Information AboutCape Horn |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT CAPE HORN | |
| headlands of chile | |
| horn | |
| maritime history | |
| sailing | |
| geography of magallanes and chilean antártica region | |
|
Cape Horn ( in the Netherlands ) is the southernmost Headland of the Tierra Del Fuego Archipelago of southern Chile . It is widely considered to be the southern tip of South America . Cape Horn is the most southerly of the Great Capes , and marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage ; for many years it was a major milestone on the Clipper Route , by which Sailing Ship s carried trade around the world. However, the waters around the cape are particularly hazardous, due to strong winds, large waves, and Iceberg s; these dangers have made it notorious as a sailors' graveyard. Today, the Panama Canal has greatly reduced the need for cargo ships to travel via the Horn. However, sailing around the Horn is widely regarded as one of the major challenges in Yachting , and a number of recreational sailors continue to sail this route, sometimes as part of a Circumnavigation of the globe. Several prominent ocean Yacht Races , notably the Vendée Globe , sail around the world via the Horn, and speed records for round-the-world sailing follow the same route. GEOGRAPHY , the Drake Passage , and the South Shetland Islands .]] Cape Horn is the southernmost point of land closely associated with South America; it is located at , in the , the Strait between South America and Antarctica . The dividing line between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans runs along the meridian of Cape Horn, from Tierra del Fuego to the Southern Ocean . ''Limits of Oceans and Seas'' . International Hydrographic Organization Special Publication No. 23, 1953. Cape Horn was originally given the , 2006 . It is commonly known to sailors simply as The Horn.''Rounding the Horn'', by Dallas Murphy; Basic Books, 2004. ISBN 0465047599 The cape is widely considered to be the , 2006 . The cape lies within , 2006 . The terrain is entirely treeless, although quite lush due to the frequent precipitation. Climate The climate in the region is generally cool, due to the southern latitude. There are no weather stations in the group of islands including Cape Horn; however, a study in 1882-1883 found an annual rainfall of 1,357 , 2006 . Contemporary weather records for , 2006 . Political Cape Horn is part of the , 2006 . The , 2006 . In 1984 by intermediation of Pope John Paul II was firmed a Peace And Friendship Treaty (Tratado de Paz y Amistad in Spanish ) between Argentina and Chile ending a dispute on the region. Map with current borders Sailing routes There are a number of potential sailing routes around the tip of South America. The , 2006 . All of these, however, are notorious for treacherous , 2006 . given the narrowness of these routes, there is a significant risk of then being driven onto the rocks. The open waters of the Drake Passage , south of Cape Horn, provide by far the widest route, at about 650 kilometres (400 mi) wide; this passage offers ample sea room for maneuvering as winds change, and is the route used by most ships and sailboats, despite the possibility of extreme wave conditions. Shipping hazards Several factors combine to make the passage around Cape Horn one of the most hazardous shipping routes in the world: the fierce sailing conditions prevalent in the Southern Ocean generally; the geography of the passage south of the Horn; and the extreme southern latitude of the Horn, at 56° south. (For comparison, Cape Agulhas at the southern tip of Africa is at 35° south; Stewart Island at the south end of New Zealand is 47° south.) The Prevailing Winds in latitudes below 40° south can blow from west to east around the world almost uninterrupted by land, giving rise to the " Roaring Forties " and the even more wild "furious fifties" and "screaming sixties". These winds are hazardous enough in themselves that ships travelling east would tend to stay in the northern part of the forties (i.e. not far below 40° south latitude); however, rounding Cape Horn requires ships to press south to 56° south latitude, well into the zone of fiercest winds.''Along the Clipper Way'', Francis Chichester; page 134. Hodder & Stoughton, 1966. ISBN 0340001917 These winds are further exacerbated at the Horn by the funneling effect of the Andes and the Antarctic Peninsula , which channel the winds into the relatively narrow Drake Passage . The strong winds of the Southern Ocean give rise to correspondingly large waves; these waves can attain enormous size as they roll around the , 2006 . The prevailing winds and currents create particular problems for vessels attempting to round the Horn against them, i.e. from east to west. Although this affects