Any good info on Chile?

[Hitek79]

Hello everyone! I've lurked around here before without creating an account, but it's finally time to break the ice. I do want to ask upfront if there's a better place to be posting my questions here. I've also read plenty over at Cruiser Forum, but that's obviously mostly sailboats. My wife and I have a 5 year plan we are working on. Daughter will be off to college, and we will be retired. We want to do extensive cruising in various parts of the world, but I have a personal obsession with Chile. The exploring by boat looks to be almost endless, but frustratingly there is very little info it seems. I know that it is desolate and unforgiving, but that's exactly what attracts me to it.



Does anyone know of any extensive information out there from motor yachters/trawlers that have explored the depths of Chile? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

We have just been looking at Chile, not to cruise to, but to find a boat available for charter. While there seem to be day charters, pay per person cruises, fishing and sightseeing guides, we haven't found anything like Moorings that will actually rent a bare boat for a week. Research continues.

 

[Moonfish]

I recalled reading a cool story in Passagemaker online about cruising Chile. Found it:

https://www.passagemaker.com/destinations/into-the-great-beyond

In that the author referred to a book: Yachtsman’s Navigator Guide to Chilean Patagonia He said it wasn't useful for them, as they were on a 141-foot expedition yacht, and the book was written by sailors in 40-foot boats that could go into places they could not.

That search also revealed a couple more stories:

https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/boats/rounding-cape-horn-aboard-outer-reef-880-cockpit

https://www.passagemaker.com/trawler-news/dispatches-from-the-end-of-the-world

 

[Hitek79]

I recalled reading a cool story in Passagemaker online about cruising Chile. Found it:

https://www.passagemaker.com/destinations/into-the-great-beyond

In that the author referred to a book: Yachtsman’s Navigator Guide to Chilean Patagonia He said it wasn't useful for them, as they were on a 141-foot expedition yacht, and the book was written by sailors in 40-foot boats that could go into places they could not.

That search also revealed a couple more stories:

https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/boats/rounding-cape-horn-aboard-outer-reef-880-cockpit

https://www.passagemaker.com/trawler-news/dispatches-from-the-end-of-the-world

All of that is great! I just signed up for PassageMaker. Looks like a cool resource.



Our plan to spend a couple of years really getting to know the boat well, but in my head as of now, my biggest concern in Chile will be finding suitable anchorages. There's tons of info for the Fjord around BC/Alaska, so we will practice there for sure before heading south, but it's definitely my biggest research priority.

 

[Blues]

I’ve been enchanted by that region since I was a kid and finally got there about a dozen years ago. The initial plan was to rent an adventure motorcycle in Chile and ride down the coast, the lower part has one road, its dirt, and has only been there 40-50 years. Trip of a lifetime. Right before I needed to commit 6 feet of lava covered an essential section of road, so I settled for a more conservative adventure in a car. None the less It was awesome.
Two take always, one it’s remote, really, really remote. Two, the weather was every bit as woolly as I’d been led to believe. Many times I was glad I didn’t rent that motorcycle and I sure wouldn’t try it in a boat.
For adventure travel I highly recommend Stanfords.co.uk, a book store in London that also has extensive maps, guides, and charts. A great place in person but of course you can order anything on-line.As much as I appreciate your adventurous spirit I would recommend a scouting trip to the region first. It’s wonderful, you can’t go wrong with that, I’d go back in a second. Best of luck.

 

[Nick F]

I was lucky enough to crew on a 65ft sailboat from Puerto Natales to Valdivia in 2008. A fabulous trip. The go-to guide at that time was the one by the Italian couple "Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego", also known as the "Italian Guide".

I remember the GPS datum error of the charts - we were continuously 1/2NM to the east of our true position!

Here are some pics.

