After almost a month moored at the pleasant Estancilla marina near the dynamic city of Valdivia, we are ready to set sail for the Pacific crossing!
480 miles separate us from our first stop, Robinson Crusoe Island in the Juan Fernandez archipelago. The variable following wind of 15 to 35 knots during our 3 days of sailing allows us to maintain a good average speed despite the rather uncomfortable cross swell. Libertaire logs 186 miles in 24 hours on the second day, not bad for a 1975 sailboat!
The Juan Fernandez archipelago consists of 3 small volcanic islands discovered in the 16th century by the Spanish. Robinson Crusoe Island is the main one, where the castaway Alexander Selkirk lived for over 4 years (1704-1709) and inspired Daniel Defoe for his famous adventure novel.
Almost the entire island is classified as a national park with a unique ecosystem due to its variety of endemic plants.
On April 5th, we drop anchor under a beautiful blue sky for lunch in front of the peaceful village of San Juan Batista, the only settlement on the island. After the usual administrative formalities, Nina and Diane are delighted to stretch their legs at the brand-new kindergarten! Much of the village was destroyed by the 2010 tsunami, and many infrastructures have been recently rebuilt entirely in wood, giving a certain charm to the lush alleys of this small village nestled at the foot of steep mountains. The highest point of this small volcanic island, Cerro el Yunque, peaks at 915 meters! We are joined at night by our friends from the sailboats Galadriel and Heart and Soul. After a good night's sleep despite the somewhat rolly anchorage, we hike to Selkirk's lookout; it was from this observation post that the castaway watched for ships on the horizon. After 2 hours of walking, the girls are lucky to discover a treasure filled with chocolate coins ;-) The next day we climb to the Salsipuedes ridge with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean and the northeast of the island. We enjoy 2 more days of this beautiful stopover with swims in perfectly clear and fishy water. On Tuesday, April 8th, we weigh anchor and head northwest to catch the trade winds and reach the mysterious Easter Island... perhaps for Easter! 1800 miles await us, to be continued!
