After about 100 miles downwind in the Strait of Magellan, then 30 miles south through Canal Ackwalisnan, and a further 30 miles back to windward in Canal Cockburn, Madrone nosed into Caleta Brecknock.
Brecknock is one of the most well-known anchorages in Patagonia, and it’s easy to understand why. With its proximity to the open sea and the ferocious storms that spin in from the Southern Ocean, the place is an otherworldly landscape of mostly exposed, black granite.
What little soil there is lies only in cracks and gullies that are protected from the incessant westerly wind, and the hardy shrubs and small trees that manage to grow here are all bent away to the east.
A tiny inlet indents the northwest corner of the caleta, just big enough for one or two boats. There’s no room to swing at anchor, and the strong winds funnel into the caleta and tumble down the sheer cliffs. So, we drop the anchor outside, back Madrone into the caleta, and then race to attach four shorelines, one at each corner of the boat. We follow the recommended strategy of tucking the stern as close to shore as possible, and our rudder only has a foot or two of water under it at low tide.
Once again, the forecast calls for several days of storms with 30-40 knot winds, so we’re happy to be safely tied in to the snug inlet. In between the worst of the weather, we hike the bare rock landscape and marvel at the waterfalls plunging down the granite cliffs. During our visit, Brecknock is a cold, dark, windy place, and we’re strangely happy to be here.
