yacht club micalvi

The Yacht Club at the End of the World

Several times over the course of the past year I’ve made reference to the Micalvi, and if you’ve been paying attention, O’ Best Beloved, you will have gathered that it’s the name of the place where we moor in Puerto Williams .

You could be forgiven for thinking that Micalvi is just another of the irrelevant appellations which have been attached to this region. The Straits of Magellan, Monte Sarmiento, Adventure Bay, the Beagle Channel… these places were named for the men and ships which visited and explored this region, and thus the words belong on the maps; but Ponsonby Sound…? Isla Herschel? Wollaston? Navarino…? These and a great many other local names were dumped upon the cultural landscape by ships’ captains seeking to curry favour with financial backers or with men of repute. Is Micalvi another one of these?

No. Micalvi is not one of those names which were brought to the region by Fitz-Roy and his kin, and nor is it it the transliteration of a native name. Ushuaia, Wulaia , Lewaia, and all the other ‘why-as’ are Yaghan place names. But Micalvi is a Greek name. Truly, this is a multi-cultural region, and Chile has a colourfully cosmopolitan past – the man who led the country to independence from Spain was called Bernardo O’Higgins – but how did the mooring place in the world’s most southerly town come to be named for a Greek? Well, it happened thus: Micalvi is not actually the name of a place, it’s the name of a ship. And the ship itself is now the mooring place for the yachts which visit Puerto Williams.

The Micalvi was built in Germany in 1925 – and she was originally called Bragi. She was, in fact, not much of a ship by today’s standards. She was just 181ft long (55m), which is less than a great many mega-yachts and a lot less than an ocean-going fishing boat. She drew 11ft (less than 3.5m), and her registered tonnage was 850 – which means that, in theory at least, she could carry that weight of cargo in her hold. She was apparently built to carry cargo on the Baltic, but within a year she had been sold and was being used, instead, to ferry goods up and down the Rhine.

The Brag i ‘s hull was built of iron plates riveted together. She had a high plumb bow with a fine entry. Her accommodation was quite tall. Her stern was rounded and fairly low, rather like a tug’s. Configured thus, she was well-suited to slicing through the still waters of a river or a relatively calm sea but was not the ideal choice for a vessel which must ride the ocean’s waves – and yet that is where fate took her next.

In 1928 the Brag i was laden with a cargo of ammunition which had been purchased by the Chilean government, and she was sent south. So far as I am aware, there exists no account of this journey. One has no way of knowing whether the crew who brought her on this expedition of almost 8000 miles had made the same trip on previous occasions, and nor is there any record of how often the vessel had to put into port. At this time many ocean-going ships were still driven by the wind, and if they embarked from Europe for Chile, or even for India or Australia, then that is where they went – but the Micalvi was dependent on coal.

Truth to tell, the Micalvi looks not so much like an ocean-going cargo boat as like one of the antique steam tugs which used to operate in the Cape Verdean port of Mindelo. Even as recently as the 1990s these two old ladies were still in operation there, and one could watch them dragging scarves of brown smoke across the sky – ahead of a backdrop of high-tech wind generators. What a bizarre contrast!

I imagine that the Micalvi must have presented much the same appearance as these smoke-blackened tugs; and moreover, I would be surprised if she and they did not actually came face to face – or hull to hull. Mindelo lies slap bang on the route between Europe and South America, and that is why the town was established – specifically as a coaling station.

On then, across the broad Atlantic – and with just that one 380hp steam engine hammering away ceaselessly. Ten years later, during World War II, vessels taking part in the escorted cargo convoys from Britain down to West Africa were required to keep up a minimum speed of five knots, but many couldn’t manage it. One wonders how the Micalvi would have fared. The ship’s top speed was apparently 9½ knots, but with the cargo and a full load of coal weighing her down she probably cruised at no more than five. Oh, how the world has changed in the century since! Nowadays we often see cargo ships travelling at 15 knots, and even Mollymawk can punch along at six or seven knots under engine .

The Micalvi – or the Bragi , as she then was – did have a couple of masts, but they were low, and nor is her hull shape suited to sailing, so that any canvas which she set will have been a mere auxiliary to the engine. With that machine thudding away, combusting the coal, and with the hold largely occupied by the weight of the ammunition, she will surely have had to dive for the first port of call which offered on the far side of the Atlantic – so I think we can assume that from Mindelo she went straight to Recife. After that, she probably chugged down the coast to the River Plate where she will have refuelled again either in Buenos Aires or in Montevideo. And then came the long and dangerous haul south down the uninhabited and rugged coast of Argentina .

