Quarantined in Chile!

So we were all new crew on board. More or less. Got two new members while one was leaving for a short hike in the mountains. All were set and we've done our provisioning for a couple of days traveling in the Caletas (safe anchorage) in Chile. Not in Ushuaia and Argentina were were at first...

Even the shortest of trips always seem to give you an amazing view...

... Where ever your Camera seem to be pointed at!

We went to Puerto Williams to get ourselves cleared into the country and all went smooth. We did just miss a massacre between a bunch of Orcas killing a fin whale though. Just next to the marina. The entire Marina had spectate the incident. Insane! Rough countries down here - survival of the fittest for sure!

1 piece of Orca played whale... (smelly thing....)

Then a couple of days later we set sail (read; Motoring!) towards the first Caleta. Caleta Olla. An amazing little spot just a few 50 nm away from Puerto Williams. We did some great sightseeing and got really wet trying to walk across "beaver land". Amazing none the less.

Johanna feeling ready for the adventure... little did she know by now what were waiting...

A day later Cool Change, an american boat, joined the anchorage and there was a great barbecue going before we decided to head back towards Puerto Williams. Johanna had a flight to catch after all.

Sweet, sweet game of Kubb....

Wind were supposed to be up towards 40-60 knots but as we are inside the archipelago and down wind it shouldn't be a problem. But for all of you that have followed the blog for some while know that we rarely get any winds anyways. So we went by motor all the way... No winds came! Great little day none the less.

First ice in the water spotted!

We learned that with some ice there is always more...

However, being away from the internet in these times, and to top that, almost a week, did give us a little surprise coming back to town. Lock down, and Quarantined on anchor. 14 days. No water and not enough food. However, the Armada around these parts have been complete sweethearts, even if they have absolutely no information to give. They provided 200 litres of water, food and toilet paper. Amazing!

But there was a long couple of days on the boat. Not doing anything. 4 people. Trying to get along in a cramped place without even knowing when, how or IF we are able to move from this place at any time soon. 14 days were the said amount of time....

Dreaming back of the little more interesting views than what we were supposed to look at for the upcoming 2 weeks...

I did write a small little insight to what is being done on a boat during quarantine. See below:

Day 1.

* Arrived in Puerto Williams - Got the amazingly great news! No entrance to port - stuck in quarantine! * Informed the armada about low on most consumables!

Day 2.

* Johanna missed her flight from Puerto Williams.... * Last wine went down thirsty sailors mouths. * We got information water and food are to be delivered to the boat. * Contacted a boat at shore (Kotik) to help with some "extra" deliveries. Captain Igor were more than happy to try to help out! * Started playing card games. A lot of card games...

Day 3.

* Last liquor went down thirsty sailors mouths. * Last cigarette package opened. * Food and water were delivered to Colon by the Armada(navy). Thanks! (Much more than expected as well - how long are we actually staying here?) * Contacted Igor on Kotik to give "shopping list" * Got rejected by the armada for wine and Rum. Bummer... But tobacco ok! Fair enough! Igor the hero delivered! * ... More card games!

Day 4.

* Won every game of cards! * Fixed the outboard engine... again... I hope. No way of testing it though as we are not allowed to leave the boat. Not even for the Dinghy. Great feeling about the deed though! * Thought it was going to be a great day... * ... No more gas in the boat. Tried fixing it with the grill gas bottle. Did not work. Found another Campingaz bottle - only usable with camping gear. Great I had one..! * Contacted Igor again about gas situation and hope he might have some great ideas!

Day 5.

* woke up... * More card games... * Runned the engine a couple of hours to charge batteries. * Gas getting lower, started the barbecue to cook.

Day 6.

* waiting for the Armada to collect our gas canisters and get refilled. Crossing fingers it works here! * Boiled water on the last gas... Coffee and tea were desperately needed. Figure, if we can't fill the canisters of gas. We are doomed anyways. Let us have some warm drinks at least before that.... * Note to self: 50 knots of wind can make your 100 meters of chain + anchor rip up the kelp by the roots. Dragged for 1,5 knots while re-moored on a fishing boat on a buoy. Not as easy as one can think in 50 knots wind. * Note to self: Clean the big ball of kelp from the anchor during tomorrow. * Went back to sleep

Day 7.

