I passed through it in 1976 heading West bound, I was a new 21 year old 3rd Officer on a 40,000 deadweight bulk carrier, there was little wind, I was on the Bridge wing and looked back and saw a huge wave that I have never seen since. It was enormous, and heading fast towards us, there was nothing I could do, the wave lifted the after end of the ship high and the bow tipped right down and then the bow was lifted high and the stern right into the water. Amazingly the ship settled down and nobody was on deck so nobody was hurt. Thank god there was no wind but as the narrator says you will never forget it and I’m 69 now and still see that wave clearly in my head👍
My father and I crossed the Drake Passage to Antarctica from Ushuaya, Argentina. The same cruise ship we were on had, on its previous trip, been badly hit by waves which broke windows and damaged the electrical systems. Luckily, when we crossed we had the smoothest crossing ever experienced by our crew! My dad was 93 at the time and the trip to Antarctica had been a dream of his since he was about 10 years old. It didn't disappoint! Thanks for this informative video!
That’s cool that your dad got to live out his dream. I must say Antarctica is a very special place. I was on the Explorer II when I crossed the passage. An amazing experience.
My grandmother sailed from England to San Francisco around 1900 and yes - no Panama Canal - so she had to go around that tip of South America. I have newfound admiration for her courage.
Went through the Drake Passage twice back in January as part of the Ultimate World Cruise, on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas, which is now one of the smaller cruise ships but still has a capacity of over 2000 passengers. The first time through was the only time in my life that I've gotten seasick. My cabin was on deck 10, and higher cabins are worse when it comes to motion sickness. So I went down to my buddy's cabin on deck 3 to see if it was any better. His window looked like the door on a washing machine. It wasn't noticeably better down there, unfortunately. On our second time through, it was completely placid, the "Drake Lake". The captain even made an announcement that he'd never seen it so calm.
Ive been a Fisherman in the Bering Sea for 21yrs. What I've learned is that any of the worlds oceans. At any time of the year anywhere in that ocean. Can become violent enough. With big enough waves. Can overcome any vessel man can build. The ocean is the ocean . That water doesn't matter where it is or what we call it. It is the most powerful force on earth. That is why there are ships that were considered seaworthy on the bottoms of every part of every ocean on the planet. My advice to any sailor is something that I have survived by doing. Always , always prepare your vessel for the worst weather imaginable. Before you're in the open waters. And if something is off. Or doesn't sound or feel or smell right. Get up and see for yourself that it is just your imagination. Because given enough time. You will find that one time it isn't.
Yup, crossed the drake six times, and spent two seasons in the gulf of Alaska, along with countless sea days in the north and South Pacific and Atlantic. The ocean can kick your ass anywhere, and often does. Everything needs to be ship shape, secured for motion, etc. That’s the only way to leave the dock,
The Bering is a shallow sea, thus large waves can build suddenly. You can be in fifty-foot swells in the mid Pacific and no really be able to tell that you're going up and down because the swells are so far apart. Wait until they start to hit shallow water! That said, I read a first-hand account by some people who were in a large Trimaran in the Pacific off Chile who said that they surfed a large wave in mid-ocean and got to 70mph. Lake Pontchartrain covers over 600 square miles but it's only about 12 feet deep. It can get rough in just a few minutes, catching many a sailor unprepared. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
In 1981 I was on a Landing Ship that was doing a six month cruise around South America. There was a lot of talk about taking the Drake Passage, but the consensus was it was in the middle of winter and the weather could change too fast for us to go through safely. We passed through the Straits of Magellan and through the narrowest navigable channel in the world, The English Narrows. There were parts when standing on the bridge if we looked out each side all we saw were tree tops. As we started the narrowest turn the pilot told the Captain that we would have to back the starboard engine to make the turn and told him that he had to use his judgment to give the order because he knew the ships turning abilities. I remember the Captain out on the Port bridge wing watching the ship enter the turn and then he yelled "Starboard engine back full!" As soon as we got the indication the engine was reversing he yelled "All ahead 2/3rds!" The pilot told him that he had been on 3 ships that struck rocks because they turned too late. There was a DDG following us and we heard over the bridge to bridge radio, "Nicely done Skipper" from the task force commander.
@@stickinthemud23 No, U.S.S. Plymouth Rock, they wanted to said the Drake Passage but weather was too iffy. Plus we had picked up a port call in Punta Arenas Chile. We anchored out and a bunch of us went skiing in late August. It was wild to see the ships in the bay from the top of the mountain.
Crossed the Drake Passage twice in 1978. Also curcumnavigated Cape Horn twice in 1974. Research ship with no stabilizers. 20 on board. Going to Antarctica it was Drake lake. Had a barbecue on deck. Coming back, tied to our bunks. Nobody out and about. Only time I ve been seriously seasick.
that would be a dream I'd have in a dream of me having dreams... my god that'd be amazing... like not the, not the bad.. err ya know? lololol just everything else you said... lol. I would love to be able to any of that..... oh my god.. lolololol
We've learned about Cape Horn and the explorers to the Pacific in grade school. Seeing modern vessels struggle under these incredible conditions continues to amaze me about how a 16th century crew could ever do this in a 150' wooden galleon! Great seamanship, great craftmanship or great luck. maybe all three. Great doc vid, thanks!
And yet, Earnest Shackleton and the crew from ice-crushed Endurance ROWED across the Drake Passage to South Georgia Island, in open lifeboats. Wooden ships and Iron Men!
They didn't row. They sailed. The James Caird had covered decks to keep the weather and the sea out and a little hatch to look out from and navigate by sextant.
I’ve been from the Pacific through the Panama Canal and onto the Atlantic. And now I’m even happier I did! Amazing place the Canal is and knowing how long ago it was conceived and built is mind boggling. Men of great vision back then.
And endurance! Malaria still existed when they did this project...in the jungle! We are very fortunate the men that worked on this canal gave their blood and sweat.
You forgot to mention the 1916 journey that Ernest Shackleton did through the Drake Passage from Elephant Island to South Georgia in a tiny life boat. Still today one of the most incredible sailing feats ever endured.
The book "Endurance" is defiantly a great read. And if you are ever in England I suggest taking a trip to Dulwick College. The life raft they sailed 1300 kilometers in "The James Caird" is on display there.
Shakleton was in Antarctica for the better part of three years. He started out with 109 men, and ended up with 109 men. The only casualty was one man lost some toes to frostbite. That was in 1914-1916.
I found out why port holes on ships are round. Because if they weren't, if you were looking out and a wave hit, the wave would hit you square in the face.
I sailed on a Coast Guard 378-foot cutter in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska in the early 1980's. Had to tie off one wrist to a steel stanchion to avoid falling out of bed when I was off duty. 35-foot seas in the winter. This is why crab fishing in Alaska is considered one of the world's most dangerous jobs. Believe it or not, you get used to it. However, it's hilarious when you get off the ship in harbor. For the first few minutes it's really hard not to fall down!
