Photos from Road Trip

We had a great time on our road trip to Puerto Montt and the surrounding area. Here are just a few photographs.


Beer Sampling at Kuntsmann's

Accordian Player at Frutillar



Giant Barnacles for sale at the Saturday Market, Puerto Montt

 

Lots of Yarn, too

View from Cochamo down the fjord

Rich and Elaine in front of Volcan Osorno

 

Road trip, Day 4, Return to Valdivia

After breakfast we drove back to Valdivia and Alwoplast Marine where Windarra is tied to the dock. All was well with the boat and the items in the freezer are still frozen. Since our charge controller is busted we don't have the solar panels charging the batteries, just the wind generator as the boat is not plugged in, so we were a little concerned. But everything is fine so we all piled back into the car and went to do some provisioning and to drop off laundry. Provisioning is so much easier when you have a car to take everything instead of schlepping it on the bus.

Now we have a full freezer and plenty of food to last a while as we may not go directly to Puerto Montt but instead check out a few places on Isla Chloe on the way.

We enjoyed the road trip and it was helpful to check out Puerto Montt.

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Road Trip, Day 3, Volcan Osorno

Volcan Osorno

Today we went to the Saturday market on the waterfront of Puerto Montt. We saw everything for sale, from live barnacles larger than my fist to live geese to fresh vegetable and flowers and all sorts of souvenirs including knit sweaters, carved wooden animals and drinking cups with silver straws.

After the market we drove north to Puerto Varas on the shore of Lago Llanquihue. As we drove along the lake we looked across at the volcanos, Osorno and Chabuco. At first it was overcast but as the day wore on the clouds gave way to a beautiful sunny day and gorgeous views. We left the pavement and drove over 20 kilometers of gravel road passed waterfalls and along the shore of Seno Reloncavi, one of the fjords near Puerto Montt and to the town of Cochamo, where we stopped for a delicious lunch of fresh salmon.

We returned to Puerto Montt and our hotel close to 6 pm. It was a long day but we had a great time and saw wonderful views.

Road Trip, Day 2, Puerto Montt

View from our hotel room of Puerto Montt

After breakfast we went to the waterfront. Don and Rich visited the port captain to find out the process for checking in. Meanwhile, Rita and I checked out the many souvenir shops. Rita stopped at a small jewelry store and bought a ring with lapis lazuli. Lapis Lazuli is mined in Chile and Afghanistan.

We checked out some of the marine stores. Our charge controller got toasted when we plugged into power at Valdivia. We suspect a polarity problem. Not having a charge controller means we are unable to charge the batteries using the solar panels. So we took the opportunity to visit a solar power store to see what alternatives are available here.

More exploring tomorrow.

Road trip day 1: to Puerto Montt

This morning we packed and prepared the boat to be left for a few days. The rental car agency dropped the car off and by a little after 10:15 am we were on the road. Ruta 5, Panamerica Sur, is a 4 lane divided highway we used for most of the drive. It is a well maintained road and if not for the signed in Spanish you might think you were in the United States.

We took a short detour to Frutillar, a German community on Lago Llanquihue. Across the lake you can see two of Chile's many volcanos, snowcapped Osorno and Calbuco. One restaurant had carved trolls outside and a fellow playing accordion. We chose another restaurant farther down the street with a view of the lake. Rich and Rita had the Wiener schnitzel, while Don had the pork schnitzel and I had a great chicken soup. We drove along the shore and saw a large fish farm on the lake before going back to the main highway and into Puerto Montt.

It was raining heavily as we checked out the marinas. They are all full of sailboats for the 5 day regatta, starting on Jan. 25. The race is similar to the VanIsle 360 where boats race from one place to another each day and at the end complete a circuit around an area. We saw sailors preparing, carrying sails, tuning rigs, loading on food and water. Many of these crews are professional racers.

The last marina we stopped at was Club de Yate Relonclavi, which also has a hard stand area as well as docks. Our friends, Chris and Margie of SV Storm Bay of Hobart have their boat here. We last met them in Tenacatita. We will meet them for dinner on Friday to exchange information, they want to know about cruising the coast up north and we want to know more about the yacht club and points south. Seems like a fair exchange.

