Erin, Passenger
Day 12 (Erin)
Last night we battened everything down, stowed belongings securely, and put up the lee cloth on bunks. The bunks are intentionally narrow to keep a person tucked in tight in the event that there are rough seas (even our coffee mugs were battened down).
The crew was up very early to get us underway for the safest weather window through the estimated 24 hour journey north to the South Shetland Islands. We traveled from Foyn Harbor to the Gerlache Strait toward Trinity Island and the Orleans Channel and then into Bransfield Strait.
It was a relatively calm day onboard, seas were not too rough, but many guests took seasick pills to sleep the day away. Those who were awake meandered from the pilot house to watch the horizon or hang out in the saloon to read, write, and drink tea with quiet conversations. Mak and Erin continued their painting tradition to add some color to their travel journals.
Late afternoon the sun came out and the crew hoisted some sails to aid in pitching stability, as the yacht was rolling in some gentle swell. We experienced relatively calm seas considering alternatives, spotting icebergs, whales, birds, and a huge iceberg full of penguins that looked like ants. We also had fur seals frolicking in the small waves, a sight we haven’t seen before.
After a delicious lasagne dinner, almost everyone had seconds, the wind picked up and the crew hoisted the sails. We are currently traveling under full sail power at 5 knots. The sunset colors are gorgeous as we are lulled to sleep by gentle rocking.