 

[Hitek79]

I’ve been enchanted by that region since I was a kid and finally got there about a dozen years ago. The initial plan was to rent an adventure motorcycle in Chile and ride down the coast, the lower part has one road, its dirt, and has only been there 40-50 years. Trip of a lifetime. Right before I needed to commit 6 feet of lava covered an essential section of road, so I settled for a more conservative adventure in a car. None the less It was awesome.
Two take always, one it’s remote, really, really remote. Two, the weather was every bit as woolly as I’d been led to believe. Many times I was glad I didn’t rent that motorcycle and I sure wouldn’t try it in a boat.
For adventure travel I highly recommend Stanfords.co.uk, a book store in London that also has extensive maps, guides, and charts. A great place in person but of course you can order anything on-line.As much as I appreciate your adventurous spirit I would recommend a scouting trip to the region first. It’s wonderful, you can’t go wrong with that, I’d go back in a second. Best of luck.

I appreciate the feedback. We have discussed taking a trip down there and doing a Fjord Cruise to get an idea of what the terrain looks like.

 

[Hitek79]

I was lucky enough to crew on a 65ft sailboat from Puerto Natales to Valdivia in 2008. A fabulous trip. The go-to guide at that time was the one by the Italian couple "Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego", also known as the "Italian Guide".

I remember the GPS datum error of the charts - we were continuously 1/2NM to the east of our true position!

Here are some pics.

Incredible! That must have been an amazing experience.

 

[Nick F]

I appreciate the feedback. We have discussed taking a trip down there and doing a Fjord Cruise to get an idea of what the terrain looks like.

There are a couple of Chilean small boat cruise operations which may be of interest.

 

[klee wyck]

There is a freighter that is set up with around 200 rudimentary berths that travels from Porto Montt to Porto Natales through much of the archipelago. I almost took that trip when I was in Patagonia last year and sure would if I was thinking about cruising down there at some point. I think the outfit is called Navimag or something like that.
We have one of own TFers that may be headed that way right now but I will let him out himself if he so chooses. I think he has done his research.

 

[Nick F]

Yes - Navimag is one operator and the other is Skorpios.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

Navimag is the freighter. Skorpios is more a tour boat. We are booked on Navimag with another leg on the Ventus Australis, a cruise boat that leaves from Ushuaia, Argentina and goes to Cape Horn.

It is possible (for $50) to get the whole area on Navionics for an armchair pre-cruise.

 

[PNK]

Info on Chile

I have been to Chile many times, and am always amazed at how big, or long, it is. From the East Coast, it is about a 12-hour flight to Santiago, and then another 4-5 hour flight to Punta Arenas or Puerto Montt, in the Patagonia region. You can also get there via Buenos Aires and Ushuaia. Years ago I knew someone who took his own boat from Puerto Montt through the Panama Canal and to Puerto Rico; that was a 72' Outer Reef, but he said that even in that it was not an easy trip. The coast south of Puerto Montt is really remote, with few facilities, but it is incredibly beautiful.
Maybe the best way to see it is on one of the two Skorpios adventure cruise ships. "skorpios.cl" is their web-site. Each ship carries a maximum of 90 - 100 passengers, with trips from 3 to 5 or 6 days, leaving from Puerto Natales or Puerto Montt, depending on the route, and traveling through beautiful fjords, with RIB trips to get closer to glaciers and wildlife.
Some ships also cruise south from Ushuaia through the Straits of Magellan and all the different channels, but the only ones I am familiar with are those that do Antarctic cruises - they tend to be pretty expensive, and you won't see much of Chile.
The Skorpios cruises are probably the best way to get a taste of the country, and if you like it you could spend years in Patagonia without running out of things to see. Their ships are Chilean registered, and they really know the local area.
Hope you are able to make a trip, it is an amazing part of the world. ( Also has some great food and wine, which doesn't hurt!)
Peter

 

[virgilio guma]

Chile

Hello everyone! I've lurked around here before without creating an account, but it's finally time to break the ice. I do want to ask upfront if there's a better place to be posting my questions here. I've also read plenty over at Cruiser Forum, but that's obviously mostly sailboats. My wife and I have a 5 year plan we are working on. Daughter will be off to college, and we will be retired. We want to do extensive cruising in various parts of the world, but I have a personal obsession with Chile. The exploring by boat looks to be almost endless, but frustratingly there is very little info it seems. I know that it is desolate and unforgiving, but that's exactly what attracts me to it.



