I’m writing from Ushuaia today, rather than Williams in Chile, as we’re now in Argentina on our northbound journey. Ushuaia (unlike tiny Williams) is a medium-size city, over the border formed by the Beagle, 45 km from Williams, and the only city nearby. Ushuaia’s pretty, in that it ascends the sides of snow-topped mountains seen behind the newish buildings continually, on a clear day. Skiers and ‘world’s southernmost’ seekers and hikers make the town very touristy. Catabatic winds spin dust spirals through its streets, down to the water of the bay. Windy constantly.

It’s the first time I’m adding to this site for a while, as there’s not been that much to add for a while. Covid came in 2020 as we prepared our departure on the boat we’d bought in Williams a year previously, and despite different plans at different times to leave, in short we were there over two years more. So not much opportunity to write of an ocean sailing journey! Though this delay did let us cruise a lot in the stunning Patagonian scenery; I’ve described our 2021 circuit of the Beagle, which we did in 2022 also actually. But now at last we’re off to sea.

Always many sentiments as we study the weather, stock the supplies, and plan our course. This will still be the first time we’ve taken this 33-footer offshore, where in the Southern Ocean waves she’ll look smaller for sure. And after so long since travelling it becomes a habit to be settled in a place. It’s fun though to be moving finally.

We’ll continue north in these weeks around the south’s summer solstice, towards Buenos Aires and then Brazil initially, and the Caribbean one day. The windows when the wind’s less extreme have diminished with summer still more, but soon we’ll start to look for one, after sorting some exhaust leaks which have been an issue lately. I’ll aim to add articles and revive this site, take off the free-Wordpress-plan ads if possible? I’ll see…

Some last summer BBQs in this area in the meantime, as we prepare for the next adventure!