Southern Ocean
Thies Matzen: Wanderer III: Southern Ocean by the Stars | Travel Grit Podcast
My dear friends Thies Matzen and his wife Kicki Ericson have navigated their wooden sloop Wanderer III in the Southern Ocean for decades, mostly by stars and sextant. Their voyages under sail have inspired me for years, from overwintering two years on the sub-Antarctic South Georgia Island, to sailing Wanderer III to the Antarctica, the smallest traditional plank on frame boat ever to do so.
Sailing from the Falklands to South Georgia: Putting to Sea aboard Windora
The day has come to put to sea. Tomorrow I sail from Stanley, in the Falkland Islands, to South Georgia Island, off Antarctica. I’ll be traveling aboard Windora. She belongs to my friends Phil and Lynda Christiesen. We met years ago in New Zealand. It may be… Continue reading
South Georgia Shipwreck: When Windora Hit the Rocks in Hurricane Winds
“Below 40, there is no Law. Below 50, there is no God.” They saying comes from Southern Ocean voyagers. The 40 is the Roaring Forties, the 50 the… Continue reading
Sheep Shearing in the Falkland Islands: A Sailor Goes Ashore
I know. I told you I was sailing a wooden sailboat from the Falkland Islands to South Georgia. Somewhere along the way, I ended up going from my sea berth to chasing sheep.
I’m new to this sheep thing. Here are some photos. Hope this makes you appreciate that wool sweater you’re wearing!
Yes, I still plan to sail to South Georgia in early January.
South Georgia Island: Not the One Near Atlanta
Recently, I got a message from friends there was a boat headed to South Georgia. There was a spare berth aboard. They wanted me to come along.
“Sure!” I said and finally I had The Answer.
The Answer to The Question folks always ask me – “Where are you traveling next?”
So now, when I tell folks I’m off to South Georgia, this image pops in to their heads.
Me in the Beer Dinghy, floating down the black waters spotting… Continue reading
Five Days at Macquarie Beach: Tasmania’s Southern Ocean Shore
In less than a month, I return to North Carolina. My half year bike voyage of Tasmania will be over.
To sear some final southern ocean images into my brain, I spent 5 days camped at Macquarie Beach, west of Strahan. Each day I walked the beach looking for something to bring home in my brain. For you, I… Continue reading
A New Year’s Wish Cast Off a Crayfish Boat, Tasmania
It’s the age old tradition. You go to a foreign land. It’s New Years Eve. There’s a fountain in the town square. You throw in a piece of local currency. You make a wish. You go back to drinking champagne.
Or, if you’re like me, you don’t see the sense of throwing good money into the drink just because others are doing it.
Spoilsport.
Then there’s… Continue reading
Crayfish Bait Skeletons: A Southern Ocean Close-Up in Tasmania
The longer I stay in Tasmania, the farther I’ve strayed from my original objective – travel Australia’s southernmost state by horse or mule. Instead of traveling overland, I find myself drawn back to the sea. But that’s okay. It’s hard to jump aboard a crayfish boat for a stint at sea… Continue reading
Sounds Like a Tasmanian Crayfish
Home in Carolina, the sound that cheers me most is the sound of a mule heading up the road, wagon in tow. It was a sound I’d hoped to replicate here in Tasmania.
Instead, I’ve ended up listening to crayfish.
Yep, instead of hitting the road in an equine… Continue reading
A Week Crayfishing in Tasmania: Reds, Brindles, and Close-Up Photos
By now you know the drill. My attempt to ride a mule around Tasmania failed because, well, mules are near impossible to find here. Still, the ten dollar bike I ended up taking off on has served me near as well as an equine companion. Better, in fact, I’d argue, when it comes to meeting crayfish.
Last time I wrote, I mentioned how I landed a berth on the crayfish boat “Miss Carmen”. On it, I ended up going to… Continue reading
From Mule to Bike to Crayfish Boat: Setting Sail in Tasmania
Damn Skippy! The Plan’s not going as planned. The original hope had been to ride a mule across Tasmania. Silly me. I never bothered checking whether or not Tasmania had mules before I showed up.
Bugger. They didn’t. Seems Tassie’s a Mule Free Zone. But it’s not bike free. Which is exactly what I bought at the junk store. And just hit the road with that.
So last week I’m standing on the Southport dock talking with a fellow called… Continue reading
South East Cape – The Farthest South You Can Go In Tasmania
Recently, to get a better sense of what Tasmania’s southern coast looks like, I biked to Catamaran on the southern coast. There, I picketed my bike (you can tell I miss my mules because most people just refer to parking their bike) and hoofed it cross-country to the shore of the Southern Ocean.
Without getting all geographic on you, South East Cape is the southern-most cape in Australia. Along with Cape Horn and the Cape of… Continue reading