Does anyone know of any extensive information out there from motor yachters/trawlers that have explored the depths of Chile? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

Chile is the only South American country that was close to becoming a first world nation. With regards to navigating it , suggest you watch the last 4 or 6 YOU TUBES of SAILING SWEET RUCA , They are all about sailing the Chilean PATAGONIA..Good luck..

 

[rgano]

What sort of vessel would you consider "doing" Chile in?

I did it in a US Navy guided missile destroyer back 1982. I was executive officer and navigator and so got a pretty good idea of the terrain over the month or so we spent in the country as we traversed it from the northernmost regions all the way around the country to Puerto Arenas via the inland waterway and Straits of Magellan. We enjoyed the port stops in Mejillones, Antofagasta, Valparaiso, Vina Del Mar, Talcahauno, and Punta Arenas.

I think running through that part of the world in anything less capable than a purpose-built expedition trawler or a very stout sailboat would not be for me. The remoteness mentioned above has to be seen to be believed. You will have no help available to you at all in an emergency, medical or gear related.

The waterway was an unforgettable experience, and I am glad right down to my bones to this day that I got to do it. The downside for us was the overcast weather and the speed we ran with no stopping in the waterway. It was impossible to stay on the bridge around the clock to see it all, and of course little was visible in the darkness as we pressed on at probably around 10 knots if I recall correctly.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

You can also watch the area on Windy. Outside is sustained 60 knot northerlies, but inside passages are a calm 20-30 kt and a balmy 50 degrees.

The weather reminds me of Dutch Harbor: a destination you'd only go to if you stand to make a lot of money (or are following orders). I'm not sure if Windy has historical data that allows looking at fall (March-April weather.

 

[PNK]

Info on Chile

Hello, again, when I re-read my post from yesterday, I realized I didn't answer the question you were actually asking, sorry about that!
I remembered that when I sailed to Antarctica in 2015 there was a smaller boat that was also available called Ocean Tramp, a 66ft yawl, I think. I decided I didn't want to cross the Drake on something that size, but I know for a fact that it made the round-trip no problem, because I was sailing next to them for a short time heading back north. It was probably an uncomfortable and wet crossing, but the boat is still available for charters, and you can find it on "quixote-expeditions.com".
They sail out of Ushuaia, as do a few other boats, from where you can easily cruise the Magellan Straits, which will give you amazing sights of Chile on one side and Argentina on the other. Even if you don't want to go all the way to Antarctica, you can also sail from Ushuaia to the Falklands, but I haven't been there and don't know what the trip would be like.
If you want to focus only on Chile, there are some charter boats available in Puerto Montt, a good jumping-off point for Patagonia. Most of the boats are sailboats, "yachting.com" and "globesailor.com" are two companies that offer charters. I have never sailed out of there, but you can do a lot of sailing and sightseeing while staying "inside", avoiding the open Pacific.
I hope you find something you like, and get to make the trip.
Peter

 

[Coppercove1]

Chile

Hi: I have also been to Chile many times. I lived there for a year in Antofagasta in the desert north coast and built a deep sea port to export copper concentrate. At the time I saw no private trawler style or sailboats north of about La Serena. If you wanted to voyage north of the central coast near Valparaiso, you will be several days between sheltered ports. The ports themselves are generally built behind breakwaters, and marinas are few. Going south, Patagonia, south of Puerto Montt could be a wonderful area to explore with fjords and islands, similar to the Inside Passage of BC up to Alaska. I have sailed on a friends 57ft Jeanneau out of Puerto Montt and had a fantastic trip. I don’t know about the availability of bare boat charters. It is definitely more bureaucratic to boat there, you need to file trip plans with the Port Captain, so you may need more information about the regs. There is a Canadian kayaking guide company that runs 12-19 day guided kayaking trips in Patagonia using a mother ship as a base: see https://www.kayakingtours.com/kayak-trips/chile/patagonia-kayaking/. I have done 2 guided trips with this company in BC and they are excellent . Would love to do this trip myself, but it is pricey! Good luck in your research, would love to follow a future trawler trip blog in Chile!

