The North

Both “Alea” and “Polo Flat” left Chacabuco last Tuesday and we stopped for the night back in Gato. We had some drinks and snacks aboard little Polo Flat and said our goodbyes. We both left with the dawn the following morning – Alea going south, Polo Flat heading north. That night (Wednesday, May 6), we spent in one of what I think will be our last uninhabited anchorages – Caleta Canal (44,52S 73,42W).

You could town-hop if you wanted up here, which is a major difference from the months we spent down south, where we didn't see anyone else for weeks at a time. I assume there are more settlements because it is just a bit more hospitable than the colder more temperamental southern channels, and also because there is significantly more exploitation of the marine resources. Most notable are the many salmon and mussel farms. Maintaining these farms requires more boat traffic and more people. As a result, the environment is also changing - loads more trash on shore and a lot less marine life. We've noticed in our few times anchored with fishing boats the general lack of concern for where waste goes. Whole styrofoam blocks and garbage bags over the side, diesel in the water – the ocean is treated as a dump. I suppose this is the mentality of most of us humans wherever we are: if we don't see our waste any longer, then it no longer exists or has any impact. Unfortunately, that is very untrue and the effects are rather evident in this fragile Patagonian ecosystem.

Alright, enough preaching and back to our travels. Thursday, May 7 we decided to push up to a very safe spot, a small marina and eco-resort on Isla Jechica (44,24S 73,51W). The resort is closed for winter, but the marina is still useable and it provides excellent shelter in bad weather. It is a gorgeous spot and the resort has been beautifully and unobtrusively built into the surrounding environment. I can imagine that it would cost quite a bit of money to be here in season, but we were very lucky to enjoy the trails and some of the amenities all to ourselves and for free. Though the electricity is off for the winter, the caretaker who lives across the bay from the resort property allowed us to use one of the houses a bit. The showers were hot, wood-fired from the living room fireplace, the couches were cozy, and it was awesome having a little space off the boat to relax and spread out the yoga mat!

We left Jechica yesterday to check out another anchorage just a few miles north, Caleta Valverde (44,20S 73,46S). We spent the afternoon exploring the crazy plant life and rock formations on shore and then tucked in away from predicted bad weather. We had lots of wind and our first thunderstorm of the trip last night! It all passed through, leaving us with a beautiful sunset this morning and some sailable mild wind today. We're covering great ground and will hopefully be in Chiloe just after the weekend.  For now, a new village while we wait out a big system.

Current position (Wednesday, May 12): Puerto Melinka, 43,53S 73,44W

Alea and Polo Flat

Hitchhikers!

wood-fired hot tub

at Jechica

Casa Tripulantes, a welcome refuge!

Jechica

Caleta Valverde

Berries

Weird Fungus

quartz layers

sunrise

Civilization!

I must be having too much fun because I'm getting too relaxed in the frequency of posts!

We eventually did make our way from Caleta Yvonne through Golfo de Penas, shortly after the last post. It was not a long crossing (about 24hrs from A to B), and the weather was fine (clear skies and not too much wind), however they are not lying about the area being susceptible to confused swell. The waves were all over the place which made for a bumpy, washing machine sort of ride. Needless to say, we were both quite tired post-crossing. We chose to stop just north of the Gulf in Caltea Suarez (46,36S 75,27W) to get some rest before continuing further north back into the channels. The weathe changed the day after our arrival, so we ended up staying in Suarez for about 5 days. It is a beautiful little spot, with a river for clothes washing (and decent drinking), however the williwaws did run through pretty strongly in the worst of the wind. We were not alone in Suarez, and two fishing boats sought refuge there as well. We all tied together in the bay and though there was a bit of a language barrier, we were all pleased to have some new human contact. Both crews were great guys and offered us fresh fish and fruit. I made and shared some brownies with them :) We left them for the crossing up to Canal Darwin on Saturday, April 25^th. They took some pictures of us bobbing away through the fog and swell. I think they thought we were crazy.

The crossing up to Canal Darwin was much better than the previous crossing. Longer, but much more consistent swell. We were happy to be back in the channels once it was over, and spent Sunday night in Caleta Galvarino (45,25S 74,0W) and Monday night in Caleta Gato in Seno Aysen (45,18S 73,12W). Tuesday was an exciting day as we were coming to a real port city – Puerto Chacabuco! So strange to see civilization after nearly two months of very limited contact with other people and no real settlements. We spent one night at anchor in the bay by the port and the next day moved (carefully) into Ensenada Baja, a more secluded bay behind the town (45,27S 72,48W). The entry pass to this bay is quite shallow, but we made it in and discovered another sailboat was there as well! Johann and Silvia from “Alea” are heading south, so we have been swapping anchorage info over the last few days – it has been so nice catching up with these lovely folks, sharing a few dinners, and hearing their stories. We both plan to head out of here tomorrow (Tuesday, May 5).

So, now, some long awaited pictures of our favorite moments over the last 2 months. Enjoy!