Served several years in the US Navy on a DDG. I loved the rough seas, occasionally. I found I could sleep very well during storms. They rocked me to sleep.
was on the charles s sperry in the Atlantic in 70s a boiler tech. it was designed to 47 degree rolls. Once out we took took 42 degree rolls. only time I got sea sick. you could walk on the bulkhead going down the passage way @lasttrimestr49califos89
HOLY TOES I was just talking about how much I felt like, right, just right, everything felt right, lol, when I was down in the gulf off of the keys on a boat that shouldn't have been where it was and everyone else I was with had to hold on with dear life and I was just vibing with it giggling not holding a thing just moving my weight with the boat. hah. everyone hates when i'm being me LOL "GUYDUDE! YOU'RE GOING TO GET KILLED STOP BEING A... DAMN MAN!" (my being manic isn't at all far fetched here heh)
My great grandfather was a 14 year old East Prussian cabin boy from the Free City of Danzig (now Gdansk in Poland) when he began going to sea on American Clipper Ships like the N.B. Palmer (called The Yacht) and the super clipper Jacob Bell. He made the passage under South America various times going from Boston and New York to San Francisco, Canton and Japan. Before he stopped ten years later he became second mate. The Jacob Bell was burned off Brest, France, by the Confederate Raider Florida, manned by English pirates who were caught and tried. He naturalized as an American citizen in 1864.
In 2010 I took a cruise to Antarctica. Left Buenos Aires and traveled to the Falkland Islands as we were headed south. The waters on that stretch were the worst of the whole ship, the waves were high and we got tossed around. People pretty much stayed in their rooms for that part. I really don't remember the water during the Drake Passage thus is must have been okay. I think we did that by night. So we attempted a cruise through the Antarctic Peninsula but only got through half of it when a huge wind kicked up and nearly, I kid you not, push our large cruise ship on its side. The ship was tilting steeply. The Captain turned that 900 ft ship around on a dime easily as he decided to go back the way we came in, he was afraid that the winds would blow him off into uncharted water. It all turned out fine so I loved the adventure, however, it seriously could have turned out much differently. As we approached the tip of South America, it was a beautiful sight, the last bit of land of a continent. It was a little rough, but mostly well behaved that day. It was the highlight of my life time. Antarctica is other worldly.
Contrary to one comment in the video, ANY ocean voyage contains an element of life-or-death risk. Out there, you are completely dependent on your ship &, aside from the weather & waves, there are several ways to find yourself in the water with no land or help in sight: falling overboard, collision at sea, fire on board or simply springing an uncontrollable leak are all events that can lead to a really bad day. Power loss on a motor vessel in heavy seas is a serious emergency all by itself, as it then becomes difficult or impossible to prevent getting turned sideways to & rolled over by high wave crests, called "broaching" in sailor lingo. BTW, the Gulf of Alaska can be a pretty interesting patch of water; storm seas off the North Pacific bounce off the cliff faces that form the other 3 sides of it & create a "chop" that must be seen to be believed...& storm seas of up to 100 feet have been reported there.
These huge awful cruise ships I wouldn't fancy their chances in a storm down there, but hey if it sinks then that's a plus. Everyone safe in their lifeboats of course.
@@BeverlyM52 Aww, I am glad I gave you an idea of the place. Just watch any video here on TH-cam, so many people have posted their cruises. I enjoy watching them even if I had been there, I got to see things I somehow missed. The colors are white, black, grey and deep blue. Nothing else.
@@angelikaopland7880 You are so right. I learned very quickly there are no guarantees when you head off to Antarctica. Weather changes by the minute. Deep down I understand that experience could have easily been another "Titanic". We figured it would only take 10 seconds to pass out in that water temperature.
Funny, I've been there and done that in The Marines. Went completely around the southern tip of South America. That makes me a Blue Nosed (crossed the Arctic Circle) Red Cheeked (crossed the Antarctic Circle) and a Shellback (crossed the Equator).
@@cynot71 I could have sworn I replied to this. I can only remember three off the top of my head. USS Cayuga USS Fairfax County USS Ponce' Maybe about 3 or 4 more I can't remember without digging out a bunch of old photos.
@@sickofcrap8992 I might be if I knew what it was I never heard the term turtle in the Marine Corps. Snail, yep, turtle, don't know. The snail term, was being a grunt, you had full packs, water, beans, bandages and bullets. Basically, carrying your home on your backs like a snail.
Ships never pass under South America because you need to have somebody there to hold it up, and it weighs a ton, so good luck finding someone to help you with that.
Not so, but makes a good story. The origin of the phrase is beds hundreds of years ago used animal skin, cut into strips, to suspend the mattress, much like today’s sprung mattress. It was THIS goodnite wish that led to the sayin. Source; Brewers Book of Phrase & Fable.
Everything you are describing happens regularly in the Bering Sea, and often in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. I've sailed all three, for two decades. In a small ship this type of life is regular, just another day. We used extra rolled up clothes or boots to raise the outboard side of the mattress on our racks. No going topside unless with safety lines, tied off, etc etc. And eating, yeah, with your five compartment metal tray, you left one open for your drink, and just combined the food into one compartment. You held your tray with one hand to keep it level and your food on it, and used your fork to eat with.
1983 I was on board the USS Bristol County off the Kamchatka peninsula for 2 months. (our story was we were testing the freedom of the seas, we were actually spying on Russian subs) The Bering Sea was so rough we had a crack in the ship from the keel to halfway up the stack. And I have never seen seas like that in my life, I loved it.
Just the 2 stories on this page make me respect Sailors like I respect soldiers that get tired and worn out. What sailors did in the World Wars was crazy af. Just waiting to get sunk by a German sub with nothing to protect them. Not a single armed ship among them for a couple of years. Not even a Garand probably. Not that a Garand would help anyway. Rock solid heroes is what they are and to any men who went down to the sea in ships I say the same and big thanks to all of you.
Here's a couple of fun facts on this topic.... 1. Drake never actually sailed thru 'Drakes Passages. 2.The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic & Pacific oceans....east with west. But it runs north & south. 3. If you enter the canal from the Atlantic side, when you exit into the Pacific ocean, you are 26 miles further east than when you entered the canal from the Atlantic Ocean. 😊
I made it through the Drake passage in 2022 on a Viking Ocean Ship the week after the unfortunate passenger was killed by the rogue wave incident. The seas were rough enough to cause us to skip a port but the stabilizers on the ship were excellent. It was a worthwhile experience. Thanks for this video. Fortunately I didn’t see it BEFORE I went 😂
Sailed the Drake Passage on USS Independence (CV-62) when we changed homeports from Norfolk to San Diego in 1988. She was too broad in the beam to go thru the Panama Canal. On the carrier, we hardly noticed the movement caused by the heavy seas, but the cruiser that was with us, USS Lake Champlain got tossed about.
I was stationed on the USS Nimitz. Just about a month before I reported to her she had made the Drake Passage. I was a Rolling Airframe Missile Tech and during the passage heavy waves ripped the forward RAM launcher off the weapon sponson and into the sea. They modified all the other Nimitz class carriers with a wave break on the sponson to prevent this from happening again. The people I worked with said blue water was going over the flight deck during the storm. The launcher was ripped off the ship on a Saturday night and the ship was on holiday routine that Sunday, so it wasn't until later in the day that anyone went into the workshop below the sponson and discovered standing water and daylight where the bottom of the launcher should have been.
There was an International Association of Cape Horners: To become a member you had to have rounded the cape for sail, carrying freight. They naturally died out, they closed it down when there was 4 or 5 left, around 1990. I knew the last chairman. He'd only done one trip, but it took 41 days to get around the Cape. Forty one days in the same clothes. They had naps (no real sleep) at while tied to their positions on the deck. Those days the ships were made of wood, and the seamen of iron. Nowadays it's the other way around 🤣
> That's a pretty strong statement to say that ships NEVER pass under the southern tip of South America It is wrose to say we owe you any likes. You are globalwarmer and your shit is shouted to fools.
