31/3/98  9:00

We had hoped to have a dinghy excursion and have a better look at Mechuque this morning but the weather denies us, we’re back to the familiar damp grey.  It rained lightly all night and is still spitting.

12:00

As the weather isn’t very inviting we decide to carry on a bit further towards Puerto Ingles, which is only 140 miles from Valdivia.

13:30

We have just caught three knots of favourable current passing through the Canal Chacao which separates Chiloé from the mainland.  It looks a lot like Messina with power cable towers and ferry boats and eddies and whirlpools and this amazing current.  Of course it also has seals and bird life not seen in the Straights of Messina.

As we are know  only 145 miles from Valdivia there seems  little point in stopping so we opt to carry on which will get us in early tomorrow morning.  We have to go 10 miles or so up the Valdivia River and low water is at 7 so we will have the tide with us.

15:00

We clear Chacao and turn North and are able to sail at 6-7 knots.  The sun finally breaks through.  The big highlight is running into a school of blue whales with enormous spouts only a few hundred meters from the boat.

18:00

111 Miles to go.

Pictures tonight are of Mechuque this morning and one whale spout and a couple of the many pelicans the whales seemed to attract.