I have never been accused of being the sentimental type. Just not part of my game so to speak. Find a goal, plan it, and get it done. Keep it simple. Not a lot of moving parts to mess up, but the mold may now be broken.
Roaring into the most famous of all Great Capes, our entire team has been asked collectively a thousand times what they believe they’ll feel while rounding Cape Horn- remember we have all types aboard this craft. This is Erle Williams’ fourth time, Justin Ferris’ second, Jerry Kirby's second, Andrew Cape's seventh, Sidney Gavignet's fourth, Rick Deppe's second, Rob Salthouse's second, Rob Greenhaugh's second, and for Casey Smith, Michi Mueller and myself...we are the rookies for Cape Horn passages.
Each guy has answered in his own way. Some take this milestone in a sailor’s life with passion and emotion. Others say it isn't a big deal. All say it marks something major though- simply that we are now out of the grasps of the Southern Ocean. For this reason alone, it is time for celebration.
To take a step backwards, I have asked many of the Southern Ocean "experts" onboard what they thought of this passage. All have said "different" due to the amount of beating and tight reaching that we had to do. All have said odd because of the ice gates keeping us out of iceberg zone and further north than a usual crossing, but all have said normal because of the cold and the grey and the general nastiness that broods here. It’s kind of daunting if you sit back and think about where you are and where the nearest safe haven is when you are halfway across the vast stretch of water.
I mentioned before in one of my blogs that if this, the southern most point of South America, could talk it would tell some harrowing tales of tragedy and heroics by sportsman, traders, businessmen and adventurists alike- probably more so than any other nautical landmark in history. For this reason alone, it is a privilege to be let through the gates- entrance to which must be earned and not simply taken.
The boats we sail today are both good and bad for a place like this. Sure they are fast, too fast sometimes. Like last night for example, we were working hard to actually slow the boat down rather than speed it up. The boats have been shown to be brittle at times as any new generation of technology will be. Their speed is also advantageous towards the safety of passages like this. Modern day weather forecasting mixed with the raw speed of these boats allows us to pick and choose much of the weather we plan to entertain- typically the "fastest route". But the fastest route can also be the safest route as well. We can get on a single front and ride it for a large part of the ocean if the angles are right- avoiding multiple chances at really nasty weather systems that are simply just lining up down here to keep kicking you in the teeth.
I am by no means a Southern Ocean expert, nor will I ever be one of these guys who have done this route time and time again- easy to say at this point anyway. But I am in awe of the sheer magnitude of the passage and the final toll booth that lets you through and awaits the next yacht to venture this way. We appreciate safe passage more than anything right now, and with that in mind we thank this Great Cape.
PUMA's il mostro and her crew of 11 have now rounded Cape Horn. Easy to stare at and dream about what has been and what will be. Maybe I am becoming sentimental.
- Kenny
