Podcast Maré Sonora ® · video

What this video covers

Jérôme Poncet, veteran high-latitude sailor and builder of the steel ketch Damien II, describes a 1,000–2,000-mile autumn cruise through the Beagle Channel and around Isla Gordon, including the Circuito Ventisquero glacier circuit, departing from the Falkland Islands (200 miles from Stanley) and stopping at Puerto Williams before returning. The 50-year-old Damien II had just completed a major refit — converting from a two-masted schooner to a single mast, adding a 360-degree wheelhouse, an electric winch, and a furling jib — but the trip exposed persistent mechanical failures: a failing engine, non-functioning electric winch, leaking pipes, and pumps that wouldn't pump, all kept running with improvised fixes.7:41 Beagle Channel weather forecasts proved unreliable due to surrounding mountains, with conditions swinging between dead calm and 30–40 knots regardless of what GRIB files predicted; the boat motored roughly three-quarters of the time.32:34 Chilean and Argentine naval authorities required daily position reports and heavy paperwork, a bureaucratic burden Poncet says has not changed in 55 years.34:07 Glacier retreat in Seno Garibaldi was visible and dramatic compared to historical photographs.36:51 An anchor fouled on a large piece of ice while departing an anchorage after a lunch stop with another vessel.40:30 Reliable weather forecasting inside the Beagle Channel requires local knowledge that global models cannot provide.30:31

More from Podcast Maré Sonora ®

Sailboat Forel series: Greenland geopoliticsAug 2026Sailboat Forel series: Life in GreenlandAug 2026Sailboat Forel series: The GreenCORE projectAug 2026Forel sailboat series: The chefs aboardAug 2026

From Podcast Maré Sonora ® — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.