We are staying at a hotel close to downtown Puerto Montt and even have a view of the water from our room. Don, Rita and Rich enjoyed the sushi buffet for dinner while I had pasta.

Tomorrow we will explore more of Puerto Montt.

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Beer, berries, chocolate and rain

Yesterday we joined our friends, Don and Rita of SV Limbo, for a trip to the Kunstmann cerveceria (brewery) for beer sampling and lunch. There is a strong German influence in this area and the brewery definitely showed it, from the beer steins to the food. We were hungry and passed on the 40 minute tour. Beer sampling is a little lost on me though as I am not much of a beer connoisseur and think all beers taste more or less the same. We tried 14 different beers, including one made with honey and another with some sort of fruit in it, some dark and thick, filtered, unfiltered. To me, most of them tasted the same but i liked the light ones better. For lunch we had shared some appetizer plates. One with raw, finely ground, lean beef, that you spread on bread with a mayonnaise, and you could top with chopped onions, green peppers and pickles. This is supposed to be a Chilean dish that is very popular and we did see many folks eating it so I supposed it is. It is not quite like steak tartare, and in fact the meat taste is fairly blah. The other dish was a bowl filled with pieces of sausage, pork, hot dog and bacon topped with French fries. This was definitely not a heart-healthy meal. We tried to make up for it by just having Healthy Choice vegetable soup for dinner.

Afterwards we rode the bus into town and checked out the market. We bought some great blueberries. The fruit and vegetables looked great and we will stop there again when we are provisioning. You could get a kilo of blueberries for under $4. They also had raspberries, nectarines, bing cherries, and vegetables. We also saw bundles of kelp but I am not sure what they do with it.

Our next stop was the tourist information kiosk where we picked up some maps and brochures, including a few in English. We are planning on driving to Puerto Montt to check out the marinas as well as touring some of the lakes area. Stay tuned...

We also stopped at Entrelagos, a chocolateria, to pick up some treats. We watched them making some chocolate treats, including spreading melted chocolate on a granite counter very finely until it dried and then scraping it off so that it looks like wrinkled ribbons. Next door there was another chocolate store which had some dark chocolate, without sugar and very tasty. I love when they give samples!

In Entrelagos we met an American couple who are living in Santiago where she is teaching English at an international school. They gave us some tips about traveling on buses and planes in Chile. They also gave us a suggestion about a funky place for lunch which we hope to try while we are here.

t has been raining here. The first rain we have experienced since leaving Ecuador in November. It feels like Washington and it looks very similar. If you were suddenly appeared here and did not know you were in Chile and did not see any signs in Spanish, you would think you were in the Pacific Northwest.

Today's adventure is trying to get some laundry done. There is no laundry here at the marina so it will mean taking our laundry in on the bus. Not sure if we will find a DIY place or where they do it for you.

At Alwoplast, Valdivia

39 50.954'S, 73 19.064'W

Early this morning, 1:15 am, we dropped anchor at Isla Mancera, inside the bay by the entrance of the river leading to Valdivia. We were lucky that the moon was full, it was a clear night and the electronic charts, the radar and the visuals agreed so we were able to safely anchor. After a shower and a bite to eat we crashed and got some sleep.

This morning it was very foggy and we could barely see the island which was less than a mile away. Don and Rita of SV Limbo were coming in Braille. The fog started to lift and we raised anchor and followed the channel markers up river 4 miles to the Alwoplast marina. I had connected them via email and they said that they would be closed on Sunday but no worry, just find a place on the dock and tie up.

So we did.

Almost immediately a boat from the Chilean Armada arrives with two sailors, a man and a woman. We had called the Armada prior to coming up the river so they knew we were here. They asked us abut checking in, where we had been and offered to give us a ride to the office in Valdivia, another 6 miles up river. Cool. When we get to Valdivia, they lead us to the office, the one sailor takes off his hat and goes around to the Port Captain's desk and proceeds to check us in. Way cool.

