Anchorages in Chile from Canal Chacao to Cabo de Hornos - 'Sunstone ' - 2004/5


Pto Ingles 41°47.548S 073°52.933W Outer part; convenient to wait for tide


Pto Abtao 41°47.952S 073°21.559W Cramped by fish farms & anchored ferry

Pto Montt Oxxean Marina; rough and ready, cheap; helpful, Engish-speaking manager, Alejandro

Est Chauqui 41°41.873S 072°57.703W Steep to, so 2 anchs; nothing to recommend it

Est Voigue 42°17.695S 073°12.714W All round wave protection, but no wind protection

Mechuque 42°18.821S 073°15.921W Interesting village; better spot a little further in NW if not taken

Castro 42°28.670S 073°45.471W Mooring buoys are used by fishing boats and ferries. Water at Armada dock on request, fuel a short walk to petrol station; interesting town quite good provisioning

Est Pindo 42°36.987S 073°29.717W Attractive village, well sheltered anchorage

Est Paillad 42°51.522S 073°35.942W Very attractive setting, a few friendly locals, nice bird life; position is for one of several well protected, good moorings

Juan Yates 43°38.419S 073°00.763W Great wildlife! Playful dolphins, penguins, otters & birds; very attractive, well protected from strong westerlies coming through Golfo Gaufo; 2 shr**

Pozo de Oro 44°08.820S 073°06.215W Attractive, well protected anchorage, but surprisingly little wildlife; a little way off the N/S track

Cta Valverde 44°20.137S 073°46.414W Attractive, good protection except from Elies

Cta Brooks We looked in here intending to anchor; despite a narrow entrance, in Nly conditions the cove is rough; the bottom is extremely uneven, apparently strewn with boulders; the notch in the NW corner ,suggested by the 'Italian ' guide, was impossible for us to find; this is not a good spot

Pto Americano 45°00.866S 073°42.414W Slightly tricky entrance, but great inside; excellent protection and very attractive

Pto Aguirre Anchored at Posa, E of village, poor holding, but protected; not much in village; diesel available at both villages, but not easy to get & a little expensive; not worth a night 's stay

Cta Rosita 45°14.182S 073°29.746W Attractive, good protection; excellent water at stream

Cta Jacqueline 45°43.931S 073°57.437W Very attractive, waterfall; very good protection except possibly from E

Est Balladeres 45°44.661S 074°22.525W Nicely protected angle in S shore just before the narrower, shallower section

Pto Millabu 45°44.054S 074°36.026W Good granite scenery and large waterfall; well protected except S/SE

Pto Francisco 47°44.960S 074°33.839W Good alternative to the notch in NW corner, easier to get into in strong winds; narrow but straight-forward entrance; 2 shr lines to W

Cta Point Lay 48°20.420S 074°33.458W Good protection, not a lot of swinging room

Cta Yvonne 48°39.830S 074°19.312W Excellent protection, tricky to get in with strong winds; terrible sandflies! 3 shr

Cta Vittorio 48°54.179S 074°21.737W Well protected notch; 4 shr lines; sandflies

Cta Lucas 48°59.712S 074°24.650W Well protected, quite attractive scenery; 2 shr lines

Pto Eden 49°07.681S 074°24.742W Well protected except from S; Very interesting village with friendly people; good fruit and veg, if the Navimag ferry arrives while you are there, Wed/Sat, some general stores; slightly expensive diesel and not very clean

Est Dock 49°56.695S 074°27.971W Well protected, but wind could funnel from W; good water from stream, if rather brown coloured . Otters and birds

Bahia Tom (Bolina) 50°11.652S 074°49.372W V.good protection; lots of steamer ducks; 2 shr

Cta Paroquet 50°39.608S 074°33.162W Exc. Protection, but not easy to get tied up in str winds; 4shr

Cta Villarrica 50°49.384S 074°00.773W V attractive, quite good shelter, narrow entrance; 2 shr

Cta Bueno 50°59.236S 074°13.046W Good all round wave protection, but open to winds; shore tie not easy or useful, nice walk ashore, very good water from stream

Cta Moonlight Shadow 51°33.606S 074°04.605W Best spot in notch to S, but stern tie to Is. is also OK, if other spot taken; well sheltered and v attractive; exc walk at top end of lagoon across heathy landscape with good views at W end; 2 shr

Cta Victoria 52°00.191S 073°43.436W Fair protection, but open to S; shallow; 2 shr to small Is.