In those days there were no long range forecasts, still less satellite phones; so the captain probably hugged the coast, the better to hide from any south-easterly gales – and, so far as we know, the Micalvi ‘s passage was uneventful.

On arrival in Tierra del Fuego, the German crew disembarked their cargo of ammunition into the Chilean warship Almirante Latore . And then, according to the legend, the Chileans said, “What do you want to do with her now?”; and the Bragi ‘s captain said, “She’s non-returnable.”

And that is how the ship came to be abandoned here, at the uttermost end of the world.

As to how the Bragi came to be renamed the Micalvi , I have no idea, except to say that it is a Greek name and is apparently an abbreviation of Contramaestre Mivalvi. C ontramaestre is a Spanish word which is generally translated as bosun but which actually means something more like lieutenant. So, the little ship was evidently named in honour of a Chilean sailor who had done something noteworthy. Perhaps he was a hero in Chile’s great ‘War of the Pacific’.

Useful little boats being a bit hard to come by in this isolated extreme of the Americas, the Micalvi was soon put to good use. She spent the following 30 years as a supply ship carrying food, fuel, and passengers between Punta Arenas and the farmsteads, Yaghan villages, mission stations, and naval bases of the remote territory to the south. The cruising guide for Tierra del Fuego shows her anchored off Puerto Navarino, but I am sure that she also visited the more inaccessible stations at Picton, Nueva, and Lennox. Myself, I wouldn’t have wanted to take her down to the Wollastons and to Cape Horn – but she may even have gone there, too.

In 1958 the Micalvi was sent to carry men and materials for the construction of a lighthouse on Islote Snipe, an event which was to lead to hostilities between Chile and Argentina (the two countries both claimed the islet and spent the next few months knocking each other’s lighthouses down) and which almost culminated in war.

The Micalvi, having been brought to Tierra del Fuego almost by chance, had proved to be invaluable; but 32 years after her arrival, in 1961, her career was brought to an abrupt end. One night in bad weather she ran onto a rock in the Magellan Straits. Although the accident occurred some 300 miles from Puerto Williams, the navy somehow contrived to tow the boat through the channels and round to their most southerly base. Perhaps they thought it would be the most appropriate last resting place, but more probably someone thought that it might be possible to fix her up.

In the event, some time after this the  Micalvi was placed in the creek immediately to the west of the village with the idea that she would serve as a pontoon. She was scuttled in the shallow water here; and here she remains – a symbol of the sovereignty of Chile in Patagonia (according to the noticeboard) and an invaluable asset to visiting yachtsmen.

The chap who came up with the idea probably anticipated seeing a couple of naval pinnaces alongside the old steamer, and I’m sure he didn’t envision 25 foreign yachts stacked on either side.

In 1976 the Micalvi was declared a national monument. It’s also the most southerly yacht club in the world. In former times it boasted the world’s most southerly bar, but the current administrator of the naval base is something of a prohibitionist, or so it would seem, and the bar is currently closed. Still, in the summer this place is a focal point for visiting yotties, and many a pleasant evening have we passed on the old bridge, sharing food and wine with fellow travellers of assorted nationality.

As the photos show, the Micalvi also provides a home to a variety of wildlife. Besides the birds and the seal, we’ve seen beavers swimming around the hull, and there’s rumoured to be a mink living in the old engine room.

Or at least, some people say that the sounds are of a mink running around. Others say that its the old German captain who haunts the half-sunken lower deck of his one-time command.

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Love all your articles – very interresting stuff

Greetings from Simonstown – Cape Town

Hi I know nothing about boats but I was researching museum boats and this is all very interesting and helpful! Thank you

This is a super cool read, thanks for the info, It really helped us understand the boat which we visited while in Puerto Williams.

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Puerto Williams: A Winter's Sojourn near Cape Horn

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by Mark Roye, Pacific Northwest Station Photos by Nancy Krill

As cruisers, we are too often compelled to hasten along our way, racing seasonal weather systems, seeking annual trade-wind shifts, or, in some cases, returning home for business or family gatherings. It’s all too easy to forget that the journey may in fact be more elemental than the destination.

