The Navimag Ferry

The Navimag goes from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales and takes around 3 days. My impemding trip was delayed by 2 days because of the weather, but when I got there I was pleased to be upgraded from a 16 person dorm to a 4 person room with a window! The boat was rather empty, with 13 tourist passengers as well as a few lorry drivers and lots of cargo (though some more locals got on at Puerto Eden, the one stop on the second last day). In my room were Maurizio, from Columbia via Australia, and Hafeez, and older Pakastani Gentlemen. The rest of us were a Dutch couple, 2 Ozzie guys, 2 young French guys (wearing shorts for chrissakes), another slightly older French Guy, a Chilean Gentlemen and a Polish couple who kept themselves to themselves. The boat didn´t leave till nearer five, by which time we'd been on board a good few hours. Up on the top deck the views of the sunset and the mountains on all sides were great, and my fears that there´d be nobody else on board and I wouldn´t be able to see a thing were banished.

The food was pretty good, with large enough portions and soup every meal, the only exception being the chemical pink dessert and it's orange cousin. Movies were also played in the canteen, as after 5pm it was dark outside, and it was too cold to spend all day out anyway. THe first night I was feeling a bit rough, something I ate I think, and went to bed early. Turns out Maurizio was a worse snorer than Ashton on the last trip, even the Dutch girl in the Cabin next door could here him, so sleep was sporradic.

The next day we go the chance to go down on the lower deck at the bow, and while we were there we sighted lots of dolphins. The dolphins came and swam along at the prow of the boat for a bit and I got some great film which I can hopefully link in eventually. We also saw seals, sealions and leaping salmon. Meanwhile the sky had cleared in the afternoon and we got much better views of the far off mountains and we passed through some narrowers channels between the coast and the islands. However, that evening we would head out into the golfe de Penas, which meant we were on the open ocean and had the heavy swell that entains. We were told the exact moment to take sea sickness pills for best effect, I took one. Whether it was necessary or not, I didn´t get sick, though the swell was pretty bad, and you had to walking seemed like you´d drank rather too much, or so I'm told. We had a few beers that night, and Guillermo, the Chilean gentleman taught us a captivating dice game called ¨Ambitioso" (Ambitous).

Next day visibility was pretty poor in the morning but cleared up later on. We passed through the English Narrows which were narrow as you might imagine.Views on this morning were really great. Later we stopped in Puerto Eden, about the only communication this place has with the rest of the world. We went down to the cargo decks to watch as supplies were unloaded and shellfish loaded up. That night was Friday night and the last night and we were in the mood to party. Unfortunately the only music they were providing was Sophie Ellis Bextor, and they didn't put the disco lights on for us. Fortunately we had an ipod speaker dock and a bottle of whisky. At some point in the night we were called to come and look at icebergs that we were going through, but what we passed was really just some pathetic excuse for icebergs, but there was ice there! Late in the night the Dutch guy surprised us all by coming out of nowhere and dancing by himself, truly 'Caido de la Perra'. Unfortunately the bar closed and by 2 we'd run out of fuel (except the Dutch guy) and turned in. Next morning I was up in time to see us pass through more narrows about 830 when the sun was just coming up. These were exceptionally narrow with barely room for the boat to fit. We go to Puerto Natales by 10ish but it was hours before we were allowed to disembark. Anyway, the trip was great and the photos don't do justice to the 360 degree views. I've tried to make some movies, which are better, but I don't think I can upload them for a while.

Photo time:


At sunset on day 1


New hat at Puerto Eden.


Flying seal.


Estoi Baltico, as they may not say here.