Beagle Channel

[toseaornottosea]

Can anyone tell me how long it takes to get from Ushuaia to Isla Nueva or to the point you enter the Drake Passage?

[kctwinmommy]

OK, so I'm obviously not familiar with this area, as I had never heard of this place. Instead, I was thinking, "is someone asking about a channel on TV that only shows things about Beagles?!" LOL! Sorry, hadn't have enough caffeine yet to get my brain functioning and truly took a second or two thinking, Huh!

[Goosebear Mum]

Umm, I’d need to look back at my photos I took. Gut feel c.2hrs on the icebreaker I was on, but I think small tour boats go faster, as I think they are c.3hr round trip.  To Isla Nueva may have been longer.  Hopefully someone more recent will confirm Viking timings.  

Edited January 8, 2023 by Goosebear Mum

[CurlerRob]

1 hour ago, toseaornottosea said:

Can anyone tell me how long it takes to get from Ushuaia to Isla Nueva or to the point you enter the Drake Passage?

 

It's about 130 nautical miles. Transit time will depend on the ship's speed, but I'd guess somewhere between 7 to 10 hours (corresponds to 18.5 knots - 13 knots.  My bet would be closer to 10 hours).🍺🥌

[toseaornottosea]

Very helpful.  Many thanks.  

[WNcruiser]

Try asking on the South America boards also. 
 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/47-south-america/

 

[Goosebear Mum]

44 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

It's about 130 nautical miles. Transit time will depend on the ship's speed, but I'd guess somewhere between 7 to 10 hours (corresponds to 18.5 knots - 13 knots.  My bet would be closer to 10 hours).🍺🥌

that’s the total length of the Beagle Channel, not from Ushuaia!  I remember being on deck for the whole transit when we left late afternoon. 

[toseaornottosea]

20 minutes ago, Goosebear Mum said:

that’s the total length of the Beagle Channel, not from Ushuaia!  I remember being on deck for the whole transit when we left late afternoon. 

So how long does it take from Ushuaia?

[TayanaLorna]

When we did the trip with Viking, we left Ushuaia at 6 pm and it was around 9 pm when we did the technical stop in Puerto Williams.  We were on deck for the golden light of near sunset and then went to sleep.  (Do not miss the Gables near and across from Puerto William in this light.) When we got up and out to the Explorers Lounge it was 7 am and the ship was in the passage between Isla Nueva and Isla Lennox on our way to round Cape Horn.  I don't know if the ship slowed down staying in protected waters for the night but that was the timetable.

[CurlerRob]

2 hours ago, Goosebear Mum said:

that’s the total length of the Beagle Channel, not from Ushuaia!  I remember being on deck for the whole transit when we left late afternoon. 

My error - old eyes misread km as nautical miles. About 70 nautical miles, so cut times roughly in half. Also depends on exit path from the channel, but OP asked about Isla Nueva. 🍺🥌

 

[toseaornottosea]

Thanks for the update.  I'm guessing once past Isla Nueva is where the fun begins, or not, in the Drake Passage.

[CurlerRob]

3 hours ago, toseaornottosea said:

Thanks for the update.  I'm guessing once past Isla Nueva is where the fun begins, or not, in the Drake Passage.

 

Possibly, but the weather in that part of the world is massively unpredictable and storms are not localized to the Drake. On a 2013 SA cruise, we came south through the Strait of Magellan, intending to stop at Punta Arenas and Ushuaia prior to rounding Cape Horn.

 

A major westerly storm made it impossible to dock at Punta Arenas or proceed to Ushuaia and Cape Horn. We routed north up the inside channels - even inshore we experienced 60-knot winds. Weather buoys offshore were recording sustained 70+ knots and 45-foot seas - and that was well north of Cape Horn and the fully exposed Drake.

 

Very wise decision by our captain. Storms like that have swallowed bigger ships than the one we were on. Wishing you a 'glassy' crossing! 🍺🥌

[toseaornottosea]

1 hour ago, CurlerRob said:

Wishing you a 'glassy' crossing! 🍺🥌

May it please be so!

 

[UWDawg]

During the 2021/22 World Cruise, my photo time stamps indicate we were still in Ushuaia at 9:30 p.m., then by 8:00 a.m. we were approaching the southern islands of Isla Freycinet and Isla Dece on our way to Cape Horn to round Isla Hornos.  We rounded the horn at 11:00 a.m.

[Twitchly]

On 1/8/2023 at 12:52 PM, kctwinmommy said:

OK, so I'm obviously not familiar with this area, as I had never heard of this place. Instead, I was thinking, "is someone asking about a channel on TV that only shows things about Beagles?!"

Me too. Quite got my hopes up! 😄

[OneSixtyToOne]

24 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

Me too. Quite got my hopes up! 😄

FYI Named after Charles Darwin's ship HMS Beagle on which he circumnavigated the world.

[amyr]

Returning from Antarctica on Octantis in December we were 'scenic cruising' at Cape Horn with commentary and hot chocolate at noon, or if it wasn't right at noon, it was very late morning, and we were docked in Ushuaia by dinner.  I can't remember exactly what time, but we had a quick bite when the World Cafe opened and then ran into town, so not longer than 5 hours for sure, and probably shorter. 

 

We enjoyed the beautiful cruise in through the Beagle Channel immensely and laughed at ourselves for not remembering anything about it on the way out at all, especially how long it took.  We were just excited and busy unpacking, touring the ship, eating dinner, and attending the first briefing in The Aula.  I do remember my husband commenting on the ship rocking in the night, but it was mild enough that I slept through it.  

Edited January 12, 2023 by amyr

[Jim Avery]

Not Beagle Channel but in that part of the world.  Some interesting videos.

 

https://apple.news/AUVqy7SMARmmXaPFxWhqjfg