NANCY AND I INITIALLY INTENDED TO TAKE VERY LITTLE time to round the tip of South America on our return from cruising the Labrador Sea region. But while anchored in Brazil, we were asked by a French cruiser, “What’s ze rush?” We reconsidered. What was ze rush? So we slowed down, found secure havens for Tamara, our 44-foot Swedish steel ketch, and traveled very extensively inland, crisscrossing southern South America several times by bus and plane, spending time deliberately trying to experience the region and understand the people and their culture as well as we could.

In the course of these excursions, we came to meet and befriend people from all walks of life. Among them were the head of the Argentine national police; a woman who, as a university professor, was one of the leading DNA specialists in South America; a retired electrical engineer in Chile who had experienced both Marxist and military regimes, and who as a result kept his savings beneath his mattress; ship captains; a mining engineer; a noted geologist; an equally noted marine biologist and head of an institute in Brazil who asked that I address a large crowd about fisheries management practices in Alaska; and a television executive who insisted on an interview. Tradesmen, merchants, riggers, welders, and sail makers figured in as well, as Tamara, like all cruising boats, required maintenance along the way.

These encounters served not only to enhance our understanding of the region, its economy, politics, customs, and culture, but of course its languages as well. Such intercourse could never have happened had it been confined to our own native English. One particular episode elicits a smile from me still, as I recall the almost comical threeway discourse between me, in my then very rudimentary Spanish, a Brazilian naval official, and a Dutchman who understood no romance languages and spoke English only poorly. Pressed into service by the Portuguese-speaking naval official to serve as translator, I was somehow able to use my poor Spanish with him, then relay inquiries and instructions back and forth to the Dutchman. We all came away satisfied, and feeling that we’d somehow gained from the experience.

But—more on this later—we reached the high point of this cross-cultural experience when we were asked to spend an entire austral winter in Puerto Williams, Chile, teaching English to the captain of the port’s staff and the two teenage sons of the commander of this small, picturesque, and very isolated naval garrison.

The process of clearing into Chile at Puerto Williams was without doubt the most streamlined and pleasant such experience anywhere we’d cruised, with perhaps the exception of Canada. Formalities begin here with a required radio call about an hour before arrival to alert officials. Taking turns daily, one of the four officials involved in this bureaucratic necessity then picks up the other three in a small SUV or pickup. Together they make their way to the 1925 steamship Micalvi that has been deliberately sunk to form a facility for visiting small boats. On the Micalvi’s ancient decks, the officials greet the new arrivals, assist in making fast the yacht, then expeditiously and efficiently stamp passports, review zarpe permits, and process all questions of customs, immigration, naval, and agricultural requirements. No need to wander about trying to find each office, puzzling as to what the process requires. Instead, they all collaborate and render the potentially unpleasant obligation a cultural experience. Welcome to extreme southern Chile!

As noted above, our initial arrival at the Micalvi had one additional element beyond the usual procedure. Having been alerted by one of the commercial charter operators that we might be suitable candidates, we were greeted on our arrival by the ranking petty officer of the Capitania del Puerto’s staff and asked if we would agree to teach English! After formalities were concluded and we were officially offered the position by the captain himself, we were welcomed to the village like honored guests. This would make our lengthy sojourn in this small village, just miles from Cape Horn, a uniquely memorable part of our entire cruising experience. Career advancement in the Armada de Chile requires a certain English proficiency, and our students were to prove to be not only highly motivated, but very gracious to us as well. We quickly became part of the armada family.

Puerto Williams is located on Isla Navarino, facing the Beagle Channel, with spectacular peaks just behind, and Argentina across the channel. It is the southernmost incorporated town in the world, and is the administrative center for Chile’s Antarctic Province, Cape Horn, and much of Chilean Patagonia. As such, it serves as a port of entry and a hub for considerable scientific activity linked to Antarctica and the protected Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego region. Visiting yachts, cruise ships, and extensive commercial shipping transiting these waters must deal in some way with armada officials in Puerto Williams. Incidentally, pursuant to the SOLAS treaty, most of this interaction is conducted in English, further motivating our hosts.

Puerto Williams’s population, at the time of our stay, was about 2,700. Locally they liked to say that there were 2,500 armada personnel in the village, but in the reckoning of the armada, all dependents are considered navy. Indeed, even the lowest rated enlisted man, if married, enjoyed a modest but very comfortable small cottage or duplex housing unit, and officers were housed in very well-appointed apartment units. Many of the civilian residents of the village had also once been armada personnel, and had chosen to remain in the picturesque community.