Coffee, dude, and glacier

Add caption

I look great in orange, eh? 

Puerto Eden

Getting up close and personal with a glacier

Tied to fishing boats!

Waiting

Saturday, April 18
Position: 48,39S 74,19W

We had an even more amazing time at the glacier than we expected. We ended up being called up on the radio by the rangers who live in the bay (we weren't sure if anyone was actually stationed there when we first saw the house) and were invited to have dinner with them. They made an awesome seafood soup and fresh bread and we learned a bit more about the area. It was exciting as well because during dinner, when the glacier would break off and fall into the sea, we heard huge "booms" and the earth under the house actually shook! The following day was gorgeous weather and we took a long hike up the mountain ridge to have a better view overlooking the glacier. Really unbelievable - pictures to come later. We left that afternoon for Caleta Yvonne, where we are now waiting for ideal conditions to push to the northern channels. We're hoping to get to Aysen to re-fuel, re-stock (I am so excited for fresh veg!!), check the internet, etc. in a week or so.

Puerto Eden & Seno Iceberg

Wednesday, April 15
Position: 48,43S 74,00W

Whoops! Been about a week since our last post. We've had some gorgeous weather for sailing, some really beautiful anchorages with hiking around, and made it to our first inhabited anchorage on Monday – Puerto Eden! A sparsely populated (maybe about 100 people) fishing village, Puerto Eden represents the only inhabited place between the northern channels and Puerto Williams. It was apparently established in the 60's in an attempt to "revive" a local indigenous population. As far as I understand, this did not work very well and while some people are descendants of the original indigenous population, the traditional culture and language are severely endangered. A dictionary/grammar was made in the 90's (I think), but, (likely due its isolation), no recent work has been done ethnographically or linguistically. This is unfortunate due to the rapid decrease in population and the passing of the elder generation who I assume are the last with any knowledge of local heritage. I think it would be a challenging but rewarding place to work as a linguist. Anyone out there in need of a research topic?
The village is a stretch of houses along one cove, connected by boardwalks – there are no cars or sidewalks. There is a large military presence (Matt and I didn't see these guys doing much and we aren't sure why there are so many of them there) and a large school building. Other than that We had hopes of an internet connection but these were squelched as the wifi was out during our visit. Oh well, I'm actually kind of glad I don't have to acknowledge the real world just yet...
It was nice seeing other people and making conversation (as best we could), plus we got to take REAL showers (a really awesome thing) and picked up several pounds of crab already shucked for us by a local fisherman. Due to our lack of refrigerator, we have been eating crab for every meal since. Things could be worse.

We had beautiful weather today (sunshine and not a cloud in the sky!), so we took a small detour to Seno Iceberg, an amazing inlet up to a glacier face that descends drastically from the mountains into the ocean. The entire way up to the glacier is impressive. The inlet is a milky greenish color that almost reminds me of Tahiti until I remember I am wearing 5 layers of clothing and am STILL cold. The glacier itself is this piercing sort of florescent ice blue.

It looks like we may have a good window to sail around Golfo de Penas this weekend, and then we will go off in search of hot springs and more villages. Golfo de Penas is our last sketchy spot and the only all-nighter we will do on this trip.

In the meantime, image us eating homemade crab cakes anchored in front of a glacier, drinking a Patagonian red. :)

Sunny Days, Whales, and Waterfall Lakes

We pushed out of the Magellan on Saturday morning and by that afternoon were back into calm, easy waters. We've had great weather (good wind and sunshine) so far this week and so have been powering through the days. This side of the Andes is generally rainy and cloudy, so sunshine is a rare and unexpected treat - it is a whole different place when it is sunny. You can actually see the snowy mountain tops in the distance and the different colors of stone on the hills lining the channels – really stunning!

Yesterday (Monday), we had dolphins playing on the bow, the water was mirror calm all day long, and we anchored in a super cool spot where we could walk to a inner lake. We rowed the dingy to a waterfall and then climbed up and hiked back to the source lake. It was a great change of pace to walk around away from the boat. Today, we saw fin whales (a new species to my eyes) and started the day rummaging through bergy bits from nearby glaciers. Tomorrow, the weather starts to change again so we will head to a safe spot with hopes of getting up to Puerto Eden Sunday. That will be our first (human) inhabited stop since we left Puerto Williams!

In other news, the home-brew Matthew put down before we left is ready for drinking. I think a home-brew party with the locals (penguins) may be in order this evening :)

Tuesday, April 7
Position: Bahia Tom 50,11S 74,49W

Snow on the Decks

Saturday, March 28 – Monday, March 30
Position: Caleta Mostyn 53,15S 73,22W

Wow. This place.... My favorite so far. We did a bit of research to find a spot where we will be safe and calm over the next few days. We found that precisely, and some. Coming in to the small canal off of the Strait, the water went flat. As we coasted in further, waterfalls were everywhere cascading down steep mountain sides into the canal. There were huge box jellyfish (I have never seen jellyfish so large – truly as big as my body!) from the surface downward to the deep, one every few inches. And swarms of thousands of tiny red fish (maybe salmon?) that, from a distance, looked like pink streaks on the surface of the water.

