January 20 - Strait of Magellan

We were supposed to have ported in Punta Arenas via tender. However, the winds were too high and they closed the port to small vessels so we could not tender. I honestly believed the captain wouldn’t have let us tender even if the port was open. At least this time the guests couldn’t blame him.

However I was ready with tender ticket in hand

Given we had a couple of extra hours the captain, along with the Chilean pilot, meandered us through some great scenic spots. We ended at a dead end and there was a beautiful double glacier. Or was it one glacier with 2 separate legs.

After some time to enjoy and revel in the wonders of earth, we turned around and continued to head through the Strait.

We also passed Cape Forward (Cabo Froward), which is the southernmost point of mainland South America. Located in the Magellan Region of Chili, along the north shore of the Magellan Strait, being the southern tip of the Brunswick Peninsula. In January 1587, the English corsair Thomas Cavendish named the place after the region's rough climate (strong rains and winds).

A large metallic cross (Cruz de los Mares, Cross of the Seas) was built on the cape's hill in honor of Pope John Paul II's visit to Chile in 1987. It is the latest cross located on the site, the first of which was built in 1913 and replaced several times since then due to the harsh weather.

 


The seas were relatively calm going through the Strait. However, at night we had to go out into the Pacific and to say it was a rocky ride was an understatement. The seas were 7-9 meters/ 23-30 feet and I thoroughly enjoyed it! 

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