Cta Welcome 52°09.365S 073°42.081W Qite good protection, but open to rachas from valley to SW, which turn into SEly in anch; set anch well to SE; nice walk after initial bush bash, good views of Canal Smythe; ashy-headed geese; 3 shr; the entrance to the inner harbour, Puerto Mardon, is not at all clear, but encumbered with kelp and rocks, we touched trying to get in

Cta Teokita 52°41.585S 073°45.775W Great spot; extremely sheltered; entrance would be tricky in str winds; entrance waypoint: 052°41:189S 073°45.229W; 3 shr

Cta Mostyn 53°15.445S 073°22.217W V good shelter; best anchorage in the Straits of Magellan NW of Acwalisnan; good water at stream/cascade in NE corner

Cta Playa Parda 53°18.398S 073°00.200W Attractive anchorage among impressive rocky hills; prone to rachas from all directions; good walks; Bahamian moor***

Cta Notch 53°22.687S 072°48.373W Attractive scenery; heavy rachas from all directions; shr lines possible, but not easy; Bahamian moor Cta Mussel 53°36.900S 072°18.991W Good shelter in narrowish cove; shr lines not realistic; Bahamian moor

Cta Sunstone 54°03.006S 071°43.433W Good shelter except from E/SE in U-shaped cove on N shore of Ens Elsa; some kelp, but good mud under it; 2 shr; appr. waypoints: outer 54°03.240S 071°43.251W, inner 54°03.057S 071°43.290W

Cta Cluedo 54°16.044S 071°46.625W Attractive spot, geese; good shelter, but W winds might funnel; narrow and shr lines not realistic; Bahamian moor

Cta Brecknock 54°32.686S 071°54.643W One of THE great anchorages in beautiful and impressive scenery; exc shelter; room for three medium-sized boats in SW notch; exc walks; 4shr

Cta Silva 54°56.860S 070°46.602W Good Wly protection, but open to E/NE; 2 shr

Cta Julia 54°54.662S 069°47.108W V good protection in attractive setting; shallow but OK; excellent walking; bow & st lines with anchor to N

Cta Beaulieu 54°47.774S 069°37.742W Another of THE great anchorages in spectacular scenery; good protection, but Nlies would be uncomfortable and bring ice from the glacier; good walks and dinghy trip to glacier; 2 shr

Cta Olla 54°56.433S 069°09.415W Exc shelter from W behind tall trees; very good walks; Patagonian fox on the beach; could be crowded at times; 2 shr

Cta Eugenio 54°55.791S 068°29.469W V good protection; good birds; E entr better than N; 3 shr

Pto Williams The most Sly YC in the world; v good shelter; lots of boat movement on W side due to charter boats going to C. Horn, quieter on the inside, but shallowish; a couple of small stores, well stocked for size; laundry on same street further along; diesel (by can) and gas on waterfront road; good walks in the hills to S

Ushuaia (Argentina) Reasonable berths at the AFSYN dock, but very crowded, rafted up to six deep, with lots of movement by charter boats; awful in an easterly of any strength - get on a mooring or at anchor; good shopping and walks in hills above the town; diesel in cans by dink at the petrol station on N side of Harbour

Pto Toro Common stop on the way to Horn; berth at dock with fishing boats; anchoring difficult; good shelter from Wlies, but open to E/NE

Cta Martial 55°49.330S 067°17.607W Closest anchorage to Horn; OK protection from Wlies, but open to E/NE

Cta Banner 55°01.148S 066°55.682W Alternative anch on the way to or back from Horn with some all round protection.

Notes:

1. All positions are WGS 84; we have checked them, but cannot guarantee their accuracy; use your own judgement.

2. ** All anchorages are to single anchor unless otherwise noted. 'shr ' indicates shore lines, usually 2 from the stern with a bow anchor. Even with 3 or 4 shore lines we always put down an anchor.

3. *** In a number of anchorages as noted we used a Bahamian moor, 2 anchors set in opposite directions, both from the bow, joined by a heavy snatch block, which is dropped down at least 3 metres below the water; we found this effective in anchorages where there are heavy rachas from varied directions, where it was difficult or impossible to use shore lines and where swinging room is limited.

4. Observations about the security of anchorages is based on our own experience only in the conditions at the time. These might be very different at other times.