The Maggie B featured in the Dec. 2007 issue of Yachting World

Author Annie Hill, whom we met while berthed in New Zealand, praises the Maggie B in this article in the December 2007 issue of Yachting World. You can read a pdf version here, complete with photos of the crew and the Maggie B.

Location 54° 47S, 64° 24W
Friday 12.07.2007

At 1100, the Schooner Maggie B was safely anchored in Puerto Hoppner, on the NW side of Isla de los Estados, Argentina, at 54° 47S, 64° 24W. It is raining and blowing about 30 knots in the anchorage. But we have three lines ashore and the anchor our in mud with 140 feet of half-inch chain in 20 feet of water €” if we are not safe here, we will never be.

After passing the Horn yesterday, we continued for the Straits of Le Maire. That’s the place where for half the day the Atlantic tries to fill up the Pacific and half the day it is the other way around. We had pretty light winds between the Horn and the Straits. In fact, it was essentially calm and we hit it at high water slack. Even with no wind and no tide, the waves bursting through the 14 mile gap were sharp enough to regularly send green water over the bow. I can’t imagine what it must be like on a bad day.

We decided to tuck into this tight cove because we all felt that we had about used up our luck and should sit out this next gale. Having an effortless passage around the Horn and across the Straits of Marie is about all the luck one could hope for. We didn’t want the sea and wind gods to think that we assumed good treatment.

Those of you accessing Google Earth will see how narrow the entrance is to the inner harbor. Yes, we made it through at just about low tide. I knew that it wasn’t low tide because there was about a 3-4 knot current coming out. We had only 2-4 feet to the rocks on either side. Alden’s kayak experience helped him as bow watch to read the water and current. We had to gun it going through, and fully commit as we needed the power and velocity for control. We had crew on both sides with our big fenders, to be ready for the worst. From the helm I could only see rock on either side. Those on the starboard would yell “Come Port!” and those on the port side would yell “Come Starboard!” but I only listened to Alden. There was all of five feet under the keel. We didn’t touch.

When we got into the little caleta to “park her,” we were happy to see shore lines tied to a prominent, useful tree, at the top of a ten foot cliff. Alden selected the heaviest rope to use as an aide to climb the cliff so that we could place ours. About 2/3’s the way up the line parted and Alden ejected off the small cliff into 46 degree water. He was out of the water and into the Reep so fast there was hardly time for a splash.

We expect to continue tomorrow to Buenos Aires, which is about 1200 NM away.

All is well.