Wolfgang decided to join us on the trip to Pumalin. Wolfgang we met when we biked to Aconcagua. He sailed for 12 years in his boat “Wilde Mathilde” and lives know with his wife Gabi and some sheeps and alpacas in Villarica. He does the Patagonian safety net for the sailors in the region.
We sailed with Wolfgang from Valdivia 33 h to Puerto Ingles on Chiloe Island, Salina’s first anchorage. The sea was raft and everybody has to vomit. It is the first vomit on a boat for Salina and me. The next day the tide pushed us trough Canal Chacao and the speedometer showed 10 nm. In the golf of Ancud the wind was blowing from the South and we had to tack and couldn’t make it to our next anchorage island Mecheque. So we found protection in Puerto Huite between fish farms on Chiloe Island. Passing Quemchi we followed the Canal Caucahue and soon needed the radar because of the dense fog. After island Tac the wind was picking up from the North and we have had a very fast passage over the golf of Ancud to the Renihue fiord. Like the day before, also today we have had a fishing line in the ruder but we were able to sail us free. Fortunately the clouds were lifting and we sailed into the fiord till the very end where the Renihue fiord turns left into the small fiord Pillan. We were lucky to have spring tide and that Wolfram and Rodrigo guided us in. Kris and Doug Tompkins invited us for dinner in their house and we were able to take a shower after this challenging passage.
We will stay now for a while in this very beautiful Pumalin Park and plan to visit some schools in the neighborhood. Kris and Doug Tompkins are the initiators of the Conservation Land Trust and Conservation Patagonica. Our friend Wolfram Heise is the international cooperation coordinator and helps us coordinating the school visits. Their goals are to create and/or enlarge national parks. They belief that in wilderness is the preservation of nature. Another good example of individuals they act for nature. Yesterday Rodrigo’s wife Paula showed us the production of organic honey and Salina enjoyed it to play with Augustina. Today Salina and Sabine are just exploring the area to collect this extraordinary beauty for our next presentations