Let’s teach people to take responsibility

Published on May 11th, 2025 on www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

Let’s teach people to take responsibility

The post As Seen on Scuttlebutt appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

When we set out to sail around the world via Cape Horn, we had little knowledge of what we were getting ourselves into aboard our J/46 Sweet Ruca, even though Kate and I were experienced racing sailors from the Midwest USA.

We both grew up sailing on the Great Lakes. Kate started in Optis and Thistles, winning a Jr. National Championship and later becoming a US Sailing instructor. I was cruising with my parents on Lake Erie at a young age. I moved on to racing both one-design and offshore, culminating in an overall win of the esteemed Chicago to Mackinac race as a navigator with Kate as a helmswoman.

Kate, Curtis and Roxy the sailing dog at anchor in Rikitea

When I was young, I read the tales of the Whitbread and Vendee Globe races in my father’s sailing magazines. Visions of palm trees and tropical islands were not lodged in my head, but towering waves of streaking foam attempting to overcome grimacing sailors in oil skins while water washed the decks clean cemented in my consciousness.

Cruising sailors, we were not, at least not at the beginning. Anchors, dodgers, and refrigerators were outside our sailing vocabulary. However, we were quickly hooked on the lifestyle after spending a month cruising through the beautiful waters of Lake Huron’s spectacular North Channel and Georgian Bay on a spartan J/105.

Something drew me to this challenging route. When we left port in Newport, RI, I thought I knew what it was, but later, I would learn there is much more to this route than screaming down frigid waves to go around a rock! 

The obligatory Cape Horn rounding photo.

Only now, at anchor again in the crystal blue water of Rikitea (Gambier Archipelago in French Polynesia), I can look back at the experience gained sailing a route around the bottom of the Americas. The experience is more than a sailing accomplishment. Becoming closer to nature and spending time amongst cultures that live very simple and remote lives resonates most with me about this journey. It has changed my perspective.

Sailing Cape Horn & The Canals of Patagonia

“The tales of rough usage are for the most part exaggerations, as also are the tales of sea danger.” ~ Joshua Slocum

This quote by one of sailing’s most famous authors sums up our thoughts on sailing in this area. Don’t read this wrong; the passage is fraught with challenges and no place for beginners. The forces of nature will brutally punish mistakes in these areas, and there is no one to call for help. It is not an easy place for yachts, still very much the Wild West of sorts, but this is also the draw.

With the advantage of a well-prepared modern boat, an experienced crew, proper planning, local knowledge passed on from other sailors, and today’s improved weather forecasting, most of this area’s dangers can be avoided. As in the books, there are still 70-knot williwaws (violent squalls), snow storms, uncharted areas, and ice to sail through. However, with proper planning, careful navigation, and waiting for weather windows, these dangers can be effectively mitigated.

Kate and Curtis on the foredeck of the Micalvi – Puerto Williams Chile

The place to gain local sailing knowledge is the Micalvi Yacht Club and Cedena Sailing School in Puerto Williams, Chile. Here, a mixture of newcomers, seasoned Cape Horners, and Antarctic adventurers come together in what may be the ultimate high-latitude sailing brotherhood. OCC Port Captain Lalo Cruz & his compatriots there both teach the next generation of young Chilean sailors in Optis and Lasers and share their knowledge of this area with cruising sailors arriving from all corners of the world who have left their flags on the hallowed walls of the Micalvi.

The interior and bar of Club Yate de Micalvi showing the flags left by sailors from around the world. We recognized many other OCC boats.

After leaving Puerto Williams, we were again very much on our own for the next 600 miles in the cold and icy Beagle Channel. This is perhaps the most awe-inspiring and challenging section of the journey. Towering mountains and glaciers dramatically meet the deep fjords in an intimidating but beautiful way. 

Sweet Ruca at anchor in front of the Seno Pia glacier.

Due to the dangers and inaccuracies of the charts in this area, one should only sail during the day and take refuge in one of the many well-protected notches during the evenings. We secure the boat every night with not only the anchor but also with 4 100-meter shore ties, as the conditions can change quickly and strong gusts can materialize from almost any direction.

As the climate here is driven by large storms that continually roll through the southern ocean, it is possible to take advantage of some very beautiful and sunny days between weather systems. On days with no wind, the silence and still air is only interrupted by the sounds of falcon wings moving through the air and cracking glaciers in the distance. 

Waiting out a storm in Caleta Brecknock

Moving northwards in the canals, the Beagle Channel meets the Strait of Magellan, and the scenery begins to change from snow caps above the tree line to barren, windswept rocks as the storms moving across the South Pacific crash into the shores of Chile with uninterrupted force. 

Glacier Pio Xi unleashed a sea of bergy bits in Canal Wide, many were larger than our boat.

Our next stop and sign of civilization would be the remote island village of Puerto Eden, where the last of Chile’s indigenous Kawaskar people still reside. This is a place where the changing of time is apparent. Once a disconnected village that thrived on local artisanal fishing, the shift toward the influence of tourism and technology is evident by the building presence of the cruise ship industry and Starlink. The island’s sole diesel generator still turns off every evening; when the lights go out, the feeling of wilderness returns in the hours of darkness.

Puerto Eden

We again set sail north through the Messier Channel towards Chile’s next big challenge. The Gulfo de Penas (meaning gulf of despair) separates Patagonia’s fjords from north to south and is the gatekeeper of the southern canals. A compulsory journey into the heavy seas of this area must be timed well, as the winds, waves, and currents here can damage even the largest of ships, as evidenced by the famous story of the Wager which lies wrecked at its entrance. This area is perhaps even more challenging than Cape Horn itself. 

Once into Patagonia’s northern section, one feels much safer and free to explore. Fuel, food, and civilization are now in reach if needed. We enjoyed this area very much, deciding to double back and spend another summer here, taking in the glaciers, hot springs, hikes, and most importantly, the kindness of the local people who still live a remote lifestyle but are beginning to create a good network for eco-tourism. Perhaps this area, between Gulfo de Penas and Puerto Montt, including the beautiful island of Chiloe, is the best of both worlds and may give the sailor all that is needed if Patagonia is on the bucket list. 

Caleta Sisquelan at the entrance to Laguna San Rafael

This area’s resounding beauty and culture is only interrupted by the influence of commercial fish farming. These aircraft carrier-sized complexes, which run diesel generators 24/7 and fill the sky with light, now reside in almost every nook and cranny of this beautiful area. After months in the pristine southern fjords surrounded by nature, we began to see the sad effects and pollution of these behemoths. The impact of mankind’s consumption and industry is stunning and concise. 

Sailing in front of snow capped volcanoes.

After so many miles in harsh sailing conditions, the boat needed a bit of refreshment to prepare for the 4000-plus nautical mile jaunt to our next destination, yet another of the world’s most remote places, Gambier. In Puerto Montt, we checked and refreshed maintenance items on the boat: running rigging, autopilots, sails, safety items, engine, and chain plates, and replenished our provisions for the upcoming trip. We also met many local Chilean sailors here who were wonderful hosts and became great friends.

Puerto Montt’s Club Reloncavi, much has changed here since the cruising guides were published.

Venturing Across the Pacific Ocean

After enduring the difficult climate of southern Chile for so long, we were ready for a change of scenery and temperature. Venturing into the Pacific Ocean, it was difficult to leave not only the beautiful mountains but also the kind people we met in our wake. 

We were finally ready for palm trees and coconuts again, though what we would find ahead in our next destination would once again encompass the kindred spirit of those who live a remote lifestyle. 

The archipelago of Gambier and the island of Mangareva, French Polynesia, was now the next destination, set firmly in our Expedition routing software. The journey would be 23 days of nonstop sailing, skipping Easter Island and Pitcairn due to weather conditions that would prohibit landing there.

The weather was poor, cloudy, rainy, and there were large swells. What we had hoped would be warm water spinnaker sailing for days on end in a deep blue ocean was not the case! Beam seas of gray and white crashed the deck as we reached at speed under reefed sails away from the mainland. Occasionally, we would have respite, the sun would come out, and we could set the gennaker again. Easy sailing was always short-lived, as the kite was doused again, and the stormy weather pushing up from the south returned.

Testing out the storm jib to slow the boat in big on the way to Gambier.

 We spent the last week of our passage under a heavily reefed main with little or no headsail as we ran in 3+ meter seas and winds gusting into the 30s day in and day out. A large breaking wave sheared an internal pin in our autopilot ram, requiring us to switch to our spare unit underway. At one point, we decided to get our unused storm jib out to balance the boat and limit flogging of the Genoa while surfing, all while keeping speeds under control and at a cruising rather than racing pace. I usually want to go faster, but this was one of those occasions where slowing down was prudent.

Arriving in French Polynesia

Exhausted from a fast and wet trip, we made landfall in Gambier early in the morning. The steep peaks jutted from the sea and were a welcome sight after the long and rough passage. Entering the western pass over the top of a visible coral reef contrasted the endless blue we had been sailing in for almost a month.

A view from the top of Mount Duff, overlooking the harbor of Rikitea

 Few boats venture to this remote archipelago, roughly 800 miles south-southeast of the Marquesas. We found ourselves the only boat flying the OCC burgee. The cruisers that do make it here, though, are a very diverse group from all points on the globe, many of whom were on their second circumnavigation. They are both blessed to experience this unique place, home of the black pearl, and be well lined up for a downwind journey through the less visited portions of the Tuamotu atolls. 

Rikitea, surrounded by an internal reef and again by the outer islands, is a great place to relax and take in the local culture while enjoying essentially the same views of the tall ships that arrived here hundreds of years ago. The islanders are friendly and welcoming to cruisers. The economy is still supported mainly by pearl farming and is not yet overrun by touristic tendencies. 

Here, it is wonderful to see the cruisers who arrive tend to blend with and adopt the local culture and language. Many family boats were here, with children attending the local school. 

