Yacht Pelagic's Sailing Programme

PELAGIC AUSTRALIS IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO AND CAPE HORN - DECEMBER 2004 AND JANUARY 2005

Cape Horn from seaward in windy weather

Pelagic Australis will be making a 12 day cruises through the Beagle Channel including a rounding of Cape Horn in early Dec and late January 2005. This is a relaxing cruise in one of the most spectacular areas in the far south. All navigation is in inshore waters and every night is spent at a dramatic anchorage, although an overnight offshore cruise to Cape Horn is the first objective along the way. See below for detailed itinerary. To find out more about the destination generally see charter options link above. Please e-mail Skip Novak for more information or to make a booking.

Also see Beagle Channel and Tierra del Fuego background briefing.

DATES

December 4 to 18th 2004 dates flexible

January 27 to February 7 2005 - 12 nights on board

LOGISTICS

The voyage would begin in Puerto Williams Chile which is on the south side of the Beagle Channel. The guests would fly into Puerto Williams and come immediately on board. The next day we would sail east and then turn south around Isla Navarino to take an overnight passage to Cape Horn. Allowing three days in case of bad weather, we would then reverse the route back into the Beagle Channel for the passage through the channels. The cruise would end nine days later back in Puerto Williams.

HOW TO GET TO PUERTO WILLIAMS

This may confound your travel agent. Puerto Williams is serviced once daily by air by DAP from Punta Arenas on the Straits of Magellan, that is in turn serviced three times daily by Lan Chile from Santiago.

The plane is usually a Dash 7 and you land on a runway right next to the Beagle Channel. We will be there to meet you on arrival. The boat is a five minute car ride away.

To contact DAP:

Tel: +56 61 223340
Fax: +56 61 221693
Contact: Catalina Nanavarrete catalina@dap.cl

COST

5,000 Euros per person which is all inclusive of food and drink once on board. A maximum of eight guests is envisaged.

This cost includes the use of Musto HPX sailing four weather gear, all personal safety equipment for sailing (lifejacket, harness) and the use of the Inmarsat communications equipment.

PROPOSED ITINERARY

It must be borne in mind that this itinerary is only provisional and is an example of the type of cruising we will be doing. We cannot guarantee that we will stop at any of these locations as the schedule and weather may not render them convenient nor desirable at the time. In any case, suitable anchorage to those mentioned below are always an alternative and available.

DAY 1

Guests will fly into Puerto Williams from Punta Arenas and come immediately on board. The afternoon and evening will be spent stowing gear, familiarizing the team with the vessel and having a safety briefing. We will be tied alongside the ‘Micalvi,’ a ruined Chilean naval vessel cum yacht club with a rustic bar.

DAYS 2 - 4

Cape Horn From the landward side

We would sail directly for Cape Horn and weather permitting attempt to round the Horn from west to east and then shelter for the night at Caleta Martial on Isla Herschel in the Cape Horn archipelago. Possibly, bad weather would preclude a rounding for a day or two and we would wait at various anchorages in the Wollaston archipelago for safe conditions. In any event, no more than three days would be devoted to an attempt to round with hopefully a landing on Horn Island itself. After Cape Horn we would sail directly back up into the Beagle Channel and begin the channel passage.

DAY 5

An all day sail through the Beagle Channel will bring us to Caleta Peron on Isla Hoste and a visit to Estancia Canasaka if the family Martinez is in residence. This is one of the last of the remote estancias still operating as a family enterprise. Here we can kill a sheep and have an asado (BBQ) the next day.

DAY 6

After mid the day asado (BBQ) we would continue down channel arriving in Caleta Olla late that evening. This is the real beginning of the mountainous section of the channels with the Darwin Icecap to the north and the steep sided Isla Gordon to the south. Tied with our stern to the trees, this is one of the most scenic of anchorages.

DAY 7

All day would be spent at Caleta Olla. A five hour round trip hike up to a glacier lake underneath the towering Mt. Francais is an option for the very fit, while those less inclined can hike on the lowlands around the bay and channel. This is a wooded area with large patches of mossy bogland and is a botanist’s paradise. For those willing to ‘go high’ eye to eye encounters with Andean Condors guaranteed.

DAY 8

With an early morning start (often less wind in the channels) and a short run we would be abreast of several deep fjords that strike into the heart of the Darwin Range. We would steam to the snout of the glacier in one of them (through the brash ice) and stop for lunch if the weather is fair and watch the seracs calving off into the sea. The night would be spent at a secure anchorage inside the fjord.

DAY 9

A half days run would see us at the end of the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel, and we would then double back through the southwest arm between Isla Gordon and Isla Hoste. That night would be spent at a picturesque anchorage at the western end of Isla Gordon. Good opportunities for hiking ashore on easy ground.

DAY 10 – 11

We would explore the Brazo Suroeste (southwest arm) of the Beagle Channel that has only recently been opened for navigation by the Chilean Navy. Two nights would be spent at anchorages either on Isla Hoste or Gordon depending on the weather conditions. We would endeavour to be anchored by midday with opportunities for treks ashore in the afternoon and evening.

DAY 12

After a long days run from there back to Puerto Williams we would spend a night at the Micalvi for a farewell party.

DAY 13

Guests would depart Puerto Williams for Punta Arenas.

EQUIPMENT

Equipment List 1 - For expedition cruises to Tierra del Fuego.

Please e-mail Skip Novak for more information or to make a booking.