Imvubu

Vessel Name: Imvubu
Vessel Make/Model: Barens Seatrader
Hailing Port: Durban
20 November 2014 | Saldanha Bay
27 October 2014
19 October 2014 | Falklands
06 October 2014
05 October 2014
03 October 2014
28 September 2014
25 September 2014
24 September 2014 | Puerto Montt
16 September 2014 | Puerto Montt
04 March 2014
01 March 2014
28 February 2014
26 February 2014
22 February 2014
15 February 2014 | Beagle Channel
03 February 2014
02 February 2014
02 February 2014
Recent Blog Posts
20 November 2014 | Saldanha Bay

Arrival South Africa

Today at 14:45 we docked at Yacht Port Marina in Saldanha Bay. This brings to conclusion the 24 day crossing, over a distance of 3554nm, from the Falklands to South Africa. The maximum wind speed was 61.7kts, the maximum sustained wind speed was 50kts. We experienced a total of 8 days with sustained [...]

27 October 2014

Departing Falklands

Today at 14:00 we weighed anchor in 35 knots of wind and headed out of Stanley Harbour to start the approximately 3,400nm (great circle route) Voyage to South Africa. We will initially head north of west to give the South Georgia Islands to give the ice reported by other vessels a wide berth. Our initial track will be along the 50S parallel until south of Gough Island before bearing more northerly towards Cape Town.

19 October 2014 | Falklands

Port Stanley

Today at 11:00 local time I dropped anchor in Stanley Harbour in front of the picturesque town of Stanley after a voyage of 556nm. I departed Punta Arenas, Chile on the 25th October at noon in flat calm conditions and arrived at the first narrows in the Strait of Magellan at flood tide reducing my speed down to 3.3kts. This however meant that I arrived at the second narrows at max ebb allowing me to speed through at 12 knots. By sunrise on the 26th I exited the mouth of the straits, with its approximately 50 oil platforms, into the Atlantic. Finally, by noon the wind arrived as forecast and from then it was a rolling downwind ride all the way to the Falklands.

06 October 2014

Punta Arenas

This morning at 09:30 I dropped anchor just south of the town dock in Punta Arenas. I had departed from my previous night’s anchorage in Bahia Manza at 04:00 this morning where I was forced to anchor since the Armada had closed the Port of Punta Arenas due to high winds. As I am discovering the port [...]

05 October 2014

Cabo Froward

At 10:00 I had rounded Cape Froward, the southernmost point of the continental Americas. The land to the south of the cape is a set of islands that make up Tierra del Fuego. This was a cause for some celebration as on the 5th September 2011 I had rounded the northernmost extent of the continent at Point [...]

03 October 2014

Straits of Magellan

This after noon at 16:00 I passed abeam the Isla Fairway Lighthouse marking the entrance to the Straits of Magellan. For the past eight days my heading had been generally south with light to fresh winds from the south. I had sailed through many different channels and anchored in a suitable anchorage [...]

Arrival South Africa

20 November 2014 | Saldanha Bay
Today at 14:45 we docked at Yacht Port Marina in Saldanha Bay. This brings to conclusion the 24 day crossing, over a distance of 3554nm, from the Falklands to South Africa. The maximum wind speed was 61.7kts, the maximum sustained wind speed was 50kts. We experienced a total of 8 days with sustained winds in excess of 35 knots and four days with sustained winds above 48 knots.

Departing Falklands

27 October 2014
Today at 14:00 we weighed anchor in 35 knots of wind and headed out of Stanley Harbour to start the approximately 3,400nm (great circle route) Voyage to South Africa. We will initially head north of west to give the South Georgia Islands to give the ice reported by other vessels a wide berth. Our initial track will be along the 50S parallel until south of Gough Island before bearing more northerly towards Cape Town.