Youngsters played football (soccer) in the streets, and the social activity amongst the adults included dinners of local fish and grilled chicken while exchanging stories between islanders and cruisers. While not apparent at first glimpse, the Polynesians, some of the world’s original ocean voyagers, have much in common with the sailors that arrive here. Living in close harmony with the environment around them, here is an unsaid understanding that the ocean is a great equalizer.

The island of Mangareva in Gambier, French Polynesia

We spent time here sailing the majestic outer islands and exploring uncharted coves. There are deserted islands, which you might see in a postcard, but they can still be fraught with danger. Care must still be taken as the outer reefs are still very wild, evidenced by a cruiser that was attacked by a shark while freediving there. With little medical care available on the island, he had to be flown to Tahiti by an emergency military medevac as civilian airplanes were not allowed to land on the airstrip after dark. 

As we sailed through the Tuamotus on our way to Tahiti, it was apparent that these islands are people’s homes, farms, and ways of life passed on from generation to generation. In these remote places, material goods and possessions are not what make a person wealthy. Here, riches are not shown in dollars and cents in a conventional way but in smiles, family, friendship, and congregation. 

Manu has an entire island to himself, great respect is needed to gain permission to access his island, but despite our language barrier we enjoyed wonderful conversation, sharing details of each others lifestyle

When I left the USA to cruise and sail around the world via Cape Horn, I thought it was about checking a box—checking the 1000-mile box to join the OCC, sailing around famous bits of land, gathering stamps in a passport, etc. Now, that is no longer so. What we have found aboard Sweet Ruca after all these miles in far-flung places is that cruising is an adventure into the human spirit. It is a way to connect more deeply with people and nature. 

Dinner with Blanca on Isla Magdalena – If you sail in Patagonia make sure to stop in and see this wonderful woman who lives alone and off the grid

Traveling this less-trodden route via sailboat has given us the unique ability to gain new perspectives and introduce us to new and diverse experiences, people, and cultures. We can also share a newfound wealth of knowledge with other sailors and those we meet ashore. The road less traveled is undoubtedly a bit more difficult, but a path worthy of the choice.

You can find out more about Kate and I and our boat at our website, www.sweetruca.com, and watch the Patagonian adventures on YouTube.

The post Taking the Road Less Traveled to The South Pacific – Featured in the OCC Flying Fish Magazine appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

Why Marlow?

On a boat the size of ours, the J/46, the loads are big, especially in heavy air. With only two people aboard, it is critical that we don’t have failures in halyards or sheets and possibly loose control of our sails which would cause damage to the boat, or even to people or pets. We have seen this happen: a broken sheet causing a flogging headsail or swinging boom can be extremely dangerous, and a broken halyard can be impossible to fix at sea leaving you down a sail for hundreds or thousands of miles when you really need it most. We want to go fast, and performance is important to us, but hands down, safety offshore is always #1.

The importance of the running rigging makes us choose our suppliers carefully. Marlow was the only rope company we reached out to as a sponsor, if that tells you something. We choose the items we purchase or use on our boat very carefully. When it comes to recommending products to our viewers and followers, we will only promote products we would actually choose to purchase and use ourselves aboard Sweet Ruca.

It is important when trusting your life to a rope that you know its origin and quality. Marlow Ropes is perhaps some of the best quality rope on the planet. Marlow’s manufacturing is top notch and meets or exceeds international standards, including CE, cordage institute standards, DEFCON’s, MIL specs, ANSI, NFPA and many others. It is depended on not only by some of the worlds best round the world racing teams but also by climbers, militaries, and those that work at terrifying heights (think rappelling from helicopters or dangling from a giant windmill).

Why Dyneema?

Many cruisers’ first thought about Dyneema is that it is just for racers. We disagree with that and believe that the benefits to racers of high strength, low stretch and creep translate to making our cruising experience better. Stretch and strength aren’t the only benefits though. Dyneema has excellent resistance to chemicals, it is lighter than polyester double braids, and is highly resistant to UV. This all translates to the lines on our sailboat lasting longer.

Aside from the obvious performance improvements of lighter weight and lower stretch, Dyneema offers another huge benefit aboard our boat. Its higher strength allows us to choose a smaller diameter for many of our control lines. This translates to lines that fit better into our winches, allow more wraps on a winch, and run more easily through our blocks. This makes hoisting, dropping, and trimming sails easier, safer, and faster.

Working with Dyneema lines is also incredibly easy. Have you ever tried to splice a double braid polyester line with a cover? It is not fun! Dyneema is very easy to splice, in some cases it is faster to splice a line than it is to tie a knot in it. This cuts down on rigging time and cost, increases the line strength vs knots, and in an emergency one can use Dyneema to replace steel wire rigging. We carry some spare Dyneema which can replace our standing rigging in this way. By the way, you can find complete instructions and videos showing how to splice all of Marlow’s lines by clicking here.

Because the lines are lighter and smaller, this also translates to less weight aloft and less windage. These benefits are often overlooked on cruising sailboats. Our thoughts on this, which have been cemented from our racing experience, is that every little bit counts. When sailing 30,000 or more incremental gains add up. The low stretch and creep of the lines also leads to less trimming and less heeling. Less movement of the lines contributes to lowering chafe, the enemy of an offshore sailboat. Less stretch means that sail shape stays more consistent, especially in big breeze when this matters most to keep the helm neutral and the boat flat and fast. Less trimming means more sleep and more time to focus on other important things such as weather routing, cooking, etc. Racing aside, the simple cruisers takeaway: increased safety, leisure time, and sailing enjoyment!

BLUE OCEAN & Sustainability Initiatives

Another reason we chose Marlow, and perhaps one of the biggest reasons, is their environmental initiatives. As sailors we feel a responsibility to leave as little wake as possible when it comes to the environment. Now, let’s be realistic, we are sailing a fiberglass boat, with a diesel engine, and composite sails made of carbon fiber and mylar film. We aren’t going to lie to ourselves and imagine because we use mostly solar and wind power on our journey that we are somehow fossil or carbon free. It is almost impossible for anyone to live day to day nowadays without using some oil based products, and we wouldn’t have the amazing civilization and quality of life without these products. However, we want to improve where we can, by making good choices.

That is where Marlow’s Blue Ocean and bio-based Dyneema initiatives come in. Like saving weight aloft, if we all can make small incremental improvements it is good for the planet. As a rope-maker, Marlow recognizes that our activities will have an effect on both the local and global environment and they are committed to ensuring that the negative effect is minimized as far as is practical. Since 2018, they have been developing products using sustainably sourced fibers in all of their standard synthetic rope ranges.  Most significantly Marlow is reducing reliance on fossil fuels by using fibers either manufactured from waste plastic or natural sources in the lines they manufacture for sailing yachts. We think this is a great thing!

A 5000 Mile Test!

We put our Marlow Ropes and new running rigging to the test when crossing the South Pacific Ocean. We have sailed well over 5,000 nautical miles so far and our lines are holding up brilliantly. We have noticed all of the benefits listed above. We also learned something new, which is yet another benefit to cruisers, the boat is quieter offshore. Once set in place, there is little movement that contributes to creaks and groans in the rigging. It is rock solid!

We noticed a few other things about these lines. First, how nice the covers felt in our hands. Most of the time we don’t wear gloves when sailing, so the “hand” or feel and grip of the lines cover is very important to us. Next, the wear and chafe resistance of the covers has been phenomenal, as is the grip on our winches. Last, the twists and hockles of our old lines are gone. We can have confidence that when we let our lines run that they won’t jam in our blocks, yet another thing that adds to safety and sailing enjoyment.

Overall, we couldn’t be happier with our choice of Marlow Dyneema lines for our running rigging. The handling, strength, and durability are top notch! Even though, in full disclosure, Marlow sent us these ropes at a great discount in exchange for featuring them in some YouTube episodes, know that we are writing this article because we want to, not because we have to or are paid to! We would choose these lines again, and can wholeheartedly recommend them to other boat owners and sailors!

What Lines Are We Using?

10mm D2 GP SK78 – Mainsheet (90 Feet) Black/Grey

10mm D2 Club SK75 – Mainsail Reef Lines (3x)

10mm D2 GP SK78 – Jib Sheets (2x 70 Feet) GP 78 Black/Blue

10mm D2 Club SK75 – Furler Line (92 Feet) D2 Race Grey

8mm Excel R8 – Main Traveler (60 Feet) 

8mm Excel R8 – Cunningham (20 Feet) 

6mm PS 12 Blue – Lazy Jacks (150 Feet) 

4mm D12 Yellow – Jack Lines (100 Feet) 

7mm D12 SK78 MAX – Mainsail Preventers (2x 60 Feet) 

6mm D12 SK78 White – Mainsail Preventers & Soft Shackles

6.5mm D12 SK78 – Miscellaneous Spare & Soft Shackles & Loops

More About Our Partnership with Marlow Ropes

The team at Marlow wrote a wonderful article about us which they featured on their website, click here to read it. Of course you can find the complete selection of Marlow Ropes available to your cruising sailboat by clicking here. In our opinion, companies that give back to the sport of sailing and assist with passing on information to encourage the next generation of sailors to get on the water should be supported. We encourage you to support those that support the sport! We are very grateful to be able to represent Marlow Ropes aboard Sweet Ruca on our circumnavigation and want to take this chance to say THANK YOU!!!!

The post Why We Chose Marlow Ropes to Rig Our Sailboat appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

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.

A good place for hikes. Only 2 permanent civilian residents. The rest are naval personnel and caribineros (state police). Small fisherman church. There is a small store here that stocks a few frozen items, snacks, and sodas. Empanadas or bread may be possible to buy if asked for. Bring a few fresh veggies and chocolates for the kids from Puerto Williams for gifts to the Alcamar and his family, and maybe share a few beers with the Caribineros and you may be the most popular people in town for the days you are there. Everyone was very nice and helpful here.

Some big backcountry hikes are possible here.

4. Cape Horn – Isla Hermite

We stopped at this anchorage after rounding Cape Horn from the East to West. It is well tucked up in the center of the archipelago. On the chart it seems to offer little protection from North winds but was surprisingly a very solid place in all directions. It is very well protected. Its only downfault is the encumbering kelp here. The “Blue Book” says one can swing at anchor here, and while it is likely possible, we would not recommend it as there is too much kelp. One should set the anchor and back into the cove in one shot, careful not to be blown into the rocks with the williwaws, securing a shore line quickly. While bringing up the anchor here we collected so much kelp that our 33kg Rocna anchor was floating on it! We suggest because of this one choose the more often used anchorage at Caleta Martial as a primary goal before or after rounding the horn.

5. Puerto Williams

This place was hard to leave! If you are looking for an out of the way place, surrounded with natural beauty, with a small town atmosphere, this may very well be one of the best places on earth. Did you think you can find a place where there are still wild horses running free, this is it. Most of all, for sailors, it is the home to the famous Yacht Club Micalvi, the southernmost yacht club in the world. The future hasn’t arrived here yet, but we can see it beginning to encroach in the form of cruise ships.

If you have youngsters aboard, make sure to contact the Cedena sailing school ahead of time. There is a wonderful sailing instruction program there and they are happy to have short term exchange students! Sometimes they have a sailors barbecue, so be on the lookout for smoke from the chimney on a Friday or Saturday night. Bring a contribution and something to share and your own drinks.

Ordering parts in and flights in/out are difficult. Post is slow due to its arrival by the ferry from Punta Arenas, which can take an extra two weeks above any quoted online shipping time. The airport is small, and there is at the most one flight a day to and from Punta Arenas, and that is on good days. It is best to bring anything critical with you aboard your boat.

Checking in here as your first port of arrival is easy. The main port is very open with plenty of room to anchor, although it is deep. There are a few mooring buoys placed by the Armada which visitors can use in the outside harbor, on the west side, near the airport. Contact the Port Captain by hailing “Puerto Williams Radio, Puerto Williams Radio” on VHF channel 16 (radio is pronounced rah-dee-oh). Let them know if you intend to enter the smaller harbor which is the best home for yachts. Here you can take a mooring ball or raft off of other boats at the Micalvi. Stay mid channel when entering the smaller harbor, the edges shoal quickly, especially near the large red buoy on shore by the road.

If you properly radioed the Armada on arrival, they will arrange for officials to meet you on the deck of the Micalvi. From there it is a short walk to the Port Captain’s office, Immigration, Customs, and finally back to the Port Captain where you can obtain your next Zarpe (sailing papers). We found all officials to be helpful and friendly here. There is a small charge for docking here.

There are several stores for provisions. A very good grocery store called Simon & Simon. Entel prepaid SIM cards for Chile could be found at the blue & yellow store across the street. There are multiple vegetable stands and bakeries and hardware stores. All of your basic needs can be attended to here, just don’t expect them to have everything in stock, it is a small town after all. We found two places which provided laundry services. US propane tanks could be filled by leaving them at the Micalvi where they would be picked up and re-delivered full. Fuel was best done by jerry cans. It is possible to take your dinghy to the rocky beach in front of the fuel station, but better to arrange for a pickup truck to shuttle you. We were able to rent a car in town and explore the island quickly. Great hikes are also a short walk away from the Micalvi.

Hiking

Cedena Sailing School

Micalvi

Sailing Routes GPS from Narciso

Laundry

Provisioning Simon & Simon

Hardware and Clothing

6. Ushuaia

Ushuaia is a full service town. There are hotels, restaurants, a casino, and many touristic activities. The airport has several flights available. Ushuaia is the hub for Antarctic sailing charters and many large cruise ships. Checking in here is an adventure of its own, requiring several stops across town and lots of copies of paperwork. The officials were all friendly, but very official. Expect to spend at least 1/2 day, and up to two days depending on your time of arrival, navigating the maze of chicken procedures.

There are excellent grocery stores and beverage suppliers. Expect to find a great selection of meats and wines. Provisioning here with the US dollar and in cash gets your the Argentine “blue dollar” exchange rate, which can make your dollar go much further for purchases. This is especially true surrounding provisions.

Don’t expect much here though in the way of chandlers. There is no store for yachts here. We found only stores catering to day skiing tourists and no hardcore gear outfitters. Some good hardware stores can be found to supply ropes and more commercial worker type outdoor gear.

The Club Afysn is the best dock in the area, but beware that it can be very busy with Antarctic charter boat operations, almost all of which use the club as their base of operations. Because it can be busy, we recommend you contact them ahead of time if you plan to dock. When we arrived the moorings were full and rafting was required. Some services are available, but any decent sized sailboat is better served in Buenos Aires, Piriapolis, Itajai, or Puerto Montt. The Antarctic charter yachts lean more toward working steel ships than yachts, keep this in mind if arriving in a smaller or light fiberglass boat. The club is a very long walk from town, and taxis do not like to come all the way out there. Prepare for a wait for a ride in to town. We were lucky enough that a generous member offered to drive us to town a few times.

There is another dock which caters to sailboats closer to town, a shoal draft is required there.

We didn’t stay long, just enough really for a passport stamp run to renew our visas for entering the fjords after a long stay in Puerto Williams. We did find the time to sneak in a helicopter tour at the nearby airport, which is highly recommended.

Before entering the Chilean Fjords from the East, one must return to Puerto Williams to check back into Chile. This maneuver also provides an excellent visa extension to allow for maximum time enjoying the wilderness. Keep in mind there are no services past Ushuaia for at least 300 miles if backtracking to Punta Arenas, and over 600 miles if the next planned stop is Puerto Eden.

WhatsApp For Club Afysn

7. Caleta Liwaia

This was our first stop when headed west from Puerto Williams. The entrance is somewhat hard to see at first, but is clear of obstructions mid channel. There is little kelp in this anchorage and landing ashore is easy. There is plenty of space here to sort out your first try at shore ties. It is well protected from Westerly winds and calm when the Beagle Channel is roaring. There is possible hiking available on shore on cow trails if you are willing to push through the brush a bit.

8. Caleta Olla

This is a wonderful bay to stop in. It is well used by charter boats in the region and for good reason. The entrance is easy, it is very well protected, and the sand holding is excellent. Landing on the beach shore is very easy. It also has great hiking and is in close proximity to a large glacier, the first one you will see upon entering the Northern Arm of the Beagle (Paso Bravo Norte).  The beach is shallow and does extend out far from shore, take care when backing in here. We saw Guanaco here and took a long hike up the mountain.

Past this caleta you are entering into very remote waters. The Navy does patrol here in ships, but one does need to be well prepared here and take safety first.

9. Seno Pia Glacier

This large fjord has multiple anchoring options. Although the entrance can be initially intimidating, there is plenty of room. All shoals provide plenty of depth for most yachts to easily navigate. Large cruise ships even enter here. If you are lucky you can find a rare day to have this whole fjord system to yourself, on others there can be multiple charter boats and cruise ships. There is excellent hiking with a trail starting just behind where we anchored.

Beware of ice here and the neighboring fjord. While we were here the bay froze over and we were frozen into our anchorage for a short time. We also encountered large truck sized growlers which have calved off of the three large glaciers.

It is possible to swing at anchor here, but due to the depths we found backing in with shore ties up to the trees was best.

10. Caleta Aklush

Dolphins abounded here. This is a small nook in an uncharted bay on an island in the center of the channel. There is some kelp and one should be quick with a shore tie if it is windy as williwaws will come over the top of the island and spread into the narrow anchorage. The anchorage is free of major obstructions but due take care and stay mid channel on entry and exit. The beach shoals quickly, we dropped our anchor in 35 feet of water and backed into 15 feet of water. It is easy to go ashore here. This island can be explored by foot and has excellent views. We found an old fisherman’s survival hut, one could have a small campfire ashore here if they were so inclined.  If there is a strong easterly (very rare) this bay could become dangerous to stay in.

11. Caleta Silvia / Puerto Engano

This is the last stop before crossing the very exposed Canal Ballenero. Boats are guided in by two manikins dressed in yellow overalls, a spooky sight upon entrance in the wilderness. Many boats that have stopped before have left their mark here on a few trees. There is a wonderful stream and waterfall for fresh water. Land on shore is easy, there is quite a bit of kelp in the inner harbor though. It is possible to swing at anchor in the outer harbor.

One may have to wait several days here for a weather window to cross the canal, which is open to the prevailing westerly winds and can cause dangerous or at least difficult sailing conditions.

12. Caleta Brecknock

This was our next stop after Caleta Silvia. It is perhaps one of the most beautiful fjord anchorages of the area. It is simply stunning and must be seen for itself. We anchored and backed into the small nook and secured ourselves with 4 shore lines. There are other spots available, including tying to the rock wall, which we passed on! Maybe next time. The williwaws here can be quite extreme. Entry to the caleta is easy and free of obstructions.

The hiking and trekking here is absolutely amazing. We only stayed one day, which was not enough. We wish we could have spent much more time here exploring the small lakes and wind stripped glacial rock formations.

There is no radio contact here due to the surrounding high mountains.

13. Caleta Tarmac II (North)

Our next stop as we decided to take the uncharted Paso Aguila and Canal Barberra to the north. This is a narrow anchorage with only room for one boat. We encountered strong winds here as we waited out a deep low pressure system. This was the only place where we put out more than 4 shore lines, and we wouldn’t have complained if we had more than 6! We were getting tossed around by wind gusts and williwaws as it was blowing over 60 on the other side of the islands just out in the ocean.

It was easy to land on the beach here, and one can explore a bit, especially by dinghy or kayak, but there was thick brush which made penetration into the islands upper areas extremely difficult if not impossible.

Although uncharted we found no major dangers here, with the exception of a large rock on the south side just at the tip of entrance to the anchorage. It is surrounded by kelp, so stay out of the green stuff and you are OK!

14. Puerto Nutland

Aside from the funny name, this is a great spot. Some shore hiking is available in the small bay. There is also a salmon stream for fishing! It is a bit open to the NE, so be aware of the weather. This is an excellent spot at the North end of Canal Barberra to wait for the proper tides to pass through Paso Shag. There is another glacier nearby which would be a great side trip for a day sail.

