Itinerary

8 January 2025

Itinerary

For everyone who regularly tracks the position of our ship and wonders whether we know where Cape Horn is: now is a good time to explain why we’re heading north. Our original plan to sail just above center of a low-pressure system unfortunately fell apart. This happened because the system moved north faster than we had anticipated. Once this became clear, we motored a section of the route to pass through the core of the system as quickly as possible and catch the northern winds. However, a new low-pressure system is now forming, further blocking our path.

Pushing through would mean motoring for several days, and that’s not what we’re here for on a sailing ship! So, we decided to head further north to bypass both this first low-pressure system and the second one from the north. We expect to be able to turn east tomorrow morning, above the first system. The second low-pressure system will then pass beneath us, giving us westerly winds first, which will push us eastward, followed by northerly winds. These northerly winds will ultimately guide us southeast, right where we want to be – under the high-pressure system. Today brought us fantastic sailing weather! With all the square sails set, along with the jib, mainsail, and gaff topsail, we made excellent progress. The sun was shining, so we could wear shorts, albatrosses and petrels flew alongside us all day, and we even spotted a whale in the distance. It was absolutely magnificent!

Even at night, there is plenty to admire. At the moment, many planets are visible. Early in the evening, you can see Venusand Saturn near the moon, while Jupiter shines brightly in the constellation Taurus. Just before Venus sets, Marsappears in the east. And toward the end of the night, just before sunrise, Mercury makes a brief appearance.

In short, this journey is not only challenging but also a breathtaking experience at sea!