Lat S 52 00 / long W 073 43

Puerto Prefundo, windbound.

Now we have sailed in gale winds for several days, okay so long as it is
NW-ly. But already last night when the barometer fell to bottom level and I
took home the weather files, we knew that we would remain here for one more night;

EVANGELISTAS TO LAT 56 DGS SOUTH: OVC VIS 4/10 KMS RAIN/SHOWERS
WIND N/NW 25/35 KT SHIFTING AND INCREASING SW/S 35/45 KT (GALE),GUSTY 90
KT SEA STATE 5.0/8.0 MTS INNER WATER SLIGHT TO MODERATE.

We are only 15 NM from the Estrecho de Magellan, and once we are there
SW or NW doesn't matter. But today, we used the day at anchor
for various projects: airing, cleaning, patching and mending.

Lat S 52 36,3° / W 073 40°

Canal Smyth
Today, we have encountered some vessels and also seen a big wreck. The
ships passing through the Strait of Magellan and wanting to continue a bit inshore
are going the same way as we do.
We had a perfect night port yesterday. A small pool where we anchored and
pulled the ropes to the shore. We were welcomed by four small dolphins
jumping around the boat and also around the dinghy when the guys went with
the mooring ropes. We even had a little evening sun, it was a
perfect conclusion to an otherwise very windy day.

Lat S 51 46 / long W 073 42

Guest Blogger Erik
Anchoring here in Patagonia is generally not done asway, although we have
our secure 50 kgs patent anchor.
No. Samuel and I am the vanguard - "Avant Garde". We launch the dinghy
and travel in advance, sometimes with the sinker on hand so we can find good
places to cast an anchor. Then we fix some ropes and go back up
to the boat, this way you can sew her up on the spot.
We spent last night next to two northbound French yachts.
(Moreover, two out of the five other yachts we have seen since we left
Puerto Montt). They must have had several hundred meters of line out in addition to their
anchors - firmly determined to sleep well.
For it is needed. The night peace, as everyone knows, is entirely dependent on how well
you are secured against the elements.
Now we are going to Canal Smyth, and must find a night port before we get there,
Magellan will have to wait until a bit later.

Lat S 50 54 / long W 074 17,8

Rough Sailing
Today, we have had tough sailing. We've had the wind from the back, so far so good.
We started the day with the big jib, now as I write this, we
arrive at today's anchorage in about an hour, we have five yards rolled out on the little jib. The
has been getting up quite thoroughly for a while, the kind of tough sailing which the one
minute is breathtaking fun when you see the speed increase and increase, the next moment
the fall winds come roaring down to make you believe the jib will burst in two
and rip away the entire rig. Now we begin to understand what
the old foxes in Puerto Montt were talking about, concerning sailing in the
southernmost end of Patagonia. ...
Tomorrow we hope to reach the Magellan.

Lat S 49 40° / long W 074 23°

The mountains on the sides of the Canal Wide which we are sailing now
remind us of scenes from Lord of the Rings. A little while ago, in a very narrow passage,
we were joined by several dolphins that hung in with us for a long time. As usual
we are travelling through a magnificent nature. The weather varies from
brilliant sunshine to angry rain. It shifts quickly. It was good to get
our fuel delivery this morning and get away from Puerto Eden. Friendly
people are nice, but when the walk around the town is made in 10
minutes, then it quickly starts to get a little stuffy to remain for several days.

Puerto Eden

Yesterday I posted to the blog via a slow connection at the
Conservation Association, and was even able to upload a photo, as you saw. Today
we have been looking for Senora Internet all day. We think she should be
available in the library at school as everyone says, but she does not think so.
We have asked so many people that we even got a personal description, purple
trousers .... We have been looking for purple trousers all day. Have reflected
that it is very strange in outposts like this one, they open for
Internet, advertising outside the school and modern they are, internet free,
posters of the children sitting in front of a computer looking happy. Then
let a Senora hold the key to the library. ... and she just refuses
to appear.
You must simply make do without more pictures before we get to Puerto
Williams, for tomorrow when we have refuelled and refilled our gas supply we are sailing
south. We have over 500 NM left there and prevailing winds are NW
at the moment. I will of course keep updating over the
satellite blog.