Other than the armada and its direct support, the primary industry is a local fishery for a large crab species, lithodes santolla, or centolla, as it is called in Chile, Argentina, and Peru. Also known as southern king crab, the species enjoys high market value, permitting product to be economically transported from the remote location. In addition to his other duties, the captain of the port’s responsibilities include handling the port's own version of what we’d call “float plans” for this fleet, as well as twicedaily radio communications intended to promote safe fishing operations. The armada is also charged with patrolling Chile’s Exclusive Economic Zone and enforcing fishing regulations.

Puerto Williams, at 54˚ 56' south, has a climate very similar to that of Sitka or Cordova, Alaska, or the coasts of Norway and Scotland, referred to as a sub-polar oceanic climate. Rain and snow are common, but the temperature is generally moderate due to the proximity of the ocean. In the winter, this means that substantial snowfall is often followed by warming temperatures or rain, at times resulting in very slippery, hard-packed snow and ice cover on roads and walkways. One of our fondest memories of winter here was watching armada personnel walking to work early in the morning, wearing only one of the naval-issued slip-on spiked-rubber crampons on one foot, then a few hours later seeing wives on their way to the store wearing the other of the pair on the opposite foot. As generous as the armada seems to be, evidently the issue of this essential piece of equipment is made only to actual personnel, and necessity has driven this creative solution. The peculiar gait that results seems not to bother either member of the family, and everyone makes out well enough with what they’ve got.

The 850-ton, 181-foot Micalvi is certainly the most unique yacht facility that we’ve encountered, and that includes time we’ve spent in Newfoundland, Labrador, and Alaska. Built in Germany in 1925 and powered by a 380-horsepower tripleexpansion steam engine, she was sold to Chile in 1928 and steamed from Europe loaded with ammunition for the Chilean battleship Almirante Latorre. On arrival in Chile, she was refitted as a supply vessel for the Puntas Arenas region, as well as for colonists in the extreme southern regions of Tortel and Navarino islands. In 1961, the ship was decommissioned and anchored in Puerto Williams as a museum. Eventually, with a wonderfully practical sense of re-purposing, she was deliberately sunk in a very protected caleta (Spanish for “sheltered cove”) and converted to a clubhouse and facility for yachts. Electrical outlets, toilets, and showers were added, and a bar built into her superstructure. She is used, of course, by visiting yachts, as well as by armada officers as an officers’ club.

In addition to availing ourselves of the pleasures of the bar on the Micalvi, alongside which Tamara lay for several months, we found many other activities to occupy ourselves during our time in the village.

Excellent hiking opportunities are afforded on the island, including a popular five-day backpacking circuit around the jagged pinnacles south of the town. Called locally the Dientes (teeth) de Navarino, the peaks were always spectacularly visible from Tamara’s berth.

The armada sponsors numerous activities to engage and entertain the entire community. This includes flea market sales in the gym, celebrations of various national holidays complete with military bands, sailing regattas in which yachts crewed by personnel from both the Chilean and Argentine navies as well as private competitors vie for important recognition, and religious ceremonies like annual blessings of the fleet in this officially Catholic country. Naval officers often hosted celebrations and receptions, both at the Micalvi and in facilities ashore.

The entire community participates in most of these events, but adds to the opportunities as well. The library and local entrepreneurs offer good internet access and video rentals, while a few small restaurants and bars afford occasional evenings off the boat. But one of our favorites, as well as that of the villagers, was the middle school’s production of a very popular Chilean folk dance known as the handkerchief dance. Similar to many folk dances familiar to us North Americans, this dance involves the use of a handkerchief, not only as a fan, but also to unite the couple while limiting their distance apart as both partners grasp a corner of the handkerchief.

While the armada maintains its own small supermarket, it no longer is open to non-navy shoppers. This is in part due to requests by local merchants that they not be forced to compete with the military. Though our position with the navy would likely have allowed us access to their store, we found it rewarding to do our shopping at the small, privately run markets. This introduced us to more members of the community, but also afforded other opportunities. One of the smaller stores not only stocked all that we ever needed, but a former naval rating operated an excellent bakery in conjunction with the market. Every day at 11 a.m., fresh bread, and that most emblematic of Chilean delicacies, the empanada, were almost ceremoniously carried to waiting shelves to be immediately thrust into paper bags by eagerly anticipating customers. Within an hour, the shelves were bare.

