In all my years of cruising South America, (Ryndam in 2001 & 2002), I have never been as fortunate with the weather as we have these past days.  In years past, I have been hanging on with my teeth in anchorages, or being tug assisted while trying to stay on a berth; this year we have been blessed with clear skies, sun and light winds, (maybe the weather Gods are looking after me on my last voyage, fingers crossed).  Since I last posted we have spent 3 days in the Chilean Channels,  today  Puerto Montt.  We are lying at anchor, the wind, gentle zephyrs, (compared to the last time I was here, 55 mph 😉 ).

Geographically, on the map, we are just to the right of the island.

The city was founded in 1853 and the city was completely destroyed in a 1960 earthquake.  The surrounding countryside is becoming a popular tourist destination; waterfalls, lakes, volcanoes are but a few and our tours also include river-rafting and fly-fishing .  Chile is also the 2nd largest Salmon producer in the world, (I can attest to that as passed numerous fish farms in the Channels).

The Channels are extremely pretty and one never sees a soul (except the fish-farms) ; just birds and Fin whales by the dozen.

We sail to San Antonio later today, it is the port which serves Santiago and we arrive there on the 11th.  Our fuel tanks are almost empty; since leaving Montevideo we have been on Marine Gas oil with less than 0.1% sulphur, all part of the Antarctica regulations and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).  In San Antonio we will take 1500 tons of fuel, enough to get us across the Pacific, and first, my Nemesis, Easter Island! 😯

Writing the next day and my ‘roving reporters’, who had been ashore, provided me with some of their photos……….