Cape Horn info

We did not actually sail around the Cape - but instead sailed the Beagle Channel and the Straights of Magellan. Here is just a little information about the Horn:
"Cape Horn Island is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile. It is the most southerly point of South America, and marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage. For many years it was a major milestone on the clipper route, by which sailing ships carried trade around the world. However, the waters around the Cape are particularly hazardous, owing to strong winds, large waves, strong currents and icebergs. The need for ships to round the Cape Horn was greatly reduced by the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. However, sailing around the Horn is widely regarded as one of the major challenges in yachting. The cape lies within Chilean territorial waters, and the Chilean Navy maintains a station on Hoorn Island, consisting of a residence, utility building, chapel, and lighthouse. A short distance from the main station is a memorial, including a large sculpture featuring the silhouette of an albatross, in honor of the sailors who died while attempting to "round the Horn". However, the Chilean Navy station, including the lighthouse and the memorial, are not located on Cape Horn itself (which is very difficult to access either by land or sea), but on another land point about one mile east-northeast. On the real Cape Horn there is a 13 foot fiberglass light tower with a range of about 13 miles. This is the authentic Cape Horn lighthouse. The climate in the region is generally cool, owing 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 53 inches, with an average annual temperature of 41.4 °F. Winds were reported to average 19 mph, with squalls of over 62 mph occurring in all seasons. The terrain is entirely treeless, although quite lush owing to the frequent precipitation. Cape Horn is the southern limit of the range of the Magellanic Penguin."