The Confluence of the Blue Giants

So far we have sailed 10,755 miles since we left Miami. Today we will pass Cape Horn which is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, located on the small Hornos Island. It marks both the Northern boundary of the Drake Passage as well as the point where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet, as shown here in the map from WorldAtlas.com

The notion that these two bodies of water do not mix is a common misconception. In reality they do mix and there is no distinct boundary between them. The different salinity, temperature, and density of the waters can however create visible separation lines, but that doesn't mean that they do not mix.

We've been past Cape Horn once before and again, as luck would have it, the seas were relatively calm. Although, as an old sailing saying goes, “below 40 degrees latitude, there is no law; below 50, there is no God.” No other sea route in the world has claimed as many lives as the journey around Cape Horn. The worst recorded year for shipwrecks at Cape Horn was 1905, when around 130 sailing vessels attempted to pass from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and 53 of them sank. The area has a history of treacherous conditions, with dense fog, high winds, and uncharted rocky outcroppings, making it a dreaded rite of passage for sailors. The waters surrounding it are known as the world's largest underwater graveyard.
Below are photos of the coast, the lighthouse and the Monument called the Albatross.

The Albatross Monument, also known as the Cape Horn Memorial, is a sculpture located on a hilltop at Cape Horn, Chile. It's 165 feet above sea level. The monument, erected in 1991, was designed by Chilean sculptor José Balcells. Standing 24 feet tall, it is dedicated to the memory of the more than 10,000 seamen who perished while navigating in the waters off Cape Horn. It's accompanied by a poem written by Sara Vial that was read to us by Captain Stig. It goes as follows.

Before the Panama and Suez canals were built the only means of transporting goods from Australia to Europe was to go around Cape Horn and Cape Hope. We learned from our Captain that this was accomplished by the tall ships, also known as Wind Jammers, until 1919. Just imagine ....

Click here to get a feel for these amazing sailing vessels that were manned by some astonishing sailors: https://youtu.be/USE0yNJSLpQ?si=VM0c1OcUmt2_FH0L [Especially at 17:30 minutes into the film]. Since then the "Cape Horners" and other seaman participate in what is known as the "Mount Everest for Sailors" by racing around the world and passing through Cape Horn in the process.

After sailing around the horn, we head North to our last port in Argentina and then on through the Strait of Magellen to several ports in Chile.