On Wednesday, 7-Feb-2007, I board the 'Antarctic Dream for my 11-day trip to the Antarctic Peninsula in Ushuaia, Argentina. Bit of a scrum as everyone piles into reception, passports are collected and staff show guests to their cabins. Mine, 323, has a double bed, two windows (not portholes) looking out on the starboard side and a third looking ahead. The bathroom has a combined shower and bath. For more information, see www.antarctic.cl.
The first meeting takes place at 6.00pm in the dining room. Chilean-born Julio Preller, as expedition manager for the last two seasons, first introduces John Villegas, the hotel manager. Julio hopes that we will learn a lot and appreciate nature. Drake not happy with us, he says, they had a 'rocky' time coming in from Antartica via the Drake Passage this morning at 7.00am. Although we're supposed to cast off at 7.00pm, Julio says it will be nearer 9.30pm, as we're waiting for two passengers whose flight has been delayed. Julio says that when we get to the Antarctic Peninsula, there'll be a briefing each evening before dinner. The bad news is that the internet connection is down and won't be fixed. Periodically during the day, four different feature films and a documentary will be shown on the in-cabin television. We'll have five days down there and we must respect the creatures. February is a good time for whales. The ship has an 'open bridge' policy and, in reasonable numbers in daylight, passengers can visit the bridge at any time. It will only be dark for about four hours each night. Other members of the team are Penelope, from Australia, Rodrigo, a translator, and Eduardo. Maria looks after reception. There's a doctor on board, too. The key to moving safely on a moving ship, Julio says, is to always be holding on with one hand "one hand for you and one for the ship". Two of our passengers are making a film for Austrian television. Tomorrow will be an easy day, says Julio. Muster in the dining room in 10 minutes for mandatory boat drill.
Boat drill passes off uneventfully and we return to the dining room for dinner. We're still tied up when 'Discovery', the large ship on the opposite side of the jetty, moves away stern first until there's manoevring room to turn herself around. Almost immediately, the berth is taken by another cruise ship which had appeared a couple of hours earlier and anchored offshore. At 9.30pm, we quietly slip away from the quay and head East along the Beagle Channel, with Argentina on our left and Chile on our right. Once clear of the Beagle Channel, we turn South for our 600 mile crossing of the open sea to reach the South Shetland Islands.
This is the Drake Passage and it appears that Drake is no more pleased with us than the incoming sailing. Whilst nowhere near as bad as it can get, it's the worst experience I've had on a ship. I was bouncing round the cabin like a shuttlecock. Even with one hand firmly connected to the ship, I just hadn't the strength to resist being thrown painfully against the opposite wall. I was soon exhausted. Even in bed, I involuntarily slid up and down with the movements of the ship. Furniture is screwed down. Most chairs are attached to the floor with a spring, allowing limited movement. The night was punctuated by crashes, in my cabin and elsewhere in the ship, as anything loose cannoned around. In between mal de mer, arthritis and an infection I think I picked up in New York, the next two days are a bit of a blank. I survived, then improved and when I finally emerged, I discovered that most of the rest of the passengers had had a miserable crossing, too.