Puerto Eden and Internet

Three times we have been ashore, gone to school and met a closed door to the library, where they're supposed to have internet access. Eventually, I went around and knocked on doors a bit here and there, found the Society for Nature Conservation where they promised 15 minutes of Internet. It's a bit nerve-racking, I must try to upload a couple of photos to the slide show as well. We are waiting for our fuel and take the opportunity to wander around looking at all the dogs. Today we had a whole brace after us. I do not understand what they want, they just trail after us. Moreover, the village is pretty dead. Some people chopping wood, otherwise, most are indoors.

Lat S 49 07,8 / long W 074 25,6

Puerto Eden
Yesterday the weather was great, the sun was shining all over Puerto Eden. We started with
our projects, in the supermercado we found eggs and some packages of cookies. We went
home to the man who is in charge of fuel, he had a small hostel where we
sat in the lounge and negotiated. We will have to wait till Wednesday,
but it feels ok. Everyone is very friendly here. There is also a school
which allegedly has Internet access, but we will not be able to check that until
Monday.

Lat S 48 36,5 / long W 074 25,3

On the way to Puerto Edén.
Yesterday we anchored in Caleta Connor. There is a special tree that many
long-distance sailors put their name boards up in. After our perilous stretch of gale
with subsequent intense rain all day, we had no more energy last night than
to eat, and try to get us and the clothes dry. But in the morning we made
a name board with name and year. The lack of time and paint, we carved
the name in a plank from an old banana box that we found as
driftwood. We filled the grooves with nail varnish. We got a bit of a kindergarten
feeling about it before we came to the tree. There wew discovered that our name board
was in good company. In comparison with the other creations the kindergarten feel
was quite appropriate.
One that, unfortunately, has succumbed to the challenges of time and weather
was Yaghan's etched brass plate, which was completely gray-green with verdigris.

Lat S 48 00 / W 074 43

Second post on January 14
I understand what my regular blogging does. As soon as the next post is a bit
late, the satellite phone starts beeping with anxious e-mails. It is
great to have so many who care about us back home, sometimes we do
feel lonely and helpless in this vast archipelago. We usually
joke on the way into the anchorage: - I wonder if the mooring place is taken?
So far, it has never been so.
As I wrote briefly last night, we are now inside a new
archipelago section. A good bit south of here is a village called Puerto
Eden, we're on our way there, hoping to refuel and change an LPG
cylinder. Maybe find some more vegetables.

Lat S 7 20,8 / W 075 30,5

No blogging yesterday, the weather was / is bad, we had gale strength winds
and a very irregular, rough and annoying sea. Some of the crew suffered from
seasickness. Now we are approaching the next island so in a few hours
we will pass Isla San Pedro and then we are in the next archipelago.
I'll be back.

Lat S 45 53 / long W 074 50

Right as it was raining we had a shower. Feeling a bit sorry for Chileans who are
having such a rainy summer. Made a valiant attempt to get out in the
wet weather this morning, got another 25 NM west. Located in a new bay,
biding our time. This was a big colony of seals, who welcomed us
before we again retreated down into the saloon.Vi are delighted to have all our books,
brought by friends who arrived in French Polynesia. The weather report says
NW again tomorrow, then we're off.

Lat S 45 48°/ long W 074 28°

Weather in Patagonia is an exciting thing. One moment we are running for an
halfassed wind, bobbing in a few knots, but at any time, there'll be a sudden breeze
so strong that we must change to the stay jib and maybe take in an extra
reef. Extra reef, yes. Since we first experienced these sudden, sporadic
villages we have not even struck out our first reef.
Sunlight can change to rain and fog in two minutes. You see the big
masses of clouds moving from rock to rock in this gigantic
landscape and seemingly turn on and off their taps according to mood.
Now we are safe with six lines out into the primeval forest, at hurrican safe Caleta
Saudade, waiting out the storm that is ravaging Golfo de Penas (Gulf of Pains
I have had it translated). Even this otherwise protected spot, which seems almost completely
halted in time is hit by weather changes. Our lunch we
enjoyed in the sunlight with all the southern ozone hole in our
welcoming faces, but the lunch was interrupted by a sudden downpour.
But so it is, and we have accepted it. All except AK of course. She
turns towards the sky when her cosy cockpit lunch is discontinued and
asks angrily "why do you not understand?"
Regards
Erik on board Anastasia, windlocked in Caleta Saudade

