We bring you the adventures of Daniel, Jean-Marc and their crew aboard their JPK 45 FC Belharra in Patagonia... to be continued in future articles! A big thank you to them for sharing their experiences and for these images that inspire us to dream...
The story
BELHARRA is a 2017 JPK 45 FC, number 3 in the series, equipped with a long keel and a carbon mast. We are two co-owners and we sail together with our families or with close sailing friends, all in their sixties!
After Scotland and a tour of the Mediterranean, we left Lorient in March 2022. On the agenda:
- a descent of the Atlantic
- a transatlantic crossing from Cape Verde to the West Indies
- a passage through the Panama Canal in December 2023
- a first transpacific crossing from Panama to the Marquesas Islands
- Polynesia in 2024
- And finally, a fantastic 21-day trans-Pacific return trip from Gambier to Puerto Montt (Chile), on a southern route planned by our friend Hervé.
We left the boat in dry dock at the very friendly Club Nautico Reloncavi.
Our journey southwards through Chile began in early November 2025 on the beautiful and authentic island of Chiloé. After crossing the Gulf of Corcovado, we began our descent through the Moraleda Channel. We were glad we had chosen this route, as most of the time we sailed downwind in strong winds and through narrow passages under foresails alone, carried by the current.
One of the most challenging passages to date was crossing the Gulf of Sorrows, which had to be tacked across in heavy swells in order to enter the Messier Channel.
In the channels of Patagonia, the main difficulty is choosing the right caleta to anchor the boat in at night, with up to six lines ashore in case of very strong winds...
After Puerto Aguirre and Puerto Eden, two villages cut off from the world where we refuelled with diesel and (briefly) stocked up on food, a veritable no man's land awaits us until we reach Puerto Williams... We sail through raw, unspoilt, extraordinary natural surroundings, in harsh conditions. Wildlife is everywhere: albatrosses above all, but also petrels, dolphins, sea lions, whales...
We were able to get close to the glaciers, particularly the Seno Iceberg, under sunny skies. However, we had to turn back on our way up to the Pio XI glacier: sailing close-hauled against 35-knot winds, surrounded by growlers, with two reefs and a staysail, gave us a bit of a scare...
We are now at the entrance to the Strait of Magellan, sheltering in a cove in Puerto Profundo from strong winds. Next, we will begin the most challenging part of our journey in terms of weather conditions, heading towards the Beagle Channel...
— Daniel
The map of the journey
Our journey southwards through Chile began in early November 2025 on the beautiful and authentic island of Chiloé. After crossing the Gulf of Corcovado, we began our descent through the Moraleda Channel. We were glad we had chosen this route, as most of the time we sailed downwind in strong winds and through narrow passages under foresails alone, carried by the current.
In the channels of Patagonia, the main difficulty is choosing the right caleta to anchor the boat in at night, with up to six lines ashore in case of very strong winds...
One of the most challenging passages to date was crossing the Gulf of Sorrows, which had to be tacked across in heavy swells in order to enter the Messier Channel.
We were able to get close to the glaciers, particularly the Seno Iceberg, under sunny skies. However, we had to turn back on our way up to the Pio XI glacier: sailing close-hauled against 35-knot winds, surrounded by growlers, with two reefs and a staysail, gave us a bit of a scare...
After Puerto Aguirre and Puerto Eden, two villages cut off from the world where we refuelled with diesel and (briefly) stocked up on food, a veritable no man's land awaits us until we reach Puerto Williams... We sail through raw, unspoilt, extraordinary natural surroundings, in harsh conditions. Wildlife is everywhere: albatrosses above all, but also petrels, dolphins, sea lions, whales...
We are now at the entrance to the Strait of Magellan, sheltering in a cove in Puerto Profundo from strong winds. Next, we will begin the most challenging part of our journey in terms of weather conditions, heading towards the Beagle Channel...
More photos from Belharra's journey below:
