Sailing Around South America

[DeepFrz]

Just to add interest.

Sailing Yacht Nereida - Days 72/73 Knockdown 1930Z Wed while hove-to.... some damage but mast still s

[capngeo]

I have to ask.......
WHY would one willingly subject themselves to such an ordeal? Seriously, I know people love a challenge, but DAMN! Reading the above blog sent chills down my spine!

[Konsensus]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

We have gone both ways.

The answer to your question depends on how you feel about reasonably long ocean passages.

If you are up to or even enjoy pretty long ocean passages, the easiest way is actually counter clockwise - you can make a route that is almost entirely off the wind: Thru panama, out to marquesas and then gambier, in to Puerto Montt, down the channels, out the beagle at the bottom, to the Falklands, out to St. Helena, and to Antigua.

If you want to go clockwise from the caribbean, you have first to go upwind AND upcurrent to the bulge of Brazil (you can avoid this by going Bermuda to Azores to Canaries and then to Brazil). You have a nice reach from there down to the Beagle, but once in the channels it is all upwind into very strong winds west and north up the channels (the winds are slightly better in the winter for this direction but the days are shorter, its colder and there is more ice). From there you have a pretty nice sail up to Panama, but once thru Panama you have a real slog upwind back to the Caribbean against the trades.

If it was easy, then everyone would be doing it!

PS . . . a plastic boat is fine for this. The ice is not so bad . . . easier than greenland for instance . . . South Georgia on the other hand is perhaps a little worse than greenland for the ice . . . but we have a metal boat

PPS . . . tons of info on cruising in the south on our website

Thanks a lot for a very useful reply. Invaluable with information from someone who has sailed there before. For various reasons other than the actual weather systems I would prefer the CCW route.

Would you say that it is really necessary to go all the way to Marquesas? Ideally I would prefer to go to the Easter Islands, and then later on sail along the coast of Chile to Puerto Montt.

I was hoping to use about a year for the trip around South America. The next six months wil be spent returning to Norway via my favourite Island so far, Greenland.

Looking forward to checking out your homepage.

Andreas

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by Konsensus

Would you say that it is really necessary to go all the way to Marquesas? Ideally I would prefer to go to the Easter Islands, and then later on sail along the coast of Chile to Puerto Montt.

Its hard on the wind to get from Galapagos Islands to Easter Island, but if you swing wide to Gambier you can make it a reach. It is possible to go via Easter - just a matter of how well you and your boat go to weather - its typically in 15-20kts true wind, the waves are not too bad.

Sailing down the West Chilean coast north of Puerto montt is also upwind and up current - a real slog. From a sailing perspective its best to route into Puerto Mont so you arrive at a right angle to the coast (eg from due west).

An alternaive is to just go down the coast all the way from Ecuador - its all upwind. We know a few people who have done it and its 100% motor sailing and the last few 100 miles can be pretty difficult, but there are various places to stop and take a rest. This is a lot shorter than swinging wide out in the pacific around the high.

[barnakiel]

Both options are possible but I would personally do it West to East. This is so because (I assume you take off from the West Indies) the leg up to Brazil is well, ... read in Cornell ;-))). And then down there you would be rounding the Cabo de Hornos against the prevailing conditions.

Make sure you have a boat to match, there will be some rough and demanding sailing involved.

barnie

[Triton318]

Originally Posted by capngeo

WHY would one willingly subject themselves to such an ordeal?

Possibly for the scenery? Check out that one album from the previous response: Patagonia Photo Journal (1). Incredible...stunning...beautiful.

[Konsensus]

I post this hoping that it comes to use for other sailors. It is an e-mail communication with "Giorgio and Mariolina" who have written "Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego Nautical Guide".

They should be knowing what they are talking about

Their recommendation is to go CCW around South America.


Thanks to all of you who have assisted me with feedback to my initital question,

Regards,

Andreas

----------

Dear Andreas

Thank you for your mail. We are in Ushuaia preparing the yacht to sail to the north (Buenos Aires).
No doubt with your question: Valdivia to Buenos Aires is much better, because all along the channels the wind come from N-NW-W. So a very pleasant navigation. The contrary is a very hard navigation against wind and current!!!
I thing without a doubt the better choice to sail around South America is under clockwise.

Enjoy
Giorgio and Mariolina
Home Page

Subject: Regarding Sailing Around South America


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Dear Mariolina & Giorgi,

I am looking at sailing around South America, and further down the line in the planning process I will definetly buy your guide book "Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego Nautical Guide". For now I was hoping that you could assist me with a short adivice on the following:

What is the best way to sail from Valdivia to Mar del Plata. Is it starting at Valdivia or Mar del Plata?

The question relates to if its best to navigate around South America clockwise or counterclockwise with the Caribbean Sea as a point of departure,

I hope you have time to give me a short advise realted to this question.

