Introduction

Our Patagonian sailing experience noted in this guide will begin at roughly the latitude of the Falkland Islands in the Atlantic and end at Puerto Williams, Chile. Moving in this direction is against the prevailing winds and currents. Moving North and West in this area takes more time and is more difficult than moving South and East. Keep this in mind as you plan your voyage. We will attempt to include as much information as possible to help you on your journey. Everything from where we sourced fuel, parts, and provisions, to the anchorages we used, hikes we took, and the weather we encountered.

Cruisers entering this area should be experienced at and feel confident and comfortable with navigation in large tides and currents, visual navigation, radar navigation, and navigation using a depth sounder. Boat maintenance and repair is also very important. Your vessel should be in excellent condition, pay extra care to sails, running rigging, standing rigging, engine and steering, auxiliary dinghy and engine, and anchoring equipment. One should also have spare parts and knowledge to fix or at least jury rig these vital items at sea or in remote areas with the tools and crew on board. Between Ushuaia and Puerto Montt, there no real yacht services or parts available. Any services found will likely be focused on commercial fishing, and your boat will be treated as such.

You should also prepare yourself and your crew. It is cold, wet, and windy. Time ashore is very limited, and where you can hike in many places be prepared to bushwhack. Proper foul weather gear and layering is a must, as are good high waterproof boots and warm waterproof gloves. We also suggest a fleece face covering or balaclava and at times googles are needed while sailing through hail storms.

Once you and your boat are prepared, you can enjoy the journey of your lifetime. It is a truly mind altering experience to sail in Southern Patagonia. We have sailed across oceans, but never before have we experienced this feelings we did while in the remote areas of the Chilean fjords. You will see nature as you never have before and begin to truly understand the experiences of the first explorers that sailed this area and wrote the first books long ago.

References

In this guide we will reference the materials we used to navigate the area. Much has changed since some of the materials were updated. The pandemic shut this area down for years, which in combination with the changes to the artisanal fishing industry in 2016 by salmon farms and large corporate fishing efforts, has left many of the towns in this area in an economic slump. In this regard, many of the references have changed. Service providers are no longer there or people and phone numbers have changed. In some places buildings and docks have changed as well. We will attempt to provide new information where we can.

Cruising Guides

The best cruising guide for the region is known as “The Blue Bible” here in Patagonian Chile and Tierra del Fuego. The comprehensive book, “Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego Nautical Guide” by Mariolina Rolfo and Giorgio Ardrizzi, (Ours is the 3rd edition) is in our opinion the go-to source if you intend to cruise this area in a yacht. It is an accumulation of years of sailing knowledge in the area and should be on board any sailboat cruising these waters.

Link to Buy: Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego Nautical Guide

Link to Buy: RCC Pilotage Cape Horn & Antarctica

Link to Buy: RCC Pilotage Chile

Several others have also written cruising guides for this area and for Antarctica, Falklands, and places more remote, some are very rare, but we do not have them on board. Copies may be sourced by speaking to local boats out of Ushuaia or Puerto Williams who make frequent charters in the area.

Tide Tables and Chart Supplements Courtesy of Armada de Chile

3005_DERROTERO_DE_LA_COSTA.pdf

3007-a_LISTA_DE_BALIZAMIENTO_CIEGO.pdf

3007_LISTA_DE_FAROS.pdf

3009_TABLAS_DE_MAREA.pdf

carta_1_ed_2013-1_CHART_SYMBOLS.pdf

pub_3010_4ta_1997_DISTANCE_TABLES.pdf

Navionics Waypoints Courtesy of Capt. Narciso of s/v Kaap Hoorn

Narciso_PW-PM_Navionics_archive_export-1.gpx

Narciso_PW-PM_Navionics_archive_export-2.gpx

Narciso_PW-PM_Navionics_archive_export.gpx

Our Timing and Duration

April 7th – June 21th (75 Days)

Anchorages, Ports & Towns

1. Piriapolis
2. Puerto Espanol
3. Puerto Toro
4. Cape Horn – Isla Hermite
5. Puerto Williams
6. Ushuaia
7. Caleta Liwaia
8. Caleta Olla
9. Seno Pia
10. Caleta Aklush
11. Caleta Silvia / Puerto Egano
12. Caleta Brecknock
13. Caleta Tarmac II (North)
14. Puerto Nutland
15. Bahia Mussel 1
16. Bahia Fortuna
17. Caleta Columbine
18. Puerto Mayne
19. Puerto Bueno
20. Bahia Hugh
21. Caleta Neruda
22. Caleta Refugio
23. Caleta Graw
24. Puerto Eden
25. Caleta Sabauda
26. Caleta Yvonne
27. Caleta Mariuccia
28. Caleta Vidal
29. Puerto Aguirre
30. Caleta Olea
31. Caleta Brooks
32. Isla Jechica
33. Caleta Momia
34. Puerto San Pedro
35. Estero Pellu
36. Puerto Calbuco
37. Puerto Montt (Club Nautico Reloncavi)

Route Length

Total length TBD by reviewing logs. Approximately 12oo miles by quick estimate.