We are now tied in quite nicely in a small cove. A waterfall is nearby where we will wash our clothes tomorrow, and fill up the fresh water tanks. Outside, we can't feel even a breath of wind, and a small rain shower is washing down the decks for us. Inside, the fire is warm and dry, and a glass of red is in hand. Looking forward to our cozy "home" here at Mostyn for the next few days while we wait out some nasty weather.
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Monday, March 30 – Thursday, April 2
Position: Puerto Angosto 53,13S 73,21W

Here we are in another one of Slocum's old spots, waiting for the weather to change. We moved Monday afternoon as we were mildly concerned that Mostyn would not be completely sheltered from southerly winds and the predicted wind was very strong from the south. In continuing to read of Slocum's adventures, Matthew discovered a spot not far from Mostyn that Slocum apparently waited in for one month and felt fully secure. To look at this small corner of a side channel pinned right against a cliff, you wouldn't see protection from wind, but, sitting in it, we have complete shelter from all winds and a good view onto the changing conditions of the Strait. Just behind us is a beautiful bay with waterfalls and coves, which look nice but have violent williwaws screaming through them. We, however, just around the corner, are tied in tight and are quite comfortable.

We have been reading lots, fixing little boat things, baking bread, washing clothes, and watching snow fall on the decks these past days, which has been relaxing, but we are ready to get moving again. We hope to go north out of the Strait Saturday morning.

Williwaws, Whirlpools, and the Strait of Magellan

Tuesday, March 23
Position: Caleta Macias, 54,41S 71,32W

Beautiful sunrise this am at Caleta Emilita. We started early with the intention of going about 12nm. The weather was way too good to stop, so we kept at it, aiming for an anchorage across Bahia Desolada (meaning roughly something like 'Bay of Sorrow', I think). This was one of our "hairier" spots. We nailed it, with a good (strong enough, but not too strong) breeze coming through from the NW. Sails up and yours truly at the helm, we sailed across the Bay in no time at all. This spot is one of the few exposed areas we will encounter on our trip which is the reason it is a tricky area; the swells from the Southern Ocean can roll through very high. Although the swells today were pretty mellow, you can definitely see and feel the change once in the Bay. I have to say though, I was very happy to be in the driver's seat at that moment.

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Wednesday, March 25
Position: Caleta Cluedo, 54,16S 71,46W

Another big day to make it through Brecknock and Canal Cockburn (yeah yeah, have your giggle and get over it). Canal Cockburn is a very difficult spot in bad weather – in fact Sherm and Matt had swell as high as the boat last time through. Our swell was as it was yesterday, very mellow, and we had no trouble spotting rocks and making it through in good time. We will hopefully punch up to the Magellan tomorrow.

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Thursday, March 26
Position: Bahia Fortescue, 53,41S 71,59W

Into Magellan Strait we went today, via Canal Acwalisnan. We started the morning off later than usual in order to catch an outgoing tide in the very narrow parts of the Canal (Paso O'Ryan). This pass can gain streams of up to 8 knots, and we wanted that speed with us, rather than against us. We hit it perfectly and were shot through the rapids. It was super cool (also kind of frightening!) in such a narrow pass (maybe a bit less than 50m wide) with whirlpools running fast around us. Luckily, the narrowest part was short! Once we entered the wider Magellan Strait, we were able to put our sails up and actually turn the engine off entirely. As it should be. We got into our first Magellan anchorage around sunset.

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Friday, March 27
Position: Bahia Borja, 53,31S 72,29W

Our first real Magellan run (well, my first and Matthew's first going this direction) today. The day started out calm and the tidal streams were with us, so we made good tracks up. Things changed as we came into Paso Tortuso, where stronger tidal streams are more frequent. The wind picked up as well, and was on the nose as it funneled through the Strait. It wasn't dangerous or very strong, but the gusts and the current certainly slowed our last 5nm down. We eventually made it into an anchorage that unfortunately has strong williwaws so we spent a good hour putting lines to shore to avoid too much swing on the anchor. This task involves Matthew going to shore in the dingy, tying strong lines to trees and me pulling the boat around on those lines. In theory, it isn't difficult, but imagine that kind of coordination in the middle of 40-50knt williwaw gusts and rain. Good thing Matthew has some practice doing this!

We got to shore today as well which felt awesome after a few days on the boat. This is a famous anchorage that has historically been used by sailors coming through the Magellan and there is a group of trees with boards of boats that have passed through. The boat boards are newer now, but this tradition was in place as long ago as when Joshua Slocum came through here in the late 1800's. I've been reading his "Sailing Alone Around the World", particularly the parts about this area. I can only imagine what route may have been before the luxuries of GPS and daily wind reports...

Tomorrow, we plan to use the last day of decent weather to get into a good, tight anchorage to wait out a big low headed for us (perhaps the remnants of the cyclone that recently hit Vanuatu).