Voyage report, Ecuador to Chile - or 3000 miles to windward plus a bit.

[El Pinguino]

A few yachts come down to Chile via the ‘inshore route’ from Panama and Ecuador every year but there is not a lot of info out there about the run , maybe in obscure blogs.

For the record this was our experience.
Arrived in Puerto Lucia on the Monday, 13th March, from Australia, splashed the boat on Wednesday and cleared out of Ecuador on the Thursday afternoon.
Went to anchor overnight and sailed on the Friday morning. You really truly do not want to be close offshore the Ecuador coast in the dark, simply too many fishing boats including quite large unlit ones.
Motored in glassy calm for the first two or three days and was a bit close to the Peruvian coast at the start as we still had fishing boats. Right on the equinox, no wind, ‘boil your brains’ hot.
Picked up some wind from the SE and except when motoring were close hauled for the rest of the run to Antofagasta in winds from 8 to 15 apparent. It would normally freshen a bit at sunset for a few hours. Unable to lay a track due south due to the Humbolt we tacked a few times into the ‘Arica High’ until we ran out of wind and then tacked to the southsouthwest again.

The result was over the course of a 22 day, 2400 mile passage to Antofagasta 2 days motoring at the start, two in the middle, and another two days at the end as we tried to lay a course to Anto rather than Mejillones in light SSEly.

Six days there meeting up with friends and taking on fuel and vittles.
Then it was onwards to the south

There is a lot out there about it being a ‘hard’ trip south of Antofagasta with strong southerlies and 5 metre swells, etc etc. That was not our experience.
Second night out we copped a bit more southerly than was comfortable and the following day went into Caleta Cifuncho for 3 nights - the three nights also involved waiting for a spare part to arrive from Tal Tal.
A short day hop to Caleta Pan de Azucar Norte for a night - very rolly - and then directo to Algarrobo. We kept as close to the coast as prudent as the winds - according to all the models - are always lighter inshore.
Apart from about 8 hours sailing with a nice Nor-easter and one night sailing into 15 k southerly it was all motoring in calm or rippled seas, 6 days, 600 miles.
It was meant to be a short stay here but the weather south towards Valdivia is forecast to be a hard NWly with rain followed almost immediately by SW at similar strength so we shall keep the boat here until the spring.
Pics of our track to Anto and sea conditions throughout the trip.

[Jim Cate]

Thanks for the report, Ping. A well done passage! When do you return to Oz?

Jim

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Thanks for the report, Ping. A well done passage! When do you return to Oz?

Jim

13th May, there seem to have been rather a lot of 13ths and Fridays - arrivals and departures - involved in this trip.

[Jim Cate]

Crikeys, Ping! Departing on a Friday the 13th? You must be mad... and lucky to survive. Next thing you will tell us is that you had bananas on board and whistled whilst on watch.

Never knew that you were an adrenaline junkie.

Jim

[Fore and Aft]

Ping that is interesting to read how you are going. Where did you leave the yacht on a mooring or marina berth?
Cheers

[dlj]

I guess my question to you is, do you feel this is a worthwhile trip given what you know now? Do you recommend it and why, or why not?

dj

[fxykty]

We’ll be heading that way in (quite) a few years, coming from the W coast of North America and heading for Chili. We were thinking the best way to go is offshore via Galapagos and maybe even Easter Island. But this post has us thinking inshore is not necessarily a bad way to go. More inspection of the pilot charts I guess.

[El Pinguino]

Jim, I didn't do the combo, but yes we had some bananas.

F&A, In Ecuador the boat was on the hard at Puerto Lucia Marina - near Salinas - for the duration of Covid plus a bit. Good spot, good for cats afloat but the T/lift isn't wide enough for them. One cat was lifted by crane while we were there ... $$$$$$

Antofagasta is a marina, headlines to finger, buoy astern. We spent 4 or 5 months there in 2013/14. Bit of surge , marina gets smashed up every few years by heavy swell that comes down from the North Pacific. For my boat USD20 a day, first three free.

Short stay Iquique may be better, small marina, not sure about cats. Nicer town than Anto and good base for trips into the Atacama

Algarrobo gets a bit of a bad press as being very expensive. Short term in the water isn't cheap - about USD43 a day - on the hard USD23 with discounts for longer term.
Very good and secure marina. Not sure about cats, I don't think they have ever seen one. Tlift is 50 tons and great clearance. We are in the water until we head home and then on the hard.

DJ and Fxykty. Would I use this route again, yes. Latam has daily flights from Santiago to Easter Island and as we all know, nothing goes to windward like a 787.
Getting past Peru is a bit of a long haul but all in settled conditions -even Peruvians avoid Peru. Also if you motor coast wise to Arica its about 1400 miles, that is a lot of diesel.

