La Balade de Jade · video

What this video covers

A crew sailing from the Gambier Islands to Puerto Montt, Chile, navigates a series of depressions in the South Pacific, encountering winds exceeding 30 knots and erratic sea states.1:27 To manage the conditions, the crew maintains a wind-angle-based autopilot setting rather than a fixed course, often sailing at 75 degrees to the wind.7:36 They rely on a staysail and reefed mainsail to avoid potential issues with the headsail furler in high winds.3:32 The passage requires careful timing for the Chacao Channel entrance, where tidal currents can reach 5 knots; the crew consults the official Chilean hydrographic service to align their arrival with slack water.13:14 After 3,686 nautical miles, the vessel reaches Puerto Montt, where the crew secures the boat at a marina for a temporary return to France.26:25 The passage highlights the necessity of monitoring weather windows and tidal charts for safe coastal entry in Patagonia.

More from La Balade de Jade

Jade#53 - From the Strait of Magellan to the Beagle Channel: 50 knots of wind for the New Year!Mar 2026Jade#52 - GULF OF SORROWS, PUERTO EDEN: Patagonian anchorages are anything but restfulJan 2026Jade#51 - Towards the SAN RAFAEL GLACIER: we're navigating among our first icebergsDec 2025Jade#50 - CHILOÉ and the GULF OF ANCUD: the adventure resumes, the crew is trainingNov 2025

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