Little Lolly's Small Adventures: Scenic Cruising, Southwards to Cape Horn via Glacier Alley.

Yesterday the Prinsendam did a bit of scenic cruising through the Cockburn Channel and Beagle Channel. Today we went through Glacier Alley and on to Cape Horn. Glacier Alley did live up to its name even though it is the southern hemisphere summer and some of the glaciers are melting.

Going through Glacier Alley

The sea was calm around Cape Horn and so the Captain gave the go-ahead for a small crew group to go ashore in a rescue boat. Paul was one of the first people to volunteer! It has been 28 or 29 years since Paul had the opportunity to step ashore on Cape Horn however the last time that opportunity was cancelled due to very poor weather. So now you can understand why Paul wanted to go ashore!

Paul also asked the Captain if I could go with him even though I am not a crew member. Fortunately he gave me permission to do so. In the end the security officer, a photographer, the future cruise consultant, the guest relations manager, an engineer, Paul and I went. First we had to kit up in survival suits. It was very funny trying to put the bulky 'onesies' on, bearing in mind that one size fits all - er, not quite! There weren't quite enough survival suits so I ended up putting on a hazardous spillage suit which would at least protect me enough from the elements and keep me warm enough for a short while if I did happen to fall into the water - which didn't happen of course.

We got into the rescue boat and were piloted across to Cape Horn which is in actual fact an island. Once at the stony shoreline Paul hopped out and held the boat steady while we all climbed out and headed towards the staircase going up the cliff face. It was then that I discovered that my hazardous spillage suite was not entirely liquid-proof. It had leakalitis and I was soon soaking wet up to my knees when I entered the water. It wasn't as cold as I thought it would be - it was probably as cold as when I swam in the Straits of Magellan two days ago. Fortunately I had taken my boots off before getting into the suit otherwise they would have been swimming.

Once at the stairs, and the bottom of a funicular which takes groceries and stores up to the lighthouse, we stripped back down to our warm day clothes and headed up the cliff stairs where we were warmly greeted by the lighthouse keeper. He had a huge smile on his face - watching us huff and puff up the stairs while he looked on! At the top Paul presented the lighthouse keeper with commemorative plates from the Prinsendam (bearing in mind this is the last time that the Prinsendam sails around Cape Horn under that name and under a Dutch flag). Paul and I had also brought along two rather nice bottles of wine which he handed over to the lighthouse keeper. We thought he could do with it during the next 10 months that lay ahead for the poor chap and his family!

While the rest of the staff from the Prinsendam went to the viewpoints on the island, Paul and I headed up to the lighthouse. There is a small chapel next to the lighthouse so the lighthouse keeper kindly unlocked the door so that I could go inside and have a few moments of contemplation. He quietly looked on until I was finished and then closed the door after I left. He then invited us inside the lighthouse in order to sign the visitors book and also introduced us to wife and 2 children - the third child was too shy to come and say 'hello'. The children are home-schooled for now.

Trying to get the suits off!

Paul and I then headed to the viewpoints, passing the other staff members on the way. We had to be quick because it was getting dark and also we had to get back to the ship which, in the meantime, had been sailing around Cape Horn. Well, we hoped that we could get back to the ship. The rescue boat had left us at the shore and sailed out of the bay but unfortunately the person who piloted it decided to sail through seaweed rather than going via a clear area of water. Needless to say the engine was not too happy about it and died. So, during the time that we were on Cape Horn the lads were desperately trying to clear the seaweed and get the rescue boat's engine going again. Fortunately it spluttered to life and they were able to get back to the shoreline as we arrived back. The ship also came into view, her lights twinkling in the distance through the black night. She put her searchlights on as we headed back towards her, giving us a nice lighted path over the sea.

We arrived back at the ship safe and sound and very happy! It is the memories that matter the most and hopefully we can call upon them as the years go by.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Glacier Alley