Sleeping...

talking about sleeping..We came in after our White Narrows transfer..(that is called White due to the color of your knuckles) To anchor. by now it was blowing 25kts + again and we found a lee just South in between the 2 narrows, the other being Kirke.. It was choppy and gusts were up in the high 30's but the anchor held. Next morning, Monday..We headed over to an island called Focus where the conditions were more sheltered for us.. finally, Yesterday, Tuesday we came on the dock. We refueled, Re-provisioned and did a few required jobs on board. Some of the crew got a stroll and dinner ashore..

Photo by Raya Hutchison

The Sleeping Cat

Well the photo says it all. There she sits all year long..

Photo by Humble Thomas.

Eden down to Puerto Natales

Timing they say.. Well after extensive discussions and checking We decided to leave Eden for Natales. a 220nm Run. We departed 2100 before it was dark to allow us out through the Harbour entrance and in to the Narrows. Down 1 Canal after another. Finally to Union and up to White Narrows Past amazing waterfalls, incredible topography, tight passages. It was a very long night for the watch keepers and our Pilot Marcello Sanchez. The weather was as good as it could be. We were trying to get in before the next weather system so had to leave before the last one cleared out..

Photo by Hugo Thomas

Eden Fishing

Puerto Eden Fishing

This is the local industry for the 150 folk that live here, well those that do not work for the Government.

However these boats have seen better days..

Photo by Catherine Carr..

Puerto Eden

Puerto Eden

We are now holed up in Puerto Eden on Thursday the 14th December. It is not nice outside for sure. in Here we have 25kts to 35kts and occasionally more. Happy to be here. Crew got ashore for a little bit..Just to stave of Cabin Fever! We hope to proceed tomorrow evening Saturday. 15th December

Photo by Ethan Toal

English Narrows

Very tight through here. English narrows..We are not allowed through at night and slack water is preferred. With Marcello our Chilean Pilot, of course we hit it right on target.

Photo by Catherine Carr.

The Short Break at Tempanos Glacier

It was a nice little interlude there at Tempanos. Richie got the drone up and took this great shot..

We then proceeded South down the channels past English Narrows on the way to Puerto Eden. We needed to hide from the next big Storm…

Photo by Richard Smith

Seno Iceberg and Tempanos Glacier

We spent the evening behind a small island ..Bahia Tribune… outside the protection it was 25kts to 30kts and yet we were sitting pretty with gusts to 20kts and a flat water. At 0600 we up anchored and headed on out to Seno Iceberg and a Glacier called Tempanos…We arrived there at 0900 and spent an hour before heading South again through English Narrows to Puerto Eden 1 way traffic through there... Patagonia is known for Storms and especially this SW coast. and we are due for a big one tomorrow with gusts to 60 its if we continued..so prudence says hang tight and wait for a better option. So we are now safely tucked up in Puerto Eden, which is not quite Eden…. But very pretty. There are 150 people live here. engaged in fishing mainly and everyone seems very happy.

Messier Straits Arrival

Messier Straits.
and back in we come. It was a dark night lots of showers but with the staysail out we charged South. racing the wind change after the Frontal passage. We had 90nm to go before we could bear away off the lee shore and We did not feel like hanging out 4 miles offshore. So 13 knots it was on the dial. Inside, especially forwards it was a bit of a rough ride until we got the to PT Raper where we finally got to head off from the wind and seas. 
Dawn comes early here right now..about 4.30 and Sun up at 0530 and right on the nose was the entrance to Canal Messier. We checked in with the Chilean navy on san Pedro Island and we motored South down Messier...

Golfo de Penas

Well that little stretch lived up to its reputation and this was a good weather window,!! We left in pre frontal conditions, serious rain and some gusty winds to 30 its. We motored out through Canal Pullche with the tide just starting to come in. (this to ease the sea state as if it was tide against wind it would have been rougher) We puttered along at 5-6 its in to 30kts and gusts to 40 with lighter winds in the heavy rain squalls. we passed South in Bahia Pink. The Weather front passed and as we got further offshore the seas came down to 15’ or 4m!! And then looking back at the coast A Rainbow.