15. Bahia Mussel 1

Bahia Mussel is famous for its Humpback Whale sanctuary. In fact we did see 3 large whales on our way to this anchorage. They were huge, and were on a crossing path with our boat, so we stopped and waited for a bit to allow them to pass by.

There is considerable kelp here, and we also found a fisherman’s line was across the anchorage. We anchored and backed up to the fisherman’s line, securing our stern to it to allow us to take our time with our own shore lines. We waited through another considerable storm here, which caused some storm surge, flooding the surrounding anchorage and submerging our shore tie locations which were above normal high water. We found this anchorage well sheltered and an excellent place to wait out strong weather. One has a view here of the Magellan Strait so the conditions outside can be easily monitored and ships can be seen passing by.

It is a good place to wait while timing the passage through Paso Tortuoso’s strong tidal currents. One can go ashore here and walk around a bit. The Armada has an outpost on the other side of the island, which we did not approach, but it almost seemed like we were back in civilization!

16. Bahia Fortuna

Although we wanted to spend more time in the deep south, it was time to get moving Northward, as by this point supplies were starting to run a bit low. We decided to take an excellent weather window and motor sail overnight in the Magellan Strait and push as far North as we could to avoid yet another passing low pressure.

Bahia Fortuna is an excellent spot to stop. No shore lines are needed, but it is a deep-ish anchorage. While we were there a supply tug also came in and anchored next to us in the night. This is a place that can be entered at night and with radar if needed. It may not be good in rare east winds.

17. Caleta Columbine

This is another easy stop not requiring shore lines. It has a nice beach to land on and stroll, with some possible decent hikes. There was some kelp which prevented our anchor from setting the first time. We anchored a bit deeper than normal and found the holding to be OK. This bay is open to South winds and can get choppy in a moderate to strong southerly, as it did for us, causing us to leave in the darkness.

18. Puerto Mayne

This is an amazing protected set of coves which seem like two small lakes. Anchoring is difficult as it is very deep, but there are several locations to choose from in the “Blue Book”. We found our location had excellent holding and we shore tied to the rocks behind. This was an extremely well sheltered location and felt as if we were on a pond. Lots of exploration is safely available by dinghy, kayak or paddleboard here. There were many dolphins which called this harbor home. This is a place we would have liked to stay a few more days to explore in more detail. There are a few streams which likely offer good fishing, and firewood can be found here.

19. Puerto Bueno

This stop is appropriately named. Puerto Bueno is well charted and very safe. There is a small lighthouse which marks the entrance. Take care to enter on the South side of Isla Payner as the North side is a false passage which uncovers at low tide. It is an excellent and well sheltered stop, offering several anchorages depending on the forecasted winds. We chose to set our anchor in the Northwest cove where a fisherman’s mooring line was strung across the caleta. We set our anchor and backed to it, then set 4 shore ties.

Here we explored the entire area by dinghy and took several different hikes. Small hikes are easy here and there is a trail which leads from near the waterfall on the North end through to the freshwater lake behind the cove. This hike can be easily extened up into the hills with a little bit of extra effort and bushwacking. We found evidence of glacial grooves and boulders here indicating that the this area was once covered in ice long ago!

We waited out yet another low here for several days and spent time here to edit the Cape Horn video. The williwas can be gusty so shore lines are recommended. It is also possible to anchor here and swing. There may be excellent fishing in this area and there was excellent bird watching and a few sea lions. A hike to the top of the hill allows for a view of the main canal. Ships pass here often en route to the Magellan.

20. Bahia Hugh

This is a great hurricane hole! Both ourselves and our friends on the catamaran stopped here several days apart. We referred to it as “The Fortress.”

Although the entrance to the main bay is more difficult than some of the others and can be moderately challenging, it is well charted and once inside things calm down. We would not recommend attempting to enter here at night or in strong winds, at least for the first time. Inside the bay on the West side is a small caleta hidden by an island. Although narrow it is possible to pass on the South side of this small island with moderate draft and tuck into one of the most protected anchorages we have ever been in.

Surrounded by hills with high trees, it does not offer much in the way of shoreside activities, but your boat will not move an inch in even the strongest winds. We set our anchor and backed to the trees with two shore lines. There were several dolphins which escorted us while tying shore lines. Fishing may be good here.

21. Caleta Neruda

This anchorage offers amazing protection from all but the strongest southerlies. Caleta Neruda is just off the edge of the channel, allowing a quick in and out rest stop but is a bit hard to find, tucked into Isla Topar just after passing Paso Caffin. The approach does have some kelp, which we picked up in our intake, take care with this. Once inside it is very deep and we set out 4 shore ties along with a lightly set deep anchor. The tall sides protected us from all but the strongest gusts. There was a small stream and an old fishermans camp. We attempted to hike but could not find any trails. It would be possible to gather water here. Once again, there were many dolphins here.

22. Caleta Refugio

This caleta is a bit hard to find, and may have other names on different charts. Although uncharted we found the entrance safe and had no issues. It is likely possible to swing at anchor here, but we chose to shore tie just in case. We had some wonderful hikes here, there is an excellent stream and some lakes. We waited here for ice to clear which was coming down from the Pia XI glacier. When we passed through in May we found bergie bits, growlers, and some ice bergs the size of our boat. These caused danger to our navigation so we waited for them to clear. There was a view of the chanel from the anchorge and it might be possible here to toss out a fishing line and grab dinner from the sea.

23. Caleta Grau

Our last stop before Puerto Eden as Caleta Grau. This is just a small cutout in Isla Wellington and is well charted. The approach is easy. We backed in and set 4 shore lines. There was a small stream and water could be gathered. We attempted to hike but our progress was stopped by thick brush. It is open to the South East, so care should be taken if winds shift.

24. Puerto Eden

Puerto Eden is a must stop on the way through. You literally can’t miss it on your way through the fjords if sailing between Puerto Williams and Puerto Montt. This small town is lost in time. There are no roads and travel on the island is by boat or by board walks connecting all of the buildings. It is the last outpost of the Kaweskar Indians in Chile, one of the original inhabitants of Patagonia. Very few remain, but those that are there are keen to share their culture with tourists.

Everything on the island must come in with a long ride aboard a ferry ship. Expect to pay double here for any provision, be it food, fuel, or otherwise. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be had here, but there is a limited selection depending on the time of arrival. It is possible to change crew here via the Navimag ferry, or even get parts brought in, but this is an expensive proposition. A friend left his boat here on a mooring, watched by local fisherman, and traveled back to Puerto Montt to retrieve needed engine parts.

Also keep in mind that the ferry can at times be delayed by weather in Gulfo de Penas. At times provisions here, even for the local residents, can become extremely low. Diesel comes in in drums. Be careful to buy from sealed drums here and not old diesel offloaded to fisherman from salmon farms. Dirty diesel is a possibility here if you are not careful. We recommend contacting the supplier on the island ahead of time if you require any significant quantity, only a small amount of extra fuel is kept on hand for emergencies.

The approach to the harbor is a bit complex, but nothing out of the ordinary once you have made it this far into the canals. The holding is good. It is well protected but can be gusty. The charts are accurate and multiple anchorages can be had nearby depending on the conditions. When anchoring keep clear of the ferry dock and Caribinero dock. You can also take a buoy in front of the Armada station, but this is further from the main center of town. Make sure to call the Armada on arrival and check in, likely a radio call is all that is needed, but unlike all of the other small caletas since leaving Puerto Willams, this is a true port and must be treated as such.

Walking the boardwalk is the thing to do here. It is interesting to see the repairs of old wooden fishing boats. The last Patagonian canoe maker is still here. There is an old cemetery. Day hikes, kayaking, and more remote excursions are available as touristic activities.

Fuel Contact

Convenience/Liquor Store Contact

Grocery Contact

Alternative Fuel Contact

Navimag Ferry Link

25. Caleta Sabauda

This anchorage is protected from all winds and offers a small cove which you can back into and 4 point shore tie plus anchor or a larger area which you can swing at anchor. When we were here we shared the anchorage with S/V Artemis, who has shared their drone shots with us. The entry is easy. In the small caleta with shore ties, beware of rocks on the eastern which will be visible at low water. This is an excellent heavy weather anchorage if needing a place to wait out a big system funneling winds from the north.

default

26. Caleta Yvonne

The canals widen a bit at this point and Caleta Yvonne is on the east side after passing the sunken ship mid channel. A note on the ship, it can be approached closely and one could like dock on its port side in very calm conditions, beware of entering it though as the Armada has shelled it as target practice. We anchored in the western part of the small bay while waiting for a weather window to cross Gulfo de Penas. The entry to Caleta Yvonne is fairly simple, we backed in and shore tied here with two lines astern.

*Gulfo de Penas* (Gulf of Sorrows)

A note about Gulfo de Penas. Be prepared in this area. We found this crossing to be a challenge. We had to wait almost one week before making this crossing due to strong conditions offshore. Even large ships find trouble here and the waves and current can push you up against a dangrous lee shore. It is perhaps an even greater challenge than rounding Cape Horn, and the local Chileans speak of this area with great respect. We chose to use a weather window which presented a strong but dying south wind as the crossing from anchorage to anchorage took just over 24 hours. This brought large southern ocean waves up the coast. Great for fast sailing, but for those which may get seasick be prepared for this as it is a dramatic change in sea state from inside the canals.

27. Caleta Mariuccia

We are now north of Gulfo De Penas. This anchorage is a little off the beaten path and hard to spot, but an excellent place. Fresh water is available from a small waterfall. There are three places to anchor. The first is a small caleta with a fishermans line which one could side tie to, we didn’t try this as we could see some rocks in the area. The second is the possibility to swing at anchor in the bay, which is what our friends on SV Artemis chose to do when they joined us here. The third is a small caleta in the northern portion which affords great protection. The small caleta has a fishermans line, which we stern tied to and strung out 4 shore lines to securely lock in. We took some dinghy excursions here to explore the area in more depth, finding a large stream on a small beach across the main channel as well as some other small caletas which sea lions called home. Keep in mind the canal approaching this caleta is uncharted and there are a few small rocks which could present a danger but are easily avoided. Keep a bow watch just in case.

