Punta Arenas 20-26 Nov

PUNTA ARENAS

(Do read the section on Puerto Madryn. I have uploaded a number of pictures. The video of the whales have not come through, but I am still checking)

We reached Punta Arenas after a 4 hours (our shortest bus trip so far) journey. We had to trudge about 2 km to our home for a week. Much to my dislike the 'home' was on top of the hill. One could see the harbour below and that brought a smile to my place once we reached. 

The accommodation as usual was basic, two small rooms, a small dining area. It was centrally heated, and that warmed our souls as the night temperatures drop to 5C and the wind could blow upto 30 knots. 

Not much was planned for Punta Arenas. The constant travelling has slowed me down, although David like a ravaging bull continued with the same steam. We did rest and get back our energy, with some good homemade food, and visit to the local sea food places. 

Daylight is from 5 to 10pm so one is like a wide-eyed owl all day. The cold and the windy and the extended daylight is all getting us ready for the sailing days ahead.
We now have information on the sailing boat and the skipper.

Captain Charlie Flesch is the skipper of the boat. He has approximately 24 thousand nautical miles under his belt (the equivalent of a round the world trip) half of which in the daring and icy waters of the Southern Ocean. He was apprentice of Dutchman Henk Boersma, the most experienced Antarctic skipper in activity today. With a degree in Biology, Charlie has over 20 years’ experience group-leading in the outdoors - performing as skipper, educator, lecturer, hiking an scuba diving guide. He has wilderness first aid training and complemented teams in Antarctica, the Red Sea and Polynesia. He speaks fluent Portuguese, English and Spanish and his hobbies are music and photography 
  
Built in France in 1979, the name of the boat that we will be sailing on is the Fernande which is a 70ft aluminium ketch with a background of two round the world trips and 15 times across the Drake. Made in the renowned Biot shipyard, known for seaworthy and reliable boats, she was originally built for proper ocean racing and later set up for high latitude expeditions, being able to host 12 people in great comfort


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