Fuel Usage

Start: Puerto Williams 700 Liters (60 Gal Primary Tank + 30 Gal Secondary Tank + ~90-95 Estimated Gal Jerry Cans)

Refuel: Puerto Eden +460 Liters

Completed: Puerto Montt 158 Liters Remaining

Total Used: 1,002 Liters.

Used for Heat: ~30%

Used for Propulsion: ~40%

Used for Electricity: ~30%

At least half of our fuel was used for heat and electricity generation. Keep in mind there is almost no solar power generation in this area in the winter. A trip through in the summer would lessen the fuel requirement slightly if a boat has a good solar system (self sufficient in the Caribbean) and it is possible to sail more hours in daylight in good weather windows. We did heavily use the autopilot, navigation computers, windlass, refrigerator, and freezer. Our video editing computer ran for many hours each day connected to Starlink and was a huge draw. Our Chinese diesel heater also consumed electricity and ran much of the time. The use of a non-electric drip heater (Refleks or Dickinson type) and lessening power consumption by not carrying frozen food and not working online/videos would yield considerable fuel savings. We feel we could do the trip comfortably with half the fuel in that case.

Our engine is a 76 HP Yanmar with Turbo. It consumes 1.5 Gallons per hour when running at 7.5-8 knots of boat speed plus alternator. We do not have a generator on board, and used its alternator for electrical generation. Motor sailing and without the alternator running, we tend to consume about .85 to 1 gallon per hour.

In short, the longer you stay in the fjords, the more fuel you will use for heat and electricity. Our goal was not to make a fast passage, but to enjoy the area and spend as much time as possible exploring the area. The boat sails much better with less weight of fuel, but skimping on fuel and having to ration the use of the heater can turn an enjoyable experience into a humidity filled moldy hate mission quite quickly.

Other boats that we know making the trip this year consumed the following

2400 Liters (60’+ monohull making a fast transport passage)

500 Liters (36′ monohull sailing and motoring)

1100 Liters (45′ catamaran reported mostly motoring)

1000 Liters (40′ monohull fast delivery passage, no sailing)

Fuel Stops are limited to:

Ushuaia, Puerto Williams, Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, Puerto Eden, Caleta Tortel. Be prepared to pay in cash (Chilean Pesos) for fuel and provisions in remote areas. Of note: were able to pay for some provisions in Puerto Eden via wire transfer, but it was a somewhat complex endeavor. With the expansion of Starlink in this area, more options for payment may before available in the future.

Sail-ability

In our opinion, with a good sailing boat the complete trip through the fjords could be done completely under sail (without using the engine at all, or just for anchoring) moving East to West. HOWEVER, it would take ages. The amount of tacking, maneuvering, and sail plan changes required is immense. It would at least add several weeks to any planned trip, if not a month or more to wait for the required weather windows. Keep this in mind while planning.

Shore Ties and Anchoring in Patagonia

We carried and used the following:

2x 100 Meter 3/4″ (19mm) 3 Strand Floating Lines

2x 110 Meter 1/2″ 3 Strand Floating Lines

2x Cables to Wrap Rocks

Rocna 33kg Anchor and 80 Meters 10mm G4 Chain Spliced to 60 Meters 5/8″ 3 Strand Nylon

2x 15 Meter 3 Strand Nylon Dock Lines

2x Spare 30 Meter Double Braid Lines

Also aboard were standard length dock lines, spare sheets and halyards and a spare anchor, chain & rode.

Note: One can swing at anchor in many places. The passage can be done without shore lines. With that said, if there are at least two on board, the anchorages are more enjoyable when completely tied in, and where else can you do this? We were happy with our setup. If spending extensive time here (more than one season) we would increase the size of our bow lines from 1/2″ to 3/4″.

Anchorages and Ports

1. Piriapolis

Piriapolis is a tourism centric town, and in the off season (austral winter) many of the restaurants and shops are closed, however if you are OK with limited selections, lower prices, empty beaches, and essentially the run of a relaxing small town atmosphere, the winter is just fine here albeit a bit chilly when the wind is from the south.

Entry to the harbor is straight forward and easy. There is good depth almost everywhere and the charts are accurate. One area of caution is to take care near the harbor walls. It is built with giant rocks and concrete in a pyramid formation, under the water these rocks fan outward. Don’t get too close. This should also be noted if backing against the break walls, at low tides your rudder may make with the underwater rocks. We had a friend that damaged his rudders here.

Overall Piriapolis is a good stop over for boat work or minor provisioning. The harbor prices are fair to keep a boat here, but the fixed height piers can be a challenge during extreme low tides. Be prepared to have at least 1 or 2 long dock lines (50 ft) to tie off to the bouys med moor style. As with any other South American country, the check in process includes your standard walk around to the Immigration/Customs, Navy, and Port Captain to acquire stamps and pay fees.

