15. Magellan Strait

"What a surprise!"

As the spray of water overtakes and engulfs my boat, Aomi, from behind, I think, "This is just too strong."

On the surrounding water, waves curl and crumble in strikingly vivid green, becoming plumes of water. The wind is so strong that it marks stripes on the slopes of the rising waves.

Honestly, I am terrified, so I decide to slow down Aomi. After lowering the mainsail, I pull the downhaul rope in the cockpit to lower the tiny storm jib as well, one-quarter the size of the regular jib I had custom-made in San Francisco.

Nevertheless, driven solely by the wind against her bare mast, Aomi still sails fast, heading east through the Strait of Magellan.

Despite having no sails to dampen the rolling, the ride is strangely stable. I leave the helm to the wind vane, go down to the cabin, light the Primus kerosene burner, and start to prepare lunch.

"Will I reach the next anchorage by sunset?"

When darkness falls, and visibility is lost, Aomi may run aground or crash into rocks, especially in this narrow, wind-swept strait.

In the middle of the Strait of Magellan, Cape Froward juts out, marking the southernmost point of the South American continent. At this point, the strait bends, changing from a west-east waterway to a south-north waterway.

How will the wind blow when Aomi passes the cape and enters the south-north waterway?

The wind tends to blow along the passage in the narrow waterway, surrounded by mountains. However, predicting the exact direction of the wind is challenging, as even minor variations in the upper wind patterns or the contour of the land can drastically alter its behavior at the sea surface.

After passing Cape Froward, the wind, influenced by the surrounding terrain, could be either a weak crosswind or a strong headwind.

If such a strong wind becomes a headwind, making any headway will be impossible, even while I repeatedly tack and zigzag through the narrow channel. Even worse, Aomi will be pushed back by the surface currents caused by the wind.

Even if Aomi could gradually sail upwind, the sun would inevitably set along the way. Aomi will probably run aground in the pitch-black darkness, where the land is entirely invisible and far from any civilization.

How long will this strong wind last? What will the wind be like after we round the cape? What should I do if I get a strong headwind? 

Everything is unknown, uncertain, and scary. Of course, no one can help me; I can only rely on myself. Yet, my experiences in Patagonia have taught me that I am completely powerless in such strong winds.

But then, hope and courage somehow filled my heart; I was not in despair. I held onto the unfounded conviction that the wind would die down once I rounded the cape, and I would surely be safe.

Fearing the worst and at a loss, I just kept on believing in my luck.

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(A detailed explanation of this episode can be read here.)