When I was in the Navy I was on an aircraft carrier. Once you get your sea legs, it was universal knowledge that you would get the best sleep of your life being gently rocked back and forth on the ship. I got the best sleep of my life on my deployments. But one of the worst days I ever spent on that ship was on a clear cloudless day that had 30 and 40 foot swells, enough to rock and aircraft carrier like a toy in a bathtub. And even for those of us who loved the pitching and yawing of the ship, were made sick and the heads were full of people chucking up their meals! LOL
The strait of Magellan is plenty wide for ships to pass with plenty of room. the channel is close to a mile wide at it's narrowest. the only reason a ship would take the drake is because they don't want to have a pilot on board to take the Magellan. You do have to have a pilot on board from a buoy about a mile out of either end, to a mile out of the other end. it's about a 16 hour transit. basically to save a few thousand bucks, they'd rather take a chance to lose their lives.
Even in the Magellian strait, the Pacific side is very bad. Magellian was incredibly lucky... because that side is never pacific. He named the Ocean Pacific based on a rare day 🙂
I was on the Nimitz when we went through the Drake Passage. I was never seasick until we did and we had waves crashing over the deck. The ship rocked from side to side slowly and that made my seasickness worse. I was glad we left that joker. 🤒🤢
By the way, Francis Drake was English, not British since he lived before Britain was a nation. Britain was formed in 1707 from England, Wales and Scotland.
@@icindric The United Kingdom is more than Great Britain. It includes Northern Ireland. Prior to Irish independence, the United Kingdom also included Ireland.
@@christophergraves6725 Exactly. That is why the official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Britain was never a nation.
@@icindric No. The Kingdom of Great Britain was formed in 1707 with the union of England and Scotland. In 1800, Ireland was added to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. No matter how you cut it, the nation of Great Britain or Britain did not exist in the 16th Century since England and Scotland remained distinct nations at the time.
I worked on US merchant ships for many years all over the world. Including South America and Central America. Always used the Panama Canal. Never traveled south around South America. Never really thought about until now
Enjoyed sailing from 1974 to 1983 in the Merchant Marines, SIU. Best memories going through the Panama and Suez Canal(s). Went through a Hurricane and some rough weather. Alaska was at -40 one time in Valdez. Thanks for your comment, brought back the good times from the past.
In the 80"s I crossed the Drake Passage twice onboard the US Navy Aircraft Carrier Enterprise from Philadelphia to San Diego and back to Pensacola FL. And many other Aircraft Carriers do so, instead of going through the Panama Canal.
I was a crewman on a ship that went through the Drake Passage in 1989. We went through in December, which is summer in the southern hemisphere. The passage was similar to going through a strong tropical storm in the central Pacific. Granted the ship I was on was a US Aircraft Carrier.
As someone who was deepsea for 34 years and travelled everywhere in all types of weather I always find it amusing when landlubbers are surprised that ships, yachts, boats in general move when on the oceans of the world.
Hardest thing I had to learn sailing on Lake Michigan was the art of pouring drinks down below in 4 to 6 foot swells. For those curious, it's all in the timing of the pour! ;)
It's the amount of water being forced thru the straight that is probably very rare. So he does have a point. I live in Belgium and our coastline is part of the British channel... we never see water being forced thru that channel in amounts that would make it dangerous for ships to pass thru. However, the North Sea ( which is at the North end of the channel) is often the subject of winds and currents coming from all directions and causes monster waves so it's being considered as a pretty rough sea.
I rounded the Horn in 1988 on the USS Independence. It was one of the most memorable at sea periods I ever had. Ships DO pass under the tip of South America.
I could be wrong, but if I recall correctly we lost a crewman and some aircraft that were chained down on the flight deck. It was the only time I felt the ship move up and down as we crested and descended waves, which were breaking across the flight deck. Never got seasick except for the first time we got underway cruising down the Delaware river 😅 I remember the Shangri-la was nearby waiting to be scrapped and you could see small trees and weeds growing out of her wooden flight deck.
I took DDG 92 USS Momsen through the canal on its commissioning voyage. Manned the rails all night and had a blast tossing gifts from the ships store over to the guys helping hook the cables up to the mules (steel Ballards that pull the ship through the locks) . Happy, friendly people!
Every time I see one of these videos, I am reminded of just how many factors that, were they not in place, would not allow for life to thrive on this planet. A missing land bridge between Antarctica and South America could tip the balance for life on earth. Mind blowing.
Yeah, and still...people don't believe in Creation. The fact that we seem to be alone in the universe makes us mind blowingly, breathtakingly, amazingly one of a kind: SPECIAL. Thanks God.
When I was in Antarctica I could not shake the deep sense that this place on Earth was the engine that drives the entire planet. There was a sense of power I felt I could not explain. I still believe this although it is not born out scientifically, It was most likely a spiritual experience...there is really something very powerful going on there.
@@trentstaggerly7455And who or what created God? You are just taking the unknowable one step further back, but if the God explanation satisfies you, then good luck to you.
Another awesome video thank you so very much. I knew some about Drake’s pass, but I didn’t know as much as you taught me. Thank you very much. Can’t wait until the next video John from South Jersey the good part of the state from the US.
Been there done that. On board the Royal Research Ship RRS Ernest Shackleton season 2003/4 where we were within half a degree of capsizing due to a rouge wave in the Drakes Passage on our way to re supply the British Antarctic Survey from the Flalkland Island. We lost most of our deck cargo and had to return to the Falkland islands for repairs.
The BAS was on South Georgia Island. It's closed now. I was there the last year they were opened. We had a poor lady who had a DVT on the flight down to Buenos Aries. The Navy doctor at the BAS came over to look at her. She never got out of her bed the entire 22 day trip. One of my favorite trip. Antarctica is very special. And penguins are super cute. My favorite was the rockhopper.
I've been through the Drake Passage twice, once each way. The weather on the west bound passage was unbelievable, totally mill pond flat, the atmosphere was so clear you could see the land as if it was yards away not 30 miles. Fantastic experience, still vivid 45 years on. Going the other way was a bit like a blustery day in the North Sea, nothing to write home about.
Ships do not pass through South America not only because of difficult geographical conditions but also because of potential dangers such as large waves and strong winds. This is truly reminiscent of the power of nature, making us respect the limits it sets.
I went through the Drake passage and that day the captain told us it was the first time he ever saw the water was calm. It did get rough after we turned north so I guess we were very lucky.
I have crossed the passage. On the way down it was the Lake. And for about four hours on the way back it was the Shake. And some shake it was. Like the narrator said the storms over the Drake can develop at a moment’s notice. The weather in general is unstable in these parts (60 degrees S )
I sailed 30 years as an Engineer. Also, I have sailed under South America in a US flag Passenger/Cargo ship. Our experience was not that bad. Sure, it was gray, overcast and a little rough. We did go through Drakes Passage and the English Narrows. However, I have experienced much worse in the Gulf of Alaska and the China Coast.
Sir Frances Drake was the first to take a ship through. He then proceeded up the west coast of S. America, making very little progress for a year. Finally got out of the area and continued raiding Spanish settlements.
you all are able to watch live the Vendée Globe starting on Nov 10th through to march 7th 2025. It is THE sailing event of the international elite in sailing once around the world taking place every 4 years. One man or woman in their sailing yacht. I've watched it last time and it was sooo dramatic in many ways! Worth watching.
I get "seasick" on rocking chairs and porch swings. Antarctica looks like an amazing place to visit but neither love nor money will ever get me there. Very cool video!