28. Caleta Vidal

This is a wide bay with a nice sand bottom which allows for many mooring options. The charts for this bay are good. We chose to swing at anchor as a fishing boat from the local salmon farm had occupied the smaller caleta which was strung across with fisherman mooring lines. It provided a place to get fresh water as well as a nice beach to walk.

29. Puerto Aguirre

Puerto Aguiree will be the first available marina dock between Puerto Williams and Puerto Montt. It is the southernmost true marina floating dock in Chile. It is small, with only up to 8 spaces available depending on the size of the boats it is hosting at the time. If there is a large yacht or a catamaran or two it could be completely full. Strong winds usually come from the North here, and the large fishing and Navy dock protects the Marina.

When we arrived the Navy asked that we visit their office to check in, it was a short walk away and we were greeted with smiles.

Fuel can be purchased here, but be prepared to use jerry cans and pay in cash. There are limited stores for groceries, but the bare minimums can be easily purchased here. There are not much in the way of restaurants, and those that are listed as such on google may offer some “extra” services, if you know what I mean. Let’s just leave it at that. When we were there, there was a good mechanic and welder who used to work as an engineer for the Navy, but most services are centered around the local fishing fleet.

There is a wonderful nature reserve and park with a gorgeous walk, this is a can’t miss if stopping here. There is also a nice hike to a lookout atop the island with brilliant 360 views.

The manager at Puerto Aguiree Marina, Jaime, was a wonderful and helpful host. He speaks some English and is very helpful. He has a boat of his own and takes great care for the yachts there. Crew changes are possible here, some friends also left their boat long term and flew home for some time with good results. Jaime may be able to arrange for any additional needs you have while there.

WhatsApp for Jaime at the Marina

Website for Marina

30. Caleta Olea

This is a wonderful stop on a small island just north of Puerto Aguirre, just before the channel widens again. Be aware of rocks on your port side when entering that only show at low water. There is room for multiple boats here, and when we were there a local fishing boat joined us. We anchored in the sand bottom and tide stern to with two lines, and put out a third line from the bow to the small point for extra security as srong winds were forecast. Some small waves and wind did filter in during a period of heavy weather, but nothing that was overly disturbing when strongly anchored. The fishing boat that joined us was able to tie bow to stern across the bay. There is a small hiking trail which leads from the beach where you can walk through to see the channel on the other side, and further to a fishermans house in another smaller caleta.

One note here, on the beach we did find lots of trash from the local salmon farms. Everything from plastic pipes and ropes to batteries. It was a sad reminder that we were one again becoming closer to civilization as we proceeded northward. It has been reported to us that the island has been purchased by a salmon farm and the fisherman’s house is no longer inhabited.

31. Caleta Brooks

This caleta is tucked into a small seno which leads between islands. We anchored and tied two lines to shore just to the SE of the waterfall. Beware of water pipes with floating ropes in front of the waterfall which could become entangled in your prop, they are hard to see. You can use these to haul up a pipe and bring fresh water aboard though as the fishing boats do here. There are some small areas to explore on shore and it is possible but difficult to climb a bit up the waterfall.

Roxy was keen on a creature here, and we had a visitor on deck during the night. A marmot type animal which climbed our anchor chain and explored our boat and decided to hide out underneath our dodger. Roxy awoke us to this and Curtis decided to turn the lights on and stick his head out the companionway to have a look around, startling the creature which jumped over his head and scurried off the back of the boat and into the water. We could see him/her swimming in the water around the boat afterward, likely just as startled as we were!

We explored this fjord completely with the boat, but beware of uncharted large rocks and shallow areas. A bow watch is an absolute must if attempting to go deeper into this fjord and passing through to the other channel. A small caleta with fisherman’s lines is on the other side, but we found anchoring here too risky as it was required to pass over some shallow and quite large rocky areas to enter it.

32. Isla Jechica

This is a highly reccomended stop on the trip! It is a beautiful sail deep into the island where the small marina is located. We were greeted by the two lone caretakes, a father and son from Columbia who kept the place during the winter. The luxurious resort facilities were wonderful though closed for the winter. Showers, cabanas (small rental houses), beautiful bar, restaurant, and HOT TUBS!

As the resort was closed for the winter we were allowed to stay overnight on the dock free of charge after the caretakers obtained permission from the owners. In exchange Curtis got out the power tools to assist our new caretaker friends with some dock work and we made them a taco dinner with ground beef from our freezer, a great surprise for them as the caretakers have little resources on hand and don’t see any re-provisions for several months over the course of the winter.

The docks here are good and your anchor isn’t needed. There are wonderfully maintained walking trails on the island, the best of which allows a hike to the top of the island for a 360 view. After a long slog up the channels this place was a welcome reprieve from the boat!

We hope to visit here again!

33. Caleta Momia

This anchorage is just to the south of the small island town of Melinka. Even though rather open, it is well sheltered from waves and has an excellent sand/mud bottom which our anchor gripped tightly to. We used no shore lines here. There is another small caleta which we could tie into here, but we didn’t find the need for extra protection as we waited for southerly winds and incoming tide to cross the entrance to Gulfo Ancud and on to Chiloe.

The crossing from Melinka to Chiloe is another portion which you may see ocean conditions and is recommended only in good weather and with following wind and current.

You will begin to see an increase in ship and fishing boat traffic in this area. The islands start to become more populated as you go north and many are serviced by small roll on/off barges which crisscross the bays providing services to land owners and fish farms.

34. Puerto San Pedro

This is an excellent small but deep nook! There is a farm on shore but we did not visit as it was private. The anchorage is very deep but well protected and beautiful. We stayed here only for one night and in light winds. Several other fishing and ferry boats use this as an overnight anchorage as well, be sure to properly light your boat here at night to avoid any uncomfortable moments.

35. Estero Pellu

This island in the middle of the Gulf of Ancud is wonderful. The clear water bay is wide an easy to enter with a wonderful sand bottom. Don’t approach the shore too closely as the tides here are large and the bottom slopes gradually. It is possible to approach the docks at high water in a sailboat.

This is a great island to walk around and see the local culture. There is also a small tidal river which allows you to take a dinghy into a small lagoon in the center of the island. We would highly recommend this excursion, you could even take your sailboat through here at high water and anchor in the interior lagoon, but we wouldn’t recommend this without local knowledge or a dinghy scout.

36. Puerto Calbuco

We decided to ride a strong southerly and bypass most of Chiloe to get to Puerto Montt as our visas were expiring. We pushed passed our intended anchorage and decided to sail to Calbuco at night (we had a wonderful following breeze and were making 6 knots downwind with only the jib). This was a BIG MISTAKE! The area around Calbuco is filled with Chorito Farms (lines of buoys to grow oysters) and Salmon Farms! It is literally littered with buoys and obstructions, most of which you can not see on radar and are black, grey, or green, so almost invisible at night! Furthermore there is an immense amount of boat traffic here. Boats were zipping at high speed in the blackness in all directions, most of which did not expect a sailboat or understand our lights. We ended up using all of our running lights and turning our deck lights on as well as using a spotlight.

Through all of our racing and offshore sailing we are very confident navigating at night, this was a nightmare however and we had several close calls. Navigate this area during the day or avoid it completely by taking southern passage into Gulfo Reloncavi.

We also found all of the spots which are supposed to offer good anchorages to be filled with fish and chorito farms. The inner harbor was filled with ferry traffic and small boats. We ended up anchoring in 90 feet of water in the ship anchorage as we found it more prudent than entering the small buoy filled bays at night. Likely we could have had a better experience if we didn’t go through here in the night.

We are well adapted to night time navigation through all of our offshore sailing, racing, and exploration of new to us waters. This was a level up though!

Unfortunately we didn’t take any photos here. We arrived in the dark and left first thing in the morning.

37. Puerto Montt

Arriving in Puerto Montt you will see things have changed just a bit from the description in the Blue Book. It has grown a bit and has become much more industrialized with the main industry being salmon farms. Large ships have taken over Marina Oxean, it is no longer a place for yachts. Even getting fuel here is difficult as normally the fuel dock is filled with large fishing vessels fueling for many hours. We fueled via taxi cab and jerry cans at the Copec gas station for cars. Fuel can also be obtained in larger quantities (at least 200 liters or more) via truck brought to Club Nautico Reloncavi, where it will meet you at the travel lift dock. This has to be done at high tide and with no other boats scheduled to launch.

One thing that was awesome was upon arrival Club Nautico Reloncavi had a dock waiting for us as we messaged ahead on WhatsApp, and the dockhands and marina staff were excellent, kind, and some of the best line handlers we have seen. They are professional and will do a wonderful job helping you get settled. Don’t forget to say hello to the two friendly marina dogs and give them a pet which keep the docks clear of birds and more importantly the harbor and boat swim platforms clear of sea-lions!

Services can be had here. Most everything is available, but keep in mind, this is South America. Your selection of products may be limited, and some service providers may not have your same sense of urgency for completion of projects. It may be best to import some service providers from Valprasio or Santiago if in need of higher end race boat or fine yacht services.

Products can be bought online from Europe or the USA and shipped here. Customs can be very slow at times, so keep this in mind. We have had some items arrived on schedule via UPS, and some not. A friend had a package waiting in customs for a month. It really seems to be a roll of the dice with no specific reason for delays. Keep this in mind for timing of critical items and make sure to have all paperwork in order before shipping. The marina does a good job of receiving packages and the office staff is helpful.

We also had some good and bad experience with service providers. Some wanting to charge more than what was agreed, and some with inferior quality work that cost us more time and money to repair their damages than the service was worth. Use caution, agree on price before hand, and supervise closely. We found that Marina Sur has more “yacht focused” workers available than Club Nautico Reloncavi, the the prices are higher at the former. Both places had friendly staff. The constant flow of fishing boats heading to Marina Oxean to refuel continually rock the docks at Reloncavi, so have extra fenders and dock lines at the ready. The traffic generally slows to a halt at night, so sleeping on board is ok. Both marinas have restaurants that serve lunches only, but they are 3 courses and usually excellent at a fair price. The water is potable on the docks.

