Smooth Sailing

I am happy to report that the dire weather forecast for this early morning never materialized in reality. We are having a mostly smooth crossing of the Drake Passage, and Kim is very grateful.

For a full day at sea, we kept ourselves busy with activities. We had a historical lecture on Douglas Mawson's exploration of Antarctica. He is an Australian, who spent a great deal of time on the continent in the early 1910's. We also enjoyed a lecture on seals and another on art. Our lunch was cut short by a whale sighting, which ended well. Because the Drake has been so smooth, we have been making good time, and the captain was game for whale watching. He maneuvered the boat perfectly to intercept the whales. We watched them for quite a while, as they seemed to be on every side of the ship. It was a large pod of about a dozen humpbacks, with several other individuals in the distance. The ones near us were kind enough to come right up to the boat for photos. Although none breached, I'm sure I saw the largest one give a wink and smile.

Before dinner, we had a repeat of knot tying club. Becs, the kayak guide, came prepared with several more knots for us to try. The number of participants was a bit larger today, as word is getting out about how much fun we have! At our request, Becs will be arranging one last knot tying class tomorrow, during our last full day aboard ship. It's knot to be missed.Read more