I never went through the passage . I was a seaman on a WW2 Landing Ship. Somewhat like a cork . our berthing had 6 bunks in a space 2m wide and 2.4 metres high. During a tropical cyclone off South Vietnam I was on the top bunk a wave off our port side. I finished on the bottom on the other side. I had tie myself in to stay put and get a good night's sleep
The strait of Magellan is (and certainly was during colonial times) the preferred option to the Drake Passage since you're a lot safer from dangerous weather there
So true. I was in the USN. Stationed @ Pearl. I was talking to sailors in 1996 and they were getting ready for a deployment escorting 145 researchers to McMurdo Station, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, and Palmer Station...and that they actually had to bring in a recently retired Captain to XO lead vessel because the USN had no CO that had experience sailing the Drake.
It’s terrible. I went out in a fishing boat once and we were rough seas, I swore never to go out in the ocean again…except for swimming of course, but I won’t go out in a boat or a ship or any vessel. I was so sick you could’ve taken my wallet and I would’ve been helpless to stop you…lol.
48 hours?? I knew a REAL Cape Horner (Someone, who've sails - by ONLY sails - around the cape, carrying freight) It took 41 DAYS!!! They weren't out of their clothes for 41 days! FORTY ONE DAYS.
My first time watching WATOP video! Extremely interesting and informative! I'll be watching more and have a new binge channel. Your voice sounds extremely familiar as I listen to a lot of r/ story videos. Remarkably familiar. Great video, can't wait to binge on these!
I worked on Polar research vessel for a few years. Got rolled round in the Drake passage many times, even took a rogue wave further to the east. We had a large GM/righting lever…on another vessel it may have been a different story. God bless all my friends at sea 🌊
I passed through it in 1976 heading West bound, I was a new 21 year old 3rd Officer on a 40,000 deadweight bulk carrier, there was little wind, I was on the Bridge wing and looked back and saw a huge wave that I have never seen since. It was enormous, and heading fast towards us, there was nothing I could do, the wave lifted the after end of the ship high and the bow tipped right down and then the bow was lifted high and the stern right into the water. Amazingly the ship settled down and nobody was on deck so nobody was hurt. Thank god there was no wind but as the narrator says you will never forget it and I’m 69 now and still see that wave clearly in my head👍
Thank god it hit the aft first otherwise you might not be here to tell the crazy story
"Bending forces" must have been incredible
@@Sirbadone Yes, maybe close to the limits but ‘bulkies’ do bend a lot even in moderate seas. Anyway, it ended well👍
Wow!!! Thank you for sharing your experience!!!
I just loved Handy sized bulk carriers. Best ports and berths. If it were a Cape Sizer maybe no one would be here to tell your story. 😮
My father and I crossed the Drake Passage to Antarctica from Ushuaya, Argentina. The same cruise ship we were on had, on its previous trip, been badly hit by waves which broke windows and damaged the electrical systems. Luckily, when we crossed we had the smoothest crossing ever experienced by our crew! My dad was 93 at the time and the trip to Antarctica had been a dream of his since he was about 10 years old. It didn't disappoint! Thanks for this informative video!
@@mtngrammy6953 I would go back to Antarctica in a heartbeat! It was SO much more than I expected.
@@marionnadeau8457 Soon it will be so much less.
That’s cool that your dad got to live out his dream. I must say Antarctica is a very special place. I was on the Explorer II when I crossed the passage. An amazing experience.
Great explanation of one of earths most dangerous places
@@marionnadeau8457 Time to move there!
My grandmother sailed from England to San Francisco around 1900 and yes - no Panama Canal - so she had to go around that tip of South America. I have newfound admiration for her courage.
Dear god! That trip was both long AND rough 🫡
"This Is Why Ships Never Pass Under South America"
*Laughs in Chilean Navy*
😂😂
@@ac1646 Laughs in what navy?
He's right... When you look at a map or the globe.... It's "under" south America.... So he's English is right
@@chommie5350 ..unlike yours 🫣
Good one😂😂💪👍
Went through the Drake Passage twice back in January as part of the Ultimate World Cruise, on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas, which is now one of the smaller cruise ships but still has a capacity of over 2000 passengers. The first time through was the only time in my life that I've gotten seasick. My cabin was on deck 10, and higher cabins are worse when it comes to motion sickness. So I went down to my buddy's cabin on deck 3 to see if it was any better. His window looked like the door on a washing machine. It wasn't noticeably better down there, unfortunately.
On our second time through, it was completely placid, the "Drake Lake". The captain even made an announcement that he'd never seen it so calm.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story 🙏🤩
And that’s with ballistae’s and stabilizers helping to keep the ship stable!!
Fake
@@amoeba_x you're not very bright, are you?
@@amoeba_xfeel like you’ve contributed now…. Loser.
“Why ships never go there.” Proceeds to talk about all the ships that go there.
'Proceeds to shout' for nearly 14 minutes.
😂
There are some brave souls.
I know that feeling all too well,
I slept in an elevator once.
Yes, I'm afraid that it is just another video churned out with the intention of making money with negligible consistency or facts.
Ive been a Fisherman in the Bering Sea for 21yrs. What I've learned is that any of the worlds oceans. At any time of the year anywhere in that ocean. Can become violent enough. With big enough waves. Can overcome any vessel man can build. The ocean is the ocean . That water doesn't matter where it is or what we call it. It is the most powerful force on earth. That is why there are ships that were considered seaworthy on the bottoms of every part of every ocean on the planet. My advice to any sailor is something that I have survived by doing. Always , always prepare your vessel for the worst weather imaginable. Before you're in the open waters. And if something is off. Or doesn't sound or feel or smell right. Get up and see for yourself that it is just your imagination. Because given enough time. You will find that one time it isn't.
And that, By God, is absolutely sound advice!!!
Thank you. Very enlightening (and scary).
Yup, crossed the drake six times, and spent two seasons in the gulf of Alaska, along with countless sea days in the north and South Pacific and Atlantic. The ocean can kick your ass anywhere, and often does. Everything needs to be ship shape, secured for motion, etc. That’s the only way to leave the dock,
@@DonnieGoodman-tz7kz my 41 years of experience on almost all the oceans will agree to your comment.
The Bering is a shallow sea, thus large waves can build suddenly. You can be in fifty-foot swells in the mid Pacific and no really be able to tell that you're going up and down because the swells are so far apart. Wait until they start to hit shallow water! That said, I read a first-hand account by some people who were in a large Trimaran in the Pacific off Chile who said that they surfed a large wave in mid-ocean and got to 70mph. Lake Pontchartrain covers over 600 square miles but it's only about 12 feet deep. It can get rough in just a few minutes, catching many a sailor unprepared. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
In 1981 I was on a Landing Ship that was doing a six month cruise around South America. There was a lot of talk about taking the Drake Passage, but the consensus was it was in the middle of winter and the weather could change too fast for us to go through safely.
We passed through the Straits of Magellan and through the narrowest navigable channel in the world, The English Narrows. There were parts when standing on the bridge if we looked out each side all we saw were tree tops. As we started the narrowest turn the pilot told the Captain that we would have to back the starboard engine to make the turn and told him that he had to use his judgment to give the order because he knew the ships turning abilities. I remember the Captain out on the Port bridge wing watching the ship enter the turn and then he yelled "Starboard engine back full!" As soon as we got the indication the engine was reversing he yelled "All ahead 2/3rds!"
