After a final goodbye to the sea lions at the port of Punta del Este, the weather is finally favorable to head to Buenos Aires. A pleasant downwind sail in the brownish waters of the Rio de la Plata allows us to reach the Argentine capital in 36 hours. We arrive in the middle of the night in front of the bridge that allows entry into the marina, but it does not open at night, so we anchor in the outer harbor, well outside the cargo ship avoidance zone. Nevertheless, we are awakened at 6 a.m. by the Prefectura, who asks us to raise anchor immediately... We try to negotiate, to see if we can moor somewhere on a dock, we bring out the two girls to soften them up, but nothing works. All the docks are military zones and forbidden, leaving us with the choice of anchoring outside the port (with 1 meter of swell...) or circling in the water waiting for the bridge to open. The officer also specifies that it is forbidden to do so under sail... So we circle with the engine running, waiting for the bridge to open at 8 a.m. Luckily the military sleeps at night, otherwise we would have had to circle in the water all night! A good taste of Argentine administration. We’ve earned Buenos Aires!
Couleur brune des eaux du Rio de la Plata
Diane, who learned to climb before walking...
Cuisine en mer
8 a.m., entrance to Puerto Madero
For those who think we have fun every day, here’s what happened on Thursday. We moor in the morning at Puerto Madero, and the formalities begin. A 4-kilometer walk to the immigration office with some detours because it’s not easy to find. Stamps on the passport and then on a loose paper certifying entry into Argentina. After 6 kilometers to get to the Prefectura. Upon arrival, we are told that the immigration stamp is invalid because it’s on the photocopy of the entry document and not the original! Sic. So we go back to eat on board and then repeat the 4 kilometers to get the correct paper stamped. Back to the Prefectura, where the team has changed, and they don’t care whether the stamp is on the original or the photocopy. An hour later, with our duly stamped document, we head to Customs. Repeat 3 kilometers. After half an hour on the phone, the customs officer tells us that a paper is missing, which the Prefectura should have given us. So we go back to the Prefectura. And there, they have no idea what Customs is talking about, half an hour of calls left and right, and they certify that everything is there and that it’s not necessary to go to Customs (re-sic...). Back to Customs, explaining that the Prefectura won’t provide another document. Half an hour of discussion later, we finally leave at 7 p.m. with the temporary admission certificate. After 6 hours of sleep in 48 hours, 21 kilometers of walking (confirmed by GPS), and a day of discussions. And the funniest part is that when we returned to the Prefectura to complete the exit, they asked for the Customs paper... Luckily, they were always very kind and conscientious, but we felt like we were the first sailboat in years, which wasn’t the case since many sailboats of other nationalities were present for the start of the "Buenos-Aires to Rio," a sailing race between the two capitals... After this day of formalities, we finally enjoy this beautiful city with its European charm, and it’s not unpleasant to rediscover some Western conveniences. Moored in the city center, we are surrounded by skyscrapers at 360 degrees—quite a change from the tropical forest! We meet "Le Grand Jack en liberté," a 12-meter steel sailboat with its festive Belgian crew, also heading to Patagonia, and we spend a few barbecue evenings on the dock... Argentine beef lives up to its reputation.
After a good stock-up in preparation for our next weeks in Patagonia and some laundry, we leave Buenos Aires on the morning of February 14, sailing by sight with our Belgian friends, very calm, perhaps too calm, as we are forced to motor for 17 hours to reach Mar del Plata, 290 miles to the south.
Catedral Metropolitana, sur la playa de Mayo
Devant la place San Martin
Dans la rua Florida
In front of the Casa Rosada, the president’s seat
Le puente de la Mujer, quartier de Puerto Madero
Retour de courses
At Café Havana, in front of the boats
Departure from Buenos Aires
Libertaire seen from Le Grand Jack en Liberté
Le Grand Jack en Liberté seen from Libertaire
The favorite seaside resort of Porteños (residents of Buenos Aires), but also one of the largest fishing ports in the country, Mar del Plata buzzes with activity in summer, and the beaches are packed even though the water is significantly cooler than in Brazil. Even though it’s still warm during the day, the nights are noticeably colder. We are moored at the very dynamic and welcoming Círculo Náutico de Mar del Plata, where we can enjoy all the facilities (pool, tennis, restaurants, playground, fitness room, beach...) under the February sun! We take advantage of this stop to do the last shopping before heading to Patagonia, where supplies will be hard to come by before reaching Ushuaia. We plan to leave Mar del Plata mid-week, heading to Puerto Madryn, accompanied by Stéphanie, a friendly Belgian-Swiss-French crew member we met in Argentina. Tonight was a circus show for Nina and Perrine, have a good week everyone and happy holidays for some!
The rotating bridge that closes the inner basin of Mar del Plata
Libertaire au bout du ponton
Devant la playa Grande
Ce soir c'est cirque!
La plage du Yacht Club
Stéphanie, new crew member, the crew is won over!
San Pedro and Santa Cecilia Cathedral of Mar del Plata