Lat S 45 48°/ long W 074 28°

Yesterday we went a little closer to the edge of the archipelago, in order to be in
an advantageous position for the leap across the Golfo de Penas. We moored in yet another
wonderful Caleta, totally quiet, the sun's rays filtered down
through the dense forest branches. It's really dense rainforest, the plants
live in symbiosis, when we went ashore we could only go 10 meters then
the forest put a stop to our advance. We decided instead to bathe in the fine water.
What don't you do to keep yourself clean. It was five days since we had a shower
so this was a good idea. Afterwards, we measured the temperature to + 13.
Unfortunately, we had no coverage of Inmarsat C here, where we get our
weather reports. So this morning we started off, set sail, and when
the weather report came there was a storm warning. We went back to
wait a day or so. We moored inverted so the antenna has an unobstructed view now.

Lat S 45 44°/ long W 073 58°

After yesterday's long distance, we had a fantastic anchorage tonight.
There was a bay called Caleta Jacqueline, which was completely protected from
winds. We anchored in the middle, then pulled up our lines to each
side, and aft. At the far end of the bay a plunging waterfall was thundering away.
Outflow was high and when we adjusted all the pull tabs, we were so snug.
The water was even bit brackish.
Team Anastasia is getting good at this type of moorings, the dinghy
goes into the water with lightning speed and we all have our stations. It was nice to
go down inside, close up, light the kerosene lamp and all the candles, setting the table
for lamb stew with beans and enjoy.

Lat S 45 56°/ long W 073 37,9°

Very pleased with yesterday's glacier, today we have just shipped ourselves
back to the main track. The wind has been against us the whole day so the engine
has been going, the batteries are charged. Again, distances are enormous
and desolation stunning.

Lat S 46 33,7°/ long W 73 56,54°

Laguna San Rafael
Today we sailed the last 30 miles south to Laguna San
Rafel, the glacier Ventisquero San Rafael is the southern hemisphere's northernmost
tidal glacier. It is part of the Patagonian Icecap, and is 30-80
km wide, the height is about 2000 meters. We had really bad weather so
circumstances were not the best. But when we fought our way through the
last channel in the countercurrent and came into the lagoon, we met a beautiful and
unusual sight. There were lots of icebergs floating around, great blue and
turquoise colors and at one end of the lagoon the glacier made its appearance,
going right down into the water. We felt very small in comparison with the ice,
the icebergs and the entire lagoon.
A fantastic experience, but cold.

Lat S 45 09 / long W 73 31

Went into Puerto Aguirre from a small cove, where we had stayed overnight. We
had read that you could buy fuel there and intended to fill up our
stores. There was an Armada Station where we went in and said hello, then we took a
walk around the town, which was deserted and derelict to say the least. There were some
signs which pointed out that there was once a more vibrant city. In
the hardware store the stuff in the window was left, but if you looked further into the
store, shelves were all empty. The fuel station was gone. Felt like
walking into something that lived 20 years ago. We must make sure that our
supplies last. Continuing south to Laguna San Rafael.

Melinka

Found an internet café in the village, uploading some photos for you to take part of our life in Patagonia

Lat S 43 53,8°/ long W 073 45°

Melinka
Yesterday evening we reached Melinka after a nice free sail. A small town on
southern slope of Isla Ascension. I read in the pilot book that it
was named for the wife of the first European inhabitant, Felipe
Westhoff. This happened in the 1850s. We did not go ashore, but watched
the town through binoculars. We saw a shop and a hostel. We will visit these
today, see if you can get a shower in the hostel.