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Roberto Benavente
Mercado, Rear Admiral
The ship operators – INMARIS PERESTROIKA SAILING – of Hamburg, requested technical, logistic and administrative assistance from the Chilean Brotherhood of Cape Horn Captains, as the ship would follow the Valparaíso - Buenos Aires via Cape Horn route under sail – which is known to be uncertain and full of risks even for large sailing ships such as the KHERSONES, which is 108.60 m. long. Reciprocating the co-operation received from the Brotherhood, INMARIS invited the author of these lines to take part in the voyage in order to act as advisor to the commander and play the part of Observer, verifying that the ship would travel exclusively under sail in tracks from latitude 50º S in the Pacific to latitude 50º S in the Atlantic.
The ship had to face severe bad weather abeam Chiloé, and a storm approaching famous Cape Pilar which caused some sails to tear with loud reports. At daybreak on January 26th, it was estimated that the meridian crossing would occur at midnight , which would have been regrettable as we would have been unable to see the mythical Cape, and the naval plane - which the Commander in Chief of the Third Naval Zone was sending - would not have the opportunity to take photographs during the rounding. Anxiety grew on approaching Cape Horn, added to by the landing on deck of an albatross, which was released after many photographs had been taken. Meanwhile, the ship continued to sail with NW and W 30-knot winds and heavy seas, making it necessary to suspend all walking on deck. Thanks to the strong prevailing wind, the ship was able to navigate at speeds over 15 knots, and thus the arrival was brought forward sufficiently to be able to visualise the Ildefonso Islands and False Cape Horn. What was most spectacular was the approach to the real Cape. Successive rain squalls led to the apparition of a double rainbow which stood out with its seven colours over the famous Cape. It was a marvellous sight, enjoyed by the ship’s crew and those on the naval plane who were able to carry out their photographic mission in full during the evening of that unforgettable day.
The first part of the mission had been successfully completed. The voyage under sail continued to 50º latitude in the Atlantic, which was crossed days later. The 50º - 50º stretch was completed navigating 1,084 miles in 5 days, 20 hours, 30 minutes, exclusively under sail. The crew members and the “trainees” received a personal diploma - issued by the Chilean Brotherhood - which acknowledged that they had rounded Cape Horn under sail. The emotional impact of this voyage was extraordinary, and left an indelible imprint on all of us who participated in the crossing. Ever since that date, when the KHERSONES calls at the main ports around the world, she flies a large flag alluding to the Cape Horn crossing in 1997. However, what is most extraordinary about the event we now recall, is the consequences that followed. In fact, and as the possible result of the voyage under sail from Valparaíso southbound and of the spectacular nature of the rounding of Cape Horn, all those who participated have united in what we could call the “Brotherhood of KHERSONES Cape Horners”, where feelings of fellowship, friendship, solidarity and goodwill prevail, so typical of seamen. The fact of having shared an unforgettable marine experience, loaded with uncertainties, emotions and satisfaction, has created in each and every one of the participants a nexus of unity and friendship which has impelled them to meet every year to celebrate the anniversary of the crossing which is January 26th.
The last reunion started on January 23rd with a dinner at the HELMERHOF Hotel in Horn, a magnificent residence with proper accommodation to welcome the 68 “trainees” participating in the event. The programme drawn up included a series of visits, a highlight among them being the impressive beauty of the Breitach Klamm, a narrow pass nearly 2 kms. long soaring above a current of water running between rock cliffs around 60 m. tall. As the visit took place in mid-winter, the access road was flanked by icicles and frozen waterfalls as the temperature was 10º below zero. The programme also included visits to a renowned brewery, a cheese factory famous in the region, and the ancient and beautiful Wies church. There were also informative talks about the sinking of the TITANIC, an expedition to practically unknown regions of Central Africa, and the happenings on voyaging in a small 5 m. long yacht from Palma de Mallorca to Barbados, all very
interesting. The memorial service itself was held on January 26th starting with a gala dinner and then a film was shown which had been taken during the 1997 crossing. At 21:00 hours Captain Uwe Koch, INMARIS representative, addressed the audience referring to the reunion. At 21:09, taps and a minute of silence recalled the eighth anniversary of our voyage round Cape Horn, and the significance of that day, plus the KHERSONES, were toasted with a glass of vodka. The undersigned - having been invited to speak - referred to the importance of the event, acknowledged the work of the organisers, and congratulated all those present on their spirit of candid fellowship and friendship, pointing out that said seaman’s spirit is what our Brotherhood interprets as the Spirit of Cape Horn; as there is no doubt whatsoever that the “leitmotiv” linking us in this brotherhood is the fact of having sailed together round Cape Horn, one of the most renowned and traditional places for seamen from all over the world. At midnight, when the reunion came to an end, it was announced that the next anniversary will be celebrated in Bern, Switzerland, as suggested by three Swiss “trainees” who participated in our “Rounding Cape Horn”. This announcement was received with applause, and promises to meet again in Switzerland in January 2006. Valparaíso, February 2005 |
The Ukrainian sailing ship KHERSONES, owned by the Kerch Shipping Technology Institute, docked in Valparaíso in January 1997, under the command of Captain Mikhail Sukhina, with a crew of 42 men, from officers to crew members, plus a group of 64 cadets and 79 “trainees”, most of whom were
German.
The voyage was full of new experiences for the crew and the “trainees”. The ship sailed away 300 miles from the Chilean coast seeking favourable winds – which were found – and advanced swiftly towards the South at speeds never below 12 knots. There was great activity on board, preparing to appropriately confront the violence of the winds and the heavy swells typical of the tempestuous Drake Passage, including the making of a safety net extending from bow to stern to prevent a man from falling overboard as a result of the heavy rolls - which normally exceeded 20º - as the ship had no gunwales.
The crossing took place at 21:09 hours, still in daylight in those southern latitudes. The Chilean, Ukrainian and INMARIS flags had been hoisted on board. On crossing the meridian, Captain M. Sukhina solemnly addressed his crew, after which there were three cheers for the KHERSONES. In memory of those seamen who died on attempting to round Cape Horn, a wreath made on board from manila rope was thrown in the sea, and a specially chosen Ukrainian melody was intoned. Thousands of photographs were taken and the ceremony was filmed by a team led by a Chilean resident in Germany. The crossing having been completed, all the crew were served a glass of vodka and the “Nina’s Bar” on board was opened, which that night ran out of its store of Chilean Pisco and wines taken on in Valparaíso.
