Cape Horn In Chile – Every Sailor’s Dream (Nightmare)

There is always a cape waiting for you in life, but if it is Cape Horn, the cape at the southern tip of the American continent and if you are lucky enough to round it, then you will never forget it.

~Anonymous visitor, quotes on Cape Horn

In the year 1965, a French couple, Bernard and Francoise Moitessier joined the ranks of many big sailor names. What feat was it that they’d achieved? They’d managed to round the CAPE HORN.

Cape Horn in Chile is said to be every sailor’s dream conquest. Most sailors shudder at the thought of it, considering the number of lives this raw natural beauty has been responsible for taking.

The Discovery -

The East India company had some hand in the discovery of Cape Horn. It was discovered due to the commercial restrictions that had been imposed in the 17th century, by the Dutch East India Company. No other trading companies were allowed to travel to the East Indies via the route of the Straits of Magellan and or the route of the Cape of Good Hope.

There was one wealthy Dutch tradesman, Isaac Le Maire, who was convinced that there had to be an alternative route to get to the East Indies. The land that lay to the south of the Straits of Magellan was Tierra Del Fuego. People at that time had believed that this was an entire continent of its own, but Le Maire believed that it was just a large island; and there would be a route around it.

He commissioned for two ships to make the journey. One was named Eendracht and the other Hoorn, based on the cities that had paid for them. Hoorn happened to accidentally catch fire and got burnt to the core; while the Eendracht continued on its way. As they passed the Strait, they noticed a high point on an island to their south, and they named it Cape Hoorn in memory of their sister ship that had been lost along the way. The English later changed this name to Cape Horn.

Sailing around Cape Horn -

The weather around the Cape Horn area is renowned for being aggressive and violent. This is one of the primary reasons why sailors take this route with utmost apprehension. The waves in this area have been known to touch the 65 feet mark. On an average, around 130 days in a year will see heavy clouds streaking the area; and another 200 days will see gale storms. Thoughts and statistics such as these can give you a shudder down your spine.

Cruise Liners Cash In -

There are passenger cruise-liners today that take this route, when the sea is calm, and Cape Horn is on their itinerary. Ask anyone who has done a trip around Cape Horn; and the answer will be the same – A glorious beauty, waiting to pounce upon you when you least expect it; but worth a shot nonetheless!