Tierra del Fuego

Dawnbreaker
Lars Alfredson
Wed 7 Dec 2011 15:17
Pos 55:03.043S 66:20.91W Noon position

07122011 Tierra del Fuego - The Beagle Channel



Tierra del Fuego includes and area South of the Straits of Magellan with its many islands. The biggest island, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego is divided between Argentina and Chile at approximately 68:36'W .The only Argentinean towns are Rio Grande and Ushuaia and Pouvenier is the sole Chilean town.



The area around the Straights of Magellan is notorious for rough conditions and strong currents with little protection and few safe anchorages.



We set off at eight and as we turn towards the Straights both wind and seas increase on the nose as predicted. We proceed under engine along the mountainous coastline; the trees have disappeared to be replaced with scrubby dry grassland fringed with rocky beaches.



Porridge for breakfast for those that way inclined, I have a butterless (We've run out) cheese and tomatoe sandwich with a mayonnaise substitute



Partly cloudy, when the sun pokes through its very pleasant though the temperature is a chilly 10 degrees C and the 14 knots of apparent wind, still has a bight to it.



ACtoes as we chug along at a steady 7 plus knots A lonely Skua to decides to check us out while a couple of King Cormorants do their usually flyby in front of the mast before falling behind us again.



1145 and we now have land on both sides, well islands one side, so we are now in the Beagle Channel.



We have and enigma, HTC says we should have small island, on our port side although the chartplotter and computer identify a reef only. Who is correct, as we haven't been able to see the island we have to concede the HTC appears to be in error!



Bob the Blog



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