Yachting

ADVENTURE

46 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com MAY 2016

which was a blaze of lights, and tacked in

drizzle to the Azócar Islets before setting

a course for Punta Lengue de Vaca (Cow’s

Tongue Point) to pass the Pájaros Islets

to port and about 20 miles offshore from

La Serena and the port of Coquimbo.

The next day and just to the north of the

dangerous reefs of the Pájaros, the wind

suddenly swung from ahead to astern

and rapidly increased in strength, gusting

over 50 knots. A steep sea quickly formed

against the Humboldt and we ran under

a triple-reefed main for a few hours, but

by nightfall the wind had died and we

were motoring under clear skies into a

long, confused swell. At around 0300

and without warning the old Bukh engine

stopped. It was the fuel injection pump and

there was no spare.

Sand and Foam was now so close

to Punta Lengue de Vaca that, as the

Humboldt slowly spun the boat in circles,

I could hear the swell breaking on the

shore. Incredibly, my mobile phone had

a signal and I left a message for Paula,

the daughter-in-law of the president of

the Quintero Yacht Club, Juan Porzio,

explaining that with no wind, no engine

Michael was a navigating

officer with P&O before

pursuing an academic

career at Cambridge,

Newcastle and Yale

universities. He then made a living

writing and publishing, including a guide

to the Caribbean in 1991. Currently, he

is an International Yacht Training (IYT)

instructor and, when not sailing Sand

and Foam, he runs charters in Scotland.

http://www.sthildaseaadventures.co.uk

Michael Marshall

and the current setting me on the shore I

badly needed a tow. She soon phoned back

to explain that the Armada would only

rescue me if I abandoned the yacht.

I decided to wait for the wind. The

current and wind played with me: a puff

of wind would allow me to sail offshore

only to die and Sand and Foam would

be swept back. After hours of this I had

just decided to abandon the yacht when

suddenly the mobile rang. It was Paula,

and the local Armada was coming to the

rescue. Juan Porzio, Claudio’s friend, had

contacted a friend at a local private marina,

Puerto Velero, who had called out the local

Coquimbo Armada – a RIB was on the way.

What a relief to see them approach. They

were excellent seamen and it was not long

before Sand and Foam was alongside at

Puerto Velero marina.

I was given a ‘disposition’ to stay in

Puerto Velero, where I met a wonderful

couple, Peter and Loly, who looked after

the boat and me. Sand and Foam is now

ashore at the marina, lucky not to have

been lost at sea, awaiting a new engine, and

still with some distance to sail to that fabled

destination port of Valparaiso. W

After Michael returned home he was sent

photos of a storm battering Puerto Velero.

Sand and Foam was undamaged ashore

I was lucky to still have Sand and Foam, after

she was towed to a safe berth in Puerto Velero

Saved from calamity,

Sand and Foam

receives a tow

STORM PHOTOS: cOuRTeSy PueRTO valeRO MaRina