There is a good selection of Garmin, Furuno, and Raymarine parts but no B&G or Simrad. The local chandlery has most critical items, but they may not be the brand or exact type you want. It is far from the Budget Marine selection in Sint Maarten, but much better than nothing! The sailmaker there can handle most repairs and is a friendly and helpful guy, but there is only one and therefor a backlog of work. The local certified Yanmar mechanic (Lennar) is good, but he also is in great demand and scheduling can be difficult without speaking Spanish fluently on the phone. There are two large grocery stores that rival the size of any Wal-Mart in North America, Lider and Jumbo, and countless other small ones that can be used for provisioning. There are many hardware stores and specialists, we will attempt to list the ones below and detail our experience with each.

Navy, Agriculture, Immigration, and Customs are slightly more strict here than Puerto Montt. Nothing to worry about, everyone is good, but expect big city, rather than small town, treatment here, and with it a slight increase in the bureaucratic norms vs the deep south.

Sailmaker

Rigger

Boat Washing

Diver

Conclusion

This is possibly some of the most challenging sailing we have done! Going up the Patagonian canals in the winter was amazing, but difficult. The short days, cold, lack of sun, immense amounts of rain, headwinds, and adverse current makes this a tough passage. Would we do it again? We are split 50/50 on it. Kate says no way, or at least not without a boat with more insulation. Curtis says lets ride the pain train again as the experience of sailing the canals is truly amazing! We did find it well worth spending extra time in the Tierra del Fuego, Cape Horn, and Puerto Williams areas during the austral summer.

We are now turning south again to explore more of Patagonia during the summer. We will create more posts as we explore more areas. We can so far say though that the summer presents a much different experience. Long days, sun, solar power, and warm enough to sail at times with bare feet and short sleeves. Did we mention the thermal hot springs? Patagonia is delivering on all promises!

The post Patagonia Cruising Notes & Overall Route Guide appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

Whether they’re navigating stormy seas or leisurely cruising in calm waters, our curated list of the six best Christmas gifts for sailors in 2023 promises to bring joy and utility to their nautical endeavors. From high-quality sailing gear to personalized accessories, compact waterproof speakers, a trusty sailing knife, Yeti-style coffee cups for onboard warmth, and waterproof smartwatches, these gifts are designed to cater to every aspect of a sailor’s needs.

Get ready to make waves with presents that reflect the spirit of adventure and the thrill of the open water.

6 Great Christmas Gifts For Sailors

1. Nautical Accessories: Consider accessories like a leather-bound sailing logbook, handheld compass, grill, fenders, barometer, clock, or a ship’s bell. These thoughtful touches add a unique and sentimental aspect to their sailing adventures.
    
    
   
2. Compact Waterproof Speaker: A rugged, waterproof Bluetooth speaker is a fantastic gift for sailors who enjoy music on the open water. Choose one that’s compact, buoyant, and capable of delivering great sound even in challenging conditions.
    
    
   
3. Sailing Knife: Equip them with a high-quality sailing knife, a versatile tool that comes in handy for various tasks onboard. Look for a design with corrosion-resistant materials and a secure grip for safety.
    
    
   
4. Sailing Sweet Ruca Coffee Cups: Keep their onboard beverages warm with durable, insulated coffee cups designed for maritime adventures. Sweet Ruca cups are known for their ability to maintain the temperature of both hot and cold drinks, making them perfect for long sails.
    
    
   
5. Waterproof Smartwatch or Fitness Tracker: A waterproof smartwatch or fitness tracker designed for water activities can provide valuable data like heart rate, GPS location, and weather updates. It’s a practical gift for sailors who want to monitor their performance and stay connected on the water.
    
    
6. High-Quality Sailing Gear: Upgrade their sailing experience with top-notch gear like waterproof jackets, sailing gloves, or high-performance sunglasses. Look for reputable brands known for durability and functionality.
    
    
   

These gifts cover a range of needs, from safety and functionality to comfort and enjoyment on the high seas.

The post 6 Great Christmas Gifts For The Sailor In Your Family appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

Is Starlink Worth It For Offshore Sailing

The addition of Starlink has been a game changer for offshore sailing. Previous to this only large boats with huge budgets had the capability to access this level of data while offshore. Gone are the days of waiting 15 minutes to download a grib. Welcome to the connected world where you can view weather radar in real time, live weather stations and bouys, and pull up to the minute gribs in seconds.

As a huge bonus it allows for full connection for everything else, including to other boats near by but out of radio range. You can now text and VOIP just like on land. The internet connection on board our boat is now better than it was at my office on land just a few years ago! We haven’t turned on our IridiumGO! since installing the Starlink, it is that good! (We still keep our GO as a backup though for true offshore work, just as we also have on board an SSB radio.)

DIY Starlink 12v Conversion Steps for a Sailboat

We will add step by step instructions at some point, but we found the hardest part of the process was obtaining the correct parts to do it as there is some confusion out there.

Here is what we used to install and convert Starlink RV to 12v on our sailboat.

Parts to Replace Your OEM Starlink Router

Starlink Ethernet Adapter

The Starlink ethernet adapter is required if you wish to be able to do the conversion without cutting the cable to the Starlink dish, essentially allowing you to easily revert to using the original Starlink power supply and wireless router if you wish. We suggest this for beginners. Of course, advanced users, or those that are more confident in their wiring skills can save money by just cutting the Starlink cable and connecting it directly to the POE.

12v to 48v Converter

This is required to step-up the power on your boat from 12v to the 48v that the Starlink dish requires. It goes between your 12v battery power source (usually the breaker and fuse) and the POE power supply.

Tycon POE Injector

We used this simple, lightweight and cheap POE injector. POE stands for Power Over Ethernet. This allows the 48v power to be inserted into the Cat6 cable, replacing the power supply that is internal, inside of your now obsolete OEM Starlink router.

inHand 305 Router (Cellular Sim Card & Wifi)

You will need some type of your own wired or wireless router. We chose this industrial router for our boat. It is powered by 12v, which makes it plug and play into our existing electrical system with no need for an inverter, which is why we are also converting the Starlink anyway. This router is handy as it can be configured for wired and wireless routing, as well as a failover WAN to two different 4g SIM cards. This type of redundancy is excellent if you are using Starlink for work, or if you are switching to local cellular networks to save money on Starlink ocean pricing while near shore.

Starlink 12v Wiring

Shielded Cat6 Plug Ends (Field Installable)

These connectors make it easy to install new ends in your Cat5/Cat6 cables. It can be done on board with no special tools or crimpers. The best thing is, if you make a mistake, you can take it apart and re-use it. They are also clearly numbered and color marked for wire positions, allowing you to be sure you have the Starlink wire arrangement correct.

Cat5/Cat6 Cables

Of course, what network would be complete without cables! You will need one standard Cat5/Cat6 cable to run between your POE and your WAN port on your router.

15 amp Breaker

Some boats use different systems, but this fits our existing electrical panel, allowing us to turn on and off the power to our 12v Starlink conversion on our boat easily from our navigation station.

12v 10 amp Fuse Holder

We try to fuse everything. An ounce of prevention is great insurance. The Starlink 12v can consume up to 6amps at 12v so you should insert a 10 amp fuse in this.

14 Gauge Marine Wire

Always use marine grade wire of proper guage for the length of the run on board to prevent voltage drop and fire risk.

Heat Shrink Wire Connectors

No boat venturing out cruising around the world should be without a kit of these on board. We used these to connect our breaker and fuse to our 12v to 48v step up converter.

Other Starlink 12v Conversion Parts Options

Now there is another really slick option out there from YAOSHENG. We weren’t able to get these in the remote corner of the world where we are sailing, but it is a nice and slick way to do the conversion. We would surely try this if we were closer to home, but it is slightly more expensive.

Of course, the last option is the direct wire from the Starlink dish to a lightweight router. Of course, going direct without the Starlink adapter is a little more wiring intensive, but completely doable. It worked fine on board the racing boat and saved a few ounces and a few bucks.

We installed Starlink on a racing sailboat in this way and it worked very well. We used a small USB powered TP Link wireless router which worked like a charm.

Easy Starlink Mounting Options on a Sailboat

Rail Mount Fishing Rod Holder for Starlink RV

This is what we used on board our boat, as we already had several on board. It fit almost perfectly, but required drilling out a bit of the plastic bottom to accommodate the insertion of the Starlink wire. It is almost a direct fit. A little bit of tape is all that is required around the top to seal it from weather and stop the Starlink from spinning inside as it looks for satellites when you are in motion.

Cable Clam

This is needed to seal the Starlink wire going through the deck for a permanent installation. We think the BlueSea stuff is pretty good quality, and the .83″ version was just large enough to pass the dish end of the OEM Starlink cable through. Yes, this will require drilling a hole in your shiny fiberglass, but it is well worth it for the game changing level of internet connectivity your boat will now have, plus it will look like a pro install and be water tight!

The post Starlink On Our Sailboat (12v Conversion How-To) appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

Boat Heater

We survived with 3 heat sources, but we could have had some better solutions had we intended to stay longer at high latitudes. We could have made it with no heat, especially in the Austral summer, but it would not have been pleasure cruising.

Our primary heat source was a cheap Chinese forced air diesel truck heater. After an installation learning curve, this heater performed flawlessly for us throughout our trip. The 5000 model was enough to keep our boat warm enough inside but was underpowered in below-freezing temps and icy waters.

We also carried two small plug-in electric heaters (one 110v and one 220v), which we used on rare occasions at a dock. Ushuaia, Puerto Williams, Puerto Aguirre, and Puerto Montt, are the only places where plugging in is available, and prepare for unstable power supplies and long cords.

