At large in South America
The loss of the trip around Tasmania with the breakage of the mast on Ocean Blue had an unsettling effect upon me Going back to work was too too tame and so I signed on aboard a yacht ‘Westerly Serenade’, skippered by Frank Holden and lying in South American waters for a trip in the Patagonian Channels in Chile. .
Westerly Serenade is a Westerly
With no more that a week to prepare, I flew out for
The route plan is to sail the 1200 odd miles through the passages as far Puerto Williams (540 56.00’ S 670 37’W) before mothballing the boat there for the winter.
I joined the boat and we set sail in freezing cold accompanied by snow.
In late April I was clad in a 3mm wetsuit swimming around the boat cleaning the hull.
5/5/2007
Canal Messier is where we are motor sailing at the moment 48 degrees 20’ S 074 degrees 33’ W.
The boat has good gear, computers, radar, 2 GPS, Autohelm 6000 which died yesterday, but we have some contact cleaner on board we will fix it soon. 2 HF radio,s ICOM, WEATHER FAX VHF radio of course, plus a hand held 406 EPIB plus one 121.5 and one in the life raft.
12/5/2007
This funky anchorage is at 51 18’ S 74 08 W ………………We stopped here because I noticed the temp. gauge for the Volvo 39 hp was on the red while I was on the helm. We found a crack on the copper pipe from the fresh water cooling system. We were becalmed at the time only meters from islands and mountainous cliffs. Within minutes we were in a gale which brought us to this funky anchorage, using the engine for minutes only as we are frightened to cook it. I have used two pot glue and microbullons to patch it up we are waiting here for it to dry. God help us, but we are still laughing. There is plenty of food on board and we are not far from waterfalls, if you survive the dinghy trip in this funky anchorage
……….WILLIWAWS OR RACHAS Their action is stronger in the coves and the waters lying under steep mountain sides. Gusts descend from the valleys in a roar of shaken trees and whistling whirlwinds and land on rocks, small twisters of foam and water appear on the sea rushing at incredible speed on the surface accompanied by curtains of rain and hail that hide the coast from the eye. The average duration of this phenomenon is 8 to 10 seconds but they sometimes last a minute.
……………..Been swimming to keep clean bodily………..freezing must be crazy
Saw a fin whale yesterday and a sea otter, cute steaming ducks, and a kelp goose. This is mother nature at her best.
17/5/2007
The copper pipe has been repaired with resin micro bullons and tape but we still have a over heating problem. Could be in the header tank fresh water cooling so the engine can only be run for a short time.
We have been lucky with the wind, good sailing but challenging.
We have solar panels on board and a wind generator. We did have a portable Gen set but that died today.
Yesterday it snowed the scenery just beautiful the pine trees covered with the light fresh snow. Snow on the decks, very slippery, will go and do some washing in the creek and have a bath. It is real cold but I do not want to end up a softy.
Waiting in this funky anchorage for the right weather to cross the Magellan’s Straits.
24/5/2007
Seas in the Magellan Straits can get very big but we had it really flat so I am told.
Had a few set backs trying to sail in narrow canals with bullets………. sailed 40 miles but advanced 5 miles gybing and tacking all day exhausting stuff I have been to hell and gone and back wonder why I am doing it again.
We are checking the tide times again as we struck the tide running at 6 knots against us, when we were trying to pass a very narrow area.……..A rock is in the middle. There are no charts of this area. We are in this anchorage called Felix last night tied to two trees with 50 meters of chain out astern. We were unable to do this tonight as it has been pouring rain and the little creek has turned into a river, so have just anchored in the middle of the bay. I am not going around
27/5/2007 Cla. Felix Snow storm ,cold but cozy: 540 01’S 0710W
Well, finally past the last big hurdle after 5 miles made good in five days including one spent in a day long snow storm. Today was good sailing although only about 20 miles and we managed to get through O'Ryan at slack water...Frank the Skipper has been through it twice before once pushing a 7 knot adverse tide and once riding it but with the problem with the heat exchanger he was not interested in fighting the ebb which we found on the last two attempts.
If all goes well we will be across Canal Cockburn tomorrow and then the skipper says it should all be down hill for the last 150 miles or so.
Just had Chilean fishing boat come alongside and tie up for the night they have just given us some sea urchins. Not so unlucky, only I like them. The language is always a problem. Will learn Spanish before I come back here. It has been dry today but still cold and probably freezing again tonight. Yesterday I was ashore getting water in a snow storm. I will tell you about the rachas (Williwaws) and what it feels like to do 7 knots under bare poles in flat water. This is a lot different to sailing in the ocean.
28/5/2007 Post Card from Skipper Frank Holden to Pangolin.
Date & Time: 28/05/2007 11:08:00 UTC.
540 32’S 0710 54’W
Brecknock, sea frozen, morse controls frozen, crew frozen.
We finished the trip at Porto Williams only 60 nm from
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