Straits of Magellan

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by SailMoonShadow

That's kinda what I thought. I've no illusions that it could be a desperate slog. Not to mention the hundreds of miles of no habitation at the western end and once you are into the Pacific and heading north.

Still, if it were easy everyone would be doing it!

You mentioned yacht size varies - I have a Sigma 362. She's pretty robust (Lloyds #1) but I know any boat can get into bother given enough pounding.

I imagine September to March gives the best chance of a successful passage, is that right? Current plan is to do the normal Canaries - W Indies crossing late 2020 or early 2021 spend 4-6 months slumming it in the Caribbean �� then head south. Of course I might just chicken out and <whisper> use the canal </whisper>

All the best

What I would suggest....
arrive in Pto Williams about november / december.
Visit Cape Horn in summer.... .... ask Lamadriver aka Baz about Antarctica.. its beyond my paygrade on my Sealord...



Spend autumn trekking on Isla Navarino.

Spend winter doing a few laps of Isla Gordon.... simply the best time of year for it.

Head north to Montt in September...

You don't go outside when at western end of Magallanes... some do... sensible people stay in the channels...

Yes it is remote area sailing once you leave Williams.... but if you wait for the weather you will have a brilliant experience and there is no reason you will have any serious weather surprises...

Number one issue on a production boat would be insulation.......

Read my notes below...

Two September 18 pics.... snow was Isla London... last snow we saw before Pto Eden.... Other one is Canal Cockburn and is typical of the weather we had for much of the trip..


Cheers,
Ping

[Fore and Aft]

Good advice Ping, there is an interesting read on Noonsite about cruising the Chilean channels.
Have you read the book Berserk by David Mercy? Pretty mad to sail to the Antartic in a 27 foot production yacht.
Cheers

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Good advice Ping, there is an interesting read on Noonsite about cruising the Chilean channels.
Have you read the book Berserk by David Mercy? Pretty mad to sail to the Antartic in a 27 foot production yacht.
Cheers

We were at Micalvi when Jarle Andhøy and his undocumented Māori crewmember ( 'I was having a nap down below when they sailed from Unzud, honest ) turned up... late 2011/early 12 by memory.

Talk about giving honest sailors raving f*cked in the head d1ckheads a seriously bad name ......

However their loudmouths were no match for the Armada de Chile .....

PS... read the new piece on Noonsite ... now what have i been saying about going north in summer?..... 'We experienced many squalls, especially in the Magellan Strait between Canal Pedro and Isla Tamar, this was the hardest part of the passage, tacking and sometimes motor sailing, making as little as 7 miles forward progress per day at times,'

[Fore and Aft]

Yep that 7 miles a day really caught my eye and I bet it would have been hard won.
That Jarl Andhoy managed to kill three of his crewmates with his crazy antics. He sounds a complete unit.
Three die in &#39;Viking&#39; yacht off Antarctica | Stuff.co.nz
Cheers

[SailMoonShadow]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

What I would suggest....
arrive in Pto Williams about november / december.
Visit Cape Horn in summer.... .... ask Lamadriver aka Baz about Antarctica.. its beyond my paygrade on my Sealord...



Spend autumn trekking on Isla Navarino.

Spend winter doing a few laps of Isla Gordon.... simply the best time of year for it.

Head north to Montt in September...

You don't go outside when at western end of Magallanes... some do... sensible people stay in the channels...

<snip>

Thanks for that Ping.

I am interested in the bit about staying in the channels. Where would you normally go outside when heading up to Pto Montt? I don't currently have charts for the are so I'm looking at google earth and outside of the towns the imagery is pretty low res.

I take your point about insulation (I have none!) as I just checked the average temperatures in Williams and the max summer temps seem to be around 13C with the average around 9C. That is quite fresh

[CatNewBee]

Originally Posted by SailMoonShadow

Thanks for that Ping.

I am interested in the bit about staying in the channels. Where would you normally go outside when heading up to Pto Montt? I don't currently have charts for the are so I'm looking at google earth and outside of the towns the imagery is pretty low res.

I take your point about insulation (I have none!) as I just checked the average temperatures in Williams and the max summer temps seem to be around 13C with the average around 9C. That is quite fresh

https://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=e...y=jkgzH~xb%60M

you can lookup the area online on navionics website

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by SailMoonShadow

Thanks for that Ping.

I am interested in the bit about staying in the channels. Where would you normally go outside when heading up to Pto Montt? I don't currently have charts for the are so I'm looking at google earth and outside of the towns the imagery is pretty low res.

I take your point about insulation (I have none!) as I just checked the average temperatures in Williams and the max summer temps seem to be around 13C with the average around 9C. That is quite fresh

Going outside? I have only known one yacht to go the whole way up on the outside.. even then I'm not sure if they stayed outside the whole way...

They went out at Canal Cockburn and were bound for Valdivia.... that was in April last year.

Some yachts stay outside after they have crossed Golfo de Penas if they have a good 'window' ...

In summer NW'lies prevail so not a good idea , attached is the forecast for the middle of next week.

However no matter what time of year you do it you are likely to get at least a week of waiting in an anchorage somewhere south of Faro Fairway as a front goes through.

In Sept last we left Cta Olla in pleasant conditions.... (next pic) expecting a good run up to the next anchorage. Within a few hours the wind went north and we had wall to wall rachas gusting well over 50 knots (last pic).
Went back to Olla and sat for 5 days as the wind went into the NW and Baz aka Llamadriver drank all my rum.....

Then we had a clear run ( day sailing on the inside) all the way to Bahia Anna Pink