[password] rachel25
[position] 54 15.970s 071 46.870w
[status] Caleta Cluedo, Isla Clarence,Seno Duntze
Safe but slow progress this last two days in rather inclement weather. We set out from Caleta Murray yesterday (Tuesday) morning intending to pass south through Seno Pedro and Canal Acwalisnan into Canal Cockburn. There are three possible routes through to Cockburn from Estrecho Magallanes, the longest and most eastward is the "official" route, while the other two are shorter and not fully charted. We went for the middle one balancing distance with safety. The Armada (Chilean Navy) make the rules here but many of the rules are more appropriate for larger commercial craft so sometimes it is safer to follow the "non allowed" route as do most yachts.
As soon as we passed the entrance to Caleta Murray the wind piped up and we were soon motor sailing (mainly motor) into 30+ knots. We soon realised we were not going to get very far so turned right into a little bay where we found some shelter up against a rocky shore on the south side. Nice walk in the afternoon. Up a river and into the pristine moss laden forest full of deep holes, fallen and rotting trees all camouflaged under thousands of different species of moss sometimes 1/2 metre thick.
This morning we started again. The wind had moderated a little but the rain was continuous. As we went further into the sound there was more shelter from the mountains, stretching high into the clouds, on either side. We passed through the Angostura (Narrows) in Acwalisnan, against the current, just making way against 4 knots. Then out into a wider stretch where we started sailing again in a freeing wind, full of williwaws blasting down off the hills to the west. We are now tied to stout trees at the head of this caleta, the wind still moaning in the rigging, the heater making the saloon cosy, reading, planning, chatting. Not much interest in walking this afternoon!
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