A note on wood heaters. It is possible to use a wood stove. We know of at least one sailboat in this area that does this. This is what heats all of the old fishing boats down south. There is a special type of wood in the fjords that burns when damp, but you will need to be able to identify it, and all the fishermen carry chainsaws. It does add an element of risk of a blowdown fire, which is the #1 reason for house fires in Southern Chile. As romantic as it sounds, we would stick with diesel.

Sleeping Bags

We consider a 0-degree sleeping bag for each crew member a must. We have four on board, two as spares. They are small and light to carry and make for a welcome cocoon on cold nights when it is blowing 40 and hailing outside. We also consider them important for safety. In case of injury, hypothermia, or heater failure.

There are a variety of options on the market to suit all types of different preferences and budgets. Ours are mummy type bags, but keep in mind that though warmer, they do restrict the movement of your feet just a little. Depending on how extreme your cruising will be, you may be able to compromise a bit in this area. No doubt though, a 0 degree sleeping bag of some type on board your boat in this weather is a must!

Jet Boil

You won’t find this in any cruising guide, but we loved making coffee, tea, and ramen noodles without Jet Boil camping stove while sailing in Patagonia.

The gas bottles can be found in Ushuaia, Puerto Williams, and Puerto Montt. It saves on our main stove propane supply, and lugging the larger propane (gas or gaz) for refills.

Most of all it helped keep condensation at bay. We made our coffee in the companionway with the hatch open, allowing the steam to escape the boat out of the open hatch.

Yeti Cups

We aren’t brand loyal here, consider the term Yeti used by us like Xerox for copy machines. We recommend some stainless steel vacuum double-layer mugs with sipping lids. We use these Yeti Rambler Tumbler / Coffee Mugs pretty much every day.

Not only do they stop spills on the boat, but more importantly, they keep the steam in the cups. This keeps it off of your ceiling and from raining back down on you from your through deck fasteners.

They work well for hot drinks, and they are also a stable and spill-free platform to enjoy your Chilean Carmenere red wine on a gusty evening at anchor.

Insulation

Since we touched on the topic of condensation, you are beginning to see how much of a problem it is. Our boat is not insulated (we would highly recommend an insulated boat, or installing boat insulation, if intending to spend many seasons down south) but we did take some steps to control heat loss and minimize condensation.

We used foam mats which we cut to fit our windows and hatches. We also covered two of our windows with foam and shrink-wrap tape. This was a cheap and temporary solution that worked well for us.

We would consider more foam mats inserted above our headliners and against our outer hull, especially in cabinets with little ventilation or clothing.

Most long-term boats had added a second lexan layer to the interior of their hatches and windows, making them essentially double-pane windows. For a one-time pass-through, we would say this is nice but not required. If staying for a while, it would be a good idea to do. Keep in mind though, it is important to be able to open your hatches and ports to ventilate and dry out the boat on the rare nice sunny days.

Ventilation

As one can imagine, a heater, large temperature fluctuations, condensation, and dampness are a nasty combination that can ruin the wood interior of a boat and cause mold growth.

As tempting as it is to load the boat with provisions and spare parts, don’t pack all of your cabinets so full there is no airflow. Make sure there is room for the boat to breathe.

We would encourage vents in damp lockers and bathrooms. The marine solar vents work well, but get the sealable type for extreme conditions.

Dorades are also wonderful. Our boat has 4 huge dorade vents which give the cabin excellent airflow. Don’t forget to vent your anchor locker and aft Lazerettes. This can be done by just opening the hatches on good days.

Our fans we used all the time in the Caribbean, we thought would have little use in the cold high latitude sailing climates. They came in handy to move air around the boat.

If you can’t tell by now, condensation is really the worst enemy of your boat in these parts.

Shore Ties

This may be the first thing most picture when thinking of sailing in this area, and most cruising guides cover this topic in more depth. We originally arrived hoping to buy them in South America….forget about it! Just buy your shore ties before you leave.

Mooring line reels were awesome (we only had one). We suggest buying two or having some fabricated.

Our two primary shorelines were each 100 meters long. These were 3/4 inch 3-strand polypropylene floating ropes. This worked well.

Our secondary lines (we used these for the bow) were 1/2 inch 3 strand polypropylene, each 110 meters long.

This setup worked well and seemed a good compromise of weight and strength for our boat. There were only two anchorages where we wished for more shore ties (6 ties in total) and in those instances we strung together some old Jib sheets and dock lines.

Along with our shorelines we also had 2 cables, looped at each end, for wrapping around rocks, which we used a few times and came in handy. These are easy to source locally and can serve a secondary purpose of a dinghy lock when traveling in more “civilized” areas.

Small Sails & Reefing

We were very glad to have our staysail set on an inner forestay. it was used often here. The third reef in the mainsail is also a must-have in Patagonia. We suggest addressing these items before you leave your home port, as sailmakers are few and far between in these parts.

We also had a 4th reef in our mainsail and carry a storm Jib.

We haven’t had to use each (we used the 4th reef once to test it and set the storm jib to practice and learn), as we are careful with weather routing, but we are happy to have these at the ready. Think, if we do our weather routing jobs correctly, we should never have to use these items, they are an insurance policy.

Our storm jib was made by Andy @ Evolution Sails Chicago, give him a ring and tell him the crew at Sweet Ruca sent you. He has extensive experience discussing our specific needs for high latitude sailing aboard a performance cruising sailboat. Both our 4th reef and our storm jib were sized specifically for our boat, our existing sail plan, and the conditions we would likely have to use them in (real storm conditions).

Keep in mind most “storm” sails on the mass market are normally designed for racing minimum sizes, or for wind conditions the majority of cruisers will see. In the cold air and big storms of the deep south we found things a bit different, we put together a well balanced and usable setup to allow the boat to sail well off a lee shore in sustained winds above 45 knots. https://www.evolutionsails.com/sail-lofts/usa/chicago/

Anchoring

We only used our primary anchor here, and never used a stern anchor in the fjords. We do carry a second spare anchor, just in case. There have been reports of lost anchors due to deep snags in some anchorages.

We chose an oversized Rocna  33kg anchor for our boat (the maximum size recommended by Rocna on their website, which Peter Smith personally confirmed was adequate when he saw it on the bow of our boat). We think any similar modern anchor will fit the bill as well.

Our primary anchor also has 200 feet of 10mm G4 chain, and 200 feet of nylon 5/8” 3 strand rode spliced on the tail. We are prepared to anchor in up to 200 feet of water in an emergency. Twice we anchored out in the big ship anchorages in 90-100 feet of water, and we were very glad to have this ability when needed.

Our secondary anchor is an Aluminium Fortress FX-37 anchor with 50 feet of 10mm chain and 150 feet of 5/8” nylon rode.

Lastly, get yourself a sickle or tree pruning saw to cut away any kelp that comes up on your anchor. We aren’t joking! We had so much kelp on our anchor once, our big Rocna floated in the patch of weeds! We used a small folding saw, locked at a 90 degree angle, and lashed to an extendable boat brush handle, this worked great. We also had a machete on board, which also comes in handy if you need to get through the thick brush on shore.

Jerry Cans

If southbound fuel is less of a concern, but if northbound, against the prevailing wind and current, be prepared to carry more fuel! We bought our extra cans in Uruguay and Puerto Williams, but if buying in South America be prepared for slim pickings, and don’t expect to see a Budget Marine or West Marine! Parts for yachts are hard to find. You can find some cheaper options for jerry cans than those marketed for boats, such as those containers used for bulk oil sales or industrial chemical shipments.

We wished for more built-in fuel capacity (we have 90 gallons of tankage, but would have loved another 30 built-in). Another option we have seen used is fuel bags, dedicated expandable tanks which can be strapped down on deck for extending the yachts range. We opted for standard 20 Liter (5 Gallon) jerry cans, 19 of them to be exact on board our boat! We purchased O rings for our Jerry cans to seal them better and stored them below why sailing (make sure to secure them). We aren’t a fan of cans on the deck while sailing for multiple reasons: better sailing performance, trip hazards, lines, stability.

You will need Jerry cans to shuttle fuel as fuel docks for yachts are difficult here. If you are coming from the USA, make sure not to get the EPA nozzles, as they are a real pain to fill with large boat nozzles (think buying your fuel from the same hoses as huge fishing boats) because of the little plastic piece inside. Once out of the USA, no one cares what color your jugs are.

Navigation & Weather

With the advent of Starlink, this game has changed. It worked for us throughout the fjords, and we were perhaps the first sailing yacht to go through the area with it. We did find that many of the local fisherman were using it as well.

Access to weather information is the key to a safe and fun trip here. Predictwind offshore app worked well and also allowed us to download satellite AIS which was handy.

C-Map charts were junk here, except for in the main shipping channels of the Magellan Straight and Puerto Montt.

We used mostly the iSailor app which was recommended to us by multiple Chilean Armada captains and by the Antarctic charter boat crews. We supplemented this with Navionics and Sat2Chart in OpenCPN. We didn’t touch our paper charts with the exception of Cape Horn, and that was just for nostalgic purposes.

Patagonia Cruising Guides

There is only one you need, the Bible. The Patagonia & Tierra Del Fuego Nautical Guide. Some of the information is a bit dated at this point, but for the most part, all of the anchorage information and depths are pretty spot on (we always used caution and worked slowly in uncharted waters using our depth sounder and suggest you do the same, there are keel crushing sized rocks down there).

The tide and current information was OK, but we never quite found an extremely accurate source of data for this, as even the Navy here acknowledges that the tides running between all of the small islands are too complex to forecast. The data in the two guides though gives you a good overview and we never had any problems timing the tides with a careful eye and a wrist watch.

Any others we consider supplements, many carried the Imray and the RCC guide, which have some details on a few anchorages not covered in the Bible.

Spare Parts

Getting parts in South America is a pain in the bottom! Expect a minimum of 2-3 weeks to receive anything offered online (even if you next-day air it) and sometimes up to 2 months. Just throw out any ideas of ordering what you need and getting it in a few days. Bring what you need from your home port or somewhere like St. Maarten.

