News

Text: Jorge Velasco Cruz
Photos: Marc Turrel
Cámara Digital Olympus C-8080V

Thinking of Golfo de Penas, Golfo de Penas, Promontorio Exmouth, Seno Eyre, Fjordo Falcón, Paso White, takes us to the boundaries of known and unknown, a land plenty of myths that would be the stage to the first sailboat explorations to the Patagonia.

Today, we can revive the great adventure, the exoticism of captivating landscapes and the call of the mountains of the end of the world by sailing the Patagonian channels with Naviera Magallanes (Navimag Ferries)...

Friday, 6:00 AM. We set sail an hour and a half ago. We are told through the speakers that we are about to cross Paso White, an 80-meter wide channel; the narrowest area to be crossed by the Magallanes ferry, vessel in which we are traveling to the north of the Puerto Natales-Puerto Montt route.

The crew offers us a cup of coffee that awakens the body, so we are better fit to enjoy the indomitable landscapes of the Patagonia: icy summits, sculptural glaciers, endless forests and the fearsome Pacific Ocean. General views that will amaze us throughout the whole tour.

Passengers do not stop taking pictures. The sight, especially the set of 4 granite towers similar to those of the Paine, leaves passengers absorbed. Wind is light and skies are clear.

Sailing through the Patagonian channels

"Each journey is a book. It is closed, stored and we begin a new journey. And expectations are always the highest", tells us Captain Marcelo Sánchez Alcázar. Expectations similar to those of Padre

De Agostini in his famous book ANDES PATAGÓNICOS that described the first journey to these latitudes. The Expedition instructed by the then Governor of Chile, García Hurtado de Mendoza, and led by Francisco Cortés de Ojeda on board of the San Sebastián had the mission of exploring the southern area of Chile and the Strait of Magellan, towards the same horizon we are sailing now.

The expedition sailed from Valdivia on November 17, 1577. The first great cove explored by them was the Eyre cove, three centuries after the famous English hydrographic commission under the leadership of Fits Roy on February 28, 1830.

Ojeda took four days to acknowledge, all along, this huge inlet and the Falcón fjord. He found many obstacles when advancing along the great number of ice floes that caused the deepest astonishment among sailors.

With this reminiscences on the Ojeda expedition we arrive at 8 AM to the southernmost place of the journey, Paso Sobenes, located on 52° 10' south latitude. From now on, the wind, rain and sun will be our trip mates, which will dye the Patagonia with an even more mysterious halo. A very promising journey is awaiting us. The Brujo glacier will astonish us with its one kilometer and a half width approximately at 5 PM.

Arriving to Puerto Edén

Next day, on Saturday, Puerto Edén and its wooden footbridges, located next to Parque Nacional Bernardo O’Higgins, are revealed in front of us, bright as the rainbow that shapes the horizon, among wandering clouds. This place is inhabited by the descendents of the sea nomad populations, the last representatives of the Kawéshkar culture. The role of Navimag in Puerto Edén is crucial: It is the only link between this town and the rest of the country. "Long ago, the captain says, Puerto Edén was a town with no activity whatsoever, children had no expectations. They had nothing. And that is one of the major accomplishments we have achieved. To have the children motivated thanks to the cultural exchanges generated by the ship".

We see that this social role is highly valued by Puerto Edén inhabitants, especially with the increasing tourism activity within the area that is replacing the traditional sea activities, like mussel farming, affected by red tides. Hugo Zúñiga fishes for a living and owns the only inn in town: "Young people are being trained as guides and they already have another type of life. Therefore, it's good for youth because they have close contact with other people. We feel that as a result of our visits to Puerto Edén, people are fond of us."

Navimag has been disembarking passenger for two years for a one hour and a half visit to the area, where they can talk to people, take pictures and buy kawéshkar ("skin-and-bone men") crafts.

We leave Puerto Edén with certain longing, we would have wanted to get to know this town, a human anchor lost in this ice ocean, a little bit more. Then, we will get to Angostura Inglesa, only 200 meter wide, and "a place known to be one of the most dangerous of the Patagonian channels", as stated by the captain. Later, as surprises would not stop, we will be able to see Capitán Leonidas, a Greek ship stranded exactly in the same place as the Cotopaxi, which have been hit by a needle-shaped rock in the 19th century.

Passengers’ expectations on the trip are still reticent. "The ship gives you the opportunity of doing something different. Not having to carry and enjoy the landscape with the backpack on your back, but from the vessel the perception of the Patagonia is different, unique, unforgettable and with a wine glass on your hand, from the footbridge", says Daniel from Barcelona. "I always get surprised because I do not expect anything. Therefore, everything is incredible. There's something magic", tells Loida from Madrid.

Sailing in this ship is another way of living the Patagonia, which makes others to come back. "Due to the love we feel for these lands, for the people, for everything. Because Patagonia means great lands and places. Also for the warmth of the people you meet", says Jocelyne Porret, who is traveling through several South American countries with her husband Claude.

