SOUTH-WEST COAST OF SOUTH GEORGIA

This coast is described in the Admiralty Pilot as being ‘little visited’, which is not surprising, because it is much wilder than are the N and E coasts. From Cape Nunez SE, there are few harbours and it is a lee shore to a SW gale. Added to this is the fact that the surveys of the area are not complete and rocks and reefs exist that are not marked on the chart. There is usually a big SW swell along the shore.

Treat this coast with respect.

S end South Georgia: Cape Disappointment

UNDINE HARBOUR

54^º02'S 37^º58'W

Chart 3585, Undine Harbour

The approach to Undine Harbour is not straightforward, with shoals, kelp banks and the odd rock extending eastward from the Birdie Rocks to Grassholm. Passing to the NW of Birdie Rocks or N of Grassholm will give the clearest approach, but care should be taken, as there are several uncharted rocks.

The entrance to Undine Harbour is easily identified with the conspicuous, flat-topped O'Connor Island (49m) marking the E side of the entrance.

We anchored in the NW corner in 6m, mud, off the conspicuous stream and outside the extensive kelp. The harbour gives good protection from all but the S. When visited, the shoals in Discovery Bay seemed to dampen down most of the swell in the anchorage.

A short walk over the low land at the head of the bay takes you to Elsehul.

UNDINE HARBOUR, LOOKING S

COAL HARBOUR

54^°02'S 37^°57'W

Chart 3585, Undine Harbour

This is an attractive bay, ½ mile E of Undine Harbour. The entrance has kelp extending all the way across, but this is thinner towards the SE side of the entrance. The kelp makes it very difficult to tack through.

The NE corner of the harbour seemed to offer the best anchorage, with a depth f 11.5m outside the kelp, off the small beach. There is good protection from all directions except from the SW. 

Low, tussac-covered hills around the harbour, make this a very pleasant spot.

COAL HARBOUR, LOOKING NE ACROSS THE KELP-COVERED ENTRANCE

WILSON HARBOUR

54^o06'S 37^o40'W

Chart 3597, South Georgia

This appears to be one of the best harbours on the SW coast and provides much better shelter from the sea than is apparent from the chart.

Sail in to the bay on the N shore, near the head of the inlet. Tuck well in to the NW end of the beach and anchor in a clear patch between the kelp in about 10.5m. Good shelter from the sea is provided from WxS through N to E. The fetch from S winds is less than 2 miles.

The Schrader Glacier to the SE of the anchorage only has a fairly small calving front and when visited by Badger, there was very little ice in the bay. The Pilot warns of occasional very strong winds blowing from the SE off the glacier.

WILSON HARBOUR, LOOKING S

KEN POUNDER BAY AND SADDLE ISLAND PASSAGE

54^o08'S 37^o43'W

Chart 3597, South Georgia

This small cove was named by Gerry Clark, who anchored here. On the general chart of South Georgia, an island is marked between Saddle Island and the mainland. This island is actually joined to South Georgia by a narrow, shingle isthmus, which forms the SW end of the cove.

Approach from the NE and enter the cove between the kelp on either shore. On the occasion of Badger's visit, we did not actually anchor, but it appeared to be possible.

Anchor near the head of the cove, just outside the line of kelp off the shingle beach, in about 11.5m. Shelter from the sea from the SE through W to NW. There was some swell in the cove.

KEN POUNDER BAY, LOOKING S TOWARDS THE SHINGLE SPIT

SADDLE ISLAND PASSAGE

A clear passage exists between Saddle Island and the mainland, although it is somewhat restricted due to the kelp on either side. A minimum depth of 24m was found. When traversed, the wind was very variable in the passage and there was quite a jobble, which made sailing through very difficult.

CHEAPMAN BAY

54^o09'S 37^o33'W

Chart 3597, South Georgia

A band of thick kelp running SW-NE across the bay marks the terminal moraine. Towards the SW end of the kelp line, is a conspicuous rock and the kelp is much less dense close NE of this rock. When entering the inner bay, we crossed this band of kelp about 100m NE of the rock. The minimum depth in the kelp was 3m, but just inshore of the kelp, the bottom shoaled to an estimated 1.5m at low water. Close N of the rock was a breaking wave, which suggested even shallower water.

On leaving the bay the following morning, we crossed the moraine approximately 200m NE of the rock. There was more swell and at times a breaking wave extended almost the whole length of the moraine, inshore of the kelp. When passing through this breaker, we were in 5.5m and found a minimum of an estimated 2.1m at low water just inshore of the kelp. Depths in the weed were about 3m. The kelp was fairly thick, but we motored through with no problems.

A heavy swell from the S could possibly cause a yacht to be trapped behind the moraine until such time as it subsided.

Anchorage was found off the middle of the 3 glaciers at the W end of the bay. A kelp-marked, terminal moraine enclosed an inner pool off the glacier, with a drying rock in the middle of the kelp. We anchored outside the moraine in 15m with the depth rapidly increasing to 21m off the moraine.

Close SW of this anchorage is a small cove, with a shingle beach, but it was completely choked with kelp. At the time of our visit, the glacier calved quite a number of small pieces of ice, which filled the inner basin and slowly streamed past us, creating much noise, if little danger.

This anchorage is in a most spectacular setting, with the glacier descending the mountain almost vertically. There is good shelter from the N and W and little swell.

CHEAPMAN BAY, LOOKING N

KING HAAKON BAY

54^o09'S 37^o16'W 

Chart 3597, South Georgia

This bay is famous because it is here that Sir Ernest Shackleton and his party landed after their epic voyage in the 22ft James Caird, to rescue the other men trapped on Elephant Island. In clear weather, it is a magnificent sight to sail up the bay, which has many glaciers descending to the sea.

Much of the entrance to the bay is blocked by McNeish Island, the McCarthy Islands and the shoals and rocks around them. When entering, either pass into Cheapman Bay and then N of McNeish Island, or keep fairly close N of Cape Rosa, at the southern entrance to the bay. If passing by Cape Rosa, look out for the tiny cove E of the Cape, where Shackleton made his first landing at `Cave Camp'.

Half way along the bay, is a kelp-marked terminal moraine. Passing through the kelp N of the middle of the bay, we found a minimum of 8m. Towards the S shore is a clear channel through the kelp with a minimum of 24m; it is sufficiently wide to beat through easily.

Near the head of the bay, on the N shore, is Peggotty Bluff, a conspicuous, tussac-covered headland that appears to be an island, from some way off. This is where Shackleton made his second landing and from where he left to cross South Georgia to Stromness.

Peggoty Bluff

Shelter from the sea can be found from the NW through N to NE in the small bight to the W of Peggotty Bluff. It appeared possible to anchor in 10m, close E of a conspicuous kelp patch off the beach at the western end of the bight, but we did not do so.

About ½ mile SE of Peggotty Bluff are the Vincent Islands. There is an anchorage at the E end of the E island in about 6m. Anchor in a clear patch in the kelp. The island gives shelter from the W. A shingle beach provides a landing close to the anchorage. Note the broken trypot, largely covered by tussac at the top of the beach.

McNeish, McCarthy and Vincent are the names of the crew of the James Caird who stayed behind while Shackleton, Worsley and Crean crossed the island.

EAST VINCENT ISLAND LOOKING W ALONG KING HAAKON BAY

EAST VINCENT ISLAND, LOOKING E TOWARDS SHACKLETON GAP