enabling him to take ‘a
more relaxed approach to
reaching Puerto Montt’.GLORIOUS ISOLATION
He continued to Puerto Cisnes and Puerto Melinka,
where engine trouble as a result of a split coolant
hose gave Pattinson the chance to go fishing with
the locals for Spanish mackerel, although the fish
he caught barely resembled the mackerel he used
to fish for in north-west Scotland.
With the voyage nearing its completion, Pattinson
contacted Stroud, to ask him if he would fly back
to Chile, allowing them to have one last sail
together before Stroud and Aisling continued their
circumnavigation. He met Pattinson in Quellón,
the start of the Pan-American highway, before
cruising to Puerto Montt. After 575 miles of solo
sailing, Pattinson said he quickly learned howCRUISING THE CHILEAN FJORDS
The fjords and channels of Chile are best visited during the summer
months of December, January and February, which have the most settled
weather. Westerly winds usually dominate, although any northerlies usually
bring rain and poor visibility.
All visiting yachts need to notify the SAG (Servicio AgrÍcola y Ganadero)
agency (www.sag.cl) in Chile at least 24-48 hours prior to arrival.
Regulations state that foreign yachts must have a pilot on board unless
they are fully insured. Cruisers will need to give a detailed itinerary as the
Armada de Chile ([email protected]) controls all vessel movement.
Foreign vessels arriving directly from another foreign port must contact
the port captain on VHF Ch 16 on arrival. No one can leave the boat until
immigration and quarantine have visited. The skipper can then visit
Customs. Once in Chile, cruising yachts must contact the port captain (VHF
Ch 16) at every port they visit and report to the maritime authority office.
Exit papers, known as zarpe, are needed when leaving every port,
and without one yachts can’t cruise the Chilean channels and fjords.
There are entry/exit fees in Chile. Yachts up to 25 tonnes pay US$3.11
when entering or leaving the country. Yachts from 25-100 tonnes must pay
US$51 every time the vessel leaves or enters a Chilean port or marina.
A good source of information can be found in The Patagonia and Tierra
del Fuego Nautical Guide by Mariolina Rolfo & Giorgio Ardrizzi, 3rd edition
(Editrice Incontri Nautici, £85) with updates at http://www.capehorn-pilot.com.essential it is to have more than
one back up plan. He would
also encourage more sailors
to visit Chile. ‘The scale of the
mountains, fjords and glaciers; the abundance of
marine life and the feeling you are the only person
on Earth that feels so alive at that moment, is an
experience I will never forget,’ he said, although
advised that it is easier to sail south through the
Chilean fjords rather than heading north where
‘the slightest bit of wind is like repetitively
slamming into a wall.’
Pattinson has now returned home and bought
a Bradwell 18. He plans to circumnavigate Britain
on Little Fish of Ross in June 2020 with volunteers,
to try and raise awareness of plastic pollution. 35
locations, raising money as they go for the Marine
Conservation Society and the Howard Doris
Centre in Scotland.ABOUT LORIS PATTINSON
Pattinson was seven when he started sailing from
his home town of Lochcarron, Scotland. Aged 11,
he bought his first dinghy with money earned selling
eggs. He sailed his school’s Oyster 80 ketch prolifically
and then spent three months working as crew on a
74ft Sunreef catamaran in the Caribbean before
joining Dan Stroud aboard Aisling in South America.Wi
tol
d^ S
kry
pc
za
k^ /
Al
am
y^
ADVENTURE