all vessels to some extent, it was a particularly serious problem for traditional sailing ships, which could make very little headway against the wind at the best of times;''Along the Clipper Way''; pages 72-73. modern sailing boats are significantly more efficient to windward and can more reliably make a westward passage of the Horn, as they do in the '' Global Challenge '' race. Finally, ice is a hazard to sailors venturing far below 40° south. Although the ice limit dips south around the horn, Iceberg s are a significant hazard for vessels in the area. In the South Pacific in February, icebergs are generally confined to below 50° south; but in August the iceberg hazard can extend north of 40° south. Even in February, though, the Horn is well below the latitude of the iceberg limit.''Atlas of Pilot Charts: South Pacific Ocean''; Lighthouse Press, 2001. ISBN 1577852028 These hazards have made the Horn notorious as perhaps the most dangerous ship passage in the world; many ships were wrecked, and many sailors died, attempting to round the Horn. HISTORY Discovery In September 1578, Sir , 2006 . By the early 1600s, the Dutch East India Company held a monopoly on all Dutch trade via the Strait of Magellan and the Cape Of Good Hope , the only two known routes at the time to the Far East . In an effort to find an alternative route and hence break the monopoly, the Dutch merchant Jacob Le Maire , together with navigator Willem Schouten , set off to investigate Drake's suggestion of a route to the south of Tierra del Fuego. Backed by the city leaders of the Dutch town of Hoorn , the expedition set off in two ships, ''Eendracht'' and ''Hoorn'', in May, 1615. ''Hoorn'' was accidentally destroyed in Patagonia , but in January, 1616, ''Eendracht'' passed through the Le Maire Strait , as it is now known, and sighted a high island to the south. They named the new cape "Kaap Hoorn", in honour of the expedition's sponsors. At the time it was discovered, the Horn was believed to be the southernmost point of Tierra del Fuego; the unpredictable violence of weather and sea conditions in the Drake Passage made exploration difficult, and it was only in 1624 that the Horn was discovered to be an island. It is an interesting testament to the difficulty of conditions there that Antarctica , only 650 kilometres (400 mi) away across the Drake Passage , was discovered as recently as 1820, despite the passage having been used as a major shipping route for 200 years. Trade route From the 1700s to the early 1900s, Cape Horn was a part of the , 2006 . The Horn exacted a heavy toll from shipping, however, due to the extremely hazardous combination of conditions there. Traditionally, a sailor who had rounded the Horn was entitled to wear a gold loop earring — in the left ear, the one which had faced the Horn in a typical eastbound passage — and to dine with one foot on the table; a sailor who had also rounded the , 2006 . The Transcontinental Railroads in North America, as well as the Panama Canal in Central America, led to the gradual decrease in use of the Horn for trade. As Steamship s replaced Sailing Ship s, '' Pamir '' became the last commercial sailing ship to round Cape Horn laden with cargo, en route from Australia to Finland in 1949. Recreational and sport sailing Despite the opening of the , 2006 . The first small boat to sail around Cape Horn was the 42-foot (13 m) , 2006 . Today, there are several major Yacht Races held regularly along the old clipper route via Cape Horn. The first of these was the '' Sunday Times Golden Globe Race '', which was a single-handed race; this inspired the present-day '' Around Alone '' race, which circumnavigates with stops, and the '' Vendée Globe '', which is non-stop. Both of these are single-handed races, and are held every four years. The '' Volvo Ocean Race '' is a crewed race with stops which sails the clipper route every four years. The Jules Verne Trophy is a prize for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by any type of yacht, with no restrictions on the size of the crew (no assistance, non-stop). Finally, the '' Global Challenge '' race goes around the world the "wrong way", from east to west, which involves rounding Cape Horn against the prevailing winds and currents. The Horn remains a major hazard for recreational sailors, however. A classic case is that of Miles and Beryl Smeeton, who attempted to round the Horn in their yacht ''Tzu Hang''. Hit by a rogue wave when approaching the Horn, the boat pitchpoled (ie. somersaulted end-over-end). Although they survived, and were able to make repairs in Chile, they attempted the passage again, only to be rolled over, and dismasted for a second time, by another rogue wave.''Once Is Enough'', by Miles Smeeton. International