Shipwrecks in Cape Horn, States Island, Magellan straight, Mitre Peninsula, Falkland and southern Georgias islands

History written like no other ......

Carlos Pedro Vairo is the author to one one of the most interesting and rich in information books on shipwrecks written in Argentina about Argentina and it's history with the sea. Shipwrecks in Cape Horn, States Island, Magellan straight, Mitre Peninsula, Falkland and southern Georgias islands is the title to this wonderful book. It has been sort of a Bible/Encyclopedia for all of us interested in the history of that southernmost area in the world, the folk behind the facts, the location to several mysteries and fantastic stories on wrecks, crashes, sunk ships. The work couldn't have been done more professionally. All details taken care of, references, coordinates, illustrating pictures, Vario's book is a thoughtful work that has to be acknowledged as such. Even more, thanks to the information crossing we could carry on through the book, several libraries and Internet files we've come up with many articles to share with other world wide fans of shipwreck's stories. Such was the impact these articles had that we were contact upon by a Canadian network who is to be filming a documentary down in the Antarctic seas for information and contacts. This was a couple of months ago, and now, they've not only kept on developing the documentary's main idea, but they are also going into this production with the governmental aid of the local Argentinean authorities. Vario's work has had such a great impact on our work and lives that we wanted to meet the man behind the words. Hence we contacted him directly. His kindness is amazing. We worked out a questionnaire wanting to know the root of his passion for the southernmost point in the world, his bond to the Antarctic seas; we wanted to know through him all those special people -such as his uncle Dicky to whom he dedicates the book. How he had made his home a place as he says "everyone awaited to leave, to return to their real homes".

Where were you Born?

Where are your parents from?

I was born in Buenos Aires on July 19th 1953. My Father Cesar Vairo was Italian, he lived in Chiavari and Geneva until WW1 when he and his family immigrated to Argentina a settled in Buenos Aires. My mother was French, and she was born in a small town nearby Toulouse.

In your book you mention your Uncle Dikie frequently as of great influence for you to develop a passion for the ocean. What can you tell us about that?

I was always impressed by his stories about the war were he was a submarine sailor, his experiences in the deepness of the Ocean were amazing to me. I can still remember him telling me one of his most impressive stories, his submarine was hit by the enemy and it wrecked, but he managed to get out, and he stayed on float hanging to a piece of wood. He used to come to my house for lunch on Sundays. He was a tall gray hared man. I vividly remember a small detail: he used to sit at the table together with all the kids. And when we finished eating, the best part of our Sunday’s lunches began. We awaited wonderful stories. He told us about the way those ships transported horses to the battle field, stories about the soldiers he met, and how his career in the sea ended when he was forced to march to the Russian frontline. He then went to the United States and worked as a subway driver.

Tell us about the first time you went to Tierra del Fuego...

It was 1983 and I went to Tierra del Fuego to work on a radar course with the Argentinean Navy. It was an amazing experience; it was a harsh winter and we had to sail through the Beagle Channel working out the path with our radars. To move around we had to ski or ice-skate by the seashore. It was an outstanding experience, something I had never thought I would do, all the people that were there with me thought it was a life changing experience. Ushuaia was a small town back then, about a forth of what it is today, everybody knew everyone then, we made tons of friends.

What feelings or sensations do you remember having at the time of your arrival to what was going to be your home?

What I remember the most is that I thought it was very strange for such a maritime location, island, to have non maritime traditions whatsoever except for a group of no more than 30 sport sailors, Padin as practice and captain of the practice boat and some fellows from the Navy and the National Army. There were no Canoeros Indians left, nor that sailors group that joint Sandy Point and Ushuaia. The ranches' cuters were no longer there, and just a few people remember what those days were like. Those who remembered, the Beban family, Lucinda Otero, Padin, were some of the finest and most interesting people I met throughout my life. As we began to talk they took us back in time to a wonderful age that has to be recuperated from oblivion because it's part of our history and identity. Such was the maritime feel of the island that prisoners held at the Ushuaian Maximum security prison had to escape by boat. The stories about that as well as about the gold seekers, the sea lions hunters and even more the stories that took place at a small Cabaret of Puerto Navarino, in front of Ushuaia, for those sailors that went through the Beagle channel.

Your first book:
El Mito y la Aventura. Relato de un Cruce al Atlantico en velero. De Buenos Aires a Málaga.

The mith and the adventure. A story about sailing across the Atlantic. From Buenos Aires To Malaga.

Your first article and experience with shipwrecks. Where you ever in a shipwreck? Does this theme have a special and personal feel to you?

I've been into shipwrecks ever since I started sailing, though I've never been in one. I was intrigued by the subject for it was poorly researched or it was something no one spoke about. The mythology behind these kind of things was always very interesting to the public when it came to richness and immense treasures, so people wrote about treasures when what actually sunk with the craft was cole or guano, or just a simple load of worthless things. I was also intrigued, for the reporters usually wrote about thousands of ships, when actually, it's about hundreds the possible number, for Cape Horn and its surroundings were not a popular route, even more, leaving aside the Beagle channel, and Magellan Straight it was a forgotten area. And all this from 1799 to 1914 when the Panama channel is finished, for after this there were no more than 4 shipwrecks. I realized these myths were sort of folk stories, popular sayings, such as the one that states that ships were sent to wreck in order to cash the insurance. That was when sailing ships were being out placed by steam ships. But what I found out researching is that many of those allegedly sunken on purpose crafts were not even insured. This was a common place, not just for the locals or amateur journalists, but also famous historians stated that without even knowing the area. they were at home, sitting on their armchair, having some Scotch on the rocks. This lack of knowledge encouraged me to work on this matter, not just in Ushuaia, but also around the Antarctic, States islands and further other mystic places that cannot be easily visited. And that's how I found some outstanding cultural and historic treasures, such as Luis Piedra Buena did in States Island, when we visited that location we found the remains of his ship and his shelter, and some buildings owned by Luis Vernet, the Island's former owner.

As to my first article, it was about the Duches of Albany. I was impressed by the experience of being in it, such an amazing and beautiful clipper that wrecked at Mitre Peninsula. And then I worked on the Desdemona shipwreck and I had the great chance of interviewing the ship's Captain.

It was a great pleasure to talk with Mr. Vairo. We acknowledge that this is a very short interview, though we've found it delightful and precious for it 's the first time we could see the man behind the book, the impulses -similar to the ones all of us interested in shipwrecks have- his passion, his natural interest and eagerness of knowing more and better are both an inspiration and a pride, for us all. This is just the door through which we can get to know more and better the mysteries and beauties, the stories and history of the world's southernmost point.