Photo by Richard Smith

The Fish market to Port

Raya's favorite provisioning spot. you need to see how fresh the fish in this area. On Saturdays there is a big produce market and we got most our fresh produce from there.

Puerto Montt Good Bye and thank you

1500 we boarded our Harbour pilot. Just at the same time our Wind increased to 20 knots on the side! We can off and headed out the channel. At low tide you can wade across it! but we had a 6m tide and left with no Issues. We proceed South inside the Patagonian north channels although with no Moon there was little to see. we are planing to go out back in to the ocean for 160nm headed rather unfortunately SW where most the weather comes from before heading on down to Puerto Eden

We do have to thank the tireless work of our agent over the last Month well done Tomas Miranda of SAYSS and Gonzalo THE driver

A Happy Thanksgiving Crew!

Before Stuffing. what a great meal We had. thank you Raya.

Standing L-R Hugo,Ethan,Markus,Tomas,Williams,Markie.Lenka

Seated L-R Raya,David,Renee,Richard,Catherine..

Photo by Richard Smith

Happy Thanksgiving From Puerto Montt Chile

We are still in Pt Montt. alongside at Marina Oxxean. We have the last week been working on our statutory surveys. ABS and Isle of Man. both intermediate Hull and annual surveys. Happy to say we passed. So we were indeed thankful yesterday. It now leaves us time to focus on the trip South. initially to Puerto Natales about 900nm south of here down the Patagonian channels. We will hope to spend Christmas there before leaving for another 900nm trip down to King George Island in Antarctica, crossing Drake Passage, Of course the timing of that will be critical due to weather.

Marina OXXEAN

A mix of everything here at the marina. Even Seals under the dock..a football Stadium for 15,000 people

Marina OXXEAN!!

Alongside in Marina Oxxean
We were Sooo lucky. Friday was a holiday and the pilots and customs and Immigration did not want to be working so at 2100 on arrival we had the Pilot board and bring us in to the dock. As it was dark we did not see much but it was a very tight little channel the pilot brought us through and it was high tide in to the bargain. We need the tide with our 4m draught. We were alongside and cleared through formalities in an hour..How good was that. We will be here now for a few weeks prepping for the trip south

Photo by Mark "Jailbreak" Colville

Nearly There.

2 hours out.

Finally we lose the sea on the beam. at 4m it has had us rolling for a while, Well about 2 weeks. Looks to be Smooth seas until we are docked.

Chilean Landfall!

CHILE!!

Landfall in Chile after 16 days at sea and 4,500 NM Through the morning Mists we spot Volcan Corcovado, 2200m. Boat and the Crew have done really well. We even have 15% of our fuel left..We hope to be anchored off PT Montt by 0100 GMT when we will be clearing formalities. Then to the dock, tomorrow Friday, hopefully before the large low(at 965mb) we have been trying to keep ahead of passes. We will be happy to be secure alongside. Forecast where We have been looks Awful..

Hmmm Wind Coming..

Wind to follow.

looking at that sky, we can not get in to the shelter of the Patagonian channels quick enough. we should round I Chile on the South side by mid morning Thursday. We are too tall to go in the normal entrance. 58m clearance to our 60 height. Therefore we decided not to chance the tide with high tension power lines.. so 160nm more distance.and South entrance We hope to be docked on Friday before a very powerful low of 965mb roars through supposedly carrying gusts in the fifties. If that works out we will indeed have been very fortunate with the weather on this trip

Photo by Brian carver

Closer to Easter

We actually passed only 4nm off the corner of easter Island and for sure on this day there was no likely chance of landing but as we were running from a low pressure it did not make sense to have a pit stop anyway. We had at one point thought of stopping here for a sip of fuel, Well 10,000l is not a sip but we brought fuel bladders instead..Good call..Sad to see the Famous EI and yet not stop. next time when we have time and can visit properly. 

photo by Brian Carver.