The entrance to the Strait of Magellan is notorious for having some of the worst weather in all of Patagonia. The funnel-like shape of the inlet points directly into the prevailing northwest winds of the Southern Ocean, amplifying them as they’re squeezed between the mountainous islands on the south and the mountainous mainland on the north.
Just being anchored nearby makes it clear that it’s an area to be treated with caution, and we are doing so. We’ve taken shelter in Caleta Teokita, and for the past six days the wind has whistled in the rigging and bounced Madrone around even though we’re tucked into the trees protecting the anchorage.
There’s been a steady stream of weather systems rolling in from the open ocean. Strong bands of wind sweep in torrential rain, and the moderately strong wind in between the strong wind just brings steady rain. As the last of the systems passes through, the temperature drops significantly and the torrential rain is replaced by hail. And all of this in the Southern Hemisphere equivalent of late July.
But tomorrow’s forecast shows the storm winds subsiding as the low pressure system moves off to the east, and after a week of waiting Madrone is eager to point her bow into the Strait and continue her journey.