The pilot told him that he had been on 3 ships that struck rocks because they turned too late. There was a DDG following us and we heard over the bridge to bridge radio, "Nicely done Skipper" from the task force commander.
I have to say, that’s a very cool anecdote. Nice.
Was it INCHON?
@@stickinthemud23 No, U.S.S. Plymouth Rock, they wanted to said the Drake Passage but weather was too iffy. Plus we had picked up a port call in Punta Arenas Chile. We anchored out and a bunch of us went skiing in late August. It was wild to see the ships in the bay from the top of the mountain.
@@jerlewis4291 Reminds me of that lyric from the Gordon Lightfoot song, "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald":
"With a crew and good captain well-seasoned"
Crossed the Drake Passage twice in 1978. Also curcumnavigated Cape Horn twice in 1974. Research ship with no stabilizers. 20 on board. Going to Antarctica it was Drake lake. Had a barbecue on deck. Coming back, tied to our bunks. Nobody out and about. Only time I ve been seriously seasick.
@@margiewinslow872 you sound like youve had an interesting time, I'm jealous.
You’re badass, lady
What a woman! 👍
that would be a dream I'd have in a dream of me having dreams... my god that'd be amazing... like not the, not the bad.. err ya know? lololol just everything else you said... lol. I would love to be able to any of that..... oh my god.. lolololol
Thank you very much for sharing this with us!
We've learned about Cape Horn and the explorers to the Pacific in grade school. Seeing modern vessels struggle under these incredible conditions continues to amaze me about how a 16th century crew could ever do this in a 150' wooden galleon! Great seamanship, great craftmanship or great luck. maybe all three.
Great doc vid, thanks!
My Great Grandfather used to sail this route around the turn of the last century; he said they lost at least one crew member with every crossing.
And yet, Earnest Shackleton and the crew from ice-crushed Endurance ROWED across the Drake Passage to South Georgia Island, in open lifeboats. Wooden ships and Iron Men!
Mostly very very very lucky boys.
The sea takes who it will and leaves who it will. @@damaddog8065
They didn't row. They sailed. The James Caird had covered decks to keep the weather and the sea out and a little hatch to look out from and navigate by sextant.
I'm guessing they took a goodly ration of rum off the 'Endurance' with them before they cast off, lol
@@wasserdagger Having been stuck on the ice for nearly 2 years at that point, they might have run out. Bugger.
I’ve been from the Pacific through the Panama Canal and onto the Atlantic. And now I’m even happier I did! Amazing place the Canal is and knowing how long ago it was conceived and built is mind boggling. Men of great vision back then.
And it's just as amazing going in the other direction- loved it.
And endurance! Malaria still existed when they did this project...in the jungle! We are very fortunate the men that worked on this canal gave their blood and sweat.
Thank God I joined the Air Force! It's only mildly interesting from twenty thousand feet. However, all of my respect to the folks who must do this!
Haha one guy says was on The enterprise when they crossed through this pass, sounds dreadful to do on a boat full of nauseous marines
And the guys in the Navy hate you, your dog, and your Pet Rock!
Off we go, into the wild blue yonder
Climbing high, into the sky....
3706 BMTS April 1990. TSgt Crum.
@@luna775
We don't get nauseous on ships the only time a Marine is getting nauseous and throwing up on a ship is after coming back in from Liberty.
I'm sure you have your own turbulences and no-go atmospheric spots
You forgot to mention the 1916 journey that Ernest Shackleton did through the Drake Passage from Elephant Island to South Georgia in a tiny life boat. Still today one of the most incredible sailing feats ever endured.
If anyone is interested read "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" you will not be disappointed.
that's a great way of putting it. A mighty feat that was not achieved, but endured.
The book "Endurance" is defiantly a great read. And if you are ever in England I suggest taking a trip to Dulwick College. The life raft they sailed 1300 kilometers in "The James Caird" is on display there.
@@peterway7867 That's definitely going on the bucket list.
Shakleton was in Antarctica for the better part of three years. He started out with 109 men, and ended up with 109 men. The only casualty was one man lost some toes to frostbite. That was in 1914-1916.
I found out why port holes on ships are round. Because if they weren't, if you were looking out and a wave hit, the wave would hit you square in the face.
Oh ffs, lol 🍻
maybe a similar reason as to why Airliners have rounded windows....corners are weak spots, i think
Have you no shame?
🙄😉
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
I sailed on a Coast Guard 378-foot cutter in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska in the early 1980's. Had to tie off one wrist to a steel stanchion to avoid falling out of bed when I was off duty. 35-foot seas in the winter. This is why crab fishing in Alaska is considered one of the world's most dangerous jobs. Believe it or not, you get used to it. However, it's hilarious when you get off the ship in harbor. For the first few minutes it's really hard not to fall down!
Served several years in the US Navy on a DDG. I loved the rough seas, occasionally.
I found I could sleep very well during storms. They rocked me to sleep.
Oh man, nothing like it...go Navy!
was on the charles s sperry in the Atlantic in 70s a boiler tech. it was designed to 47 degree rolls. Once out we took took 42 degree rolls. only time I got sea sick. you could walk on the bulkhead going down the passage way @lasttrimestr49califos89
@@edwaggoner7403
I always get the top bunk! 😆
Ugh I would hate it
HOLY TOES I was just talking about how much I felt like, right, just right, everything felt right, lol, when I was down in the gulf off of the keys on a boat that shouldn't have been where it was and everyone else I was with had to hold on with dear life and I was just vibing with it giggling not holding a thing just moving my weight with the boat. hah. everyone hates when i'm being me LOL "GUYDUDE! YOU'RE GOING TO GET KILLED STOP BEING A... DAMN MAN!" (my being manic isn't at all far fetched here heh)
My great grandfather was a 14 year old East Prussian cabin boy from the Free City of Danzig (now Gdansk in Poland) when he began going to sea on American Clipper Ships like the N.B. Palmer (called The Yacht) and the super clipper Jacob Bell. He made the passage under South America various times going from Boston and New York to San Francisco, Canton and Japan. Before he stopped ten years later he became second mate. The Jacob Bell was burned off Brest, France, by the Confederate Raider Florida, manned by English pirates who were caught and tried. He naturalized as an American citizen in 1864.
In 2010 I took a cruise to Antarctica. Left Buenos Aires and traveled to the Falkland Islands as we were headed south. The waters on that stretch were the worst of the whole ship, the waves were high and we got tossed around. People pretty much stayed in their rooms for that part. I really don't remember the water during the Drake Passage thus is must have been okay. I think we did that by night. So we attempted a cruise through the Antarctic Peninsula but only got through half of it when a huge wind kicked up and nearly, I kid you not, push our large cruise ship on its side. The ship was tilting steeply. The Captain turned that 900 ft ship around on a dime easily as he decided to go back the way we came in, he was afraid that the winds would blow him off into uncharted water. It all turned out fine so I loved the adventure, however, it seriously could have turned out much differently. As we approached the tip of South America, it was a beautiful sight, the last bit of land of a continent. It was a little rough, but mostly well behaved that day. It was the highlight of my life time. Antarctica is other worldly.
Thanks for sharing your great adventure! It's the only way I'll ever experience it!
Contrary to one comment in the video, ANY ocean voyage contains an element of life-or-death risk. Out there, you are completely dependent on your ship &, aside from the weather & waves, there are several ways to find yourself in the water with no land or help in sight: falling overboard, collision at sea, fire on board or simply springing an uncontrollable leak are all events that can lead to a really bad day. Power loss on a motor vessel in heavy seas is a serious emergency all by itself, as it then becomes difficult or impossible to prevent getting turned sideways to & rolled over by high wave crests, called "broaching" in sailor lingo. BTW, the Gulf of Alaska can be a pretty interesting patch of water; storm seas off the North Pacific bounce off the cliff faces that form the other 3 sides of it & create a "chop" that must be seen to be believed...& storm seas of up to 100 feet have been reported there.
