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
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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.
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