Jordi from Andorra comments: "Andorra is a very small country and we need to see the world, get to know other cultures, and so, I have visited Argentina and Chile. I have been able to appreciate a geography that is completely different from Andorra's geography with its valleys and glaciers. I wanted to have a continental view of America and I loved traveling so many kilometers on board, an experience that cannot be lived in my country."

A happy ship

Breakfast is served at 8 AM. Passengers can enjoy a buffet of bread, cheese, ham, scrambled eggs, cake, yogurt, milk, oat, juice and coffee. Lunch is served a 12:30 and dinner at 19:30. Meals are served on a self-service basis and with several menu options.

At the same time, the "Magallanes News", a small bulletin distributed very day on board, tells us that the journey has more activities to be yet performed (videos, documentaries and talks) in order to get to know better everything that surrounds or involves the journey through the southern channels.

The first topic to be addressed is safety. The ship consists of 38 cabins and 132 berths, i.e., she can accommodate as many as 300 passengers. Although this time we have near half capacity, measures are clear. "For me, it's very important that passengers feel safe, that feel comfortable on board", says the captain.

The rest of the ship crew also comments "your safety on board is very important for us." Therefore, this time, our guides, Paz and Viviana, explain basic measures: proper use of lifesavers, follow personnel's instructions and smoke only in places aimed at such purposes. That is, in the pub after 9 PM and on deck. They tell jokes, first in Spanish and then an almost exact reproduction in English. Passengers laugh. Thus begin the first comradeship moments of the trip, which will be present until the end of the journey.

And the Magallanes crew plays an essential role. In spite of spending long periods of time (4, 6 or 8 months) almost without touching land, they remain fresh. "It is always a challenge for me", outlines Viviana Castro, one of the hostess. "I think that everybody on board must enjoy what we do", says Cristóbal, responsible for maintaining the hotel section of the vessel during daytime and he is an entertainer of the pub at night. And he continues: "It has been an enriching experience for me. And how nice that people from all over the world get to know you." This means that in spite of weather conditions, passengers value life on board.

This attitude translates into an almost nostalgic feeling when finishing the trip, after traveling the last day and a half through the fearsome
Golfo de Penas, some channels like the Pulluche and Moraleda, and appreciating the beauty of penguins, dolphins and even whales. "What I like most is when the passengers get off", says Viviana Castro, it's what they tell you:
"Do you know what I like most about the ship? That you are like a great family. I can tell that you care for each other". And that's invaluable.

Visits to Glaciers

A major part of the bridge is open between 8 AM and 8 PM, where passenger's questions are answered. Or before lunch or dinner, "Happy Sour" is open, where "El Pollo", the barman, sells pisco sour at half price.

At night, pub is fundamental. A place to read or play during day. At dusk, passengers share a beer, a wine and other drinks offered at affordable prices to anyone. Multiple languages are heard from countries like France, England, Spain, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Italy, United States and Brazil, to name just a few. Some local carriers show up. They are responsible for carrying loads or trucks with livestock or basic inputs from Puerto Natales to Puerto Edén and Puerto Montt, and most of them have been sailing for more than 15 years with this company.

However, Navimag service was not always like this. "The main vision of the company is to connect Puerto Montt with these southernmost areas. Within the tourism industry, the company has made a major investment. It has been a visionary here, in this area. In fact, in 1992, the First trips that I began in this route, the ferry to Puerto Edén only had a few staterooms and a container to transport passengers. Later, this began to evolve into today's vessel", tells Captain Sánchez Alcázar.

But there's more. Thanks to a joint venture with Cumbre Andina company, Navimag is about to launch expedition plans to Campo de Hielo Sur glaciers, based in Puerto Edén. The scope of action will be between Bernardo and Falcón fjords. "Our intention is to create and develop a special type of tourism, responsible, with content. And the idea is to deliver new knowledge regarding environment and earth sciences", say Jorge Guevara and Daniel Zamudio, Company's director and Science and environment manager of Cumbre Andina, respectively.

The program encompasses sailing, visits to glaciers, trekking and kayak, as well as involvement in local activities, like king crab fishing and the extraction of ñapu (vegetal fibers used by kawéskar), in order to collaborate with the development of the community.

Trial phase starts this summer, guiding small groups during the months of January and February.

The great adventure through the Patagonian channels is about to begin…

Magallanes ferry

Magallanes sets sail every Friday of the year between 4 and 6 AM from Puerto Natales to Puerto Edén. It arrives every Monday about 6 AM and returns on the same day towards Natales at 4 PM.

This vessel was built in Japan in 1978 and refurbished in Chile in 2000. It has a 21.2 meter beam (width) and 123 meter length. Its two 3,600 HP engines have a speed of thirteen knots each.

Guided Tours www.cumbreandina.cl