These huge awful cruise ships I wouldn't fancy their chances in a storm down there, but hey if it sinks then that's a plus. Everyone safe in their lifeboats of course.
@@BeverlyM52 Aww, I am glad I gave you an idea of the place. Just watch any video here on TH-cam, so many people have posted their cruises. I enjoy watching them even if I had been there, I got to see things I somehow missed. The colors are white, black, grey and deep blue. Nothing else.
@@angelikaopland7880 You are so right. I learned very quickly there are no guarantees when you head off to Antarctica. Weather changes by the minute. Deep down I understand that experience could have easily been another "Titanic". We figured it would only take 10 seconds to pass out in that water temperature.
Funny, I've been there and done that in The Marines. Went completely around the southern tip of South America. That makes me a Blue Nosed (crossed the Arctic Circle) Red Cheeked (crossed the Antarctic Circle) and a Shellback (crossed the Equator).
Opposite to a brown -nosed, rosy-cheeked, spineless dude
How many different ships were you stationed on?
@@cynot71
I could have sworn I replied to this.
I can only remember three off the top of my head.
USS Cayuga
USS Fairfax County
USS Ponce'
Maybe about 3 or 4 more I can't remember without digging out a bunch of old photos.
Yeah, but...Are you a turtle? (This is from the Navy WWII era. I don't know if the marines were in on it.)
@@sickofcrap8992
I might be if I knew what it was I never heard the term turtle in the Marine Corps. Snail, yep, turtle, don't know.
The snail term, was being a grunt, you had full packs, water, beans, bandages and bullets. Basically, carrying your home on your backs like a snail.
Ships never pass under South America because you need to have somebody there to hold it up, and it weighs a ton, so good luck finding someone to help you with that.
I was thinking more like a huge tunnel under South America.
@@thomasmaughan4798 oh, thats a good idea; we could set up a toll booth and make some good money.
😂
Oh boy!!!!!
Exactly, these weirdos probably still think Walmart is actually a grocery/super market. Crazy
Tying yourself down to the bunk is the origin of the phrase "sleep tight".
Not so, but makes a good story. The origin of the phrase is beds hundreds of years ago used animal skin, cut into strips, to suspend the mattress, much like today’s sprung mattress. It was THIS goodnite wish that led to the sayin. Source; Brewers Book of Phrase & Fable.
I love etymology. One of my favorite groups of classes when in college 50 years ago.
@@christophergrinton4035. Respectfully corrected. Pretty cool.
Not at all.
@@christophergrinton4035 Actually the origin isn't known. It was first recorded long after rope beds were still in common use.
Everything you are describing happens regularly in the Bering Sea, and often in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. I've sailed all three, for two decades. In a small ship this type of life is regular, just another day. We used extra rolled up clothes or boots to raise the outboard side of the mattress on our racks. No going topside unless with safety lines, tied off, etc etc. And eating, yeah, with your five compartment metal tray, you left one open for your drink, and just combined the food into one compartment. You held your tray with one hand to keep it level and your food on it, and used your fork to eat with.
1983 I was on board the USS Bristol County off the Kamchatka peninsula for 2 months. (our story was we were testing the freedom of the seas, we were actually spying on Russian subs) The Bering Sea was so rough we had a crack in the ship from the keel to halfway up the stack. And I have never seen seas like that in my life, I loved it.
Just the 2 stories on this page make me respect Sailors like I respect soldiers that get tired and worn out. What sailors did in the World Wars was crazy af. Just waiting to get sunk by a German sub with nothing to protect them. Not a single armed ship among them for a couple of years. Not even a Garand probably. Not that a Garand would help anyway. Rock solid heroes is what they are and to any men who went down to the sea in ships I say the same and big thanks to all of you.
Being sent to survive in the Aleutians is not only a famous military punishment its deadly
are there any big challenges you had to face?
All this makes me want to hear A Salty Dog by Procol Harum
Here's a couple of fun facts on this topic....
1. Drake never actually sailed thru 'Drakes Passages.
2.The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic & Pacific oceans....east with west. But it runs north & south.
3. If you enter the canal from the Atlantic side, when you exit into the Pacific ocean, you are 26 miles further east than when you entered the canal from the Atlantic Ocean. 😊
I made it through the Drake passage in 2022 on a Viking Ocean Ship the week after the unfortunate passenger was killed by the rogue wave incident. The seas were rough enough to cause us to skip a port but the stabilizers on the ship were excellent. It was a worthwhile experience. Thanks for this video. Fortunately I didn’t see it BEFORE I went 😂
"Well, as usual, you owe me a like!" Brilliant. And "Like" given.
Sailed the Drake Passage on USS Independence (CV-62) when we changed homeports from Norfolk to San Diego in 1988. She was too broad in the beam to go thru the Panama Canal. On the carrier, we hardly noticed the movement caused by the heavy seas, but the cruiser that was with us, USS Lake Champlain got tossed about.
I was stationed on the USS Nimitz. Just about a month before I reported to her she had made the Drake Passage. I was a Rolling Airframe Missile Tech and during the passage heavy waves ripped the forward RAM launcher off the weapon sponson and into the sea. They modified all the other Nimitz class carriers with a wave break on the sponson to prevent this from happening again. The people I worked with said blue water was going over the flight deck during the storm. The launcher was ripped off the ship on a Saturday night and the ship was on holiday routine that Sunday, so it wasn't until later in the day that anyone went into the workshop below the sponson and discovered standing water and daylight where the bottom of the launcher should have been.
Idk man the Big E was getting tossed around in the Atlantic in December coming back in '07. The pass must've been pretty calm when you went through.
"And as ye wallop around Cape Horn, heave away, haul away, ye'll wish t' God ye'd never been born, we're bound for South Australia..."
Another dark period in England's history. Those poor buggars being shipped off to Australia for stealing a loaf of bread. Very cruel times.
Transports to Aus turned left at the Cape rather than going W about, and the Horn.
South Australia was established in 1836 as a free settlement, unlike other Australian colonies that received convicts from Britain......
That's a pretty strong statement to say that ships NEVER pass under the southern tip of South America.
So I take it you've never being there then just curious 🤔 want to also just cross check your statement 😉
Especially when you follow it up by saying that it is the preferred passage compared to the other two options.
There was an International Association of Cape Horners:
To become a member you had to have rounded the cape for sail, carrying freight.
They naturally died out, they closed it down when there was 4 or 5 left, around 1990.
I knew the last chairman. He'd only done one trip, but it took 41 days to get around the Cape. Forty one days in the same clothes. They had naps (no real sleep) at while tied to their positions on the deck.
Those days the ships were made of wood, and the seamen of iron. Nowadays it's the other way around 🤣
probably meant, never by choice.
> That's a pretty strong statement to say that ships NEVER pass under the southern tip of South America
It is wrose to say we owe you any likes. You are globalwarmer and your shit is shouted to fools.
