Sunday, April 17, 2016

Northbound - Antartica to Africa | Issuma



Catching up | Issuma

As can happen when you are busy, Richard Hudson has let his blogging slide.  Issuma departed Ushuaia on February 21, and crossed the 400 mile notorious Drake Passage in light to moderate winds, reaching Deception Island in Antarctica February 23.  Their last post was April 6 from the Argentine research station Carlini Base.

About ten days ago they turned north.  Issuma sailed from Carlini Base, King George Island,  South Shetland Islands, Antarctica (above) to Capetown.  I'm disappointed that they didn't stop at South Georgia Island, the old Norwegian sailing station.  There Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried in Gruytviken - from which in 1917 the doomed Endurance sailed into the ice pack, and to which he returned in the 21 foot lifeboat the James Caird, after a 720 mile open boat voyage from Elephant Island not far from Issuma's Antarctic jumping off point.

Now Issuma has headed north along the west coast of Africa.  They are about to leave Luderitz, Namibia in southwest Africa. At 26 N 15E it is 36 degrees northeast of the Carlini Base (about 2,200 miles).