Curare's Adventures

Return to Vancouver

We are back in Canada. Linda's mother became very ill while we were on passage from Easter Island to Chile and upon arrival in Valdivia we started making preparations to return home as soon as possible.

In previous years we have stored Curare on the hard in a hot climate. This year she has been left in the water and it is going to be chilly and damp. We could not do as much washing and cleaning as we have done in the past because things would not dry, but we did as much as we could and Curare will be OK for the four or five months while we are away.

In addition to getting Curare ready for the winter we also had to arrange air tickets for ourselves and Jessie dog. Obtaining our tickets was easy with the help of Carol Fuller, a great travel agent in Canada,  but Jessie's ticket was more time consuming (and expensive).

We have flown Jessie home twice before so we knew what had to be done but every country has variations on the animal flight procedure and Chile was no exception. We were flying Air Canada and wanted Jessie to be on the same flights but at 68 pounds she is too heavy to travel as baggage so we had to ship her as air cargo. This meant:

• purchasing a live animal cage ($400.00)
• a visit to the vet ($24.00)
• a certificate from Chilean agriculture($30.00)
• renting a car to get us to Santiago ($520.00)
• toll fees on the highway ($34.00)
• gasoline for the trip ($125.00)
• meals (~$120.00)
• three nights in hotels ($210.00)
• a one way air cargo ticket ($1,500.00)
• a vet certificate in Canada ($35.00)
• a miscellaneous pick up fee to cargo at YVR ($50.00)

Having Jessie dog in our lives - PRICELESS

Landfall

After 23 days at sea we arrived at the entrance to Valdivia Chile. The last four days seemed tediously long as the wind was blowing from the direction we were headed, we were sailing very slowly and Curare's motion was rough and erratic. It was almost too rough to cook, and anyway we had very little propane, so we cleaned the fridge of leftovers and ate packaged snacks and cookies.

During our passage from Easter Island we used the ships clock (AKA ship's time) and our sunset was 4 PM - when we arrived at the entrance to Bahia Corral it was 4:40 PM and dark. Valdivia is located 10 miles up the Rio Valdivia which flows into Bahia Corral and we did not want to travel up river at night but we had heard via the local radio net that there was a good place to anchor just before the river entrance so that was our destination. By this time it had started raining which was great because we got a free boat wash but it meant navigation became a little tricky. The electronic chart plotter did not provide enough detail to keep us centered in the channel and rain reduced the visibility but we arrived safely to  Isla Mancera by following a freighter and using the navigation marks. By 7:40 PM we were snug at anchor, the stove was lit and we were enjoying a hot meal.

The following morning, May 4, we moved our ships clock ahead three hours to match the local time, and set off up river just before slack water. It was a lovely, crisp, fall day with patches of blue sky, some low lying clouds blanketing the hilltops and coloured trees on shore. Navigation was easy in the daylight following the well marked river channel and we arrived at marina Estancilla without any drama. This small marina is part of the Valdivia Yacht Club and many of the 12 boats are transients like ourselves. There is a dock with water so that we can clean everything on the boat, showers in the clubhouse so that we can clean ourselves, and a grassy field for Jessie to roll in. We will leave Curare here for the winter while we once again travel back home to Canada for the northern summer.

Three Weeks On

Yes, we're still out here on the passage from Easter Island to Valdivia, Chile. We had planned on a three week trip but, given the previous passages, thought we may shave some time off of that estimate. With the highly variable weather we've encountered we've already covered a greater distance than the direct rhumb line course of 2050 miles. Trying to predict where the wind is going to come from next and what weather it will bring has been a daily, if not twice daily, task.

It looks like the Captain may have misjudged the movement of the latest high pressure system that is currently located 60 miles south of us. The original high merged with another high from the southwest and has been stationary for the past couple of days. Hence the counter clockwise rotating winds have been directly in our path as we cross over the northeast quadrant of the high. Had we sailed a slightly more southerly path the winds would have been a bit more favourable for speed and comfort than the close hauled tack we are currently on.

With luck, as we gain east over the high the winds should veer more southerly and allow us to maintain our easterly course to our destination at Valdivia, 200 miles away.

Happy Birthday Jessie

Today we are celebrating another birthday while underway, this time it's Jessie's turn. She's been a salty seadog now for many years, exactly how many would be unlady like to divulge. As with Linda's birthday at sea, we'll hold off celebrating until getting into port in a few days time.

Since we are still at sea Jessie will spend her day likes she does every other day lounging around in the best spot on the boat - in the center of the salon floor where the motion is minimized. Always stylish she's wrapped up in her brand new "piggy" blanket which keeps her warm and comfortable. Unfortunately Jessie won't be getting an extra serving of kibble for her birthday dinner as that is the one food item we have run out of, instead she will eat rice and beans. We'll make it up to her when we make landfall.

We could reminisce about all of the amazing and wonderful places Jessie has traveled to during her time with us but that would take a long time to review. She's accumulated more airtime in planes and helicopters than most people, and has traveled by car, boat, skidoo and ATV through deserts, over mountains and across Arctic tundra. However, we're fairly certain that she is going to be the first princess to sail into Valdivia, Chile from Easter Island in a very long time.