They say conditions are more settled in winter. We only used two caletas on our way south but there are a heap of well surveyed ones and we always had a bolt hole picked out up ahead. The two main ones are Caldera and Coquimbo which have both been recommended to me. Both are anchorage/moorings with yacht clubs.

We called in here to take diesel, buy more bananas, and pick up a friend from up near Santiago for the rest of the trip. Probably a good move as our weather window slammed shut on Tuesday.

The other option in this area is the marina at Con Con just north of here. I haven't spent long enough there to comment, arrived at dawn on a delivery - in a taxi by nine. Others say is OK.

Talcahuano similar to Con Con , I've been there overnight only, at anchor. The marina was smashed up in the tsunami 13 years ago, people here did not think a good idea to be there in N'ly wx.
Valdivia, wet, good marina down the river, Tlift can handle cats.

I would go inshore if coming this way again rather than Easter Island or French Polynesia.

Pilot charts are a bit yesterday, I just monitor predictwind longterm.

Hope this helps.

[El Pinguino]

Algarrobo update.
Yesterday a strong wind warning for northerlies, marineros came and doubled up our lines.
Comfortable in the marina but today - with the port closed and the wind moderating - a heavy sea running outside.
I would suggest not trying to enter this port in these conditions.
Apart from that - bonzer spot.

[El Pinguino]

OK, So you have read the book thread, now watch the movie.

OK its not a movie just my first real attempt to put something on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvhBC6uX5Qo

[IRENE]

Just viewed, very nice. Thank you for taking the time to share.

When will you be returning to the boat, and where to next, please?

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by IRENE

Just viewed, very nice. Thank you for taking the time to share.

When will you be returning to the boat, and where to next, please?

Current plans are to skip Valdivia and head back to Montt in October. We are installing a new Beta engine there as the 37 year old Volvo we currently have is well past its 'best before' date.
Then?
Doubt we will go further south than Golfo de Penas but there is still plenty of unexplored country north of there. Maybe a trip out to Juan Fernandez.
But you know what they say about plans.

[Davekru]

Frank I just watched your video and I have to say you took the right route. We left Puerto Lucia in September this year (2023) and headed to Easter Island. Had our fastest passage ever doing 2200 miles in 14 days. Winds were 15-25 and mostly on the beam so lots of motion and lots of spray.
Easter Island was something else altogether. At Hanga Roa you have to anchor out with the ships. No anchoring in close where there’s sand and a bit of protection. Dinghy in thru breaking waves to a tiny harbour with a hard wall and tie between the wall and ropes strung over top.
A 10’ swell came in and our chain was caught on rocks/corral causing our boat to come up hard on the anchoring gear. Took us a long time to free ourselves with the chain snubbing hard and the windlass taking huge loads. We moved to Anakena for a few days which was better but wind changed again so back to Hanga Roa. Same scenario, heavy south swell with wind coming from the NE. Chain snubbing up under rocks and causing huge loads on our gear. Ended up leaving after just one week and felt ourselves fortunate to have not lost an anchor or broke any gear.
Since then we’ve heard many horror stories of boats losing their anchors and even of two boats breaking chain and blowing ashore. A sailor perished on one of these. This just happened this year.
So after our very bad experience at Easter we headed for Valdivia. 19 days, wind always ahead of the beam, overcast skies with squalls. At night the squalls were lined up one after another and at times the winds were over 40 knots. The seas were messy and large and we had waves breaking aboard many times. We have sailed a lot of miles (circumnavigated) and never had a worse passage than this one. It was low after low, cold fronts and the occasional bit of high pressure to help accelerate the winds. We developed so many leaks from all the water streaming over the cabin top and coming in thru places that have never leaked. The light we have under our dodger filled with water and turned it self on until finally going out. Our bow navigation light is gone. Our wind generator blew up.
Sorry for going on so long but I don’t feel there is enough info out there about Easter Island and also the challenges of offshore passaging in the variables. I wouldn’t do that trip again and as Frank has shown it is possible to come down the coast where at least you can bail out from time to time.
We are currently in Valdivia and loving it. Totally protected with super nice people and some actual other cruisers. Will carry on south in January following the channels and using Frank’s guide

[El Pinguino]

Hola Dave,
many thanks for the report.

That ties in with what I have heard about Easter Island and the passage from there down to Chile. Speaking with a friend just yesterday who has been out to Juan Fernandez more than a few times - he reckons four days out from Montt, ten days back.

I'm still in Algarrobo, my engine has breathed its last, new beta due at end of November so probably here until March April when the southerlies should abate.

Easter Island ? I grew up on National Geographic articles about the place. And there is also - as mentioned above - a daily 787 service out of Santiago.