I cruised solo from Terra del Fuego through Chilean Patagonia. You can seldom anchor in these parts because the water is too deep. You have to tie your boat in every night with lines led to trees or rocks ashore. This is simple in theory, but it always took at least an hour, sometimes two if I had to make the dreaded four-point tie-in. When I asked Ken, another solo sailor who'd come south through the Chilean channels, what you do with yourself in the channels. He answered, "Mess with your shorelines."

One night I thought I’d be real tricky and get a line around a tree without having to launch the dinghy. There was deep water right up to the wall, with a few promising trees sticking out. I nosed Condesa in, ran up to the bow, checked it all out, and it seemed do-able.

Read More