14.12.2015: Puerto Williams

Puerto Williams

According to the locals here, it is possible to experience four seasons within a few hours in Tierra del Fuego. It’s true. Upon leaving Puerto Williams, the summer sun is shining; on the Beagle Canal we are met with strong winds - typical for the fall. Following that we have wintery driving snow and shortly after that the temperatures rise to a spring-like 7°. The area beyond 54 degrees south has a lot to offer not only regarding the weather.

For example the Chilean hospitality; it is 10 pm in the evening when we arrive in Puerto Toro. The most southerly community in the world lies at 55 degrees and 05 minutes south. There are a maximum of 36 people living here – fishermen, naval units, police and their families.  When we arrive, the central pier in the village is deserted – not a single fishing boat. There are only two round-the-world sailing ships – the “Iorana” from Belgium and the “Tari2 (without a national flag on the ship). The head of the marina takes our lines and greets us warmly. His two daughters have painted pictures for Arved. We quickly find out why there is so much space at the pier: The Centoalla (giant crab) fishing season has its summer break.

There are only 17 people left in Puerto Toro – six adults, six children and five policemen. Raul, the police chief, is looking forward to his replacement shortly before Christmas. There is a church here, a school and even a sports hall. Only cigarettes are scarce. Due to the fact that there are no roads leading here, all goods must be brought in by ship. Raul returns home shortly.  We have just finished our “mooring beer” when he comes back – in his hand some frozen Centoalla meat. He exchanges this for two packs of fags. The crew can now look forward to a fine dinner. Fabian, the boatswain and cook, prepares a delicious garlic mayonnaise and the feast can begin. In the fishing season from February to November, two tons of giant crabs are caught per ship per day. The centoalla are relatively unspectacular for the Chileans in Tierra del Fuego – in Europe on the other hand this meat, which is similar to lobster, is an almost unaffordable delicacy.

There was another change of crew members on the “Dagmar Aaen” before we left Puerto Williams. Uwe Agnes and Bernd Siering, the two documentary film makers, left the ship for a few days. They had the unique opportunity of travelling on a Chilean naval ship directly to Isla Hornos to film the legendary Cape Horn landside. Matze Steiner arrived on board once again from Hamburg. He  travelled here by boat. Louis, a retired banker, brought him here from the Argentine harbor of Ushuaia on his 30 foot yacht named “Austral”. It took five hours under ideal sailing conditions to sail through the Beagle Canal to Puerto Williams.

We are still waiting for permission from the navy to sail around Cape Horn.  The excitement is growing on board…

Matze Steiner