Puerto Montt, Chile

Puerto Montt, Chile has been our home for the last 3 months as we wait for September and prepare Tamara for our most ambitious open ocean crossing, the Pacific Ocean.

The protected waters from Puerto Montt south to the Gulfo de Penas is home to Chile's salmon farming industry, grossing over 2 billion dollars a year. Most of these farms are owned by large companies and are very sophisticated. In addition to the pens, there is a large floating building that houses accommodations for the employees and warehouse for the farms. Feeding is automated. A large number of support vessels are contracted to help with the farms, in addition to well boats (tenders) that move the fish, live, from the pens to the processing plants. As a consequence of the proliferation of salmon farming, job opportunities in the region have increased rapidly in the last 10 years, and the communities of the region have grown tremendously. From a cruising point of view it's annoying to find a salmon farm at the entrance to or inside most good anchorages. But the flip side is that it's a lot easier to find needed boat parts and repair services.

Another benefit of the salmon farm industry is the availability of salom in the local markets. The Angelmo open market is a great place to shop for all types of seafood, cheese, fresh vegetables and seafood restaurants. On Saturdays the market is especially busy with locals shopping and tourists eating in the restaurants.

Yachts arriving from the south (Ushuaia, Puerto Williams) either continue north along the Chilean coast and into Peru and Ecuador, or head out into the Pacific to French Polynesia, Australia and New Zealand or the Marquesas and Hawaii. Of course, yachts are also arriving from the opposite directions and continuing south. The average stay in Puerto Montt seems to be about 3-4 months. There are two marinas and one yacht club, all located about 2 miles from the center of town, easily accessible by local bus service. One of the marinas has a Travelift and many boats are hauled out and stored on land while the crew return to home ports.

We are leaving on a two week inland bus trip to the central valleys north of Santiago. When we return we will be make final preparations for our departure to the western edge of the South Pacific and then on to the North Pacific.