When I was in the Navy I was on an aircraft carrier. Once you get your sea legs, it was universal knowledge that you would get the best sleep of your life being gently rocked back and forth on the ship. I got the best sleep of my life on my deployments. But one of the worst days I ever spent on that ship was on a clear cloudless day that had 30 and 40 foot swells, enough to rock and aircraft carrier like a toy in a bathtub. And even for those of us who loved the pitching and yawing of the ship, were made sick and the heads were full of people chucking up their meals! LOL
🤢🤢
The strait of Magellan is plenty wide for ships to pass with plenty of room. the channel is close to a mile wide at it's narrowest. the only reason a ship would take the drake is because they don't want to have a pilot on board to take the Magellan. You do have to have a pilot on board from a buoy about a mile out of either end, to a mile out of the other end. it's about a 16 hour transit.
basically to save a few thousand bucks, they'd rather take a chance to lose their lives.
thanks @akstovall
Even in the Magellian strait, the Pacific side is very bad.
Magellian was incredibly lucky... because that side is never pacific. He named the Ocean Pacific based on a rare day 🙂
Wow, what a great presentation. I learned a lot, esp from the comments.
I was on the Nimitz when we went through the Drake Passage. I was never seasick until we did and we had waves crashing over the deck. The ship rocked from side to side slowly and that made my seasickness worse. I was glad we left that joker. 🤒🤢
Respect!
@@tfp0052 i mean he literally did nothing but be sea sick and be a passenger
@@jebes909090Two stages of sea sick, one where you think you're going to die, second where you HOPE you're going to die
@@jebes909090 Aircraft carriers don't take passengers.
@@dudermcdudeface3674 Except when going down...
There was one guy who ROWED through the Drake Passage on his own and lived. I'm so thoroughly impressed.
It's pretty solid under South America.
It's not tipping over any time soon.
OK sure how come we don't believe that
I thought maybe the tunnel under S. America got clogged up.
By the way, Francis Drake was English, not British since he lived before Britain was a nation. Britain was formed in 1707 from England, Wales and Scotland.
No the b'stards are stealing our heroes too!
Actually its United Kingdom of Great Britain.
Britain or Great Britain is the name of the island.
@@icindric The United Kingdom is more than Great Britain. It includes Northern Ireland. Prior to Irish independence, the United Kingdom also included Ireland.
@@christophergraves6725 Exactly. That is why the official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Britain was never a nation.
@@icindric No. The Kingdom of Great Britain was formed in 1707 with the union of England and Scotland. In 1800, Ireland was added to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
No matter how you cut it, the nation of Great Britain or Britain did not exist in the 16th Century since England and Scotland remained distinct nations at the time.
I worked on US merchant ships for many years all over the world. Including South America and Central America. Always used the Panama Canal. Never traveled south around South America. Never really thought about until now
Enjoyed sailing from 1974 to 1983 in the Merchant Marines, SIU. Best memories going through the Panama and Suez Canal(s). Went through a Hurricane and some rough weather. Alaska was at -40 one time in Valdez. Thanks for your comment, brought back the good times from the past.
Transited the Drake passage in 1987 onboard The USS Nimitz. Awesome voyage.
In the 80"s I crossed the Drake Passage twice onboard the US Navy Aircraft Carrier Enterprise from Philadelphia to San Diego and back to Pensacola FL. And many other Aircraft Carriers do so, instead of going through the Panama Canal.
Aircraft carriers are huge, though. I imagine it was pretty safe
The coolest name of ALL the aircraft carriers lol
Probably because they won't fit, WW2 carriers could but they're far bigger now.
Yeah those big ones America uses are insanely massive
Not like us
I was a crewman on a ship that went through the Drake Passage in 1989. We went through in December, which is summer in the southern hemisphere. The passage was similar to going through a strong tropical storm in the central Pacific. Granted the ship I was on was a US Aircraft Carrier.
Ships do it all the time.
As someone who was deepsea for 34 years and travelled everywhere in all types of weather I always find it amusing when landlubbers are surprised that ships, yachts, boats in general move when on the oceans of the world.
Anyone prone to reading, a book called the war with cape horn gives an excellent perspective on this subject.
Hardest thing I had to learn sailing on Lake Michigan was the art of pouring drinks down below in 4 to 6 foot swells. For those curious, it's all in the timing of the pour! ;)
😂 cheers
I like the way he sounds like these things NEVER HAPPENED anywhere else in the oceans.
Because they don't fool
still learning
It does but it is a badge of honor to have gone around the horn
It's the amount of water being forced thru the straight that is probably very rare. So he does have a point. I live in Belgium and our coastline is part of the British channel... we never see water being forced thru that channel in amounts that would make it dangerous for ships to pass thru. However, the North Sea ( which is at the North end of the channel) is often the subject of winds and currents coming from all directions and causes monster waves so it's being considered as a pretty rough sea.
It is the most windy place on earth and the depth of the ocean results on extremely large waves... Like no other place of earth...
I've got more nights at sea in roughers than most people have had baked dinners. like everything you get used to it. Great video 👌🔥
I rounded the Horn in 1988 on the USS Independence. It was one of the most memorable at sea periods I ever had. Ships DO pass under the tip of South America.
I could be wrong, but if I recall correctly we lost a crewman and some aircraft that were chained down on the flight deck. It was the only time I felt the ship move up and down as we crested and descended waves, which were breaking across the flight deck. Never got seasick except for the first time we got underway cruising down the Delaware river 😅 I remember the Shangri-la was nearby waiting to be scrapped and you could see small trees and weeds growing out of her wooden flight deck.
No, they pass SOUTH of the tip of South America GrumpyPop!!
I took DDG 92 USS Momsen through the canal on its commissioning voyage. Manned the rails all night and had a blast tossing gifts from the ships store over to the guys helping hook the cables up to the mules (steel Ballards that pull the ship through the locks) . Happy, friendly people!
Every time I see one of these videos, I am reminded of just how many factors that, were they not in place, would not allow for life to thrive on this planet. A missing land bridge between Antarctica and South America could tip the balance for life on earth. Mind blowing.
Yeah, and still...people don't believe in Creation. The fact that we seem to be alone in the universe makes us mind blowingly, breathtakingly, amazingly one of a kind: SPECIAL. Thanks God.
@@trentstaggerly7455yet, no actual evidence of deities or other supernatural beings.
When I was in Antarctica I could not shake the deep sense that this place on Earth was the engine that drives the entire planet. There was a sense of power I felt I could not explain. I still believe this although it is not born out scientifically, It was most likely a spiritual experience...there is really something very powerful going on there.
@@trentstaggerly7455And who or what created God? You are just taking the unknowable one step further back, but if the God explanation satisfies you, then good luck to you.
Thankfully a small land bridge wont melt 11 million square miles of ice, despite what the narrator says
Another awesome video thank you so very much. I knew some about Drake’s pass, but I didn’t know as much as you taught me. Thank you very much. Can’t wait until the next video John from South Jersey the good part of the state from the US.
Been there done that. On board the Royal Research Ship RRS Ernest Shackleton season 2003/4 where we were within half a degree of capsizing due to a rouge wave in the Drakes Passage on our way to re supply the British Antarctic Survey from the Flalkland Island. We lost most of our deck cargo and had to return to the Falkland islands for repairs.
Wow! Scary stuff for sure.
The BAS was on South Georgia Island. It's closed now. I was there the last year they were opened.
We had a poor lady who had a DVT on the flight down to Buenos Aries. The Navy doctor at the BAS came over to look at her. She never got out of her bed the entire 22 day trip.
One of my favorite trip. Antarctica is very special. And penguins are super cute. My favorite was the rockhopper.
