¨I lay on the bowsprit, facing astern, with the water foaming into spume under me, the mast with every sail white in the moonlight, towering high above me. I became drunk with the beauty and singing rhythm of it, and for a moment I lost myself - actually lost my life. I was set free!
I dissolved in the sea, became white sails and flying s`ray, became beauty and rhythm, became moonlight and the ship and the hight dim-starred sky!
I belonged, without past or future, within peace and unity and a wild joy, within something greater than my own life, or the life of Man, to Life itself!
To God, if you want to put in that way¨
Eugene O´Neil, Long Day´s Journey into Night
Sunset at Estero Puluqui
Second Day: I am leaving Estero Puluqui aiming to Estero Hueihue, approximately 24,5 nm.
Forecast: Winds from the South and South East, between 9.4 and 17 knots, Waves from 0.1 mts at 10 seconds to 0.3 mts at 2.4 seconds, Temperature between 12º and 18º Celsius.
The night before, I didn't slept very much, I was nervous -probably- At 11:00 am I left Estero Puluqui, just behind of another sailboat, I left the place next to the South Shore line just the opposite shoreline of Punta Lenque, with low tide. My course was SW to leaving Calbuco Island for my starboard side, I was sailing with the genoa only, I couldn't lift the main sail, the sailing was so good, calm seas, 15-17 knots, sailing between 4 and 5 knots speed, sunny skies. However the log was not working, then I couldn't how fast I was sailing since in Chiloé water there are very strong currents, and you can earn or lost a couples of knots if your are sailing when the tide are increasing or decreasing. Usually, if you want to earn some speed you should depart from the North to the South when the tide is starting to decrease and from South to North when the tides are starting to increase.
My idea was to sail to Isla Abtao and cross through Abtao Channel, where someone told me there is a very good beach, then as soon as I left Isla Quenu from my port side, I changed the course to the West aiming Abtao. In the middle of my navigation to Abtao, I decided to sail directly to Hueihue, then I changed my course to South West, since it was getting late, and I wanted to anchorage with light since this time it going to be the first time that I will do it without the help of expertise hands.
At some point, during my sailing, I was concerned, because in my chart appeared a very big island in front of the kawéskar, but I couldn't see it, although it was a very clear day, I thought that my chart has a problem, because showed me a big Island, but I couldn't see it. I removed the card, and put it again, but the island was still there, and I couldn't see it with my eyes, only in the chart, then I took a handheld GPS and showed me the same, I was in a kind of despair, I turned on my iPad, I checked the Navionic route that I planned the prior night, and it appeared that I was sailing in the middle of this big island. Voilá, it was not an Island, I was in the middle of shoal Lagartija Bank, I checked the deep and it was 5 meter, it was a big lesson: green in the chart does not necessarily mean land, in fact mean shoal or banks. Luckily I was crossing during the hight tide.
After I sailed the bank without careened the Kawéskar, I started to see in the horizon that the waves were with white crest, they were approaching to me, until I was in the middle of rough waters, medium waves pushed me from side to side, then to the front, I was fighting very much to keep my course, but the ocean was playing with me for an hour or so. I was a kind of scare, and concern, all of this happened crossing Gulf of Ancud. Francisca tried to leave the cabin of the Kawéskar but I said to her no way, she must be inside, Luchito thank God was sleeping in the bow cabin.
I was thinking is something happened Luchito should be wearing the water suit to keep him warm in the cold water of Chiloé, there were not any ship at sight, I was tired and start thinking like a tired person, like tempting to stop fighting and call for help, like just leave the boat, these kind of thoughts come to your mind for fraction of seconds, but you don't really considered, and as I said you have to keep dancing until the music stop playing or in other word the party continues until the light if off, the music was playing and it was very bright then I must kept fighting. And yes, at some point I came back like this rebel children and I prayed, I prayed and I prayed.
After an hour or so of sailing under there condition, the sea got a little be softer, I was approaching to Punta 3 Cruces, then the sea started to get rough again but not at it was before. I couldn't believe that I am going to start again fighting with the sea, It was rough but not at is was before, and some Toninas (big dolphin), where sailing next to me, and gave me the calm, that they were showing me the course to follow. It was beautiful.
Finally, we got into Estero Hueihue, Estero Cuervos y Estero Huaympuye with the tide increasing yet the lowest depth was 2,6 mts when we cross through the narrow entrance, we sailed Estero Hueihue and Estero Cuervos, looking for the best place to anchorage, the depth in Estero Cuervos was 6 mts, we were with full moon when the highest difference from low and high tide happened, then I decided to look for a place with at least 10 mts depth to release the anchor. I found it in front of a beach where at the top is a white house of a french. The manoeuvre was good.
After the manoeuvre, I realised how stressful I was, I was tense. But finally it was beautiful and well protected place to be.
Kawéskar anchorage at Estero Hueihue
We haven't finished to clean up everything, when we were surrounded for many children in stand up board and kayak, they asked if they could get into the Kawéskar, we said yes, I asked them at what school they were attending (Very Chilean question), they answered at Verbo Divino, my alma mater I said, I offered them some cookies Oreos, they ate all of them, then it was funny because Martin one of them, with Juan Diego, where the son of a very good guy that I knew very well, I used the dated his sister when I was 15 yo. Then Martin called his father, I spoke with Rodrigo, Martin´s father. He invited us to his house, but I declined the invitation since this night I preferred to be in the boat to be sure that I was correctly anchorage. Then I accepted an invitation to the following day.
The Cookies Monsters at Hueihue
My original plan was to stay one night at Hueihue and leave in the morning to Quemchi, but I was so tired that I decided that I need another day to recover from the adventure of this day.
My position of anchorage was 41º 53.768´ S; 73º 31.448' W, it was just in front of the Barbecue of the Pini and Mauro Valdes house.
The Estero Hueihue was a really nice and protected place to anchorage.
Tips that the Martin and Rodrigo gave me:
Oyster and Seafood: Justo García +569 83661470; Bread and empanadas and oyster not from oysters farms Marta Herrera +569 77387363.
Depth:
20:37 6,7 mts
22:30 6,0 mts
Data:
Water ¾
Diesel: between ½ and 3/4
Board 12,1 v
motor 12,8 v
Before swimming at Hueihue Estero
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