We sailed from Rio Grande (Brazil) to Buenos Aires. The days were relaxing, the nights were cold… To know where to go in Argentina we used a RCC pilot that was downloadable for free. Argentina is a nice place to go with a sailboat, because the marinas often give you a week free upon arrival, this is called courtesia.
Yachts sailing on Mar del Plata in front of Buenos Aires
So we sailed up the brown, muddy water of the Mar Del Plata, through the channel leading into the center of Buenos Aires. We wanted to stay in the (apparently) famous yacht club Argentino, right at the entrance, but it was fully booked, so we had to continue through an opening bridge to the next marina, Puerto Madero. We were unlucky, because it was also full, and we could only stay one night…
Only the next day we discovered where we really had to go: the Parana Delta! Through this labyrint of forest and water you can get to the Rio Lujan, which is the northern border of the suburbs of Buenos Aires. On this river there are more than 10 marinas fighting to accomodate you.
Evening in the Parana Delta
So we cruised through the delta and got ourselves a spot. With our 2,2 meters depth we were touching the muddy bottom of the river everywhere. Even inside our port, we regularly touched the ground. The level of water in the delta and the Rio Lujan change with the rain and wind.
Aura in San Fernando, one of the suburbs of Buenos Aires
After claiming our free week in the Barlovento Yacht Club, we ended up in San Fernando, where we met Ben and Justine on board of Ben’s boat Dira.
Dira, little sister of Aura
In Buenos Aires/San Fernando we made the last preparations for Antarctica, knowing that this would be our last opportunity. And it’s a great place to do it too, because there are a lot of chandleries and other boat-stuff. Apparently the Argentinians are quite keen on sailing. Also, the Argentinian peso was very low, making it a cheap country too. So we installed and tested the heater, and got a new custom-made dinghy. This sounds quite fancy, but it was the cheapest option.
Custom built auxiliaury
We were all prepared to set sail for Ushuaia!
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