Photo - Matt looks on as we enter the Yacht Club Argentino, Mar Del Plata, Argentina. February 2009


After the heavy south winds of the day before started to ease, we enjoyed a great six hours sail. We started to put more and more sail back on, and we dropped the pole to place us on a broad reach. Here we easily cruised at speeds up to eight knots, and we all enjoyed the somewhat smother ride with a 25 knot tailwind. The breeze, as forecast, continued to ease and it was not long before we had to take all the sail back down and start the engine. The wind was forecast to shift back to the north and we wanted to make as much distance with a following wind as possible.

Of course, at about midnight, it started to blow from the north, from directly where we wanted to go. We powered at 2000 RPM, under a trysail to steady us into thirty knot winds and building seas. We were only 50 miles from our destination and not making much advance toward it.

I started my morning watch in this stuff a bit grumbled. We were almost there, and it can't give us a break. Not long afterward, I started to think about what is going right. We have a strong boat which served us well in one of the heaviest weather systems that I have experienced. We have nearly sixty gallons of fuel, our engine is running well, and we have time. Our speed was under three knots for most of the morning, and we started to see a few local fishing boats and coastal freighters.

About mid-day, we started to see the wind drop to around twenty and the choppy, confused seas, started to settle somewhat and our speed picked up. We were now heading straight for the way-point outside of the breakwater, and not having to tack back and forth. Speeds started to reach four knots, and now it was looking good for us to still make it later this evening.

At 15 miles out, I called Lima Dos Oscar (L2O, Mar Del Plata Port Control) and informed them we were a foreign vessel and gave them our ETA of 1700. Once we were about two miles from the entrance, I called again to ask permission to enter the harbor. Permission was granted and we dodged the shoal that projects into the entrance from the south jetty, and we were in. Another local boat waved us to follow him to the yacht club. I had read that the depths are shallow all through this harbor, especially at the entrance to the yacht basin. I held off until I could reach the yacht club on the radio. They told us to tie to a mooring buoy and wait. Or at least I think that is what they said.

As we got closer and closer to the mooring buoys and basin entrance, a fleet of Optimist Dinghies started sailing out and we were surrounded by kids in small boats. Great, now we have something else to watch. We had a look at this raw steel buoy, and decided we would need the dinghy to secure the line to it. Doc and Matt started pumping up our tender, while I called the yacht club again requesting to come in if they have a berth available. Shortly thereafter, an inflatable comes at us at a high rate of speed with the Harbor Master at the controls. He says in very quick Spanish "Follow me, come on let's go." I calmly walk over to the rail and tell him, "Friend, we have to slow down, I can speak Spanish, but it has to be slowly and basic," He said "No problem let's go." I ask him "How deep is the water?" he says " How much water do you need?" I say "dos punto quatro meters" (we really only need 2.3, but I always place a fudge factor when asked). He confirms and says "Follow me." I ask him what side do we tie to? He says "Starboard, vamos."

Of course, Matt and Doc have just set up fenders and lines to port so we have to transfer everything and get ready to follow. While we are setting up the boat for a starboard side tie, I tell Mat and Doc that I am only going to listen to the guy in the dinghy, and I'll ignore everyone else, including the sailboat that we talked to on the radio that was sailing nearby, the man on the breakwater that was waving us into the unknown etc.. They are all trying to help, but they don't know how much water we need, and I am not in a hurry to race in there and crash up our boat. I could really feel the fatigue from two days with little or no rest. We all agreed.

We passed carefully between two concrete and rip-rap jetties, perhaps forty feet wide, as our pilot points us to stay just off center. I see the depth reduce to three feet under our keel, before it starts to deepen. This basin is very small, and chocker-blocked full of boats. We wind our way through the maze of boats with me thinking; thank goodness we have a bow thruster and the conditions are calm. As we round a turn we see a beautiful, long floating dock, with three men standing on it waiting to take our lines.

After a radio check in, and permission granted to check in with authorities tomorrow morning, we rinsed off the deck, all had a shower (the first in four days due to it being too rough to attempt), donned new LONE STAR t-shirts, and headed for the Yacht Club Argentino club house. We enjoyed a few beverages, a great meal, topped off with flan and chocolate mousse.

We were exhausted, and all slept like dead men. We had covered 1203 nautical miles, in eight days and eight hours. Our average speed was an even six knots. Not a bad average considering we were hove-to twice, and had a long, long, slug to windward on our final day. LONE STAR did take a few licks. Our tri-color masthead light is out, our steaming light is out, our bow light is out, our electric automatic bilge pump is out, and we have a nearly blown out staysail and chafed reefing line.

Today after checking-in, dropping off some laundry, and making a few repairs, we plan to find a good hotel and get off the boat for a few days.

It feels good to be here, and closer to our final destination of Buenos Aires. Another bonus is we are barefoot and in shorts again!