Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Fly away

After a "cool" day at the glacier yesterday, we were now heading north, instead of south, back to Puerto Montt Chile. When we pulled anchor at 07:45, we noticed that Orca IV had already left, wanting an early start too. After a windy night, it was now bright and sunny. Running with the morning tide, we clocked 12 knots per hour over-ground speed. New record for Sea Turtle!

Early afternoon, we moored at a cove, Caleta Lynch, in the Canal Costa (S45°46.569' W073°33.544') as we waited for the tide to change - a perfect little refuge cove that fishermen use to escape from nasty weather. There was a handy rope tied to the mooring ball but it was so slimy Jordan decided not to use it and just tied directly to the bright orange ball.

After Jordan had a brief nap and slaughtered at least 30 of the MONSTROUS annoying flies (common in January and February), we proceeded on. (We later learned that if you swat at these flies, they send out a signal to their comrades for help.) A couple of bottlenose dolphins came to our bow, and as Jordan watched, one kept turning sideways to look up at him. But when he leaned over and waved so the dolphin could see him, it dove and joined his buds heading south.

Under clouds, we turned into Caleta Christian on the east side of Isla Traiguén (S45°31.282' W073°34.488') at 21:00. (Our first anchorage at Isla Traiguén on January 21st had been on the west side.) The east side is a picturesque cove with a cascading sibilant stream off our bow caressing our mood.

Judy on bow of Sea Turtle

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