Photos: the Passage from the Falkland Islands to South Georgia

On January 20, we left Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, bound for South Georgia. In the end, it took us just over 6 days to travel the 825 miles. There were two nights when we reefed the sails to slow down the boat because we could see icebergs and wanted to be able to avoid hitting them at speed. We are told that ice that far north in January was uncommon.

Porter standing watch in the doghouse. This feature on Sila is a game-changer when sailing in cold climates because it means we can manage longer watches without getting too cold.

Once the initial rough days were over, Adam and the Rabbit were able to play backgammon. For the first three days, we all spent most of our waking hours in the cockpit.

 Jack Rabbit bundled up and on watch in the cockpit. Air temperatures during the day hovered just above freezing and the water was about 4 degrees Celsius most of the time. This made it easy to keep fresh food cool under the floorboards!

 Christopher furls the main sail in Cumberland Bay as we approach Grytviken, South Georgia for the first time on January 26

 Seagulls, the least exciting birds we would see in South Georgia, greet us as we motor through the ice past King Edward Point, the South Georgia research station and government buildings.

 The Rabbit acts as forward looking sonar, helping Porter to steer Sila around the biggest chunks of ice as we approach Grytviken.

Sila, safe and secure at the dock in Grytviken, as a King Penguin strolls nearby. This one penguin was only just the beginning!

More photos to follow in the coming days as connectivity allows us to upload.