From Punta Arenas we had to travel back the route that we had come in on and once out of the fjord sail South and East towards Ushuaia. There is the option to go North, but it is longer, more exposed to the open Ocean and we would miss the chance to look at the glaciers just to the West of Ushuaia. From a navigational point of view the north route is an easier option as the passages are much wider but there is not much to see. So we took the regular scenic route and during the night while all guests were happily asleep we sailed through some narrow passages with the most narrow one being less then 3000 feet wide but also a 1000 feet deep. These areas are very well marked by the Chilean Navy with buoys and light houses which is a real necessity as with foul weather the islands are not that well visible on the radar and the pilots rely on the strong lights to come in view on time, to make the next course change. By the early morning we were through and I had a chance to have a rest, leaving the scenic cruising past the glaciers under the supervision of the chief officer.

About 80 miles west of Ushuaia is an area where the ice field once again comes down the mountains and results in a number of Glaciers reaching down to the waterline, with sometimes spectacular calving. They are lined in a nice row and so we can sail by as if we are on a boat trip through the Dutch canals admiring the houses on the shore side. Thus the ship sailed by the Romanche, Alemania, Francia, Italia and Holanda Glacier in consecutive order accompanied by commentaries from Frank our travel guide and John Splettstoesser our expedition leader. I will come back to him when we get nearer to Antarctica. The weather was overcast with showers in the area but overcast weather is great for Glacier viewing as you do not get the glare that occurs with sunlight.

By 11 am. we picked up the harbour pilot and then started our 2 hour approach to the dock. Ushuaia is located at the end of an inlet and you have to backtrack on the course to get in there as rocks and islets prevent a direct approach. The weather forecast for the day had been very good but when we approached the port it started to blow more and more. So I started to worry about not being able to dock at all. Ahead of me was the Delphin Voyager who had left Punta Arenas three hours before us so I could observe what they were doing while coming alongside. That ship had to dock on the high side of the dock and thus battle against the wind to get alongside. The ship engaged two little tugboats and that gave me a good impression of how fast I would be setting towards the dock as I was going to dock on the low side. In the end I ordered one tugboat for standby alongside the pier in case the Prinsendam would drift in too fast and bump into the pier. At least if that would happen I would be able to prove that I took every precaution necessary.

Ushia dock Ushaia Docks. Looking like a mini Miami Cruise ship row.

Nothing of the kind happened of course; I stopped the Prinsendam in a position about an 100 feet away from the pier and then with bow and stern thruster and made a controlled landing regulating the drifting speed caused by the wind on the beam.
Ushuaia is a real cruise port during the season and today we had the Prinsendam, Delphin Voyager, the Hanseatic and the Mar Australia in port, the latter being a small luxurious Chilean vessel that sails the inside passage.

Ushaia I just wonder what this place looks like when it is bad weather as today was considered a good day.

With the wind came the rain and off and on so it was a rather cold day. Still as it did not rain all the time, it was a good day for Ushuaia. We stayed until 8 pm. to facilitate the boat tours going to the penguin colonies and then set sail for Cape Horn. Ushuaia is located in Argentina and Cape Horn is Chilean territory and thus after disembarking the harbour pilot we had to stop at Port Williams to get a Chilean official onboard to stamp clearance papers. But by 10 pm we were on our way. So were the guests in the Show lounge as we had our Valentine’s Ball. This is one in a series of Officer’s balls that we do during the cruise and it is always heavily attended by the guests. My Wife and I opened the ball but after a few dances I had to excuse myself and go to bed, as the next morning it would be an early day to see Cape Horn and disembark the Chilean pilots who have been with us since Valparaiso. The weather around Cape Horn looks very good, no more then wind force 4 and the occasional shower and thus I can do my scheduled scenic cruising. It will be early though as I will be at the Cape at sunrise at 06.15.