Chile

Valparaiso, 8 October 2013

Four days on board of Dana Felicia has been a busy time. Getting acquainted with the boat, the crew and the country. Also, as usual, there is a (large) list of things to do. We prioritise, big and important jobs first, finding the critical path elements.

The Chilean people are easy going. Cinq minutes can mean anything from 10 minutes to three hours, but you never get angry with them as they are really nice people, always ready to give a hand. We were invited to the home of Chico for a BBQ with his family and were treated with all they could offer us. Of course by the time we arrived at the marina it was very late and all the staff were waiting for us as they still had to close up the marina after us.

We will meet Chico again in Puerto Williams, as he is captain on a big Hallberg Rassey that is waiting there to go on a trip to Antarctica. He promised us we could find plenty of king crab in Patagonia and we promised him a royal meal of king crab on board Dana Felicia in Patagonia in return for his hospitality in Valparaiso.

For the tasks still to be done on Dana Felicia before we can leave: there are many challenges to overcome that help us build the crew into a team of good friends already after a few days of hard work. Today was spend on taking the furler of the staysail apart that was declared an impossible task by the local rigger. All parts had been glued with epoxy in New Zealand and indeed, it was difficult, but we managed. A good drink after a hard days work on board Dana Felicia was our reward. But the biggest reward for us, the crew, was that now the potential failure to sail to Patagonia has turned into certainty that we can achieve what we set out to do as a team.

Still the essential tasklist to be done will most likely keep us here at anchor in Valparaiso for some ten more days. Then the beauty of the south together with the storms and cold will be within our reach.

You will get an update as soon as there is more to say on the matter. Internet has proven to be a challenge still.

Goodbye for now to all of you, Rob.

Tuesday 15-10-2013, Valparaiso

We have decided not to repair a broken furler of the jib. That will be done in Valdivia, 500 miles south of Valparaiso where the water is more protected. There we have to take down the frontstay to take out a piece of bad furler profile without damaging the frontstay. So long we will have to do with the staysail as the main frontsail.

Fur seals have found a lzy spot in the sun. In the morning and at dawn they find plenty of fish in the bay in competition with pelicans and other birds.

The coffee factory makes itself clearly known in the area. And below we get everyday interest from groups of schoolchildren.

A slight drawback was experienced when Sven tried to lift a 30 kg bag of rice from under the floor board. The whole bag tore and all rice turned out to be moulded. We cleaned everything and settled for some quinoe in stead.

Putting of the repaired staysail furler was exciting in a mast of 25+ meters high.

As a reward we were invited by the marina for a nice BBQ and we returned the favour by showing them around in Dana Felicia. This clearly started some people dreaming....

Friday 18 October 2013, Valparaiso

The last day in Valparaiso gave us the opportunity to roam the city. Twice we were warned that we had to take care of our cameras because they would be stolen if wearing too visible. We did comply of course but never felt unsafe in Valparaiso. In fact the people are relaxed and friendly up to the point that you wonder when they work.

As the city of Valparaiso was struck by a Tsunami early in the 20th century, only higher up the hills old quarters can be found. Steep ascencores (cable car lifts) give access to these areas for a few pesos. Up there you find a wonderful mix of colours and houses of different European styles from that time.

The old trolleybuses are extensively in use from before the time that people realized that climate change required them.

All shops have a 'shop-within-the shop to pay. After paying you can collect the wares.

The navy has a big influence in this city, in the buildings but also in who is in charge. As the Chilean naval base, the port captain is a navy officer who will supply us with a zarpe (cruising permit) when we leave for Valdivia tomorrow. But first we will sail to a small marina ten miles North of here to fill our nearly empty dieseltanks with about 1800 liters. We expect to arrive in Valdivia by the end of the coming week. Weatherforecasts have proven unreliable but the winds will be on the nose.

This impressive building, labelled 'Armade de Chile' is mostly only a facade. Facing it is Arturo Prat (captain in the Chilean navy) who proudly takes care of the seagulls and pigeons around him.