The same phenomenon would occur at the fresh produce bins just after the arrival of the once-weekly ferry from Punta Arenas. But more durable produce like potatoes, onions, cabbages, carrots, chili peppers, frozen meat, fish, and certain vegetables, as well as red wine and beer, were always in plentiful supply, and frequent trips to the store helped us maintain a close connection with the small community.

As the only norte americanos semi-permanently resident in the village, we were easily identifiable by naval and civilian residents alike, and we were always greeted most graciously.

Our time at Puerto Williams held, for me, an even greater appeal. I hold in the highest regard the accomplishments of mariners who came before us. They not only imbued us with a penchant for adventure and exploration, but with the skills they passed down over the generations that make possible our own efforts today. We call it seamanship, but it’s much more than just the tradecraft required to safely navigate far beyond our familiar horizons. It’s elemental, part of what enables us to share an ethic that not only utilizes that tradecraft to achieve our objective, but to do so as part of an aesthetic that nearly rises to an art.

Puerto Williams holds an important place in this ethic. It is not simply situated in a location that figured large in the age of exploration and saw such iconic vessels as the Beagle sail close in to its shores, but it is the gateway port for Antarctic voyages today. That spirit persists still. This is perhaps best exemplified by a simple memorial just outside the navy store in the village.

Following the destruction of Endurance by the ice of the Weddell Sea, now just over a hundred years ago, Shackleton’s crew finally made landfall on tiny Elephant Island. They were nearly at the limits of all human endurance, but the very name of their ship and Shackleton’s superb leadership combined to grant them super-human fortitude. The epic small-boat voyage in the tiny James Caird, so ably sailed by Endurance captain Frank Worsley, and the ensuing crossing of the mountains of South Georgia to summon help, are now of course the stuff of legend.

Less well remembered, however, was the eventual rescue of the crew left behind on Elephant Island. Skilled whalers and others failed to penetrate the ice imprisoning them, but the rescue was eventually accomplished by a modest steam tug commanded by a little-known Chilean mariner. Shackleton himself paid homage to this effort:

“Finally, it was the Chilian [his spelling] Government that was directly responsible for the rescue of my comrades. This southern Republic was unwearied in its efforts to make a successful rescue, and the gratitude of our whole party is due to them. I especially mention the sympathetic attitude of Admiral Muñoz Hurtado, head of the Chilian Navy, and Captain Luis Pardo, who commanded the Yelcho on our last and successful venture.”

— Sir Ernest Shackleton, Preface to South

Today the efforts of piloto Luis Pardo, as he is called in Chile, and the Yelcho, are honored by a simple monument. The bow of the Yelcho, ensconced on a base of concrete, accompanied by a bronze plaque, serves to remind us not only of this spirit of human endeavor, but of the skill and consummate seamanship of all of those involved.

It is this heritage of Puerto Williams, the graciousness of its citizens, and its role in both the past and present that made it, for us, a most rewarding sojourn during our voyaging. We were able to both spend an extended time here as residents, as well as to embark on our own Antarctic voyage and to return to this welcoming port as mariners, playing our own small part in its enduring heritage.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Mark Roye and Nancy Krill make their home in Port Townsend, Washington. Their 44-foot Swedish steel ketch Tamara has safely carried them more than 60,000 miles, mostly in high latitudes, both north and south. After a voyage that took them from the Arctic to the Antarctic, then to Alaska, they continue their search for adventure in the vastness of the north, regardless of the season. They were awarded the Charles H. Vilas Prize in 2011 and the Royal Cruising Club Trophy in 2012. Their adventures are chronicled at krillroye.com, krillroye.blogspot.com, and in numerous sailing publications. Their slide presentation has been widely acclaimed.

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Where sailors dare: Sailing over the world's most challenging waters

Most owners are satisfied with a gentle cruise, but there are a brave few who yearn to push their limits. Georgia Boscawen weighs up the allure of the world’s most challenging waters...

The Northwest Passage

With swaths of icy tundra and unpredictable conditions, this perilous Arctic route is one serious sailing challenge.

Perhaps the most intriguing stretch of water on the planet, the Northwest Passage, with its infamously gruelling conditions and unpredictable bodies of ice, isn’t for the faint-hearted. This treacherous sea lane, which arcs over the north of Canada connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific, is a journey that few have conquered. In 1906 the passage was successfully sailed for the first time by Arctic explorer Roald Amundsen, and since then fewer than 400 vessels have completed one of the passageway’s seven routes, few of which were sailing yachts. Over the years, however, some have risen to the challenge – including 55-metre Kamaxitha and 66.9-metre Hetairos . But why is it that so few vessels have completed the route, and what gives this sea lane its reputation?

