited as the Chilean Navy has granted us permission to land at Cape Horn itself and go onto this fabled rock that has such notoriety and is such a legend amongst sailors. Only one member of the team has set foot upon it before and so expectations are high. However, there is still the small problem of the sea being calm enough to allow us to get the zodiacs onto this rocky outcrop.

We are in luck and are able to land close enough to wade ashore in our boots and waterproof trousers to climb the 163 steps up the cliff face to the plateau. Up there is a walkway ("stay on the walkway, there are still landmines here") that takes you to the graceful Albatross memorial. A beautiful sculpture dedicated to all the sailors that have perished in these trecherous seas. There is also  a lighthouse, small chapel and family home. The light house is manned by a Chilean Naval Officer and his family (wife and 3 small children) are here with him for his one year tour of duty.

They are pleased to see visitors and greet us heartily. We tour the lighthouse and sign the visitors book before returning to the ship.