* Woke up. Wind still here. No working today... Boat lies still though... * Emailed with the Swedish embassy in Santiago. Got a lot of information. No news though... * starting to realize we will not get back the gas today. No more hot food then... * Did a new USB with music. Took all day. Exhausting....

Day 8.

* Cleaned the kelp. Later than planned. No worries. I'm not stressing about it * No gas today either. Planning cold Ravioli for lunch and dinner. Nice! * Engine started to do more energy on board. * Service on the diesel oven. Looks like new. Works like new. Smoking like crazy sometimes though... All good as it does not leak anymore! * Got stuck on the Ipad game "Room Escape". Annoyed that I cannot make the level. * Went to bed...

Day 9.

* 5kg of Propane was delivered to the boat. What a day! ... For those that doesn't know. That is gas for the stove. Quite nice to have! * Dismantled the temporary kitchen. * Did a couple of stitches on a ripped sail that we got after the massive winds coming here from Deseado - Forgotten about it. "solved" now... * Completed the Ipad game level on "room escape" I was stuck on. Was easy after all.. * Did not start the diesel heater once this day. * Had a long nap! * Amazing day!

Day 10.

* Sun came out today. Nice to see what is all around us... Still just Puerto Williams... And the big red fishing vessel we are moored to... Hopefully another day without diesel oven... Who knows? * Anton started his monster to computer. No more battery power on the boat. Need to start engine to generate power. Good to have something to do tomorrow. Note to self: remember to start engine to generate power. Stressing about having things to do.... * Stuck in the game "Room escape" again... * Johanna wanted something to do. I gave her wax and a cloth. She started waxing the interior. That ought to teach her not to ask for something to do... getting me stressed up and all! * Camilla made cinnamon buns - First time the boat smelled this good since 1973... * Family of sea lions played around the boat all day. Nice to see not everyone are in quarantine...

Day 11.

* Forgot to start the engine early. Started it shortly after. * Was hoping for a lot of winds today - None to be seen - Have to do some boat choirs today then... stressed out! * Took a nap from having to much to do... * Had some whales playing around quite far from the boat - but that is what binoculars are used for, right?

Day 12.

* Considering a baby wipe "shower"... But seem like a lot of Job... Need to think about it some more... * Changed underwear though. Fancy day today! No holes what so ever. Feel fresh! ... And tight! * Finally got through the level in "room escape" ... 403 levels to go... I need more time in Quarantine! .. ehm... * Johanna complaining about aches in her arms... Good! Lesson soon learned! * Anton won a(!) single game of cards today (So proud of him! Only took 12 days)

Day 13.

* People think we only had one more day to go. Loved to spoil their fun! * Camilla was doing cinnamon buns again. Guess the smell was getting worse in the boat lately... * ... Wonder at what time we will start playing cards today?

Day 14.

* Hopefully now we only have this day to live through then into the marina! No longer in quarantine! Easily done! Was getting content this was my life now though... * Fun fact #1 : Quarantine was only 4 days shorter than sail over the Atlantic. Still felt longer though... wonder if it was the company of that we saw land all the time..? * Fun fact #2 : Johanna almost done. Hope she gets it done before the rest of us take a small walk outside the boat for the first time in while... * Not so fun fact #1 : Johanna is actually done. Too bad. Wonder if the lesson got learned after all..? * Fun fact #3 : Not the first time I am in Quarantine. However, the 12 hours in Australia prior to have "Health and sanitation" to meet up with the boat were a child's game compared to this. Well... Some difference in the time aspect perhaps?

Day 15 (or day 1 in the new "non quarantined life"?).

