CAPE HORN

The Howlands rounded Cape Horn at the tip of South America

on March 31, 1853.

Watch Ralph McTell

sing the famous Sea Shanty

Around the Wild Cape Horn

Click Here to Follow Along With The Lyrics!
If you liked that…click here to listen to the best Sea Shanty ever!
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TIERRA DEL FUEGO

Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago at the southernmost tip of South America

The main island is Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego

Other islands include:

Hornos Island – where Cape Horn is located

Hoste Island – where False Cape Horn is located

The Diego Ramirez Islands – the southernmost point in South America 

Tierra del Fuego is divided between

Chile on the West and Argentina on the East

HOW DID TIERRA del FUEGO GET ITS NAME? WHAT IS FALSE CAPE HORN?

IN THE 1800’S THERE WERE THREE ROUTES BETWEEN

THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS

THE STRAITS OF MAGELLAN – traversed by Ferdinand Magellan  in 1520

THE BEAGLE CHANNEL – named for the HMS Beagle that explored here 1826-1830

THE DRAKE PASSAGE (around Cape Horn)- was discovered – but not explored – by Sir Francis Drake in 1578

WHO WERE THE FIRST EXPLORERS TO USE THE DRAKE PASSAGE AROUND CAPE HORN?

In 1616, the Dutch East India company had a monopoly on all Dutch trade via the Straits of Magellan.

A wealthy Amsterdam merchant Isaac Le Maire and ship captain Willem Schouten set out to find a new route.

On this voyage they discovered the Le Maire Strait

a sea passage between the east coast of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego and Isla de los Estados (Staten Island).

This led them to Cape Horn,

HOW DID CAPE HORN GET ITS NAME?

They then went through the Drake Passage

and entered the Pacific Ocean!

WHAT HAPPENED ON THEIR RETURN?

CAPE HORN

CAPE HORN IS…

A steep rocky headland on Hornos Island

Located at the southernmost tip of Tierra del Fuego archipelago of Southern Chile

It marks  the spot where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet

It is the northern boundary of the Drake Passage

CAPE HORN IS NOT…

The most southerly point of South America

WHAT IS?

THE WATERS OF CAPE HORN

ARE NOTORIOUSLY ROUGH

with

FIERCE WINDS

LARGE WAVES

STRONG CURRENTS

and ICEBERGS!

WINDS…

Cape Horn is at 56 degrees latitude.

Below 40 degrees latitude, the world is almost uninterrupted by land.

This allows winds to pick up great strength as they blow from west to east around the world.

These latitudes are known as

the “roaring forties” …the “furious fifties” …and the “screaming sixties”!

 

At 56 degrees the winds are even more extreme

because the Andes and the Antarctic peninsula channel the winds

into the relatively narrow Drake Passage.

Williwaw Winds are common here.

WHAT ARE WILLIWAW WINDS?

 

WAVES…

The strong winds create large waves.

At the Horn the shallow water makes the waves shorter and steeper and a danger to ships.

Rogue waves have been known to be 30 meters high or 98 feet!

 

THE DRAKE PASSAGE AROUND CAPE HORN

WAS THE PREFERRED ROUTE BETWEEN THE ATLANTIC & PACIFIC OCEANS

UNTIL THE PANAMA CANAL OPENED IN 1914

It was longer and rougher,

but much simpler  than the Straits of Magellan

and provided unlimited maneuvering.

 

Clipper Ships used this route to carry world trade:

United States from the east coast to California and then the Far East

Wool, grain and gold from Australia back to Europe

Trade between Europe and the Far East

 

At least 100 ships were lost in the Cape Horn area between 1850 and 1900.

Many sailors lost their lives.

Despite being a major shipping route for 200 years,

the rough weather of the Drake Passage prohibited further exploration.

Antarctica – only 400 miles across the Drake Passage – was not discovered until 1820!

Mountain waves like avalanches, crashed upon the decks
The screaming winds ripped ropes and spars and tried to have us wrecked
But she rose and fell through foam and swell, her sails were ripped and torn
Eight thousand tons, tossed like a cork
All the way around the wild Cape Horn

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