16-Nov-2008 -- On Nov 3rd an Expedition Travel with the M/V Ocean Nova started in Ushuaia, Argentina. The route was to Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Orkney, and the Antarctic Peninsula. There are several possible confluences to visit on this route, weather and captain permitting. Since the weather was rough with a lot of swell and waves on the first part of the journey, a real good chance to reach a calm water confluence occurred first at 64S x 61W. I went to captain Alexey Z and described the Confluence Project to him, and he was willing to make an attempt. The point is not too far from an 11 m shallow sounding on the chart, so some caution must be taken.

The confluence visit was announced on the PA system, so most people on board could follow the advance on the local TV screen. I stood on the foredeck and took photos 480 m north of the confluence, of the GPS as soon as we passed within 100 m of the confluence, and when passing, in the four compass directions. Passenger Tom stood beside me and took a waypoint as close as possible.

The calculation of my closest position from the confluence is based on the following five registered waypoints: WP 220 63 deg 59.885’ S 60 deg 59.790’ W, 27.88 m N and 166.60 m E of confluence Photo 63 deg 59.947’ S 60 deg 59.992’ W, 98.16 m N and 6.49 m E of confluence WP 221 63 deg 59.951’ S 61 deg 00.013’ W, 90.75 m N and 10.55 m W of confluence WP 222 63 deg 59.999’ S 61 deg 00.218’ W, 1.85 m S and 176.99 m W of confluence Tom 63 deg 0’ 0” S 61 deg 0’ 12.9”W, 0 m N and 174.55 m W of confluence.

When drawn in a computer drawing program, it is evident that the ship made a turn towards the port side and passed 80 - 90 m northwest of the confluence where I and Tom stood. If I assume a straight course between the last four waypoints, I get a closest distance of 83.4 m.

Included in the series of photos is a krill, one of the commonest visitors of this confluence. The photo was taken on the shore of a small island called Mikkleson Harbour, about 15 km northeast of the confluence.

Ocean Nova reached Ushuaia on Nov 21st, after a calm Drake Passage crossing.