Navimag Ferry--Misadventures in the Chilean Fiords


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April 22nd 2011
Published: April 21st 2014
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Ferry Puerto Montt from Puerto Natales


Watery Labyrinth




Depending on your timing, a journey on the Navimag Ferry can be a romantic ride through the breathtaking fiords in Chilean Patagonia, or it can be a wild, roller coaster of storms with furniture flying across the room and passengers green at the gills. I was (un)lucky enough to have the latter, but then again, challenging experiences can bond friends forever and make a great story.



A stretch of several hundred kilometers of Chilean Aisen is fractured into a labyrinth of fiords, channels, islands and dead-ends, and crossed by no roads. Thus, to go north, I needed to either fly or take a ferry. When I flew to Buenos Aires in 2010, I decided to return to California only by bus, boat and train for a greater adventure and to make the smallest carbon footprint possible. Thus, the ferry it was.



The Navimag ferry in high season is crowded and expensive but has potentially decent weather to enjoy the incredible views. Low season has fewer people and lower prices. Unfortunately, the weather can be fierce with storms, fewer views (no glaciers or marine life), and barfing bellies. It was late April, 2011, and this was the last ferry of the season--I was up for adventure.



The passage through the Patagonian labyrinth is narrow, and in 1520, it took Ferdinand Magellan six months to navigate what now takes four days (though it would take us six). Even today, the route is tricky; our intended ferry had run into an island and had to be repaired. Thus, we, the last pitiful stragglers of the season, were herded into a small ferry not designed for this daunting journey--and it almost didn't make it.



Our departure date had changed a couple of times due to the problem of the boat crash. However, on Monday evening, we 35 passengers gathered in the waiting room in Puerto Natales, looking like a very small group indeed. We were mostly Europeans, a few Australians, me--the only American, and a smattering of Alacalufe indigenous Chileans who would be getting off early in their isolated, fishing village of Puerto Eden.



I'd paid for a (relatively) cheap berth in the 20-bunk underbelly of the ferry though my roommates had paid for a private cabin. However, on this little ferry, we were all put into (freezing) four-bunk cabins with a window and a private bath. Major score!



My roommates were the wonderful Sabine and Tobias from Germany who had been sweethearts forever. They were funny, interesting and great company, and we even stayed together once we got to port (they're now married--congrats!). After Puerto Eden, we were joined by Pablo, a polite, friendly, young Chilean who was rarely around.


Cruising Life



For those used to cruise ships, the normal Navimag ferries (originally cargo ferries) that transport 150-200 people would be a horror though compared to what we had, they were fancy dancers. Each had an enclosed bridge for fabulous (warm) viewing of the route, a lounge, a bar with live music, a dining room, naturalist lectures, documentaries, etc--this was what we had paid for. Our little Amadeus had none of these and was completely primitive--one room served all, and no guide or entertainment. Our so-called guide Percy, a German-Chilean, answered questions the first evening, but then disappeared.



Percy told us we'd have a disaster drill, but which never materialized. Turns out the alarm horns didn't work, so had we needed to evacuate, there would have been no way to inform us. We also didn't have enough life jackets since there were the dozen Puerto Eden commuters on board. How lucky we didn't hit an island or get swamped in the horrendous storms! It can always be worse.


New Friends and Unwilling Passengers



We all ate our delicious meals, decent veggie fare and (farmed) salmon, together at long tables, chatting and laughing once it became dark. I made friends there from three continents, many of whom I'm still in touch with. I even got to spend a great weekend with Oscar from Santiago, Chile, and his friends in Valparaiso at his family's vacation home. The funky cruise experience bonded us all.





The weather was dodgy, so most passengers stayed inside, hanging out and drinking or watching the few English language films over and over. They'd rush outside when a rainbow arched overhead or the sun came out. Not me. As usual, I just bundled up in my zillion layers and big poncho and enjoyed our wild, freezing ride. My closest friends became those who shared my passion for being outdoors and walking laps around the deck.





