Most of the main channels in the northern and central parts of Patagonia run nearly directly north and south. Since each side is fringed by high mountains, the wind tends to be funneled directly down the channels.
The prevailing ocean winds in this part of the world blow from the northwest. These winds that blow in from the ocean get diverted by the channels and end up blowing directly from the north. After the passing of a storm front, the wind will swing to the southwest – interestingly, these winds also end up being diverted by the channels, and they end up blowing from the north, also.
Since we’re headed south, this means that nearly all of our sailing so far has been downwind. The wind is behind us, the waves created by the wind are behind us, and the current created by the wind is also pushing us south.
At the ends of the individual islands where two canals intersect, and at the occasional saddle in the mountains, the wind can change direction and strength quickly and without much warning. So we quickly learned that the easiest thing is just to keep the mainsail furled and sail with headsails only.
Our typical downwind sailing setup here in the canals has been our genoa held out with a whisker pole, sometimes accompanied by our staysail if the wind is from exactly the right direction. The wind has been between 15 and 25 knots nearly every day, and with the current our boat speed is typically between 7 and 9 knots.
It’s been easy, mostly peaceful sailing – just the way we like it!
