As this is our last week on the boat for a while, we wanted to highlight things that worked well for us this season and a few things that didn’t or ended up being more challenging than expected.
What
Worked
1. Our hydronic heater
system. This was a major P.I.T.A. to
install and took much longer than expected, but it was a godsend as we traveled
south and the temperatures got colder. The
coldest the boat got was 9oC in the morning, but the heater had the temperature
up to a balmy 14oC in no time. It helped
to keep the moisture down and allowed us to dry things out. Definitely a winner.
2. Hot water. Our new hydronic heater system also produces
hot water. REALLY hot water. It was awesome… until we realized the
watermaker was broken and we had to conserve water. Doh.
3.
The engine. Despite giving the inside of the engine a
salt water bath two days before leaving for the season last year, the engine continued
to run as she has for the last 6 years since our rebuild. Things didn’t look good at the beginning of
the season as she running so poorly that Gary felt it was time to put her out
to pasture and install a new model. It
was either the threat of being replaced, or the “ping” she made when Gary
revved her up to 3000 rpm just before coming home for Christmas, but since we
arrived back at the boat in December she has been running normally. Myrtle will live for a while
longer.
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| Two lines to shore plus one more on deck |
4. Shore lines. Unlike BC where most boats typically have 1
floating line they use to tie to shore in certain situations, most boats sailing
in Chile have a minimum of 4 lines between 100 and 150m in length. Before leaving Valdivia, we bought 3 floating
lines to augment the one that we already had from home. We used two of them extensively this season
and eventually mastered the system of deploying them efficiently (after a lot
of disasters). The “right” way to do it
goes like this: Before entering an anchorage we would get the dinghy off the
deck and tow it beside the boat. After
choosing an anchor spot, Gary would drop the anchor while I would get in the
dinghy with one of the lines and row like hell to shore. I’d leap out and secure the line to a tree or
rock, then jump back into the dinghy with the end of the line and row like hell
back towards the boat. By this time Gary
would be backing the boat up in my direction (hopefully). When we’d come together, I’d quickly secure
the line to the cleat and then we’d pull the boat tight. Once the first line was secure I’d take the
second line to shore and secure it. Viola. Easy Peasy.
What Didn’t:
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| Soles after only 4 months of use - ridiculous! |
1.
My expensive Dubarry Ultima
boots. Before we left to go Cruising, I
decided to invest in a good pair of sailing boots. I knew I’d need them when we sailed down the
US coast and again when we reached Chile several years later. So, I swallowed the ghastly price ($400) and
bought a pair. I loved them going down
the coast – they had great traction and they kept my feet warm and dry. The next time I used the boots was for the
last 2 weeks of last year’s passage from Easter Island to Valdivia. Again, they kept my feet happy. So, imagine my disappointment this season to
discover, that after 1 month of wear here in Chile that my boots (now worn all
of 4 months total) are completely unusable.
The sole has basically fallen off 1 boot and is almost cracked through
on the other. I contacted the company
and was told that the boots undergo a process called “hydrolysis” when they
don’t get used continuously. Basically,
they age even when they aren’t being used.
Incredible. They offered me a 20% discount to buy a new pair of boots. Apparently our Swedish friend Ulf had the same
thing happen, as did another friend from home.
Clearly these boots have a major problem. They were definitely NOT worth the money and
were a VERY poor investment. I would NOT
recommend them to anyone sailing offshore.
What an utter disappointment.
2.
Propane. Being a Canadian boat, we have Canadian
propane tanks, which seem to be very difficult to fill here in Chile. The boat yard in Valdivia where we overwintered
could do it for us, but we have had little luck elsewhere in the country. We ended up having to cut our trip short by a
week this year as we were desperately low on propane. We’ve found we are going through a lot more
propane in the cold climate – I tend to bake more and even Gary is drinking hot
liquids here! Luckily we could get the
tanks filled her at the marina, but this involved giving them to a guy who drove
the tanks to the town of Osorno, 100km north of here. Apparently that is the only place able to
fill our kind of tank. Yikes. Our solution for next year is to have two
Chilean tanks that we can get filled anywhere.
We’ll run primarily on those and will use our Canadian tanks as reserve
only. I’m not giving up hot liquids...
3.
Laundry. Doing laundry by hand sucks at the best of
time, but doing it in a cold climate sucks worst of all. Laundry here is a 3-4 hour process (we don’t
do it often enough, I guess). We soak
the clothes overnight, then scrub them with a brush, wring them out, rinse
them, wring them out, rinse them again, wring them out, and if they are smart
wool, rinse them and wring them out yet again (and maybe again, depending on
the garment). After doing laundry 7 or 8
times and giving ourselves carpal tunnel syndrome from wringing by hand, we
made the decision to buy a clothes spinner or wringer for next year. The other challenge of washing in this
climate is getting the clothes to dry.
Nothing dries to 100% here, even on a sunny day.