However, one group of passengers was decidedly unhappy with their accommodations. On these low season voyages, cows are transported from summer pastures in Patagonia to winter ones in the Lake District. They were packed cheek to jowl in big open containers and couldn't even lie down. Perhaps they were packed tightly, so they wouldn't fall over when the ship was tossed about during storms. Still, it was unbelievably sad.





Walking around the deck, it was always a trial passing the stern with the pitiful cows and their plaintive cries and poopy smell. Regularly, I'd catch the eyes of one of these poor beasts and send them love, but feel awful to not be able to alleviate their suffering. I'm sure they were ridden with stress hormones by the time they were led off the ferry.


Clouds, Rain, and Rainbows



The first night on the ferry was clear and beautiful with a full moon over the glowing lights of Puerto Natales; we had high hopes for clear days. The first day, too, was a wonder as we sailed through the narrow fiords with towering, forested, snow-topped mountains with lots of waterfalls on both sides of the fiords. However, that was pretty much it for the sun until the last day.





Rainbows, often full and/or double, graced us much of the time, as did the rain that had formed them. Generally, we had Patagonian autumn clouds, mist, rain and frequent storms that rocked the boat from side to side. It was all very atmospheric and dramatic, but I've few decent photos as a result.



Hundreds of islands rose up around us in a great labyrinth, and it seemed we would graze their shores as we passed, as indeed our larger, intended ship had done. We were slower than the larger ship, and so landed at Puerto Eden at night, so we didn't get to see it. However, because our little boat needed to refuel, we put in at Puerto Chacabuco, an isolated strip of holiday apartments for the international crowd who comes to fish the rich, cold waters.


The Gulf of Penas--Beauty and the Beast!



Then, here it was, the twelve-hour stretch of open sea with its potentially 5-meter seas we'd rightly been fearing. Until now, we'd been sailing in fiords, dangerous in their own way by the need to avoid shoals and islands; this, our little boat could do. But the open sea was another story.





We started off in the morning as the winds and waves picked up. As usual, I was on the bow of the ship, being deluged and thrilled by the high waves crashing over us. Yes, I was soaked, but this was better than any roller coaster--I hung on tightly so as not to be thrown around on the watery deck or worse, washed overboard.





It was fabulous to see the ship sail up the crest of a wave, then hover waveringly, and then fall, crashing down into the trough, where ahead, I saw the face of the next wave towering over us; wow, this was sailing and the highlight of my journey!



I must admit I'm a wave junky and repeatedly watched the wild scene at the end of A Perfect Storm. When I taught college history, I often assigned Twenty Years before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana that gave a rousing account of rounding the infamous Cape Horn
full moon as we leave Puerto Natalesfull moon as we leave Puerto Natalesfull moon as we leave Puerto Natales

fuzzy photo from my tiny camera
south of Ushuaia. And now I was living those wild times!





Unfortunately, a crew member on the bridge noticed me after a couple of hours and came down to fetch me inside. I knew this was a bad move--I'm fine on deck with fresh air; down below, I don't have much of a sailor's belly. Sure enough, I ended up spending the whole day barfing my guts out, until nothing came but my desperate wretches. I was desperately thirsty, but couldn't keep water down. Tobias was in a similar straight, and we lay in bed moaning.





Late in the midst of the night, the heaving of the boat and my stomach ceased, and I rejoiced at the stillness. Success--we'd made it though the open sea and the Bay of Penas! The next morning, I entered the dining room to find the couches and tables wildly strewn everywhere, and china broken in the kitchen. See short video of this
Worse yet, I learned that we hadn't made it. In the night, many of the crew and even the second-captain had become sick, and they'd had to turn around. We'd have to spend the day trying again to make it through. Discouraging.





Once again we turned into the high waves of the open sea, and once again I went to the open bow only to be ordered in. I hopefully took the offered lunch since everyone else seemed to be doing well, but half way through, I had to sprint to the bathroom. A natural sailor, I'd never before longed for dry, still land.


The End of the Journey



Our scheduled four day journey had stretched into six. We were supposed to have arrived in Puerto Montt Thursday morning, but got there late Saturday night, yet truly, we were just glad to have made it. Fortunately, since it was low season, few had reservations to reschedule.