I've been through the Drake Passage twice, once each way. The weather on the west bound passage was unbelievable, totally mill pond flat, the atmosphere was so clear you could see the land as if it was yards away not 30 miles. Fantastic experience, still vivid 45 years on. Going the other way was a bit like a blustery day in the North Sea, nothing to write home about.
Amazing! What time of year was it?
@@Tubesmaney Sorry cannot remember now, too many beers over the yardarm.
Ships do not pass through South America not only because of difficult geographical conditions but also because of potential dangers such as large waves and strong winds. This is truly reminiscent of the power of nature, making us respect the limits it sets.
Pirates too, it's a hazardous route.
Ships do not pass through South America because it’s land.
@@blauer2551 You are very correct there! "End" of SA Tierra del Fuego, thank you for clearing that up!
@blauer2551 you too couldn't resist the video title. Under the land, eventually, are seas of magma. Little too hot there, ill guess
Fk TH-cam and censorship. I got censored agreeing with someone.
I was on the U.S S. Constellation CV-64 in 1989 when we sailed around the Horn. It was rough on a carrier, I can't imagine our smaller escorts!😂
Nature is amazing 🎉
This was a really cool video!
I went through the Drake passage and that day the captain told us it was the first time he ever saw the water was calm. It did get rough after we turned north so I guess we were very lucky.
Two minutes of this was enough for me.
I think ships would have trouble going UNDER South America with all the dirt and rock.
Stupid comment you're not contributing with anything by it. Ignorante maybe.
This Report ist soooo informative and fun at the same time!!!!👍😁 Thanks!!!
I have crossed the passage. On the way down it was the Lake. And for about four hours on the way back it was the Shake. And some shake it was. Like the narrator said the storms over the Drake can develop at a moment’s notice. The weather in general is unstable in these parts (60 degrees S )
The Roaring 40s and the Screaming 50s.
Thanks. And I like your narration much better than other sites.
I sailed 30 years as an Engineer. Also, I have sailed under South America in a US flag Passenger/Cargo ship. Our experience was not that bad. Sure, it was gray, overcast and a little rough. We did go through Drakes Passage and the English Narrows. However, I have experienced much worse in the Gulf of Alaska and the China Coast.
Interesting, Thank You
I love this channels content. ❤ alway fun, informative, and super creative.
You are so awesome! 💗
Love your sense of humor!💗😉
I about spit my coffee out a few times.🤭😅
I made the drake passage in 1969 on the USS Yorktown.
Yikes! That must have been quite the experience. Was it reasonably navigable?
That was a lot of data, good researching, very informative & not distressing to a state-of-worry; well done!
Sir Frances Drake was the first to take a ship through. He then proceeded up the west coast of S. America, making very little progress for a year. Finally got out of the area and continued raiding Spanish settlements.
Imagine being in one of those old ships also when weather whipped up?
In 1525, Spanish navigator Francisco de Hoces discovered the Drake Passage while sailing south from the entrance of the Strait of Magellan
Nop
How could he be first when he found Spaniards there already?
In fact this place was discovered and navigated in 1526 by Francisco de Hoces while he was in expedition to las Molucas.
Love the delivery and the script, very engaging.
Dude, this coffee at the beginning looks sooooo watery. Like it's the leftovers from some one else.
1:02 Ahh yes the Americano. I've been loving those lately.
Back in the age of sail, they dealt with this issue by sleeping in hammocks. Sleep issue solved!
I think that would be like trying to sleep on a roller coaster... not to mention being wet, cold and unable to eat.
Like bats do...
I enjoyed this! My first time here.Just wondering… Do you moonlight as a Ray Romano impersonator?
Make sure to hide your kids going through this passage
Took a sec, but I got it. 😊
I understood the moment I read it .
Drake passage lol@@mikej4537
Bars😂
LOL!😅😂,Aww man!,leave Drake alone!
Underrated comment
you all are able to watch live the Vendée Globe starting on Nov 10th through to march 7th 2025. It is THE sailing event of the international elite in sailing once around the world taking place every 4 years. One man or woman in their sailing yacht. I've watched it last time and it was sooo dramatic in many ways! Worth watching.
"Hmm let me strap myself to the bed meanwhile the ship violently slams on the water" yikes.. i couldnt sleep like that.
I get "seasick" on rocking chairs and porch swings. Antarctica looks like an amazing place to visit but neither love nor money will ever get me there. Very cool video!
I alongwith my crew of five survived Sea State 7 in a whaler for 24 hours.Nothing scares me now.
Brilliant video. I'm subscribing !
I was thinking What?? Under, you mean SOUTH of!
How does he have so many subscribers?
@@davidforbes7772 what does that have to do with what I said?
This video is exactly what I like about TH-cam.
I never went through the passage . I was a seaman on a WW2 Landing Ship. Somewhat like a cork . our berthing had 6 bunks in a space 2m wide and 2.4 metres high. During a tropical cyclone off South Vietnam I was on the top bunk a wave off our port side. I finished on the bottom on the other side. I had tie myself in to stay put and get a good night's sleep
Thank you for your service Sir.
Very interesting video. Thanks!
The strait of Magellan is (and certainly was during colonial times) the preferred option to the Drake Passage since you're a lot safer from dangerous weather there
Williwaws made sailing even more of a challenge than the open sea.
So true. I was in the USN. Stationed @ Pearl. I was talking to sailors in 1996 and they were getting ready for a deployment escorting 145 researchers to McMurdo Station, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, and Palmer Station...and that they actually had to bring in a recently retired Captain to XO lead vessel because the USN had no CO that had experience sailing the Drake.
That coffee looks like water to Portuguese taste
portugal give fish with potato crispp to the world
I love your off the wall videos.
Seasickness is horrible. Imagine the worst of worst hangovers you’ve ever had.
Now double it.
That’s seasickness.
It’s terrible. I went out in a fishing boat once and we were rough seas, I swore never to go out in the ocean again…except for swimming of course, but I won’t go out in a boat or a ship or any vessel. I was so sick you could’ve taken my wallet and I would’ve been helpless to stop you…lol.
"I swore never to go out in the ocean again"
hangover analogy confirmed
I've been seasick many times. Best just to trow up and get it over with.
You did fine job explaining all about the drake passage, thank you. I have liked and subscribed
48 hours??
I knew a REAL Cape Horner (Someone, who've sails - by ONLY sails - around the cape, carrying freight) It took 41 DAYS!!!
They weren't out of their clothes for 41 days! FORTY ONE DAYS.
My first time watching WATOP video! Extremely interesting and informative! I'll be watching more and have a new binge channel. Your voice sounds extremely familiar as I listen to a lot of r/ story videos. Remarkably familiar. Great video, can't wait to binge on these!
'One does not simply cross the Drake Passage...'
I hit the like bottom before you even mentioned... I feel trained 😂 👍 now what you got there aha
It’s sad that people don’t know basic geography.
This was a brilliant and informative video.
Please put on metric system as well. For example, 5:46 "...reached height of 39 feet (or xx meter)". Not everyone use imperial system you know.
Actually no scientist worldwide uses ‚feet‘ …
I worked on Polar research vessel for a few years. Got rolled round in the Drake passage many times, even took a rogue wave further to the east. We had a large GM/righting lever…on another vessel it may have been a different story. God bless all my friends at sea 🌊
I envy you
"Ships Never Pass Under South America"
No tunnel. If there was a huge tunnel UNDER South America they could then pass under.
Been through the Drake Lake 3 times. Lovely trips. 😊
Ships don’t have walls, they have bulkheads.