After tough assignments as a Canadian diplomat abroad, Nicholas Coghlan and his wife Jenny unwind by sailing Bosun Bird, a 27foot sailboat, from Cape Town, South Africa, across the South Atlantic and into the stormy winter waters around Tierra del Fuego, South America. Coghlan recounts earlier adventures in Patagonia when, taking time off from his job as a schoolteacher in Buenos Aires in the late 1970s, he and Jenny explored the region of southern Argentina and Chile over three successive summers. This time, as they negotiate the labyrinth of channels and inlets around snow-covered Fireland, he reflects on voyages of past explorers: Magellan, Cook, Darwin, and others. Sailing enthusiasts and readers of true adventures will want to add Coghlan's world-wise narrative to their libraries. British-Canadian diplomat and wife sail from Cape Town to Cape Horn in their 27-foot boat. Back Cover: Nicholas Coghlan first travelled to Patagonia in 1978 while teaching in Buenos Aires. He and his wife, Jenny, plunged into the culture, politics, and beauty of the bright, fierce, and fickle South. Almost twenty-five years later, after serving on Canadian diplomatic missions in Mexico, Colombia, Sudan, and South Africa, Nick and Jenny head back to Patagonia, this time aboard their 27-foot sailboat, Bosun Bird. Winter in Fireland documents the Coghlans' sailing journey from Cape Town to the stormy winter waters of the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan, skirting Tierra del Fuego (Fireland). As they negotiate channels and inlets, battling the whims of the South's wind and waves, Coghlan reflects on the experiences of past adventurers: Chatwin, Cook, Darwin, Magellan, Slocum, and others. Sailing enthusiasts and readers of true adventure will revel in this world-wise narrative. Nicholas Coghlan and his wife, Jenny, sailed around the world on their first boat, Tarka the Otter, between 1985 and 1989. Upon return, he joined the Canadian Foreign Service and has written books about two of his postings: The Saddest Country: On Assignment in Colombia and Far in the Waste Sudan: On Assignment in Africa. Following the adventure described in Winter in Fireland, Coghlan accepted a two-year posting as Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan. Now, he and Jenny are living aboard Bosun Bird somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. 4 maps, 48 B&W photographs, suggested reading list, index "After tough assignments as a Canadian diplomat, Nicholas Coghlan and his wife Jenny decided to sail from Capetown, South African to Tierra del Fuego, South America as they reflect on the great voyages of Magellan, Cook, and Darwin." Prairie Books Now, Summer 2011 "This engaging travel memoir describes Coghlan and his wife's first trip to Patagonia in 1978, as well as their second voyage 25 years later in which they sailed from Cape Town to the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan, skirting Tierra del Fuego to Puerto Montt. Along the way, he relates the experiences of past adventurers including Bruce Chatwin, James Cook, Charles Darwin, Ferdinand Magellan, Allen Gardiner, and Joshua Slocum." Reference and Research Book News "For anyone considering venturing to this part of the world, or simply those that love armchair adventuring, this is a 'must-read.' Not only does Nick Coghlan paint a vivid picture of the tenacity and slight insanity required to attempt winter cruising in this part of the world, he also delves into the rich maritime history that the likes of Chatwin, Cook, Darwin and Magellan left behind. Nick and his wife Jenny, experienced cruisers with a circumnavigation under their belts some 20 years previously, sail from Cape Town to the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan, skirting Tierra del Fuego (Fireland). Progress is slow in their 27 foot sailboat, and their days are dictated by constant weather concerns, tricky navigation and the harsh yet beautiful terrain surrounding them. Both enjoy exploring and hiking ashore, giving the reader a full picture of just wha