Disembarking, everyone walked to the bus terminal with most heading to the more charming, touristy, expensive Puerto Varas. But luck was on our side as we were spotted by middle-aged, Spanish-speaking Teresita who offered us an apartment in her garden for a lovely price; Sabine, Tobias and I decided to stay. We followed her up an extremely steep hill to a sweet place of our own where another adventure would begin...


Additional photos below
Photos: 22, Displayed: 22


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22nd April 2014
rainbows everywhere

Now this is something!
What a view! Fantastic! Thanks for sharing! I really hope to make it there in a couple of years...
22nd April 2014
rainbows everywhere

Thanks, Jeremy!
Yes, where there was rain, there were amazing rainbows. Patagonia is fantastic, and I hope you come down soon. I'll look for your photos and blogs.
22nd April 2014
rainbows everywhere

Super Numerary Rainbow
Hi Tara Cloud... Thanks for the comments on some of our blogs by the way, I am pleased you could enjoy some of the Antarctic adventures! I really love that rainbow shot - It's a super numerary rainbow. I have saw one of these before up in the arctic... They are low on the horizon and they are two or more rainbows stacked in front of each other - if you look closely you'll see that the last couple of colours repeat themselves (blue, indigo, violet, blue, indigo, violet). Two rainbows, one in front of the other - super cool! And they are fairly uncommon too. Enjoy the rest of your Chile trip... Chiloe Island is really nice if you're out that way! Dave
23rd April 2014
rainbows everywhere

Uncommon Journeys, We Two or Three
Hi Dave, thanks for the further info on this magical rainbow! Glad you got to see one too. Love the Arctic, which I too visited, and the Antarctic, which only you, lucky duck got to visit. I lived my southern adventure through you--so thanks for that! Indeed, I visited Chiloe--a couple of blogs down the line. Great to hear of Paraguay--too expensive for an American, so like the Antarctic, I'll have to live it through you. Happy travels!
23rd April 2014
rainbows everywhere

Supernumerary is an adjective which means "exceeding the usual number"
Update, Dave. I had known supernumerary only as the "extras" in an opera production, and as an opera fan, had always wanted to be one. So when you said this was the name of the rainbow, I looked it up, Indeed, it's an extra, whether for an opera or a rainbow. Great to know--thanks!
23rd April 2014
Amadeus, our trusty steed, finally in Puerto Montt

a romantic ride
These are the stuff of legends...the trips you don't forget...without throwing up would be much less interesting. Loved the video especially.
23rd April 2014
Amadeus, our trusty steed, finally in Puerto Montt

Stuff of legends, indeed!
You're right, David, that one has to suffer a bit for a true legend--I survived the Navimag! Glad you liked that video--my friend Oscar, from the voyage, sent it to me. So funny! I imagine that's what you sometimes felt like on Route 40 in your 4WD.
23rd April 2014

Chillin' in Chile
Such amazing scenery that you've captured in the lens of your camera. The colors are dancing off the page! The winds and weather make it all the more exciting and the rainbows... ah the rainbows. Your life is so rich with experiences. Time to write a book. A four hour journey that turned into six...not too bad. Happy travels.
24th April 2014

Chillin' in Chile
Yes, I was chillin'-- I was freezing most of the time. Glad you enjoyed the rainbows, Merry Jo, they really were magical. And thanks so much for your kinds words about writing a book--excellent idea for when I'm too old to travel. Happy settling in to your new home!
3rd June 2014

Wow
Hi Tara, Thanks for your comment on our blog. It brought us here and we've been cruising your beautifuly written posts and amazing photographs. This post especially had us both on the edge of our seats and the video freaked me out! What an adventure. We'll be following along on the rest of your journey. We aspire to your way of traveling and hope to pick up some pointers along the way. Meanwhile, we wish you much more adventure!
3rd June 2014

Thanks Roberta and Matt!
Glad you're enjoying my Patagonian adventures, and yes, that Navimag ride was wild. The weather certainly was a contrast to your hot, Southeast Asia. How great that you rented a house for a month--rather like the slow way I travel. My camera was just stolen, so I'm hanging out in Peru, waiting for another and hopefully will catch up on blogs. Glad to know you and happy travels!

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