Afterwards we walk around town. There is a band playing at the waterfront park by the port captain's office. People are strolling along the waterfront. We find a small restaurant by the plaza. There is a strong German influence in Valdivia. Rich's hamburger includes sauerkraut and beer is one of the popular drinks. After lunch we check out one of the grocery stores, a shopping mall and then catch the bus back to the marina. This was a little tricky as we had no idea what the marina entrance from the road looked like as we had only been on the dock. No problem, the bus driver stopped and let us out.

After returning to the boat we enjoyed some CDA drinks with Don and Rita. Tomorrow we will plan more exploring.

Windarra is safe and sound. We survived another passage.

Cheers.

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Heading to Valdivia, Day 2, Day 3

36 47.661'S, 73 27.163'W

Another long day of motorsailing, with long periods of no wind at all. The seas have calmed down which is nice.

We have been trying to call the Armada on the VHF radio as we pass some of the major ports, as requested by the Port Captain in Algarrobo but so far no answer. There is a lot of radio chatter that you would never hear in the states. Folks play music into their mics, speeches, whistling, etc. It gets a little annoying after a while, In the US, the Coast Guard, would get on the radio and ask them to go to another channel but they seem to put up with it here.

We are anxious to be in Valdivia, probably some time on Sunday.

We will let you know.

39 16.189'S, 73 32.562'W

I was unable to sent emails last night so there is a double tonight.

Today was much like yesterday. We occasionally see large flocks of birds on the water which fly away en masse as we get closer. They land on a spot farther in front of the boat and then fly away again as we get closer.

We hope to be anchored in the river entry to Valdivia some time tonight. We will wait until morning and a rising tide before entry.

Cheers

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Heading to Valdivia, day 1

34 14.207'S, 72 17.016'W

This morning we were all set to leave at 9:00 am but had difficulties trying to get a hold of the port captain. Rich went up to the office and had Francois call. By 9:40 am we were on our way. The seas have been 2-3 meters with cross swells making it a rolly ride. The winds are now between 4-7 knots and have changed direction several times. We are motorsailing with just the main and moving along at 6.3 knots. Not much activities, did see a sea lion and a few birds but no shipping traffic other than a few ships near San Antonio on AIS.

So far an uneventful trip which is preferred. The total distance from Algarrobo to Valdivia is about 425 nautical miles and no place to stop for the first 250, so uneventful is good.

We have not seen a single green flash at sunset so far in South America. I don't think we will see one tonight but you never know.

Cheers,
Elaine and Rich

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Penguins!

You know you are getting farther south when you start seeing penguins. In this case they are Humboldt penguins. The Cofradia Nautica del Pacific where we are staying on Windarra is formed by a large rock island and connecting breakwaters. It provides protection from winds in all directions but can be a little odiferous when the winds are from the north, where the nesting area is. It is a bird sanctuary for pelicans, cormorants, seagulls and penguins.

The large rock island has small natural caves which are perfect places for nests. It is like a giant condominium. The penguins on this ledge are about 50-60 feet high and they waddle their way up.

 

Two days ago, a brand new XP55 arrived via a truck and has been docked next to us. They are in the process of commissioning it here. The club here also has several Transpac 52s in their fleet. We understand there is a series of races starting January 23 in Puerto Montt, similar to the VanIsle 360, where they race from place to place and complete a circuit over a week. If I find out more information, I will let you know.

 

Several of the members of the club here have stopped by and provided some great information about places south including the canals. Everyone has been very welcoming. We did not know that Chile had such a sailing community and are very impressed.

 

It looks like we will have a weather window starting on Thursday morning so we are preparing to depart. We have filled our tanks and jerry cans at the fuel dock. Rich has changed the oil and filters on the engine. Today we pick up laundry, do a little last minute provisioning, put on water, and pay our bill so we can depart early tomorrow morning. We are looking forward to seeing Valdavia.