Here is a short list of maintenance items to bring:

Water Pumps
Water Filters
Fuel Pump
Fuel Filters
Oil Filters
Engine Fluids (oil, trans, coolant)
Alternator
Exhaust Elbow
Engine Belts
Heater Repair Parts
Head Repair Parts
Hoses
Wire
Wire Connectors
Fuses
Rope Clutch Spares
Winch Rebuild Kit
Furler Repair Items
Mast Cars or Bearings
Sail Repair Kit
Dinghy Repair Kit
Epoxy (We like GFlex in the mixing tube)
Snatch Blocks

We didn’t use most of our spares. We did go through an engine impeller, a set of fuel filters (primary and secondary), and two oil changes (oil and filters).

We would possibly consider adding windlass spares to this list, especially if yours has some miles on it already. We suggest going to Amazon.com and creating a cart or a wishlist, searching for your needed spares, and adding them to your cart or list. Save it for later and you will always have it at hand to quickly go back and order from. This has saved us quite some time over the years.

Safety

Make sure your safety gear is up to snuff. One should have all the offshore gear already on board if venturing to these parts.

The only special item we added for safety while sailing here was immersion suits (some call them Gumby suits). This is true cold-water sailing, and help could be days away in the remote areas of the canals. We didn’t have to use them, but we were happy to have them on board.

Conclusion

As with sailing in any new place, there is always a learning curve. The bottom line is to be prepared. Don’t expect help from others, but do have the ability to help those in need. That is the way we travel and the mantra has done well for us. Safe and fun sailing to all!

Affiliate Links: Links to products in this article may contain affiliate sales links. We do this to pad our cruising kitty so that we can offer this information at no charge. By clicking the links and buying items from Amazon, we earn a small commission. In our opinion, Jeff Bezos’ yacht is plenty big, and we aren’t fans of sending more customers that way, especially over small businesses, but this way we can take a little from his boat fund and put it toward our grocery, diesel, boat maintenance, and web hosting costs we we can keep creating inspiring content for you!

The post 14 Essential Items For Outfitting Your Boat To Sail The Patagonia Fjords appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

This is our 3 reef setup. We added a 3rd reef line sheave to the boom. It fit in the existing box with no modifications.

Grey line is reef 3/4. Our new main has 3 larger reefs rather than 4. We almost never use the 1st reef. We have only used the 4th once. 2 and 3 seem to be the cruising sweet spots.

Ideally one would add rigging for lines back to the cockpit to accommodate additional reef tack/clew lines and vang while maintaining the spare halyards. We have pulled our second jib and spin halyard to use those jammers/blocks for reefs.

We also have a cunningham and strop for tack attachment points.

Our setup could be optimized and likely will get to that project at some point, but works just fine as it is. 

Hope that helps. Don’t mind the coffee making setup! It saves a lot of propane and keeps the steam out of the interior.

The post J/46 Reef Lines appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

Well folks, here it is. This is the route we are taking around the world, and why we chose to go this direction.

We are sailing west-about around the world, or from East to West, via Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. Most people say this is the hard way, or backwards, and it is. There are much faster downwind routes and much warmer mid-latitude routes. We chose our route for a few reasons:

• It is the path less traveled, we like that!
• It follows in the footsteps of great explorers like Magellan, Darwin, and Joshua Slocum.
• Cape Horn is perhaps the ultimate adventure for sailors.
• It takes advantage of prevailing winds and currents.
• It is a difficult challenge, and we like challenges!

The Standard Routes

There are 3 “standard” sailing routes around the word. There are also some not so standard routes to circumnavigate the world, and routes that are not deemed official by whatever sanctioning body. We will stick with discussing the most popular though.

Clipper Route

The first and possibly most well known is the Clipper Route. This is an east-about, mostly tradewind and downwind route around the bottom of the world. Most people know this route from the Whitbread, Volvo Ocean Race, Vendee Globe, and record setting RTW sailing voyages. It is called the Clipper Route because this is the route the old clipper ships would use to get back and forth from the West Indies and back to Europe in record time, taking advantage of following wind and waves in the southern ocean. Vessels choosing this route need to be prepared for heavy air, cold weather, and even ice at high latitudes.

The Coconut Milk Run

The Milk Run or Tradewind Route is the sailing route most recreational circumnavigators choose. It is slightly longer than the Clipper Route, but it is mostly downwind in medium to light air, at low latitudes and warm temperatures. Going west-about, this route also takes sailors through the Panama canal and through areas that are familiar with and offer support to small yachts along the way. It is a very popular route for the various cruising organizations which organize rallies such as the World ARC. The goal of this route is warm water sailing and having an easy cruise, hence the name.

The Magellan Route

The route of the Magellan expedition has great history and is the first to be sailed around the world over 500 years ago. The route is west-about, around the bottom of the world and into the south pacific islands, but not via Cape Horn. Magellan chose to sail through the aptly named Magellan Straight instead of rounding the horn. This route is most similar to the route we chose.

Sweet Ruca’s Circumnavigation Route

We chose to sail around the world our own way, but like the others that have gone before us, we are taking advantage of winds and currents to get the places we want to go. We wanted to take a historical route, one that would take us to places not well traveled and out of the typical charter boat, rally, and vacation sailing areas. Our route is most similar to Magellan’s, however because we have read the amazing stories of the Whitbread race, Cape Horn was on our list. We looked at the books, the wind and current maps, and pilot charts. We then chose timings based on weather and hurricanes. We also knew we wanted to experience the fjords of Chilean Patagonia, the Caribbean and Atlantic Islands, sail, surf, and scuba dive in the South Pacific, and did not want to go through the Red Sea to avoid pirates. We also have a dog on board, so that pretty much ruled out stopping in Australia or New Zealand. This made our route a pretty easy chose, we would go west via the capes!

Leaving from Newport, Rhode Island in the USA, we would first do a shakedown cruise in Maine. Here our plan was to prepare the boat and ourselves for more challenging sailing and work out the kinks in an area with good support for yachts. We learned lots about navigating in big currents, kelp, and huge tides here.

Next we would sail down the USA east coast, through New York City, to Annapolis, Maryland. Sailing past the statute of liberty was a bucket list item, and Annapolis is possibly the capital of all sailing in the United States.

From Annapolis we would sail directly to the Bahamas on our first big offshore excursion. Rounding cape Hatteras in November would be a good prep for Cape Horn in the future. Who doesn’t want to go to the Bahamas?

Next we would sail to the Caribbean, directly from the Bahamas to the US Virgin Islands. We would cruise the Caribbean and wait for the proper season for our first Atlantic crossing.

We sailed from the Caribbean on what most consider a delivery skipper route, partially upwind and battling the Azores high to get to another world famous sailing town, Horta!

Next up was the Canary Islands, from which the original plan was to sail directly to Mar del Plata, Argentina, to provision the boat for southern sailing. We ended up making a pit stop for repairs in Ilhabela and Itajai, Brazil as well as Piriapolis, Uruguay. We are very happy we landed in these places!

From Piriapolis we sailed directly to Puerto Williams, Chile, around Cape Horn, through the Beagle Channel, the western arm of the Straight of Magellan, and then into the icy fjords of Chilean Patagonia to explore the glaciers of Torres del Paine.

We will sail from Puerto Williams to Puerto Montt, Chile, before launching into the Pacific Ocean.

We will cross the South Pacific, stopping in as many islands as we can along the way. Easter Island, Gambiers, Marquesas, Tahiti, and more. We aren’t quite sure yet what our exact timeline will be for this area of the world.

After the South Pacific we will head north a bit through Indonesia, over the top of Austrailia and into the Indian Ocean. Once again, we aren’t quite sure, and only time will tell how much we will explore this area.

We will cross the Indian Ocean to South Africa. We will then likely head north again making some pit stops at places like Ascension Island and St. Helena. From here we will more than likely continue northward, back through the equator, crossing our path around the world, and onward back to the USA via the Caribbean.

Time will tell though. Our plans have been changed a few times already and we are always open minded.

The post Our Sailing Route Around The World appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

We often find ourselves revisiting these sights and smells, day dreaming at the office of when we can next feel the wind in our hair, see the water rush past the hull, and breath in the fresh, salty air from the ocean.

Sailing Sweet Ruca Offshore

When we first step foot onto that unstable surface of the boat, it gives us that feeling of excitement, that we are leaving our life behind for a brief moment and focusing solely on what’s ahead. 

We are boaters because we love that feeling of pride in the vessel that keeps us afloat. We are sailors because we have that feeling of calm when the wind bites at the edges of our eyes and whistles through the rig to our ears. It’s that feeling when the boat rolls up on a wave and straightens back out, sending you flying down the liquid roller coaster, white foam all around you, and a smile forms at the corner of your lips. 

We are explorers because we realize that life is a never ending classroom, with so much to learn. That feeling of reaching a new destination or accomplishing a goal is the reward for all your hard work and effort, studying the weather or tides or sail trim. 

Whether you’re leaving the bay on a Wednesday night after work for a few hours of sailing before sundown, or casting off the dock lines for a circumnavigation around Cape Horn, we all crave #ThatFeeling of being out on the water. 

We are boaters. We are sailors. We are explorers. We support each other like family. It’s #ThatFeeling of community that keeps us going back out there, finding new crew, making new friends for a sundowner, or handing over the wheel to a first-timer. 

When we add fresh paint to the hull and watch her launch for the first time after a lot of hard work, we get #ThatFeeling of gratitude. And for us, it’s a big thanks to Akzonobel and their International paints for providing beautiful coatings that make the boat look great and perform its best. Because of our fresh Galverette, Intergard, Intertuf, and Micron Premium paints on our bottom, we have confidence in the next stage of our journey sailing towards Cape Horn. 

We are out here to find #ThatFeeling of knowing the world on a deeper level. To experience #ThatFeeling of excitement day in and day out. Share with us what #ThatFeeling of boating means to you. 

@Akzonobel @intlyachtpaintap

The post What #ThatFeeling of Sailing Means to Us appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.