28 Feb Heading South…
Waking up with the excitement that you are heading South to Antarctica is a feeling that I will never forget. After morning briefings about logistics and time frames for boarding the ship, we started the program for the day with presentations from a few of the participants.
Ben from Woodchuck shared 5 business tips from experience with his own start-up. Kim Lyell from Al Gore’s Climate Reality group presented about The Tipping Point, her organization founded to fund start-ups helping combat climate change across the world. More inspired presenters shared their stories of conservation, activism, and sustainable development. After getting some final supplies from Ushuaia we finally made our way through customs towards the dock.
In a flurry of excitement we all board the ship and get organized in our rooms onboard the “Ocean Endeavor.” Safety briefings follow including evacuation drills, weather reports, and finally our first dinner onboard as a team. Whilst departing through the Beagle Channel we were gifted with a beautiful sunset and spotted lenticular clouds as well as sights of a storm in the distance.
Of the 90 people that are joining us to Antarctica, a vast array of cultures, skillsets, and strengths are represented. The 2041 team has worked with this group for the past 11 months in anticipation to the expedition. It is beyond exciting putting names to faces and understanding more about the stories that have led people to this point.
Every moment on an adventure like this offers many surprises. Unexpected moments with people, weather, and wildlife. Tomorrow brings the Drake Passage, with a reputation of being some of the roughest waters in the world. It will be a 2 day journey until we see our first sights of Antarctica.
The ships captain has told us that the departure time has changed to an hour earlier as we are trying to outrun a storm that is surging down the western side of South America. I thought those storm clouds from earlier in the day looked menacing… Ocean swells are expected to be 15 meters overnight. Time to “Drake Proof” the cabin by closing all doors, securing all electronics, and holding on for the ride. We know we have turned the horn by the wind speed alone. Soon the swells will grow in size as we continue to head towards open ocean.
- Trent