ADVENTURE
> Antarctica
ON
the 7th of February 2003 after an 82-hour sailing
marathon Brazilian Roberto Pandiani and South African
Duncan Ross became the first sailors to cross the
Drakes Passage aboard an open 21-foot catamaran named
'Satellite'. The Drake's Passage infamous for its
shipwrecks, huge quadrangular waves, unpredictable
storms, icebergs and freezing temperatures presented
a formidable challenge to the two sailors.
Stretching
from Cape Horn to The Antarctic Peninsula, the DRAKE
PASSGE represents 500 miles of the most respected
and feared waters in the world. Meticulous planning
and precise project management ensured a safe and
successful crossing. The vessel choice was a custom
built Catamaran based on the HOBIE 21 hull shape;
construction and engineering of which was carried
out by Barracuda Technologies, Rio de Janeiro. Kevlar
and Carbon Fibres surrounding a 12mm Divinycell PVC
Foam core were infused with epoxy, producing a bulletproof
platform. Further modifications included - foam filled
"crash boxes" and a total of 5 watertight
compartments in each hull. A powerful rig including
a 24m2 spinnaker and a 9.6-meter tall mast complemented
the 3-meter beam to produce a fast and stable vessel.
Two
narrow ultra light wings constructed in Carbon further
increased the beam and provided a place to rest and
store essential safety equipment which included Personal
EPIRBS, Satellite phones, a Rescue Pod and a Inmarsat
C Satellite tracking system. The expedition started
in the most southern city of South America, Ushuaia,
Argentina. The first leg sailed westwards down the
Beagle Canal and across Nassau Bay to reach a small
cove called "Calheta Martial" only a few
miles from Cape Horn. From here, choosing what Roberto
called "a perfect weather window", the duo
set off for Deception Island 500 miles away. The Drake
Passage served up a mixture of conditions ranging
from dead calm to 25 knots with seas running at up
to 5m.
Seasickness,
freezing air and water temperatures left the sailors
exhausted to point of experiencing mild hallucinations
as the reached the Peninsula in the early hours of
the morning on the 8th February. Elated but exhausted
Duncan commented ´it was like scooting across
the upturned belly of an sleeping monster - the weather
was excellent, we are very happy - it could have been
so much worse !
On
the next leg to the Melchior Archipelago 120 miles
away, the monster awoke and left the duo on the limit
of survival. The weather forecasted 4 to 8 knots,
but by the end of the day they were down to 3 reefs
in the mainsail in 37 knots of wind. Rolling white
water on the tops of a long-range swell coming in
from the west met a wind generated swell from the
NE to produce an unenviable sea condition. A near
collision with a whale, snow, mist and the constant
threat of floating ice made this day one to be remembered.
Duncan's
Logbook entry on 13 February entitled "Eyes
Wide Shut" sums it up, "I could never
have imagined, guessed or dreamed about the sheer
splendor of this place. It is a labyrinth of Islands,
bergs and glaciers. My body aches and my hands are
numb but my heart is filled with emotion. We have
arrived in the frozen continent on a small catamaran
- now we are in Antarctica" After reaching the
Melchior Archipelago 'Satellite' and her support vessel
Kotic explored the Gerlaiche Strait and surrounding
region, before returning to Ushuaia.
Total
round trip time for the expedition was 42 days.
here
for more details and daily LOGBOOKS