A trip to Valparaiso

On Thursday, Sergio the taxi driver picked us up at 8:20 am and dropped us off at the bus stop. Shortly there arrived the bus to Valparaiso. The bus ride took about 1 1/2 hours and we got a tour of some of the inland wine country near Casablanca before turning back to the ocean and descending into Valparaiso. Most travel between major cities in Chile is by bus or by air. At one time there was a railroad system but now it is mainly for goods and not passengers. Maintaining tracks in an area with so many earthquakes is expensive.

At the bus terminal we took a taxi to Mall Marina Arauca to meet Don and Rita of SV Limbo.  We stopped at a Starbucks to catch up on our respective activities. Rita and I went shopping while Don and Rita scouted out auto parts stores nearby. The mall is very similar to Bellevue Square, very upscale. The shops included a Columbia sportswear store, Calvin Klein, and Lacoste. Rita and I enjoyed a little retail therapy.

In the afternoon, Rich and I caught a bus that we thought would take us back to the bus station. The bus went along the waterfront, passed the Edificio de Armada de Chile and continued on passed the container shipping area and then up one of the many hills of Valparaiso. We were now in unfamiliar territory and going farther and father away. A woman in front of us on the bus, asked where we were going, and then told us to stay on the bus and that it returned to the waterfront. She said something to the bus driver before getting off the bus and probably said, "You have two gringos on board, let them ride back to downtown". Finally the bus turned around and went back the way we came. At the Armada, we got off and asked one of the sailors in front how to get to the bus station for a bus to Algarrobo. Their response was to take any bus going northbound and it would stop there. Well, not quite but Rich saw the bus station as we passed it and we hopped off. We only had to wait a few minutes before the bus left for Algarrobo. On our arrival we found Sergio at the taxi stop and he brought us back to the marina.

Friday we picked up our laundry from the lavandaria next door to the Lider Express grocery store. The equivalent of 3 loads of laundry, cost $16,000 pesos or $30 US dollars. Definitely not as cheap as Mexico.

Today we walked around the point to a laguna that has a popular beach. It was chock-a-block full of umbrellas, towels and tourists. As the water is only 13 deg C or 55 deg F, there were few in the water, and those that braved it were standing with their arms close to their sides, only about waist deep. Brrr, too cold for me.

The large rock that forms some of the breakwater for the marina is a bird sanctuary. Nesting birds include seagulls, terns, large pelicans and Humboldt penguins. We have not seen any penguins yet but I have been on the lookout.

We are watching the gribs and the forecasts. There may be a weather window starting on Thursday for a passage to Valdavia. a distance of 420 nautical miles. The marina has a fuel dock so Monday we will top off the tanks and the jerry jugs in preparation. The first place we can duck into is 250 nm away.

Until then we will do a few boat chores (it never ends) and explore the area).

Cheers.

No one expects the Chilean Armada

33 21.672 S, 71 41.128 W

We arrived at Cofradia Nautico del Pacifico, the marina at Algarrobo around 9:30 pm. A launch came out and a fellow came on board to help us dock in the marina. We are tied with the bow to the dock and our stern tied to a buoy behind. It is the first time we have been tied this way so we were glad we had help. I learned that "proa" is bow and "propa" is stern in Spanish. Being tied this way makes getting on board a bit of a challenge when the boat is rocking.

After we got settled, we got a phone call from the Chilean Armada. We apparently had left Higuerilla without the proper okay. We were told to call the Port Captain in Algarrobo and explain what happened. Unfortunately the phone number they gave to call was incorrect. So we figured we would wait until today to go to the port captain.

We were sitting watching an episode of "Firefly" when there was a knock on the hull. Yes, you guessed it, the Chilean Armada, when we least expected it. The two gentlemen were very polite and we got out our paperwork and explained the situation. Yes there was a problem but we could visit the port captain in the morning, all very friendly, and off they went.

This morning we checked into the marina and walked along the beach to the port captain, Felipe. He was very nice and spoken great English and we were able to resolve the issue. From now on we need to call the port captain whenever we leave or arrive at a new port on the radio as our zarpe and information is on their computer system. This will be in addition to the regular twice daily emails. No problemo!

