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Beth and Evans Hawk includes 58 anchorages in the Chilean Canals and around Cape Horn

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Kevin and Theresa - Sapphire of London



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51 Anchorages from Canal Chacao to Cabo de Hornos

Chile & Magellan Str-notes on 108 harbours & anchorages

Reports follow on:

Armada Weather Forecast
Iquique – 20°13.00'S, 70°17.32'W
Punta Arenas – 53°10.00'S, 70°54.00'W

Armada Weather Forecast in the Patagonian Channels

Chile, as a long thin country, is divided into 10 zones. The Patagonian channels are in zones 6, 7 and 8 i.e. Puerto Montt to Puerto Williams.

The Armada transmit the local weather forecast twice daily at 0835LT and 2035LT on 4146 KHz. In the southern canals, Magallanes Radio (Armada radio station) gives the forecast for zones 6, 7 and 8 but also for 9 specific places. The forecast for these 9 places is very useful and more accurate than grib weather files because it is a locally generated forecast.

The nine specific places are:-

- Puerto Natales (the town north of Magellan Straits)

- Faro Evangelistas (western extremity of Magellan Straits)

- Paso del Mar (western end of Magellan Straits)

- Punta Arenas (eastern Magellan Straits)

- Punta Delgada (eastern end of Magellan Straits – first narrows)

- Canal Brecknock (western most canal west of Beagle Channel)

- Canal Ballerno (west of Beagle Channel)

- Puerto Navarino (Beagle Channel)

- Puerto Williams (Beagle Channel)

You can pick up the forecast for the area you are in if you know the sequence order and after listening carefully a few times - it is a very poor quality pre-recording so it makes it a lot easier if you know the sequence. They always say the name before the forecast, e.g. “Paso del Mar …..”

The sequence order is:

1. Notices to mariners (buoys etc)

2. Weather warnings

3. Forecast for zones 6, 7 and 8 - 12 hours and 24 hours

4. Forecast for the 9 specific places as above – 12 hours (evening forecast is for 0800LT to 2000LT and morning forecast is for 2000LT to 0800LT)

We really did find this forecast of great value. They give cloud coverage, visibility, the wind speed and direction, strength of rachas (gusts) and sea state. We would only sail upwind with a forecast of up to 20knots with rachas of up to 25knots. Anything more than this is too full-on for upwind sailing in the canals.

Suzanne Hills and Chris Cromey

Whanake

E: whanake@yahoo.com

Iquique – 20°13.00'S, 70°17.32'W
1) Information Submitted by Theresa and Kevin Ruscoe s/v Sapphire of London

2) Date January 2006

3) Harbour or Area Covered Include Lat & Long Iquique, Chile 20° 12 '60S 070 ° 09 '30W

4) Suitability and attraction for yachts Convenient and comfortable stop for yachts with draft of no more than 2m. (if more than 2 m draft, anchorage outside yacht club is possible) Iquique is a pleasant town with a population of about 200 000. The climate here is incredibly benign and ALWAYS dry which makes Iquique a great place from which to work on your boat if necessary.

5) Marinas, Berthing or Anchorage Club de Yates y Botes, Iquique The entrance needs to be treated with caution as the channel leading to the marina is narrow and shallow and the bottom very rocky. The channel should only be negotiated at high water. The diagram of the entrance in the RCC pilot is somewhat misleading as the rock on the sketch is actually a small breakwater leading to the shore. There is a green tower with one red band at the end but be aware that this rock-pier extends about 10 metres further under water. Sometimes breaking water is visible there. The armada buoys are incorrect in so far as the buoy indicating "preferred channel to starboard" would put you on the rocky breakwater.

On the east side you will usually see large black fishing boats. Here the water is safe at over 10 metres deep. From here you look for the two leading lights or red triangles in the SW corner. This transit needs careful attention - when you enter ideally keep the lower triangle in line or very slightly to the right of the upper triangle. These lead to the marina. In front of you (south from the rock-pier) you will see the smaller orange fishing boats. There the water is 0.80m!

Make sure you keep the red buoy to port but don 't go close to it as that will put you out of the channel. (This buoy is also the wrong colour for IALA region B) We found it useful to anchor in the deeper water first before bringing the tender through the pass to investigate and to ask for help in securing the boat in the club.

There are pontoons to which one moors either bows or stern to and then buoys with which to secure the alternate end of the boat. *The mooring buoys are NOT very heavy nor secure so often boats secure with an anchor as well. In Jan 2006 the cost for a 42 ft yacht was about $US10 per day.

6) Entry Ports Iquique is an entry port

7) Formal Requirements for Yachts Entering/Departing:

a) from/to same country zarpe from Armada

b) from/to abroad If clearing out of Chile this is the procedure: 1. Armada for Zarpe. 2. Make two copies of Zarpe. 3. International police (immigration). 4. Aduana. 5. Armada again to have zarpe stamped. If arriving from abroad, the above need to be visited.

c) visa requirements none for EU citizens

8) Location/Existence of:

a) harbour master Armada / Capitania are immediately beside the club

b) customs/immigration Immigration are on cnr O 'Higgins and Barros Arana

c) health authorities unknown

d) police unknown (immigration above is the international police)

9) Control of Foreign Yachts The Aduana are a 5-10 min walk towards the port. Turn right on the main road as you leave the yacht club and walk until you come to a little pedestrian passage going off to the right. The aduana are in that passageway.

10) Attitude of Officials to Visiting Yachtsmen Courteous

11) Repair/Hauling Facilities The club has a very small crane but not suitable for anything bigger than a small power boat. There is a ship building yard next to the club with facilities to haul out larger yachts if necessary. There seems to be a ready supply of skilled and unskilled labour.