Marine Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0071414312 LITERATURE AND CULTURE Cape Horn has been an icon of sailing culture for centuries; it has featured in , 2006 . and in many books about sailing. One of the classic accounts of a working ship in the age of sail is ''Two Years Before the Mast: A Personal Narrative'', by Richard Henry Dana, in which the author describes an arduous trip from Boston to California via Cape Horn: Just before eight o'clock (then about sundown, in that latitude) the cry of "All hands ahoy!" was sounded down the fore scuttle and the after hatchway, and hurrying upon deck, we found a large black cloud rolling on toward us from the south-west, and blackening the whole heavens. "Here comes Cape Horn!" said the chief mate; and we had hardly time to haul down and clew up, before it was upon us. In a few moments, a heavier sea was raised than I had ever seen before, and as it was directly ahead, the little brig, which was no better than a bathing machine, plunged into it, and all the forward part of her was under water; the sea pouring in through the bow-ports and hawse-hole and over the knightheads, threatening to wash everything overboard. In the lee scuppers it was up to a man's waist. We sprang aloft and double reefed the topsails, and furled all the other sails, and made all snug. But this would not do; the brig was laboring and straining against the head sea, and the gale was growing worse and worse. At the same time sleet and hail were driving with all fury against us. We clewed down, and hauled out the reef-tackles again, and close-reefed the fore-topsail, and furled the main, and hove her to on the starboard tack. Here was an end to our fine prospects. ''Two Years Before the Mast: A Personal Narrative'' , by Richard Henry Dana; Chapter V, ''Cape Horn — A Visit''. Signet Classics, 2000. ISBN 0451527593 Charles Darwin , in ''The Voyage of the Beagle'', a Journal of the five-year expedition upon which he based '' The Origin Of Species '', described his 1832 encounter with the Horn: ... we closed in with the Barnevelts, and running past Cape Deceit with its stony peaks, about three o'clock doubled the weather-beaten Cape Horn. The evening was calm and bright, and we enjoyed a fine view of the surrounding isles. Cape Horn, however, demanded his tribute, and before night sent us a gale of wind directly in our teeth. We stood out to sea, and on the second day again made the land, when we saw on our weather-bow this notorious promontory in its proper form — veiled in a mist, and its dim outline surrounded by a storm of wind and water. Great black clouds were rolling across the heavens, and squalls of rain, with hail, swept by us with such extreme violence, that the Captain determined to run into Wigwam Cove. This is a snug little harbour, not far from Cape Horn; and here, at Christmas-eve, we anchored in smooth water. ''The Voyage of the Beagle'' , by Charles Darwin. National Geographic, 2004. ISBN 0792265599. Alan Villiers , a modern-day expert in traditional Sailing Ship s, wrote many books about traditional sailing, including ''By way of Cape Horn''.''By way of Cape Horn'', by Alan John Villiers . (Out of print.) More recent sailors have taken on the Horn singly, such as Vito Dumas , who wrote ''Alone Through The Roaring Forties'' based on his round-the-world voyage;''Alone Through The Roaring Forties'', Vito Dumas; McGraw-Hill Education, 2001. ISBN 0071376119 or with small crews. In the latter category, Hal and Margaret Roth did much to popularise ocean sailing with several books, including ''Two against Cape Horn'', describing their voyage around the Horn; ''Biography of Hal Roth'' , from Torresen Sailing. Retrieved February 5 , 2006 .''Two against Cape Horn'', by Hal Roth. Norton, 1978. ISBN 039303223X and the father-son team of David and Daniel Hays describe their voyage as a bonding experience in ''My Old Man and the Sea''.''My Old Man and the Sea: A Father and Son Sail Around Cape Horn'', by David and Daniel Hays. Algonquin Books, 1995. ISBN 1565121023 . Sheridan House, 2003. ISBN 1574091549 and once Single-handed . His book ''The Long Way'' tells the story of this latter voyage, and of a peaceful night-time passage of the Horn: The little cloud underneath the moon has moved to the right. I look... there it is, so close, less than 10 miles away and right under the moon. And nothing remains but the sky and the moon playing with the Horn. I look. I can hardly believe it. So small and so huge. A hillock, pale and tender in the moonlight; a colossal rock, hard as diamond.''The Long Way'', by Bernard Moitessier; page 141. Sheridan House, 1995. ISBN 0924486848 Cape Horn is also the subject of a popular Gordon Lightfoot song "The Ghosts of Cape Horn." FURTHER READING
SEE ALSO
REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|