Rounding the Horn

The days at sea are acquiring a certain rhythm. A lecture at 10:00 – today about explorations of Cape Horn and Antarctica – then some other activity before watercolor class at 1:00.

Later, lunch on deck 10. Today lunch extended as we held a table with a view for the rounding of Cape Horn. We went through a bit of confusion. Rod Jury had said that if the weather was good the captain planned to circle the island counter clockwise, so we held down a table on the port side. But everyone else seemed to be on the starboard side. So we moved over and found a place over there. When we came to Cape Horn we went up on deck anyway to take pictures and see the island. We started into the channel, then the ship made a 360° clockwise turn. We first thought we were turning back because of fog, but the skies cleared as fast as they had closed in. Then we went through the channel as originally planned and made the counter clockwise run around Cape Horn. It was clear enough so that we could appreciate why it is said that Cape Horn looks like a reclining lion.
We ended up back at our original table for the rest of the passage. We snacked on Indian food and sailed around Cape Horn – so easy for us, but almost inconceivable in a small wooden sailing ship. We were fortunate to have sunny, calm weather, but they kept reminding us that over 1,000 ships ( and many times that many lives) have been lost in the attempt to sail around the southern tip of the continent.