The harbor has a good sized travel lift and hydraulic trailer, but still use old fashioned wooden poles and shims (they call them “tacos”) to support your boat. If you have any special concerns on boat support or movement, sling placement, etc. make sure to provide these in a written document, translated into Spanish. It is almost impossible to schedule in advance if you have not arrived. Communication is in Spanish only and emails are not always replied to, however upon arrival everyone is helpful and nice. This may be changing as there has been a recent change in port management (it is government owned and controlled and hence is subject to different management based on the political party in charge).

It is important to note a few things if lifting the boat. A liability insurance policy which covers the boat on the hard is required if you intend to lift out. Policies to cover this, if yours does not, can be purchased locally if required for a reasonable price. We ended up purchasing a Uruguay policy through Mapfre which covered us for sailing as well all the way down to Ushuaia. Also, you can not sleep on the boat or stay overnight in the boatyard (when on the hard), other land based accommodations will be required. Lastly, the yard is specific regarding work hours which when we were there were roughly from daylight to 8pm. There are multiple security guards on site 24 hours a day, which is great for security, but don’t expect to accomplish that one last project before the end of the day as a few of the guards take their jobs, at least in our opinion maybe a bit to seriously when it comes to yacht owners trying to finish the last coat of paint at twilight.

Don’t forget to visit Alejandro and his son Gabriel at SAMS Nautical Supply just down the street from the marina for things you need. Alejandro has crossed many oceans and Gabriel races often in the local regatta circuit. Both are knowledgeable and helpful, and his store has most essentials, but also caters to the many local fisherman and his inventory requires adjusting as such. It is possible to ship things into the country here. Taxes can be waived for Yachts In Transit but a Uruguay licensed broker is required for this. We sent in sails, electronics, etc. It is best to do this all in one large shipment as the great expense is in the brokerage and handling fees. However our items arrived on schedule and were delivered directly to our boat in the port via a sealed truck and lots of stamped paperwork.

There are good tradesmen here, but as with anything in South America or anywhere else for that matter, discuss the expectations, scope of work, timeline, and cost before starting any project. We suggest using WhatsApp and documenting things in writing. Uruguay has an excellent legal system, and agreements in writing are held to a high standard. The workers are very proud here, which is a good thing in a way, but sometimes take any sort of direction or specific requirements mid work as criticism and may react accordingly. The safety precautions, finish work, materials, are normally below what would be seen in a North American or European boatyard, but excellent work can be accomplished with good communication and a bit of extra time. For example, our bottom painter, Chris, has the skills to service yachts anywhere in the world, and took excellent care to deliver a top level finish if asked for. As an added bonus, his father worked in the marina and helped establish the travel lift here which was brought in for the original Whitbread Round the World Race!

Uruguay in general is a wonderful country. We rented a car and drove around. It is a safe country and the people are very friendly. There is good food, wine, and the beaches are amazing. Any tastes can be accommodated for from those that enjoy the city and fine hotels to those that enjoy the countryside and van life expat surf bums. As with anywhere in some areas of the cities, take the same precautions as in the USA. The international airport is very good. Health care in Montevideo is very good and we even found private healthcare here is more affordable than in the USA. We visited the British Hospital and found its standards to be as high as any in the USA, received more personal care, and much more economical.

Overall, Piriapolis and Uruguay are places worth visiting!

Contacts and Helpful Stores:

Boat Painter

Rental House/Apartment

Chandlery

Hardware

Grocery

Wood

ATM/Bank

Rental Car

Shipping Broker

Laundry

Location of Customs, Armada, Port Capt.

2. Puerto Espanol

This anchorage is the first good anchorage after passing through the Le Maire Straight from the north. It was our first rest stop after during the sail directly from Uruguay. It is also a good stopping point, if coming from the South or West to wait for favorable tide and conditions to enter the straight. Holding is good on a mud/sand bottom and one can and should swing at anchor here. The land does funnel wind, so be prepared for strong gusts, especially with a strong Westerly or Northerly wind. The beach landing was difficult due to breaking waves but would be possible. It is protected from the North and West but is open to the South East. We only stayed here briefly to rest before pressing onward into the Beagle Channel.

3. Puerto Toro

This is very much an outpost, but a wonderful stop. One large dock/pier, protected in all but strong north winds, prepare to leave the dock if the wind is forecast to build from the north. Dock is empty when crab (centolla) fishing is not in operation, but one side should be left clear for military boat arrival. The Armada “alcamar” (light house captain) will invite you to dock. have large fenders available as the pier is a working pier and does expose barnacles at low tide. There is plenty of draft, even at low tide and the approach is very easy. Two large navy mooring buoys are also available if you prefer not to dock. Anchoring was not suggested here due to poor holding.