Voyage of the Evangelista

Cargo Ship Adventures through Glaciers and Fjordlands

“The islands were composed of a stratified, soft, littoral deposit; and the vegetation in consequence was beautifully luxuriant.” “The woods came down to the sea-beach, just in the manner of an evergreen shrubbery over a gravel walk.” - Charles Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle

What is it with boarder towns and ports? Like Suratthani in Thailand, Huay Xai in Laos, and Tattoine in Star Wars – they have not been favorite places to pass through. The air is somewhat seedy and filled with opertunistic thieves, smuggles and Cantina Bar mercenaries. It's not exactly the type of place you want to roam late at night in search of an inn with vacancy. As luck had it, the Navimag cargo ship e-mailed us to say they would be embarking one day late which gave us an extra and quite unnecessary day here in Puerto Montt. We spent this misfortune at a fuente de soda and walking around to find some hats, gloves and long underwear for the icy journey south. Steph liked Peurto Montt for it's 'realness' as a working town, and I admit I did enjoy returning to Chile on this unexpected adventure south.

Either way we said goodbye and set sail from Peurto Montt (41 latitude south) towards Puerto Natalis (52 degrees south), on course 113* at 13 knots. When the captain sounded the horn, a 10 second echo would hum for miles up the channel's canyon. We enjoyed this prime position for whale watching and seal spotting.

The Comissario met us on board and showed us to the lower deck cabins. To our amazing luck we were upgraded to a private cabin with four beds all to ourselves. The cargo deck may have been full but the Evangelista felt a little empty with only seven passengers of a possible 300. This lovely old man took close care of us, warmly calling everyone to dinner in the cafeteria, inviting the group to film showings in the pub and keeping us up to date of all progress.

A wet and rainy fog meant that we were forced inside for the first few days to read our books and play card games, as sailors do.

“The land was wooded down to the water’s edge.” “The trees on every side extending their branches over the sea-beach”

Unfortunately we did not have the weather that I had hoped to be out on deck and appreciate this unusually broken up coastline of western Patagonia. Reading Charles Darwin's “Voyage of the Beagle” gave me elevated interest in experiencing this part of the world for my own first time. Darwin had sailed up and down this coast on the Beagle and a “yawl and whale-boat” to survey this coastline. It was great fun following these diary entries chapter by chapter. I spent most of the first day in the compass deck (aka pub) which had a multitude of maps to marking Mr Darwin's progress down through these exact waters.

“December 10th. — White massive clouds were piled up against a dark blue sky, and across them black ragged sheets of vapour were rapidly driven. The successive mountain ranges appeared like dim shadows, and the setting sun cast on the woodland a yellow gleam, much like that produced by the flame of spirits of wine. The water was white with the flying spray, and the wind lulled and roared again through the rigging: it was an ominous, sublime scene... The weather continued very bad, but it at last permitted us to proceed with the survey. The time hung heavy on our hands, as it always did when we were delayed from day to day by successive gales of wind...The north-west winds prevailing for the next four days, we only managed to cross a great bay, and then anchored in another secure harbour.

Bad weather was delivered, as promised. The fog was so thick we could barely see and then came the rocky swells as we approached the XXXXX opening before the Chronos Archipelago. These waters have a reputation for bad weather and rocky swells in the major bay areas. Steph had the misfortune of spending her birthday evening during the worst of it when it seemed like the ship was rolling 90 degrees on it's axis. During our voyage Steph and I enjoyed the intimacy and met some great friends amongst our fellow 15 passengers. An Irish family we had met at the Bariloche bus station were truly enjoying this trip and was one of the highlights of their south american adventure. We attempted whale watching with the kids from the navigation bridge, but spotted only dolphins and seals.

“On the way the number of seals which we saw was quite astonishing: every bit of flat rock, and parts of the beach, were covered with them. There appeared to be of a loving disposition, and lay huddled together, fast asleep, like so many pigs; but even pigs would have been ashamed of their dirt, and of the foul smell which came from them.”

When the rain clouds finally lifted the next morning a magnaficient landscape was revealed all around us. Darwin's descriptions of fresh water cascading from vertical forrests right down into the saltwater all came true. With the worst behind us (two bays open to the sea) the Evangelista continued weaving it's way down through the island waterways.

“We found the water (probably only that of the surface) nearly fresh: this was caused by the number of torrents which, in the form of cascades, came tumbling over the bold granite mountains into the sea. The fresh water attracts the fish, and these bring many terns, gulls, and two kinds of cormorant. We were again amused by the impetuous manner in which the heap of seals, old and young, tumbled into the water as the boat passed. They did not remain long under water, but rising, followed us with outstretched necks, expressing great wonder and curiosity."