While many mariners find their thrills in the challenge itself, there are a multitude of factors along this congregation of more than 36,000 islands in the Canadian Arctic that draw people in. Those who sail these straits are guaranteed breathtaking icy scenery, high Arctic fauna and blissful isolation. Otherworldly ice cliffs soar hundreds of metres into the air and the high summer season can attract great gatherings of white beluga whales and polar bears patrolling the ice sheets. But this mesmerising scenery comes at a price.

While most of the Northwest Passage extends through Canada, there really is very little here by way of civilisation. Provisioning, medical help and any kind of resources are remarkably limited, which makes the route even more difficult. For much of the year, ice covers the channels so there is only a small window in peak summer when passage is possible. Navigating is also a challenge because the ice is constantly shifting, which alters the route. In short, there are obstacles aplenty, but its successful completion is a high achievement.

Chilean Patagonia

The wild seas off Cape Horn on the southern tip of South America are the stuff of legend for true adventure sailors.

Famed for its tangled fjord system, vertiginous coastline and mesmerising scenery, Chile is a maritime paradise. With more than 6,000 kilometres of Pacific coastline, the country is a yacht owner’s dream, with pleasant conditions, waterside cities and good yachting infrastructure. In the south, sailors can admire the glacier-cloaked peaks of the Bernardo O’Higgins National Park and the Torres del Paine National Park on the outskirts of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve.

It’s hard to imagine that this yacht-friendly country is also home to one of sailing’s toughest challenges. Cape Horn is considered to be the nautical equivalent of climbing Mount Everest; navigating this body of water is reserved only for those intrepid sailors who enjoy pushing their limits in seriously tough weather, unpredictable sea states, extreme low-pressure systems with 60-knot gales that take you by surprise, and vicious currents at the point where the Atlantic and Pacific meet. Despite this, a number of sailing yachts have taken on the challenge, such as 45-metre Gitana (ex Salperton ) and 85.9-metre Aquijo .

Cape Horn conjures up high-level excitement for thrill-seeking sailors – a bucket-list expedition that many yacht owners dream of accomplishing. Those who take on the challenge will also be able to visit the most southerly yacht club in the world, Yacht Club Micalvi, and etch their name into the Cape Horn logbook, reserved only for those who complete the route.

Papua New Guinea

Its waters may be uncharted, but this country boasts verdant landscapes, volcanic coastlines and mesmerising culture.

Papua New Guinea is high on the bucket list of most adventure sailors, and increasing numbers of vessels are heading this way to explore these waters. For example, 42.9-metre Guillemot has just completed a tour of the region.

More than 600 indigenous groups live in the country, which is about twice the size of the UK, and many of them are endangered. It would be helpful to bring a guide with you who can speak with these local communities (there are around 850 languages in the country!).

Sailing here presents its own challenges as the charts can be inaccurate or outdated, so careful planning is crucial. In the waters surrounding Papua New Guinea there are points where sailors will have to rely on sight to determine whether the route is viable. The waters here may be clear, but it is still difficult to confidently determine the position of a reef when it’s not accurately depicted on a chart.

In this part of Melanesia, you can’t expect to turn up and find superyacht-worthy provisions readily available. This is something that should be arranged in advance, though buying fresh produce is a good way of supporting the local communities. The nearest place for the best provisioning is Australia. Medical attention is also limited in PNG and tends to be concentrated around the capital, Port Moresby. It’s worth remembering that, in the tropics, it’s common for small cuts and bruises to get infected relatively quickly.

Cruising here can be a tough odyssey in a vast frozen landscape, but it’s one that promises sublime natural beauty.

If there is one thing adventure sailors are drawn to, it’s ice. This is why Antarctica has become an increasingly desirable destination for those who want to go well off grid and explore a place that few of us will ever have the chance to experience. This continent is like nowhere else on the planet.

It’s not so much the weather that makes this part of the world a challenge (in the summer the climate here is mostly dry), but rather it’s the desert-like conditions, unruly ice and a dearth of civilisation. But those who cruise these parts can enjoy some incredibly serene sailing through gently breaking ice or indulge in adrenaline-fuelled skiing across untouched snowy ridges or down remote polar plunges.