Kind regards,


Andreas

[Konsensus]

Originally Posted by Surveyor

I am studying this topic as well. I am even learning to speak spanish just for this reason. From what I have been able to gather, except for Tiera Fuego, the prevailing winds are such that a clockwise route is best. I am interested to hear from others on this just as you are.

Check ouy my latest post from the authors of: ""Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego Nautical Guide"". According to them, CCW is the way to go.

Have a nice trip

Andreas

[nemoofsweden]

We are going by the CW-plan right now, with a slow progress down the Brazilian coast. Put aside all talk about the "must-have" boats and the "must-have" skills I think the CCW way is better because Brazil is damn hard to just cruise fast enough in... Too many nice persons and the easy going life is a bigger threat to you cruising plan then the harsh conditions

We missed the 2010/2011 season because of this but around x-mas this year we will hopefully fight some ice down there. But first there is Carneval'n'Caipiriniha...

[Valiam from Oz]

Hi there - we have personally known of several yachts who have sailed through Patagonia. The two sailed east - west said they would go the other way next time as they had the wind against them. The two others sailed from Australia - New Zealand straight to Puerto Montt then around the channels up to Brazil.

As we are from Oz and have recently circumnavigated westwards via South Africa and Panama, we would like to see Patagonia. The best way is the long passage across eastwards during the southern hemisphere summer. We are seriously thinking of doing this, Christmas 2011/1012.

We would love to talk to any others contemplating this trip. I have just read Swedish boat Nemo's plans to sail there as well as Antarctica.

We plan to just sail through Patagonia. cheers all Linda, yacht Valiam

[sv.la.amante]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Estarzinger said it, CCW is the easier way to go. There is a reason that after trying to round Cape Horn East to West for a month or so clippers would occasionally give up and run down wind around the world to get to San Francisco. My info on this is a bit aprocryphal (sp?) but plenty of clippers did turn back after months trying to round.

Check out World Cruising Routes by Jimmy Cornell, Ocean Passages of the World by the British Admiralty, and the appropriate sailing pilots by the BA or the equivalent US mapping agengy.

If I were going to Antartica a metal boat would be my first choice, though I would not rule out glass boats.

Among older production glass boats that I would find most suitable would be
Westsail 32
Mariah 31
Alajuela 33
Triton 28 (Aeromarine)

All have full keels with fully protected rudders, which I am normally not a big proponent of.
The first two have massively over-built hulls.

Overall I would go with the Westsail as the heaviest built boat that still has sufficient sail area.

I know of a guy from Argentina that sail all the time from Argentina to Chile back and for thru the chanels and around the cape (depending on wheather) in a 40' Fiberglass 2" thick Bounty II (Phillip Rhodes) like the one I have, very strong and very fast and he has no problem going in any direccion must be because is only 10' 3" on the center

[nemoofsweden]

[QUOTE=Valiam from Oz;760364] We are seriously thinking of doing this, Christmas 2011/1012.

I have just read Swedish boat Nemo's plans to sail there as well as Antarctica. "

Nemo and I are still here in Puerto Williams, Chile. Antarctica was nice and Patagonia have a lot to offer also. Still on the list is the rounding of the Horn, I'll save it for a sunny day. The winds can be a bit too much sometimes and a reliable motor is good to have. Right now I have a little problem right there...

[sv.la.amante]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Estarzinger said it, CCW is the easier way to go. There is a reason that after trying to round Cape Horn East to West for a month or so clippers would occasionally give up and run down wind around the world to get to San Francisco. My info on this is a bit aprocryphal (sp?) but plenty of clippers did turn back after months trying to round.

Check out World Cruising Routes by Jimmy Cornell, Ocean Passages of the World by the British Admiralty, and the appropriate sailing pilots by the BA or the equivalent US mapping agengy.

If I were going to Antartica a metal boat would be my first choice, though I would not rule out glass boats.

Among older production glass boats that I would find most suitable would be
Westsail 32
Mariah 31
Alajuela 33
Triton 28 (Aeromarine)

All have full keels with fully protected rudders, which I am normally not a big proponent of.
The first two have massively over-built hulls.

Overall I would go with the Westsail as the heaviest built boat that still has sufficient sail area.

I know of guy from Argentina that sail back and for from Argentina to Chile and around the cape (depending on conditions) with a boat like the one I have 40' 10" fiberglass 2" thick, very strong and fast whith no problem, it problably is the 10'3" on the center have to do with it

[CeesH]

Love your ideas, only one advice stay away from Brazil as far as possible. Criminal country, your live is worth a lot less then the value of your dingies outboard engine. And yes I live in Brazil this very moment, horrible country. Keep on going with your Spanish lessons as Brazil is the only Portugees speaking country in this part of the world.

CeesH

Need more info? don't hassitate to sent me a PM.

[estarzinger]

[QUOTE=nemoofsweden;1098503]

Originally Posted by Valiam from Oz

Nemo and I are still here in Puerto Williams,

How are the officials in puerto williams and ushuaia this season? Any major administrative difficulties? And whats going on with docking/anchoring in Ushuaia (club afysin being good or difficult)?