Caleta Playa Parda Chica

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sun 9 May 2010 21:20

Position: 53 18.70 S 073 00.00 W
At anchor Caleta Playa Parda Chica
Wind: west nor’ west, F3-4 gentle to moderate breeze
Weather: Sunny at first becoming overcast, cool.
Day’s Run: 12 nm (23nm sailed)

We enjoyed another peaceful night and awoke to a quiet calm. The barometer was still high and the morning weather fax looked like there might be a bit of a lull for the morning. I decided to leave while the going was good. I warmed the engine up then rowed ashore, cast off all four shorelines, rowed back to Sylph, hauled the lines in coiling them as I did so, hoisted the dinghy on deck, weighed anchor and motored out of the treacherous Caleta Bob Cat. Actually I shouldn’t call it treacherous, while the williwaws were violent the anchorage with a four point tie as I had should have been pretty well bomb proof. Rather the fault lay with me not tying the shorelines securely in the first place. Still, lesson learnt and hopefully I won’t need any remedial classes.

We were back out in Paso Largo by nine under full sail tacking against a pleasant breeze. The sun was making a good attempt at shining though of course the clouds eventually won this rather one sided competition and the Strait ended up overcast and grey as the morning progressed, but not before we caught sight of some beautiful blue white glaciers glistening in the heights of the mountains lining the strait.

At just after midday I heard Persimmon calling on the VHF radio. We exchanged news, they were still tied up in Caleta Playa Parda where they had made three days previous. Apparently they had made an attempt at an overnight sail the same night I experienced the severe williwaws but were forced back by the strong winds. I related some of my adventures and we agreed that I would join then in Caleta Playa Parda Chica. At 2 pm we were back alongside Persimmon, and while the crew of Persimmon were pleased to see BC me, I could tell that Ian, the skipper, was a little chagrined that we had caught them up and was kicking himself for not having sailed this morning as well.

Ian and I had a short powwow on the weather and agreed that the weather was likely to be bad for the next couple of days but after that some favourable winds might be in the offing.

Tonight I am again invited on board for dinner and some socializing. How very pleasant.

All is well.

Bob Cat:

I am more than a little miffed that my name appears in the same sentence as the word treacherous. I am a loyal and faithful cat. I have been through thick and thin with this skipper and the thanks I get is to have a “treacherous” Caleta named after me. The fact that I am surrounded by an endless moat of water and that there are no better accommodations on offer is totally irrelevant. I would refuse them anyway, that is if any one did happen to offer, which would be a very nice gesture I think. I am a very nice cat, don’t eat very much, clean, good mannered, will provide good company, to anyone, preferable a quiet warm home. Not that I am hinting or anything, I am just saying it would be very nice if someone did offer me a nice home that doesn’t rock around so much, was dry and warm, had a plentiful supply of food (i.e. tuna not hardtack), then I could prove a point to this skipper what a dutiful feline I truly am. Of course if someone were to drag me away, I am only an old cat and might not be able to resist. If anyone does happen to want to indicate their generous nature, my email address is bobthecat {CHANGE TO AT} yahoo {DOT} com {DOT}

Anyway not too bad a day today. Except the skipper has taken it into his head to pull the boat apart and give everything a good airing, including opening the fore hatch allowing half a gale to blow through my habitat. I have eventually found a corner out of the wind. Now back to  business…. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.