Sailing the Southern Pacific

We began by navigating our way South back out of the channels. The scenery reminded me a lot of the San Juan Islands back home, it was gorgeous and very easy sailing. Near the end of the channels we stopped for the night and anchored outside of the home of Alberto Montenellro on the island of Chiloe (cheel-oh-ay). Alberto is the author of a guide to the Patagonian channels of Chile which was instrumental to Ocean Watch’s navigation of these waters. When we wrote to him about using his guide he happily invited us to his home for dinner. His daughter Ana Maria, son-in-law, Jorge, and their teenage son also joined us. Alberto did all the cooking. His wife had passed away several years ago so he was very pleased to have guests and company. He was a very lively host and cooked a very fine meal. There were mussels (which I don’t normally eat but I could still appreciate) and grilled salmon and potatoes. After dinner we rode the dingy back to the boat under the bright southern stars and all slept full and happy.

The following morning we weighed anchor around 6:30 to catch the outflowing tide into the Pacific. It was a perfect blue sky and deep blue sea and relatively calm. Around eight off to the starboard side I spotted some whales. They were too far away to identify but we’d been told that Blue Whales were common in that area and time of year.

Soon the seas and the wind picked up at our backs and we were scooting right along at about 12 or 13 knots. By that evening the swell had grown to a wild and wooly 14-15 feet! Because we were traveling with the wind the motion wasn’t as bad as it sounds. One wave would come up underneath us and then we’d surf swiftly down the leeward side. Sleeping wasn’t entirely easy in these conditions. I had a hard time getting my neck comfortable. Every time it was just right the boat would roll and I’d lose my spot. The leecloth that ties up across the side of the bunk was definitely necessary. I came to really like the privacy and coziness it afforded as well.

I was on watch with Mark, David T. and Kirsty-four hour day shifts and three hour nights. I impressed the crew by always being the first up for my shifts. It was just too painful to lie there longer, lamenting the loss of sleep. Better to just get up and do it. Conversation flowed easily and after the first day or two we had built up enough jokes between us to pass the hours very quickly. But beware of what you let Herb overhear because it just might make it into the public blog…

Time becomes as the sea aboard Ocean Watch, fluid and dreamy. One morning we had another pod of dolphins join us. They swam alongside us for a couple of hours, dodging and surfing through the large seas.

The sea flattened around the time we were passing by Concepcion (epicenter of the recent Chile earthquake) and we finally had to turn the motor on after two quiet days of pure sailing. We plodded on for another day and finally pulled into the marina in Concon, about forty miles south of Valparaiso.

We had a large party of welcomers including some press, Yacht Club members, a host of excited children, Mauricio Ojeda (friend of Herb’s and classmate and coworker of Alberto’s) and two of his thirteen grandchildren. We conducted a couple interviews and then climbed ashore for a beautiful lunch on the terrace overlooking the marina.