12) Sailing Directions or Charts BA Sailing Directions NP7 BA chart 3076 (plan of Iquique) BA 3070 (approach chart)

13) Cruising Guide and where Obtainable. Include Phone and/or E-Mail RCC Chile Pilot - Work: 57 413385 E-Mail: ckybdetatesybotesiqq@entelchile.net (Patricio Vargas is the manager)

14) Port Radio Services

15) Weather Forecasts Daily forcasts by the armada on radio, navtex and sat C.

16) Yacht Club(S) Club de Yates y Botes Iquique

17) Other Facilities:

a) drinking water on the pontoons

b) fuel service station in the town

c) gas (propane)/gaz station in the town – propane is unavailable though butane is available

d) chandlers Moto Nautico chandlers one block from the yacht club - limited supplies

e) bank lots in the town

f) shops/market lots in the town

g) restaurants/hotels lots in the town

h) post office/telephones including mobile facilities post office in Bolivar

i) internet cafes plenty

j) best mailing address Club de Yates y Botes Av Jorge Barrera s/n Iquique Chile **if receiving goods prefix the address with "Rancho De Nave"**

k) showers cold showers only in the club

l) laundry lavandarias in the town

m) transport/air services Iquique airport for national flights or international flights to Bolivia

n) medical facilities/hospital Hospital in the town and other health centres.

18) Recommendations or Warnings

19) Other Information – please include here general impressions, opinions, comments or any other matter which might be of use to those visiting. We very much enjoyed our stay in Iquique. It is a good place to leave the boat should one wish to travel into the Altiplano or to Peru / Bolivia. Iquique is also in a tax free region and at the "Zofri" in the town, many goods can be obtained duty free. We saw ICOM equipment for sale. If courier services are needed DHL have an office in the town. Fedex on the other hand will deliver as far as the airport only.

Punta Arenas – 53°10.00'S, 70°54.00'W
1) Information Submitted by Ben Pester

2) Date 02 June 2003

3) Harbour or Area Covered Include Lat & Long Punta Arenas, Eastern Straights of Magellan, 53°10’S, 70°54’N

4) Suitability and Attraction for Yachts Not good, but a necessary evil if entering Straits of Magellan from South Atlantic and planning to cruise Tierra del Fuego

5) Marinas, Berthing or Anchorage Uncomfortable berthing alongside wharf (Muelle Arturo Prat) or anchor in marked area SW of Muella. There may be vacant moorings.

6) Entry Ports Punta Arenas is port of entry for Estrecho de Magallanes.

7) Formal Requirements for Yachts Entering/Departing:

a) from/to same country Chilean Navy permit (Zarpe) obtained on arrival which is also exit document.

b) from/to abroad Last port clearance may be required, passports, ships registration certificate.

c) visa requirements Nil for UK and EU citizens

8) Location/Existence of:

a) harbour master In Punta Arenas maritime Authority in Navy Headquarters, Capitan del Poerto.

b) customs/immigration Customs Office at head of Muelle. Declaration to be made. Immigration in town at office of International Police.

c) health authorities No specific action needed.

d) police Policia International (International Police). Call at the office to check in. They also handle immigration.

9) Control of Foreign Yachts Chilean Navy (Armada) controls all yacht movements. Armada issues Zarpe for cruising in local waters and exit.

10) Attitude of Officials to Visiting Yachtsmen Good, helpful and friendly. The Chileans are nice people.

11) Repair/Hauling Facilities Limited, but engineer services available for small craft. Armada shipyard (ASMAR) willing to help and has slipway.

12) Sailing Directions or Charts Admiralty South America Pilor Volume II –(2) Admiralty Chart 1694 SHOA (Service Hidrografico y Oceanografico de la Armada) chart 11410

13) Cruising Guide and where Obtainable. Include Phone and/or E-Mail RCC Pilotage Foundation –Chile, at chart stockinsts. Yachtsmans Navigator Guide – Alberto Mantellero, Fax Chile 56-32-213262

14) Port Radio Services VHF Ch 16 Capitan del Puerto

15) Weather Forecasts Armada and Radio Magallanes (Spanish)

16) Yacht Club(S) Nil and no local yachting.

17) Other Facilities:

drinking water On Muelle or tanker

fuel On Muelle by tanker or cans gas

(propane)/gaz Propane supplier at head of Muella

chandlers Hardware shops in Town

bank In Town

shops/market Readily available. Mini supermarket near Muella.

restaurants/hotels Well supplied, friendly service.

post office/telephones including mobile facilities Available, efficient. internet cafes

best mailing address Lista de Correos (Post Restante) Correos de Chile, Bories 911 y J Menendez, Punta Arenas, Chile.

showers One at head of Muella by arrangement.

laundry Several in Town.

transport/air services National Airline and Light Aircraft firms. medical facilities/hospital Satisfactory. Readily available.

18) Recommendations or Warnings The Armada dominates the scene. It is smart, efficient and helpful if one does what it says. Care with shell fish. Yachts should be completely self sufficient and have heavy ground tackle.

19) Other Information – please include here general impressions, opinions, comments or any other matter which might be of use to those visiting. The Port is not geared for yachts but can accommodate them if you are prepared to live rough. Subject to high winds and dangerous surge if alongside the Muella with winds from NE round to SW. In strong Easterlies one must get underway. Not a place to linger in once one’s Zarpe has been secured. Desirable as well as mandatory to keep Armada informed on Yacht’s movements.