Arrived at Iquique, Chile

20 12.516 S, 070 08.973 W

We are presently enjoying our CDA drinks as we have arrived at Iquique, Chile. The passage was 125.3 hours of motorsailing over 683 nautical miles. Whew!

Last night since we had crossed the border I started to send a "Position and Intention of Movement" email to the Chilean maritime authorities. Immediately after sending the email, I received an email back from them saying there was a weapons drill zone outside of Iquique and to avoid the area within these coordinates. Wouldn't you know it, our projected course went right through this area. So we had to make some course adjusts, nothing major, but definitely necessary. We followed a container ship from China into the port. Granted they arrived a lot earlier than us but we like to think that they swept up any nets or fishermen in the way.

We arrived at 2:40 pm, Lima time which is really 4:40 pm Chile time. So going south we lost two hours.

Windarra is anchored in the harbor near some tug boats. The officials from the Armada, Agriculture and Immigration left just a bit ago. Our passports are stamped and we have 90-day visas. (We have not been asked for any cash so far). Tomorrow we will go to Customs to do their paperwork and to see about getting a temporary import permit for the boat. We will also try to move into the yacht club.

Iquique is a larger city than I expected. It is also a cruise ship port as well as a container port. It once was a major center for the shipment of nitrates for fertilizer before fertilizer was made from oil and the market for nitrates drop out.

We are glad to have the engine off and be in a new country.

Stay tuned....

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com