After traipsing around southern Chile for about 6 weeks Madrone has arrived at her winter home. Marina Estancilla is an outstation for Club Yates de Valdivia, the local boat club. With 2 dock fingers it is a cozy home for about 35 boats.
Marina Estancilla, Valdivia Chile
The marina is located about 5 miles outside the city of Valdivia, about half way between downtown and the coast. Surrounded by bright green tree covered hills, the marina is nestled into a bend in Rio Valdivia.
It is very rural and quiet here- the occasional fishing boat drifts by in the river current and a small motor boat taxis 3 or 4 workers across the river to the lumber mill on the island on the far side each day.
Madrone at her home for the southern winter
A small, quiet, out of the way marina like this is a perfect place to stay in case the world happens to be melting down. Since it seems that the world is temporarily melting down, we are very happy to have ended up here. There is only one other person living aboard his boat full time, so together we have the entire complex as our quarantine playground. We feel very, very fortunate.
