Puerto Profundo
16 November 2019
Mike
Once again we are tucked away, waiting out the weather. We are paying special attention this time around as we are getting ready to head into the Straights of Magellan, which, due to its size and NW orientation, can focus the wind and become particularly snotty. We are fortunate in that there is a lighthouse nearby that broadcasts the conditions twice daily and will relay the forecast if asked. It has been raining steadily for the past day, but in the brief moments between chubascos we can catch glimpses of the ice fields and mountains across the sound. We are backed into a slot in a small island with mooring lines ashore. The rock walls are no more than 30 feet away on either side with what look like giant bonsai sprouting from their tops and sides, reminding us of the temple gardens we saw in Japan. While the wind indicator at the top of the mast reads 25 knots, it is calm at deck level and we are perfectly snug in our little caleta, waiting for a series of fronts to pass so we can sneak down the Straights. We were planning on exploring in the kayak today, but, between the wind and the rain and the cold, it is looking like a better day to brew a batch of our Patagonia IPA instead.
Speaking of cold, when we arrive in a new anchorage we are usually visited by a small hawk called the chimango. These guys are very curious and will spend hours walking around the boat, checking things out, before crapping on the deck and flying off. The other day, one discovered that there was warm air coming out of the smokestack for our heater and settled in. Sweet! It wasn't long, though, before he jumped up and started picking up his feet, one after the other, and looking at them with indignation, wondering why they were so hot while the rest of him was enjoying the draft. He would do this dance for a while, then jump off to continue his inspection of the boat, only to return a few minutes later to repeat the process. Down here, with no TV, no internet and out of contact with the rest of the world, we take our entertainment where we can find it.