South of 50º

53°18.7'S 072°60.0'W

Caleta Playa Parda Chica, Estrecho de Magallanes, Chile

We are currently tucked into a tiny cove with only four meters to shore on either side with four shorelines and our anchor stretching out in a web from the boat to hold us in place during the williwaws that race around the mountains here in Patagonia.

Patagonia is wild, remote, daunting, and truly awe inspiringly beautiful. Of course, Patagonia is not purely any of these things. We see a few fishing boats each day, visited a remote lighthouse and had second breakfast with the lighthouse keeper and his family, and have felt generally secure in Sila - our well found home afloat.

Being a bit wimpy is a prudent perspective. One more shoreline is usually a wise investment. We have learned to be very quick to reef the sails and very slow to shake them. The canals and fjords channel the wind of the furious fifties and yet the waves are frequently not large. Hence this a good place to learn to sail in high winds without the associated seas. Prior to sailing here, a a few hours of winds over thirty knots was remarkable, in Southern Chile the converse is true. We have not had the full mainsail up in over a month and since much of our sailing is downwind, we have sailed many days on headsails alone.

We zig and zag across the channels mindful of the "white" on the charts (unsurveyed waters) and strive to give respect to each lee shore. The Chilean charts are good but are not always aligned to the GPS datum, so the plotter frequently has us anchored on land or sailing across a headland. The offset inspires us to pay attention to the reality around us and to discount the perceived accuracy of a blinking cursor on the screen.

Huge midden piles of mussel shells date back to indigenous people who called these waters home. It is amazing to think that they once thrived here, while we depend on a myriad of modern equipment to stay warm for a few hour hike. This is also an area rich in nautical history. Many of the coves we have sought shelter in were used by the first "modern" explorers over the last three centuries, including Darwin aboard the Beagle, and Joshua Slocum in Spray. They were tough sailors of a different era with skills far beyond ours. I can just barely imagine and do not relish the thought of sailing here without an engine or the heater we have below.

I take real comfort in our angst and nervousness, as they are signs that we are giving these waters their due respect. This is a glorious place, but not one to take lightly. With each new milestone of experience, we gain a bit of competence and confidence in ourselves and in Sila. We have learned that fifty-six knot gusts aren't too scary if well managed and that too much sail in 30 knots can be terrifying and a recipe for breaking equipment or even people.

After we crossed the Atlantic Ocean and arrived into Antigua nearly a year ago, Molly and I both felt a significant let down and an almost lack of purpose; we had put all of our energy into preparing for and completing the goal of crossing an ocean in good style. After completing that goal, it took us a few months and a lot of consideration to find our new course onward. Here in a remote anchorage hiding from the howling weather out in the canals today, I feel privileged and happy and a bit nervous to be right here in this place having these experiences. - Christopher