Back in Chile...?

Never before have I ever been so little prepared and arranged before going on a passage like this. 4000nm is not really a short sail either. But it kinda felt like we wrapped up it all last second and was rather too keen on get going than actually taking our good time preparing and planning. Looking back at it, I've had almost 2 months in Puerto Montt to prepare. So not really true about not being prepared. But all the last minute turn arounds, stress and endless phone calls (in Spanish!) didn't really help, kinda took focus off the sail really...

Colon on the other hand felt like never been it better shape. So glad some of us got their preparations going.

One of the biggest light houses I ever spotted...

I mean. When we left the port of Puerto Montt, we didn't even know where to spend the coming days waiting for the winds needed to head out to the open ocean. I figured it would be just like the way to come here from the south. Chile is filled with options and locations. And even as that might be true, nightfall came much quicker than I hoped for and the massive amount of salmon farms made this ridiculously more intense than it should've been. Radar on super zoom and highest sensitivity at least we could see them. Miraculously we didn't drive through any of them....

Morning of the last day at anchor, a weirdly rolling motion came sweeping in over the anchorage making it super hard falling back to sleep. At 0200hrs I started my day with final checks and preparations before 0600hrs where we decided to take up the anchorage and head towards the Chacao passage. A passage if timed poorly could result in 10 knots of current. We timed it better than anticipated and through the 20nm long passage (more or less) we ended up with 2 knots of current with us. Making the entire passage quite comfortable!

Then we finally arrived in the open ocean. Sails were up, windvane going bananas until the right settings were found and engine finally shut off. Smooth sailing. Finally. After so many hours motoring through the channels, this was an amazing feeling to once again become one with the elements and getting the boat, just by the wind, getting us somewhere new. Towards new horizons.

Skah (remember the new crew? Good! You are keeping up! Great!), started feeling a little seasick so he went below for some rest. During this time the waves started picking up, wind as well and all of a sudden gusts were upon us in about 30-40 knots of wind. Predictions were saying no more than 20 were expected. In the gust. Meaning we were completely over powered and windvane having a hard time keeping up. But like all other times, nothing more to do than just head up towards the mast and reef that main sail. Genoa is easier from the cockpit to get reefed. The in-mast furling are just super much easier directly on the mast than from the cockpit. Yeah I know. I shouldn't be. it is though. Yes, i know. Should be fixed. I don't know how. Get over it. Anyways. Halfway to the point where I wanted the main sail, something just snapped inside the mast and the entire mainsail was shooting out of the mast. making the entire rigging going completely ape shit and wobbling like a person that have had leg days on the gym just a couple of days ago. I took a quick check in the mast and could quickly spot the issue. The profile and its attachment have snapped in two. Without illustrating this too much in words. This simply means: No more rolling in that sail possible. It's bad. Shit, and not really a good start for the passage that would last somewhere 30-40 more days. Crew was, unfortunately, ordered up from the bunk bed and I explained what was needed to be done.

More or less, hectic couple of minutes with trying to get the main sail down, into the boat and tucked away. Meaning the battens of about 8-12m also in need to get "rid off". The maneuver was actually not as complicated as first thought and the sail was (not really) gently pushed down in the saloon to keep the cockpit clean. it went okay.

I got internet connection and the sat phone was used in order to call a friend in the next harbor and let the Armada of Chile know we would return to Chile and not proceed to Polynesia at this time....

How would they react to this, as I already overstayed my VISA and had to pay fines just for leaving chile, just a couple of days before?

Another 24 hours and we were in the next town. Valdivia. Tired and really wanted to get some sleep it took us hours before we located a marina that welcomed us. Why? Yeah. The entire commune of Valdivia is of course in total lock down. But the Armada, like everywhere in Chile, had no problem with us coming here to arrange all necessary arrangements to get the boat in shape again. Problem is, emergency in Chile only classes for 48hours to fix it. We are already now overdue... again! Amazing how we keep end up in these kind of things. Well well, nothing more to think about until we know more about it. Sleep felt good that night, even as unsure about the entire "moving forward" bits and pieces. Sleep. I tell you! Still sleepy...

Roaring forties marina, Valdivia. Super cosy, remote spot.

it's not very big here. But it is also a long way from town. Interesting times ahead for sure...

So,

- When and how can we fix this in a town that is in total lock down?

- Can we order new parts that is needed, how long time will it take? (took 1 month last time i ordered anything to chile!)

- Can we even enter town?

- We are not officially in Chile so we cannot apply for permits to get to town? (However, seem that Immigration in Puerto Montt, still have not checked us out in their main computer, meaning Valdivia don't know how to handle the situation... yet... I guess?)

- So are we in Chile after all? (officially speaking that is...)

- If this drags out on time, will we once again be allowed to update our permit to enter Polynesia (3rd times a charm ey?)

- If we cannot go to Polynesia, where to then?

- Will the Chilean immigration check us into the country again once all is updated in the computers?

- If so, would we receive 3 new months of VISA or will I just get more fines for overstaying the VISA in the first place, as we never really left Chile (Chilean waters etc. etc ... try to keep up, will you?)

- Would that mean we need to go through all stages of PCR test etc. etc. to clear out again?

- But if we get the new VISA - can we continue sailing within Chile, continuing the north bound pass for about a week stopping occasionally before headed west?

- Why is the man owning the marina here so super friendly? (I really like this place, and the people around here! Even though the situation, I still feel good about coming here... For good and for bad!)

Well, this looks familiar. More or less how this boat always seem to look anyways. Nothing new...

Anyways, I strongly think we did the right thing coming here. Continuing would have been survivable as well. But would have been a super annoying and rough passage. Possibly even a super long one as only 1 sail would be in use and fully operational. Main sail when ever possible.. more or less. And when we were so close to return, it didn't make any sense not to return and get it solved. Unfortunately, as we really couldn't push it through the wind back to Puerto Montt, we had to continue. Maybe we should have continued even further north. But explaining that to everyone that we could sail 7 days so why not another 30 days would be harder than just coming into next port. Or at least I think so.... Well well, always easy looking back and see what was instead of what is ahead.

This will be solved as well - no question about it - question is just how and when which leads to "then what"?

To be fair. I think I've fixed it by now. It doesn't look very pretty. But it feels okay!

Woop woop ! Always an adventure even when not really adventuring!

Cheerio!

Ludvig