Besides our visit to the port captain we were able to drop off laundry and find out about the bus into Valparaiso. So tomorrow we will have Sergio the taxi driver pick us up and drop us off at the bus stop in town. The bus is 1 - 1 1/2 hours to Valparaiso and then we will get another bus to Vina Del Mar to meet Don and Rita of SV Limbo. It should be an adventure!

Today it was blowing 24 knots and the kids were out in their optis, racing away in the ocean. Wow

Optis in 24 knots of wind

It's windy!

Rich boarding Windarra



Going to Algarrobo

33 11.864'S 71 44.119'W

We are bashing our way to a marina at Algarrobo, south of Valparaiso since the yacht club does not have any room and no idea when they will and we are tired of waiting on the mooring. Hope to be in between 9-10 pm.
Cheers

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Day 2, Passage from Coquimbo to Valparaiso

32 43.662'S, 71 37.63'W

We are about 12 miles from Club de Yates Hiquerillas, at Vina del Mar, just outside of Valparaiso where we hope to tie up Windarra. The seas are still a little bouncy from the winds of the last week but it has been sunny today with little traffic near us.

We are looking forward to being in as it looks like the weather window will be closing behind us.

Hopefully we will be on a mooring buoy tonight and into the yacht club sometime tomorrow.

Cheers.

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Day 1, Passage from Coquimbo to Valparaiso

30 06.492'S, 71 33.583'W

Last night we did not get back to the boat until about 2:00 am. We had gone on a tour of the Elqui Valley, which included a stop at an observatory to see the stars in the southern hemisphere. I will write more about it later....

Anyway, we were a little slow this morning but we checked the gribs and there appeared a weather window for passage to Valparaiso so we shifted into gear and decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

This morning we got the dingy deflated and secured on deck and a few other items then we called a launch from the yacht club to take us in. After verifying the weather window, we paid the yacht club and grabbed a taxi to visit the port captain. The gentlemen at the office in Coquimbo were very nice. One fellow explained that their rigid inflatable launches were made in Seattle. We now have a zarpe from Coquimbo to Valparaiso.

After a stop at the Lider super mercado, we got a launch back to the boat and by 5:10 pm we were up anchor and heading out.

Now we are heading south. The seas are about 2 meters and 5 seconds apart due to the winds from the past few days. Hopefully it will settle out. We narrowly missed some buoys of a fisherman but no harm, no foul of the prop.

It is about 188 nautical miles and we hope to be there late tomorrow or early in the morning on Monday.

Wish us luck....

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Elqui Valley Tour

Our tour guide, Marcello, picked us up at the yacht club and we drove through La Serena to the Elqui Valley. The Elqui Valley is the fruit and vegetable basket of Chile. Everything is grown here from avocados in groves of trees numbering 10,000, to lemons, grapefruit, oranges, papayas, grapes, especially those used for making Pisco, pumpkins, potatoes, etc. Marcello took us by the dam and reservoir of the Elqui River that serves as a water source for the drip irrigation that is used throughout the valley. Unfortunately the area is suffering from a drought and the reservoir is maybe a third of its normal size.

Elqui Valley, a small triangle field on the left side has 10,000 avocado trees. 

Resevoir for Elqui Valley, note that it is very low as there is a drought

Our next stop was the town of Diaguitas to see the pottery. This pottery is hand made in the style of the Incas with features such as human and animal faces, lizard like shape with legs, tail and head as examples. The pottery maker has an old 1956 Morris in his yard which he still drives.

1956 Morris, still runs. Artist and our guide Marcello

 

By now it was time for lunch so we stopped in a small restaurant that has a solar kitchen.  A student project at the local university figured out which location has the most sunlight and formed a cooperative of the local women using traditional recipes and solar ovens to cook the meals. They are only open for lunch (duh) but it was a delightful place and we had a goat casserole, with a salad and flan for dessert. Yummy. The goat cooks for 3 hours in the solar oven and it was tender and tasty.

