The crew of s/v One Ocean on their northbound push toward Golfo Corcovado, exited Canal Ninualac and Canal Moraleda set for the 225 mile-journey to Puerto Montt. The journey involved crossing the Golfo de Penas, along with a group of three other sailboats with whom they had met up with along the way. The plan? to escape the now relentless storms of the deep south region. Their progress was cut short due to an exhaust leak as Jenn relates in the following excerpt from her blog:
The wind had eased, the swell was moderate, and all signs pointed to a favorable crossing. The three other boats followed about 15 miles behind us. As darkness fell, I suddenly felt nauseous and dizzy. Then the cabin filled with a bitter white smoke. I opened windows and the companionway, quickly realizing the danger – exhaust was entering the boat.
We turned back, keeping fans and windows open, and made our way toward Wager Island. As some of you may know, this area inspired The Wager, a true story of shipwreck, mutiny, and survival – an ominous backdrop for the night….humm, great.
We stayed in contact with the boats behind us – all of whom offered assistance. These weren’t people we knew well, just brief encounters in Puerto Williams and Puerto Eden – but in a place this remote, everyone shows up for each other.
After troubleshooting with Tim and Mike back home, we believed we had what we needed if the issue was what we suspected – a cracked exhaust pipe in the engine room.
As we approached Caleta Ideal, it felt entirely different this time. On our previous visit, we arrived exhausted after a rough crossing, unfamiliar with navigating tight channels, anchoring in small caletas, and doing it all in the pitch black of night. Now, after more than a month in the fjords, the team moved with confidence and precision – even in the dark. We dropped anchor in near silence – so quiet you had to strain to hear anything. If not for the trail of carbon monoxide, it would have been a perfect arrival in an idyllic “Ideal” caleta.
I noted the time (2300), knowing full well we wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon, despite earlier plans to rest and then tackle the problem. Once we removed the insulation, we found the crack in the exhaust pipe. I won’t detail every step of the temporary repair, but everyone was up for problem-solving, rolling tinfoil packing, vacuuming soot, and doing wherever was needed.
The fix is holding for now, but it’s high on the list once we reach Puerto Montt. That list has grown long – unsurprising after nearly 18,000 nautical miles on a 30-year-old boat. Puerto Montt will be a place for maintenance, provisioning, and connection.
Note: Through it all, the crew of One Ocean continued their whale sightings, photography, and whale identifications. On April 11, S/V One Ocean arrived safely at Puerto Montt, where they will make repairs and reprovision .
Photos: Crew of One Ocean
