The Avid Cruiser - Fall 2007 - (Page 37)

Sacred Moments In photos and text by Mike Louagie South Georgia whole crew was eventually saved. When we arrived in South Georgia (after some tough days ploughing through heavy seas), the first place we dropped anchor was Grytviken. The name sounds Scandinavian, and yes indeed, it was a Norwegian captain who founded a whaling station here in 1902. Grytviken has some 30 cruise calls per year, and it is a tradition that each Captain organizes a ceremony at Shackleton’s grave. After a short speech, the captain invites passengers for a drink of rum. For the rest, Grytviken is rather a sad derelict place, with exception of the church and the museum that are in pristine condition. The rusted ruins of the whale blubber cooking tanks reminded me that more than 175,000 whales were killed on South Georgia, a sad place indeed. recently did the most wonderful cruise of my storms took several weeks — but was rewarded. Shacklelife on Hapag-Lloyd’s five star Hanseatic. We sailed ton was back on Elephant Island 105 days later, and his in 18 days from Ushuaia via Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands to Buenos Aires. Most passengers, if not all, booked this cruise to experience the magic of Antarctica. But I’m not going to tell you about Antarctica in this story. On these pages, you won’t read about my first steps on Half Moon Island. No comments on the Zodiac expedition into Paradise Harbor, watching a monstrous ice chunk breaking off the façade of a glacier and dramatically crashing into the water to cause a mini tsunami. Not a word about cruising into the breathtaking Lemaire Channel or between the small icebergs in the Errera Channel. Not a peep about Deception Island with its black beach. And knowing that you have probably already read a lot about penguins, I’ll skip them too. When we virtually closed the Antarctic door, heading northeast, many saw the rest of the cruise as a bonus: Why not visit some other places in the Southern Ocean while we were here? Some ships first go to South Georgia and then to Antarctica. Hanseatic was scheduled to follow the famous Shackleton route from Elephant Island to South Georgia. Many of us knew about the heroic adventure of explorer Ernest Shackleton. During a 1915 Antarctic expedition, his ship, Endurance, was crushed by ice after having been stuck for 281 days in the Weddell Sea. Shackleton and his 28 crew managed to flee on three small boats to Elephant Island. There, they made camp and decided to row with five men to South Georgia for help. This heroic crossing in the worst imaginable conditions of icebergs and Around the island For three days, Captain Ulf Wolter skillfully navigated from bay to bay. In general the weather was inclement, with often strong katabatic winds suddenly roaring down off the glaciers. On our last day, Gold Harbor proved to be the highlight of the cruise. About 15 minutes before disembarking we prepared for our daily ritual, donning warm clothes, waterproof trousers, rubber boots, a red parka and of course a lifebelt. No more than 100 people were allowed ashore at one time, so we were divided into two groups. First come, first served. The first group headed ashore, and I lined up with the others for our turn to tender. When the first people from the first group returned, FALL 2007 Avid Cruiser 37

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Avid Cruiser - Fall 2007

The Avid Cruiser - Fall 2007 Contents The Poop Deck Cruising, Back to Back At The Piazza SeaDream Yacht Club Regent’s Seven Seas Voyager The ‘New’ Crystal Symphony Bay of FUNdy Long Weekend Getaway Silversea Cruises: Silver Whisper Cruising Southeast Asia ‘Awesome’ Alaska Sacred Moments In South Georgia Two Years With A Princess Of Days Gone By

The Avid Cruiser - Fall 2007

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