From Crozet to Kerguelen / My trip to the French Southern Lands (4/16)

<BODY BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT = "#ABCBBE"> <BR> On the way towards Kerguelen, we must initially sail round the "island of the East":<P> This island (the largest of the archipelago) was the place of terrible shipwrecks at the 19th century : an English ship systematically went there every 2 or 3 years, in order to recover possible survivors, and there were often. For example, in 1875, 45 men survive 6 months by eating only penguin!!<BR> The stop in Crozet was short (two days) and marked by a superb sunny and mild weather (a temperature of 10°C) and a very unusual light breeze.<BR> Indeed, these islands are one of the windiest places on earth : the winds are blowing here at more than 100 km/h during more than 120 days per year !!<BR>With such conditions, it happens sometimes that the Marion Dufresne (from the name of the French navigator who discovered the archipelagoes of Crozet and Kerguelen in 1772) is forced " to skip" this stage, when the unloading of good or people by barges or helicopter is impossible...<P> </BODY>