Port Stanley

19 October 2014 | Falklands
Today at 11:00 local time I dropped anchor in Stanley Harbour in front of the picturesque town of Stanley after a voyage of 556nm. I departed Punta Arenas, Chile on the 25th October at noon in flat calm conditions and arrived at the first narrows in the Strait of Magellan at flood tide reducing my speed down to 3.3kts. This however meant that I arrived at the second narrows at max ebb allowing me to speed through at 12 knots. By sunrise on the 26th I exited the mouth of the straits, with its approximately 50 oil platforms, into the Atlantic. Finally, by noon the wind arrived as forecast and from then it was a rolling downwind ride all the way to the Falklands.

Punta Arenas

06 October 2014
This morning at 09:30 I dropped anchor just south of the town dock in Punta Arenas. I had departed from my previous night’s anchorage in Bahia Manza at 04:00 this morning where I was forced to anchor since the Armada had closed the Port of Punta Arenas due to high winds. As I am discovering the port is closed virtually every afternoon.
Punta Arenas does not have a sheltered harbour and the town dock (Meule Prat) with its huge tractor tyre fenders is hardly the place for a yacht, especially when being pounded against these tyres by gale force winds.
After concluding arrival formalities at the Port Captains office I arranged fuel as the first order of business. And so started an entertaining day: I went to the nearby COPEC fuel station but their fuel tanker was out of action, however the owner kindly gave be a ride to a friend’s Petrobras fuel station who has a working tanker. These are very friendly and helpful people indeed. We arranged that the tanker would meet me at the dock at 13:30, I then arranged with the Port Operations office for permission to refuel, weighed anchor and relocated to the dock. At 14:00 the owner of the fuel station arrived and informed me that the port would not allow his tanker to enter due to some new bureaucratic customs rule. He did however suggest that we could head to a small fishing harbour 5nm north and refuel there. Thus, with him on board, we sailed north to the little fishing harbour which is full with rough and ready fishing vessels. We rafted up against two other fishing boats and fortunately the hose was just long enough to reach my tank. During the refuelling operation the wind increased to 30 knots pinning me against the fishing boat. Of course now it was announced that the port was closed. Ever more fishing vessels were scurrying into this tiny harbour for shelter effectively boxing me in but fortunately none rafted up against me. Finally at 21:00 I got permission to depart and head back to the anchorage. I am not sure how I would have gotten out of that spot with paint work intact without the bow thruster.

Cabo Froward

05 October 2014
At 10:00 I had rounded Cape Froward, the southernmost point of the continental Americas. The land to the south of the cape is a set of islands that make up Tierra del Fuego. This was a cause for some celebration as on the 5th September 2011 I had rounded the northernmost extent of the continent at Point Barrow, Alaska some 8,300nm north of my present position.
Yesterday morning, prior to weighing anchor in Caleta Sylvia, I had to untangle a crab pot line that I had caught around the rudder while entering the anchorage in the dark and in strong wind conditions. Given the precarious position I had no choice but to apply full power and drag the crab pot with me, making 3 knots, into the anchorage. Fortunately the line had missed the propeller thus saving me from the unpleasant task of diving in these cold waters. This particular crab pot had a small Styrofoam float that did not show up on Radar. Actually it is only the second crab pot I have snared in all my voyages. The other was off the west coast of the USA, just south of Portland.

Straits of Magellan

03 October 2014
This after noon at 16:00 I passed abeam the Isla Fairway Lighthouse marking the entrance to the Straits of Magellan. For the past eight days my heading had been generally south with light to fresh winds from the south. I had sailed through many different channels and anchored in a suitable anchorage each night. The gulfs, channels and passes include: Golfo Ancud, Golfo Corcavado, Boca de Guafo, Cabo Raper, Cabo San Pedro, Messier Channel, Angustra (narrows) Inglesa, Grappler Channel, Canal Inocentes, Angustura Gjuia, Sariemento Channel, Paso Victoria, Paso Summer, Paso Shoal and now Faro Fairway.
After beating into the freshening winds to weather the cape I turned east, and ran downwind under genoa at 9 knots. Shortly after sunset I anchored in Caleta Holland for the night.

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