 

[Marco Flamingo]

Guess where I am. The weather was nice enough that we got ashore and hiked to the hilltop monument (dedicated to the 10,000 sailors who lost their lives trying to get around Cape Horn). The first photo is taken from the lighthouse. I guess I was one of the lucky ones. We are presently ashore waiting for the Navimag freighter to take us north. Sailing dates keep changing because of weather. It does give us time to visit glaciers in Patagonia (2nd photo), but between the shifting Navimag schedule, changing hotels, and uncertain bus schedules, we may be here awhile. The third photo is an iceberg on a lake. The final photo is a trawler we saw in Ushuaia, Argentina, so it might be possible to cruise here from the PNW. I recomment cutting through the Beagle Channel to avoid rounding Cape Horn. No need to be sailor 10,001.

 

[PNK]

Tierra del Fuego

Marco,

Sounds like you are having a great trip, and reminds me of some of the things I did and saw when I was down there. Did Navimag bring your boat down, and now you are waiting for them to take it back north? Would you do something like that again?
If you have time while you are waiting, I did a really nice trip down the local river with a small group, starting out from near the "Fin del Mundo" sign at the end of Route 3, and winding up near the mouth of the river where it meets the Straits. Paddling was a good way to stay warm, and the sights were amazing.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the trip.

Peter

 

[rgano]

Spectacular scenery. It is good that you are flexible in your travels, otherwise it might be a nightmare to you.

 

[Captain_Michael]

A couple named Scott and Mary Flanders owned a Nordhavn 46 named Egret in which they circumnavigated. In the process, they spent a lot of time in Patagonia and Chile, which they loved. There is a 6 series set of YouTube vidoes of them talking about their travels (not so much Patagonia-Chile), and their blog, which is on the internet, has tons of information about their year in Patagonia along with many, many photographs. You want to know about motoring in Patagonia-Chile, check out that blog. The blog site is more or less organized chonologically, so you need to play around a bit to discover which of the many years on the blog is the one covering Patagonia-Chile. The blog probably can be discovered with a search engine; if not, look on the Nordhavn site for owners blogs. There is another Nordhavn owner on the YouTube blogs who owns a large Nordhavn who lives in Chile and has a YouTube video of boating in Chiloe Island region. The video is superb as is the scenery. Can't recall the fellow's name or the boat. His English is impeccable. There are a series of Nordhavn owners talkling or being interviewed about their boats on YouTube, and this fellow is one. You'll enjoy it.

 

[IRENE]

Here is a link to the Flanders’ blog referenced by Captain Michael:

https://archive.nordhavn.com/egret/captains_log_nov10.php

Here is a link to the YouTube video with the owners of N64 GRANKITO:

https://youtu.be/P4pWDUDW_6o?si=Cj_nG0_PjKo1XRtn

Enjoy!

 

[Nick F]

Guess where I am. . . . . .. We are presently ashore waiting for the Navimag freighter to take us north. . . . . 10,001.

Strong recommendation: Read the book "The Wager" (its the name of a vessel, not a bet) by David Grann.

You will pass by Wager Island on your trip - the island where the ship was wrecked.

Have a good trip!

 

[Marco Flamingo]

Nick F,

Just finished reading Wager when we were in Ushuaia. Scary, but not as scary as today's Windy.com report for next Tuesday at Cape Raper (where Capt. Cheat and survivors were forced back three times until they portaged around behind). Forecast is for 21 foot waves on an 11 second period. Never heard of such a thing. Might be the result of waves reflecting back off the peninsula. No wonder the Navimag has to change its schedule frequently.