 

Rich at the Solar kitchen restaurant

Solar oven for baking flan

We drove through the valley and stopped in the village of Montegrande, the former home of Gabriela Mistral, one of two Nobel prize winning poets of Chile. They are extremely proud of her and her name graces roads, bridges, buildings, churches, schools, etc.

Mistral Pisqueria also produces 3Rs brand

 

Next stop was Pisco Elqui. The town was previously named Union but by state decree it was renamed to help prove that Chile was an originator of Pisco and not Peru with their city of Pisco. I believe that Peru has a stronger claim but as an outsider, I will not take sides. We stopped at the Distileria Pisco Mistral which produces the Mistral and the 3R’s brands of Pisco. The owner is a very wealthy Chilean who has a mansion not too far away. We went for a tour of the Pisco making process and a tasting of two varieties, one fruity and the other a more sipping version which is aged in oak. I am definitely not a Pisco connoisseur but I did enjoy the Pisco Sour on the patio afterwards. We met a couple, Eric and Nicole, on holiday from Belgium, who we chatted with at great length. They joined us on the next two stops of our tour.

We retraced our ride through the valley to the city of Vicuna. The four of us had dinner at the Club Social de Elqui. The meal was okay but the service was at a snails’ pace. Marcello rounded us up for our 17 km drive on a dirt road into the hills to the Observatorio del Pangue, run by a group of French and Chilean astronomers. They have a 32 cm reflector on a computer controlled telescope. Just as we arrived we saw the bright space station pass overhead. We were here for about 2 hours, looking at the twin stars of Orion, nebulas, galaxies, the Milky Way, Subaru (the stars, not the car), Jupiter and her moons and off course the Southern Cross and Alpha Centauri. Billions and billions of stars as Carl Sagan would say.

On the drive back we dropped Eric and Nicole off at their hostel in La Serena and Marcello took us back to the yacht club. It took a bit to find the security guard to let us in. He did not seem very enthused about taking us back to Windarra in the launch as the wind and waves were a bit raucous and coming from the direction of Windarra so we had a wet ride. By 2:30 am we were ready to go to sleep.

We had a fun day and have a new perspective of Chile.

 



More new friends

In the past few days, Frederick, a member of the yacht club and from Belgium, has either sailed by on his sailboat or paddled by on his standup paddle board. He asked if we would come over for dinner as he and his wife, Juanita, would like to go cruising with their 4 year old daughter, Amelie. So last night we were able to join them. They live in Santiago but have a condo here at Bahia de Herradura for vacation. They have lived in Argentina, Brazil and now Chile. Frederick's parents are visiting from Belgium.

A view of Bahia de Herradura from their condo

We had a wonderful time and enjoyed talking to them. We shared some of our experiences and they provided helpful tips about sailing the Chilean coast and places to stop.

Below are Reese's dolphins swimming in the bay

Happy New Year 2014

We would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, 2014.

It is hard to believe that one year ago we were on passage from Barra de Navidad to Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Since then we have sailed 5076 nautical miles to Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru and now Chile. The past year included visits by Jesse, Rae and Sarah, inland trips to the cloud forest of Costa Rica, beginning Spanish lessons in Cuenca, Ecuador, experiencing high altitudes and the Inca culture at Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, as well as a trip to the US and Canada to visit our kids, relatives and friends.

The one common part of all of our travels is the people we meet and share these adventures with. This includes but is not limited to Reg and Phoebe of SV Three Sheets, Chuck and Linda of SV Jacaranda, Buzz and Maureen of SV Encore, Don and Rita of SV Limbo, Jeaneth of Si Centro Spanish School in Cuenca, Gonzalo Ravagas and his family (including the consul of Malta) of Miraflores, Peru, Luis Alberto Canovas and his family who invited us to share their New Year's Eve in Coquimbo. It is all of these people and many more who have made our experiences so rich.

Luis's wife, Luis, Francisco and his wife, Maria

We look forward to 2014 and exploring more of Chile and South America, meeting new friends and sharing adventures.

Now if only the winds would cooperate....

Happy New Year,
Elaine and Rich
SV Windarra
Yachting Club de Herradura, Coquimbo, Chile