We have been in Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands for a few days after a fast crossing from Ushuaia. The 480 miles were covered in just under 3 days, and we happily moored at the picturesque little port of this English town at dawn on October 4th. Indeed, the crew not being acclimated after a French summer, stomachs suffered due to rough and choppy seas, typical at these latitudes.
The Falkland Islands are an autonomous overseas territory of the United Kingdom, home to about 2,500 people, 80% of whom live in Stanley, the only real town in the archipelago. It really feels like England here, everything is so British! These islands have a history embracing maritime trade, Darwin's discoveries, their participation in both World Wars, and more recently the Falklands War in 1982. Many monuments also commemorate this conflict.
Today, fishing, tourism, and agriculture (mainly wool and sheep meat) are the main contributors to the islands' economy. The government is also investing in mineral and oil exploitation projects.
The welcome is very warm, and the girls receive sweets every time we move around town. Even though the sky has been blue since our arrival, the wind is blowing hard from the west, and it's difficult to find a good weather window to continue our journey to the West Islands, which are home to abundant wildlife and spectacular landscapes. So we take the opportunity to stroll around the town, enjoy the pleasant pool at the sports complex, and get to know our dock neighbors. We are indeed moored next to the French sailboat Podorange, bound for South Georgia and then Antarctica. We also received all the equipment sent by cargo via England, for us and also for other French sailboats in Puerto Williams. Customs formalities are much simpler here than in Argentina or Chile.
Le vent tournant Sud pendant quelques heures demain cela devrait nous permettre de mettre le cap sur Dunbar.
It's been a year since Libertaire left France, so tonight we toast with our local grilled lamb with John, whom we met a few hours earlier on the docks. Cheers!
