Puerto Williams to Puerto Natales. Fjords and Patagonia.. 14 th Feb - 3rd Mar 2013.

Providence
Matt Stafford and Rohan Buckley
Mon 4 Mar 2013 13:10

51:43.63S 72:30.93W

 

We have just arrived in Puerto Natales after two weeks sailing through the Chilean Fiords and Patagonia.  So different to Antarctica yet so stunningly beautiful and spectacular in its own way…. and so very green ;)  We have had some great sailing (though mostly motor sailing with the unpredictable and often fierce winds funnelling down the channels) and the anchorages, and the walks around them, have been nothing short of magnificent.  Though lush and green, Patagonia still has many glaciers and snow caps peaks that kept our jaws dropping and cameras snapping.  Some of those photos later will give you some idea.

 

Before leaving Puerto Williams we did a four day walk around the ‘Circuito Dientes de Navarino’ which is considered one of the better treks that you could do in Patagonia.  The steep climbs and ever changing landscape made for some great walking and rough camping which tested our yacht fitness and out of practice camping skills.  Besides from sore feet and legs at the end of it we had a fantastic time… even when it rained ;)  

 

For the first week of this leg after leaving Puerto Williams we all were feeling very strange…it is hard to describe but a feeling of being deflated, or for a better word a tad lost.  Despite being bombarded with the all that Patagonia was offering none of us could get into what we were experiencing, as though we had become desensitised to it all.  It did not help that we experienced some bad weather (some days it just did not stop raining, more than we have seen since the tropics) which did not help our moods, but we put it down to coming down off the incredible high of those months down south.  A very strange place we were all in for that first week, but thankfully it did not last and we were soon back to our old selves, diving head first it to all what Patagonia could throw at us. ;)

 

Now we are in Puerto Natales and will be here in the area for about two weeks doing some walks and trekking, including the Torres del Paine ‘W‘ hike.  After we will be sailing north to Puerto Mont to do a mini yard period for the yacht.  We will be lifting her out of the water and painting her hull and anti-foul, amongst other things.  But more on that later.  Sadly Nigel and Tina will be leaving us before we leave as they have to return to the real world and start work again.  Otherwise all is well with us all and looking forward to the next few weeks.

 

Watch this space…… Matt, Rohan, Tina and Nigel.