On our way to Cape Horn

22 January 2025

On our way to Cape Horn

As mentioned earlier, a low-pressure system passed over us. The goal was to avoid the strongest winds while staying as close as possible behind the system. We managed that quite well. We sailed with a broad reach and adjusted our course as the wind veered. When we thought we were nicely to the southwest of the core, we jibed and went behind it. However, the system turned out to be slightly farther west than predicted, which brought us very close to the core. But with a reefed rig, it was perfectly manageable. So we were nicely close to the core, and for the rest of the day, we did our best to follow the system and keep the wind as long as possible.

By late afternoon, the wind quickly died down, and we didn’t have enough pressure in the sails to keep them full. So we lowered the gaff sails and hoisted the staysail. Now we’re sailing with a “wall” of square sails as far east as possible. Tonight, we’ll slowly but surely be engulfed by very light winds, and we’ll have to see if we can continue following the eastern course. Tomorrow, a sail-worthy wind is expected to come up from the south, so we’ll probably make up for the lost time from tonight quite quickly. After a rough night like last night, it’s nice to have some calm for a change. This way, everyone can catch up on sleep!

The goal of this journey around Cape Horn is to complete an official rounding of the cape. To do this, we need to sail a minimum of 3,000 nautical miles continuously and cross the 50th parallel on both sides of the cape. We haven’t been using the engine for several days now, and we still have over 3,000 miles to go, so that part should go well, as long as the wind cooperates and we stay on schedule. Today, we also crossed the 50th parallel south, which gives everyone aboard the feeling that we’ve officially started our Cape Horn rounding!

The fact that we’re now much farther south is clearly reflected in the temperatures. It’s getting colder, and especially the cold wind cuts through the layers of clothing. As a result, there are two “camps” among the crew: the first group is wearing thermal underwear, and some are already wearing gloves. The second group is holding off as long as possible, saving those items for when it really gets cold. In any case, the sunscreen can stay at the bottom of the bag for now, and the hat has become standard gear for everyone on board.