And because we don’t want to end the season
on a negative note, we want to highlight the best part of this season: the people we’ve met along the way.
Annette and Mike on s/v Rum Doxy from Santa
Barbara, USA. I met Annette in the
laundry room in Puerto Escondido in Mexico back in 2016. We quickly realized we had a lot in common
and spent the next few weeks hanging out together (along with the rest of our
Mexican Cruising Clan) in various anchorages.
Unfortunately our paths diverged for the next few years but we’ve
followed their progress by blog (as they’ve done with us). We were delighted to hear they were coming to
Chile this year! After arriving in the
country in early February, they brewed a batch of beer and quickly headed down
to meet us just north of Laguna San Rafael.
It was wonderful to catch up and to hear about all that had happened in
the last few years. We met up several
times over the next month. We enjoyed
many wonderful meals (including Annette’s ‘to die for’ chocolate cake) and
played a game and a half of Mexican Trains Dominoes. All I know is that I didn’t lose – I’m pretty
sure Gary took those honors. While we’ll
be on slightly different schedules next year, we hope to meet up in an
anchorage or two in the Beagle Channel.
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| s/v Clary at Marina Austral in Puerto Aguirre |
Ulf and Pia on s/v Clary from Sweden. We met Ulf and Pia at Marina Austral in Puerto
Aguirre where we had ended up in search of internet and water. They are a lovely couple who spent many years
sailing in Spitzbergen, Norway, before making the trek to South America. They overwintered last year in Ushuaia in
Argentina and then spent the summer sailing (aka motoring) up the Patagonian
channels. We spent a delightful 2 days
with them in Puerto Aguirre and so we were overjoyed to meet up with them again
in Puerto Montt.
Karyn and Steve on s/v Threshold from
Florida. We met Karyn, Steve and crew
Charlie and Heather during our second stay at Marina Austral in Puerto
Aguirre. Despite not having access to
internet for 3 weeks, they kindly got off the marina wifi for an hour while I
completed a work call. They even invited
us over for drinks and dinner afterwards!
We met up with them again at the marina in Puerto Montt and enjoyed a
few dinners together. Karyn was kind
enough to share all their knowledge on the channels and anchorages to the south,
which will be invaluable to us next year.
Suzie and Lane on an 80 foot motor yacht – New Zealanders Lane and Suzie are Captain and Cook on board an 80 foot motor yacht. They have their own
sailboat which is currently on the hard in Australia. They interrupted their Cruising to crew Iron
Lady from the US to Antarctica and back.
Kees and dog Balu on s/v Dubhe from the
Netherlands. Kees’ partner Susan was in
the Netherlands when we met him at the dock in Puerto Montt. They spent several years traveling inland on
rivers in both Africa and South America on their boat. Balu is a sweetheart.
And then there was the Valdivia crowd who
supported Gary when he was alone during the fall and both of us in January. All of them have left for the South Pacific or
places beyond:
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| David and Margaret on s/v Heart and Soul |
David and Margaret on s/v Heart and Soul
from Qualicum, Canada. They fed us the
night we arrived on the boat in December, despite never having met me
before. They are a lovely couple who
have basically done the same route we are doing, but a few years ahead and so
they’ve been a wonderful resource for us.
They were having their boat fixed at Alwoplast after being ploughed into
by a water taxi in a town a few hundred miles south, but they are now currently
en route to the South Pacific.
Mark and Rosie on s/v Merkava from Squamish,
Canada. We met this couple briefly last
year and again in the fall. They kept Gary fed and watered during his lonely
stay during the fall. They left in early
January to sail for Easter Island, and just arrived in Hawaii. We look forward to seeing them in Vancouver
when they arrive home with the boat later in the summer.
Shelley and Barry on s/v Starship from Edmonton,
Canada. They took possession of their
second Chris White Atlantic 49 catamaran built at Alwoplast, where we kept our
boat, in Valdivia. They are a wonderful,
generous couple who are now en route home.
Beate, Daniel and baby Isabella on s/v
Galadriel from Austria. We met Daniel
and Beate last year when Beate was 8 months pregnant with Isabella. They stayed in Valdivia over the winter to
have the baby and we met Isabella when she was 8 months old in January. What a sweetheart – she stole everyone’s
hearts at the dock with her little wave and ready smile. This lovely family is currently en route to
French Polynesia.
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| Daniel, Beate pre-Isabella(Galadriel) and Rene (Ata Ata) |
Rene on s/v Ata Ata from Switzerland. We met Rene last year in Valdivia and again
in the fall where he entertained Gary as part of the single hander crew. Unfortunately he had left for the south of
Chile and then Europe before I returned to the boat in December. The two marina dogs, Samantha and Maxima,
were devastated by his absence as well.
And many others.
Meeting people like this and sharing
stories, food and drink is what Cruising is all about. Looking forward to who we meet next year….
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