Northern Patagonia, Ensenada Baja
We are planning to spend this summer cruising between Puerto Montt and Laguna St. Raphael (latitude 46º40'S) including Los Chonos archipelago as well as Chiloé Island. Well, summer here is from December to March with a bit of luck. So far we had been very lucky and had a warm beginning last month (they haven't seen here this kind of warm weather since 30 years!) with daily average around 25ºC, but we knew it wouldn't last and since then it's rain, and more rain with some strong gusts to remind us we are after all in Patagonia. (Some islands were even out of drinking water and had to have it shipped from the mainland.) We provisioned here in Puerto Chacabuco, as well as did a short trip to Argentina to renew our emigration papers for Chile, something we have to do every 90 days. Since the past few days we want to resume our cruising but the port is closed! No cruising zarpes are issued since the local condition is around 25 knots of wind, with gusts to 45+!!! So far this cruising ground is incredible - many waterfalls, rivers, rainforest followed by scrubby steppe - it's impossible for us to describe the feeling of solitude and the grandness of the nature. We crossed path with only two sailboats in the past month! They are many bays we can anchor in, gather drinking water from the many streams around full of minerals from the glaciers' caps and on few occasions we share our anchorage with the commercial ship servicing one of the many, many salmons farms around. (There is a colour wheel the owner can use to pick up the colour he wants his salmon to be!) For now, see a little sample of photos from this remote region in the slide show. We will update you again when we can, as Internet services are far apart...