Picked up a copy of Shipwrecks in Cape Horn at the Museo Maritimo de Ushuaia (in english). It chronicles several hundred wrecks from 1526 until 1975. The Wager isn't in it because they made it too far north before wrecking. Still, should make for good reading onboard.

 

[Nick F]

Nick F,

Just finished reading Wager when we were in Ushuaia. . . . .

So glad you have read it - it will certainly add interest to the journey!

Good travels !

 

[Marco Flamingo]

It looks like Navimag isn't going to work for us. The gentleman at the local office kept telling us every day that it would be tomorrow, but we have our tablet that has Windy, Navionics, Vessel Finder, etc. We could see that the boat (the Esperanza) has been laid to in a protected anchorage for over 24 hours north of the Golfo de Penas (Gulf of Sorrows) waiting for the wind/swell to calm. So it won't be here on the 8th, 9th, or 10th as variously scheduled. We can now see that it has started back south and should be here in two days if all goes well. But then the weather picks back up (20 foot swell on 11 second period) for the next week. Not sure how long it would take to get north to Puerto Montt if we got on the Esperanza. And we may have spent our luck already in finding last minute accomodations so far.

So we are looking at flying north to Puerto Montt. Winds are 25 with gusts at least 40. Woke us up last night when the building shuddered. I thought maybe the airport would be temporarily closed, but a local said only in the winter when it is windy. Yikes.

By flying, we will now have a couple extra days in Puerto Montt. Beth said she found a boat tour from Chile up and over the Andes into Argentina. Okay, that sounds crazy. I'm game.

Went to a grocery store yesterday to get a bottle of wine. Just for fun I used an app on my phone that gave a rating and price. Found a Chilean carminere rated at 4.3 stars and selling for $45 in the States. $8.40, so being stranded here isn't too bad.

 

[IRENE]

I am really enjoying your travel postings, thank you!

 

[klee wyck]

It looks like Navimag isn't going to work for us. The gentleman at the local office kept telling us every day that it would be tomorrow, but we have our tablet that has Windy, Navionics, Vessel Finder, etc. We could see that the boat (the Esperanza) has been laid to in a protected anchorage for over 24 hours north of the Golfo de Penas (Gulf of Sorrows) waiting for the wind/swell to calm. So it won't be here on the 8th, 9th, or 10th as variously scheduled. We can now see that it has started back south and should be here in two days if all goes well. But then the weather picks back up (20 foot swell on 11 second period) for the next week. Not sure how long it would take to get north to Puerto Montt if we got on the Esperanza. And we may have spent our luck already in finding last minute accomodations so far.

So we are looking at flying north to Puerto Montt. Winds are 25 with gusts at least 40. Woke us up last night when the building shuddered. I thought maybe the airport would be temporarily closed, but a local said only in the winter when it is windy. Yikes.

By flying, we will now have a couple extra days in Puerto Montt. Beth said she found a boat tour from Chile up and over the Andes into Argentina. Okay, that sounds crazy. I'm game.

Went to a grocery store yesterday to get a bottle of wine. Just for fun I used an app on my phone that gave a rating and price. Found a Chilean carminere rated at 4.3 stars and selling for $45 in the States. $8.40, so being stranded here isn't too bad.

Well, this is a first world problem for sure. That trip over the Andes that Beth is suggesting is awesome and will be a very nice consolation.
After flying into Puerto Montt, I would take the short drive north to Puerto Varas and stay on Lago Llanquihue. Much nicer than Puerto Montt in my view.
After 4 boat rides and three bus rides you will arrive on the Argentina side at Puerto Blest. Nothing much there so hop a bus down to Bariloche about an hour and a half down the lake. The Argentinian people are remarkably warm and friendly. They are great hosts.

In my travels, there is almost nothing that compares to the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, but that area in northern Patagonia is an area that does. Some of it is breathtaking and that tour over the Andes included.
Enjoy.