* Nervously contacting the armada - "are we still in quarantine or are we allowed to Micalvi yacht club?" * Still in Quarantine. Is this an April fools joke? Nope! One more day according to the Armada. Well well...

Day 16 (or day 1 in the new "non quarantined life"?)

* Nervously contacting the armada - "Are we still in quarantine or are we allowed to Micalvi yacht club?" * feeling like I've been through this before... * Waiting all day for final approval. * Waiting in vain... * More card games... * Opened up bottled water as no more water in the takns. Again. * Note to self: Contact Igor and the Armada for more water, tobacco and food. Running scary low on absolute everything on the boat...

Day 17 (realized the Day 1 in "non quarantined life" might take some more time...)

* Nervously contacting the armada - "Are we still in quarantine or are we allowed to Micalvi yacht club?" * Deja-vú? * Waiting all day for final approval. Again... * Contacted Igor for Water and food. All island is locked down, so most likely this time it will take some extra time. I have some good hopes about water being delivered rapidly though! * Surprisingly we got information that the quarantine is done. We got to go into Micalvi yach club. All is done. We've done it. Quarantine is done!!

Day 1 (Finally "non quarantined life"!)

* Hungover.....(goddammit - I was doing so good not vomiting once this year due to hungover's. Well well, maybe next year will be my year..?) * ... but no longer in Quarantine! * Placed in house arrest instead... GREAT! (However, access to showers and wine(!)... But nothing really changed that much!)

So this has pretty much been a "smooth ride" without any bigger incidents. Nothing broke (Unlike most time when we are sailing - so very happy captain!), not even the morale or humor on the boat. Even if it has had it's fair share of tries. We've gotten along quite fine on the boat and got a lot of small fixes done as well. 4 people have been all fine actually on the boat for alot longer than anticipated. Could have fit more people! The last couple of days were a little longer than the first though. But that just remind us of normal sailing. Always a long time in the end... Now the real interesting parts start.

Will we make it to the pacific this year?

First anchorage in Chile - Caleta Olla

We were off for an adventure. Another Glacier to be inspected!

If you look carefully. Glacier is just there.... Behind "Beaver land"...

We did the best we could, crossing it any way possible. Anton conquering another crossing...

Cool Change joined in Caleta Olla - got very crowded....

So this is the situation. Winter is coming. Days are getting shorter and it is getting colder and colder. The cold really have no specifically impacts on the sailing per se. However, with colder weather more ice in the seas can be expected. Meaning sailing during "after sun"-hours are to be avoided. If days are getting shorter that means we have shorter time of sailing from one safe anchorage to another. Meaning we have approx 1000nm from here to Puerto Montt only possible to sail during day time. That would normally just take 10 days maximum. But weather and wind down here don't really let us do that much offshore sailing done. Meaning, we are to keep into the archipelago and motoring as much as we can. Leading to another problem. We have no possible way of carrying enough diesel to get the entire way. We need to do stops and refuel. Which means Chile CAN'T put us in Quarantine again for 14 days if we are to make it. We've talked to a lot of other boats and it seem we should consider about 3-5 weeks for getting to Puerto Montt. That is a lot. But seem to be accurate and about what I've been planning all along. However, then with more "exploring" than what might be possible now. Expecting the winds to keep us out from sailing all the time anyways.

So we are in a little of a pickle if you may say so.

We also have 2 new crew members that are not able to get anywhere as well. Leaving them stranded without roof over their heads are not really an option either.

We've been calculating and researching, as much as the internet here in the boat been allowing us to do, and we NEED to start sailing north at the latest 1 of May to at least have a fighting chance. That seem like a long time. But with the Covid-19 around every corner in all of the world it might still be a tricky operation.

We are at another "fork in the road" here. This time forced upon us, like the rest of you everywhere, due to Covid-19, what are we suppose to do, when can we do it, and how should we do it?

Worse come to worse, winter in Chile might not be that bad?

Nature is just wild around here - We'll be fine!

How cold can it really be...? ... ehm ...

// Capitano Quarantine-Ludde