cruising world (usa) / february 2016

Cruising World (USA) / February 2016 print issue
"Southern Ocean, Family Style" - Story & Photos by Somira Sao

A story I wrote in 2013 (just after Pearl's birth) appears in the current issue of Cruising World (USA).

The 8-page spread documents a 30-day non-stop family passage we made aboard Anasazi Girl in the Southern Ocean in April 2012 from the Cape of Good Hope (Simons Town), South Africa to Fremantle, Western Australia . At that time, Tormentina and Raivo were ages 3 and 1.

The story and the type of sailing you experience at this latitude is without a doubt some of the most difficult and challenging you can take on. It takes a certain level of sailing experience, risk management skill, the right kind of boat, crew & conditions, as well as a very high mental & physical threshold for discomfort.

Tough is tough, but when the sailing here is good, it's really damn good. It's that feeling you ride long after the voyage is over.

Thanks to editors Mark Pillsbury & Jennifer Brett for supporting our sailing program and a big thanks to Dave Weaver for his work on the story layout.

"Southern Ocean, Family Style" - Story & Photos by Somira Sao
Cruising World (USA) - February 2016 issue

"Southern Ocean, Family Style" - Story & Photos by Somira Sao
Cruising World (USA) - February 2016 issue

"Southern Ocean, Family Style" - Story & Photos by Somira Sao
Cruising World (USA) - February 2016 issue

"Southern Ocean, Family Style" - Story & Photos by Somira Sao
Cruising World (USA) - February 2016 issue

magic spells, light & dark

Pearl casts a magic spell with her Darwin's Scepter to bring the tall ship Bark Europa into port.
 Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Dramatic dark skies of Navarino.
 Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Pearl on the shore with the tall-masted ship Bark Europa anchored on the Beagle Channel horizon.
 Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

beagle sunset

Evening light on the waters of the Beagle Channel & Argentina's Martial Range.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

fin de año - premios / liceo donald mcintyre griffiths

First grade, done, finished, & dusted.  

Over the last year, Tormentina attended first grade at Donald McIntyre Griffiths K-12 school in Puerto Williams. Amazing & brave, this little girl was the only foreign student in the entire school. 

Just after we were shipwrecked, she attended kindergarten on the island for a month, but wasn't into it, so we pulled her out of school. When first grade started, she said she was interested in giving it another try. No pressure from us. We told her if she didn't like going, then she could quit any time. Our only hope was that she would pick up some Spanish, a gift she could keep for the rest of her life. 

She had a fantastic teacher (Jeanette Quiroz Mardones) and teacher's assistant (Soledad Mancilla Olivares). Tia Jeanette & Tia Soledad changed her life. Tormentina was self-motivated, excited to go to school and worked hard to learn.  She loved her friends, teachers, and every subject.

By the end of the year, she not only learned how to speak a second language, but also how to read & write, was correcting our Spanish, and was one of four students to receive an award (or "premio") for outstanding academic performance in her class.

Now that summer is here, she is teaching herself how to read & write in English.  It is incredible to be a parent and watch the mind of a child develop. Also emotional for me personally, to be reminded of my own childhoold growing up in the United States as a Cambodian refugee, learning English in school, and living with parents who were learning English as a second language.

"Tia Jeanette" & her top 1st grade students at the end of year academic awards ceremony.
Tormentina with her eyes on me.  Sala de Multi-Uso, Liceo Donald McIntyre Griffiths, Puerto Williams
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (22 de diciembre de 2015)

magellan's beech / nothofagus betuloides / coihue de magallanes

Magellan's beech / Nothofagus betuloides / Coihue de magallanes
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (enero de 2016)

The beautiful forms of the Coihue (evergreen beech) are a favorite of ours.  They always make the Navarino landscape spectacular and dramatic. Amazing and hearty, these trees remain evergreen and resilient even in the harshest of temperatures, brightening not only the forests of summertime but also the extreme wintery version too.

Magellan's beech / Nothofagus betuloides / Coihue de magallanes
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (julio de 2015)

Magellan's beech / Nothofagus betuloides / Coihue de magallanes
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (enero de 2016)

Magellan's beech / Nothofagus betuloides / Coihue de magallanes
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (enero de 2016)

Magellan's beech / Nothofagus betuloides / Coihue de magallanes
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (enero de 2016)

Nothofagus betuloides - Sydney Parkinson
The Endeavour Botanical Illustrations, Natural History Museum, London
This illustration was made from speciemens collected in Tierra del Fuego
by Sir Joseph Banks during Captain Cook's first voyage of the Endeavour in 1769

Magellan's beech / Nothofagus betuloides / Coihue de magallanes
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (enero de 2016)

lavendar beauties

Summer princess.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Lupine
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

chilean turkey vulture / cathartes aura / gallinazo

Chilean turkey vulture / Cathartes aura / Gallinazo
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Chilean turkey vulture / Cathartes aura / Gallinazo
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Chilean turkey vulture / Cathartes aura / Gallinazo
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Chilean turkey vulture / Cathartes aura / Gallinazo
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

pearl's 3rd birthday

Anasazi Girl's interior all done up for Pearls' 3rd birthday bash.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (20 de diciembre 2015)

Monkeys on the bar.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (20 de diciembre 2015)

Love between me & that little girl.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (20 de diciembre 2015)

dancing with dad in the cockpit

James, lucky man, gets the fist dance with Pearl on the start of her 3rd year.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (20 de diciembre 2015)

Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (20 de diciembre 2015)

Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (20 de diciembre 2015)

big sister love

There's nothing like having a big sister to do your make-up and lend you a pretty party dress for your 3rd birthday.

Tormentina gives Pearl her spa & make-up treatment before her 3rd birthday festivities.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (20 de diciembre 2015)

Pearl gets dolled up for her 3rd birthday party.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (20 de diciembre 2015)

family stroll through the magical forest

My family on the quiet dirt roads of Navarino Island.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Raivo gets lost into the world of the Chilean firetree / Embothrium coccineum / Notro / Ciruelillo.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Chilean firetree / Embothrium coccineum / Notro / Ciruelillo
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Chilean firetree / Embothrium coccineum / Notro / Ciruelillo
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Empty seed pods.  Chilean firetree / Embothrium coccineum / Notro / Ciruelillo
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Chilean firetree / Embothrium coccineum / Notro / Ciruelillo
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Magellanic currants / Ribes magellanicum / Zarzaparilla
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Magellanic currants / Ribes magellanicum / Zarzaparilla
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Pearl admires a Dog orchid / Codonorchis lessonii / Palomita
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Dog orchid / Codonorchis lessonii / Palomita
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Minaiture universe in the palm of my children's hands.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Darwin's fungus / Cyttaria darwinii
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Tree sprites in the magical forest.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Freedom on deserted dirt roads.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Chocolate milk puddles.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Hands full of beautiful objects.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

beautiful colors after the rain

Lupines covered in rain-drops.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Antarctic hard fern / Blechnum penna-marina / pinque.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Antarctic hard fern / Blechnum penna-marina / pinque.
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Before Pearl was born, Tormentina used to call her "Flower Rose".
Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)

Isla Navarino - CHILE / XII Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (diciembre de 2015)