The ice here is not to be taken lightly, however, and sailors are advised to have an expert on board who fully understands it. Dropping anchor for the night isn’t as straightforward as it might be in the Med. To ensure you don’t wake up to a mass of detached ice nudging against the hull, there will be times when you will need to relocate or indeed push through whole sections of ice.

Cruising here also means sailing for extended periods of time with few opportunities for provisioning, so efficient storage and being fully equipped are, of course, essential.

First published in the September 2023 Life Under Sail supplement. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.

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10 Things to Do: Puerto Williams

Michel Setboun/Getty

1.  Sail to Antarctica. Puerto Williams is becoming a popular departure port for Antarctica. Several agencies in town will help you get there. Options range from cruises to small yacht tours. Trips last from 10 days to 3 weeks.

2.  View the Mini Forests. Just outside town, El Parque Omora is known as the miniature forest of Cape Horn. It houses 5 percent of the world’s moss, lichen and liverwort species. The best way to admire the microflora is through what locals refer to as “tourism with a hand lens.” 

3.  Explore Museo Antropológico Martín Gusinde . Renovated in 2008, the museum houses artifacts from the local Yagán and Selknam peoples. Named after the anthropologist who spent 50 years studying these cultures, the museum is one of the few ways to learn about the area’s original inhabitants.

4.  Hike Dientes de Navarino. The jagged tooth-like appearance of the Dientes de Navarino mountains makes for spectacular trekking through unspoiled sub-Antarctic landscapes. The circuit goes through remote wilderness and is only recommended for experienced hikers. Hire a guide in town.

5.  Head South to Puerto Toro. Alledgedly the southernmost permanent settlement in the world, the small fishing village of Puerto Toro on the eastern shore of Navarino Island is home to a handful of permanent inhabitants. Get there on the monthly supply ferry and be sure to check out the spectacular views of the Straits of Magellan on the viewing deck.

6.  Race through the Fjords. Puerto Williams hosts the Glorias Navales Regatta in May. Over 300 sailors from around the world race through the fjords of the Straits of Magellan.

7.  Warm up at the Yacht Club. The Yacht Club Micalvi, an ex-navy supply ship docked at a local pier, is the place to meet for an evening drink in Puerto Williams. With a bar that opens after dinner, you’ll find locals and adventure-seekers alike sitting by the fire enjoying a nightcap.

8.  Taste the local specialty. Slow-cooked beaver meat is an important feature of local cuisine. Introduced to the region by furriers in the 1940s, beavers have since multiplied to the point that their pelts are worthless and they’re an environmental hazard. The meat is gamey and not for all tastes—but where better to try it?

9.  Celebrate winter. For six days at the end of July, the Fiesta de la Nieve (Snow Festival) is the town’s way of celebrating winter. Activities include winter sports, rodeos, concerts, and cultural events, culminating with the crowning of the local winter queen.

10. Discover Cape Horn. One of the world’s most pristine ecosystems, Cape Horn National Park is accessible only by sea. The striking, austere park is home to many species of protected animals and plants. Tours run in the summer months from Puerto Williams.

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Yacht Club Micalvi

Location: Chile Categories: Marinas & Moorings, Yacht Clubs

“The most southerly yacht club in the world” not for the fain hearted, or large superyachts!

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Club Naval de Yates Micalvi

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Seno Lauta Harbour, Puerto Williams , Chile

There is 3.5 meters on the outside of the ‘Micalvi’ and two or less alongside the inside. All services are on board the ship. The bridge and forward sections of the ship have been turned into a sailors’ lounge for passing crews with a significant collection of memorabilia from visiting yachts and crews. The Armada also uses the facility for their own events. The facility no longer hosts bar and restaurant services. There are mooring buoys in the bay and anchoring is also possible. Modest moorage fees are paid to the Armada–don’t leave without paying your bill.

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Related to the following Services, Goods and Amenities: Amenities , Marine Services , Moorings , Power , Showers , Water , Water Supply , WiFi , Yacht Club

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Club Naval de Yates Micalvi

Marina in Chile

An old cargo ship that serves as a marina administered by the Armada de Chile. Boats tie side-to Micalvi. Several mooring buoys are also available. Two showers and Wi-Fi. The Armada usually opens the lounge and sailor’s kitchen at 8 am and closes it at 11 pm. A small workshop space is available to sailors. Nearby amenities include markets, fuel station, propane station, medical facilities, and a f

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