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Posted By:
Hal Brown
Date Posted:
Apr 21, 2013
Description:
After a prior day full of fog, everyone was hoping for a break in our new parking place further north. Daybreak did not look promising though. There was a fog bank offshore and low clouds covering SuRi.
Date Taken:
Apr 21, 2013
Place Taken:
Islas Rosario, Chile
Owner:
Dan Nickens
File Name:
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Category:
524, Yacht Tending Chile
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Read what others had to say:
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Aquaculture is one of Chile’s growing industries. Not far from SuRi was a big fish farm. Just beyond that was the fog.
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Fish Farming
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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The islands were blocking a massive cloud of sea fog. Overheat was a small spot of blue, sized just right for a SeaRey.
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Sunshine Spot
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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After my brief solo survey mission proved the boat was in the only fog-free spot in the entire country, I was called up to the owner’s cabin. Lying beside a picture window perfectly at home was Patagonia with her new family.<br /><br />Scratching Patagonia’s head, the owner told me, “We need some pet supplies. Patagonia hasn’t got a leash. We’d like to get a harness so she doesn’t get choked. And, we’d like to have a collapsible crate for the airplane. ”<br /><br />There was a pregnant pause as I considered the closest pet supply store would be more than 100 miles away in Puerto Montt. “Might as well be a thousand,” I thought, “with the fog.”<br /><br />Before I could answer his daughter chimed in, “What we really need is a spray to show her where she can pee.”<br /><br />I think my jaw dropped. “You know,” she elaborated, “like a scent we can spray that will tell her it’s okay.”<br /><br />I still hadn’t said anything. I had no idea that there was such a thing.<br /><br />“Well,” the owner said, “you might not be able to find the spray. And we don’t have to have a crate. But we really need the leash.”<br /><br />“Harness,” his wife corrected.<br /><br />“Oh, er, kay. I’ll work on it.”<br /><br />Okay, so, we are surrounded by fog in a remote wilderness area with no Petco outlets within 3000 or so miles. Now what?<br /><br />First item of business: check with our local guide, Fernando.<br /><br />“No comprendo,” he said. “Pee spray?”<br /><br />“Sí. Pee spray. And a folding crate.”<br /><br />“No es posible.”<br /><br />“It’s possible. I have an unlimited expense account to make it happen.” That usually gets some attention.<br /><br />Fernando shook his head. “No es aqui. Not here. Maybe in Castro. Maybe in Puerto Montt. Posible in Santiago. You can fly?”<br /><br />“Si. The helicopter is off fly fishing. The jet is in Puerto Montt. The seaplane is available, but there is fog.”<br /><br />“Si. Fog es muy mal aqui. Pero, no fog in Castro. Quizá. Maybe.”<br /><br />“Castro? The little fishing village? Do you think they would have pet supplies?”<br /><br />“Es posible. I will check.”<br /><br />While Fernando was checking pet supply stores in the fishing village, I checked the weather on the satellite Internet. Puerto Montt was clear. So was Castro.<br /><br />Fernando came back to say there was a vet office in Castro that might have some supplies. If not, we would have to go to Puerto Montt. Or have the jet go to Santiago.<br /><br />It was already afternoon and there was little improvement. Fog still surrounded our little infrequently blue spot.<br /><br />Using the satellite phone I contacted the helicopter pilot. “It’s clear inland,” he reported. “I had to fly up the river valley at 50’, but it clears up by the lake.”<br /><br />“Any wires or other traps?” I asked.<br /><br />“You mean other than a smoking volcano?”<br /><br />“Yeah. Other than that.”<br /><br />It seemed prudent to take someone with local knowledge. One of the Chilean boat pilots agreed to be co-pilot.<br /><br />I discussed the risks with him. “No problemo. Vayamos.”<br /><br />
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Clear Spot
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Don Maxwell - Apr 21,2013
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Conozco algunos ricos agradables. ¿Pero son lo mismo que nosotros?
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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No lo se. Algunos son definitivamente diferentes.
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Don Maxwell - Apr 21,2013
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Pues, todo el mundo hace caca.
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Don Maxwell - Apr 22,2013
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Tal vez lo que realmente son diferentes:<br /><br />('Grandma's Experiences Leave a Mark on Your Genes,'<br />Dan Hurley, _Discover_, May 2013, 54)
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RichPoor k
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Dan Nickens - Apr 23,2013
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Another demonstration of the importance of environmental factors, eh? Well, vive la diffUrence and 'Qu'ils mangent de la brioche'!
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Don Maxwell - Apr 23,2013
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Mangez copieux, camarade!
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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It was really ugly getting to the valley. The fog was as reported by the helicopter pilot. The only good news was that the water in the bay was calm enough to set down anywhere. A smooth plan B.<br /><br />By the time we got to the river, the sky opened up. Inland was a beautiful blue sky. Only the hills held on to any vestige of fogginess.<br />
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Yelcho River Valley
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Beautifully free of sea fog. The only problem was that it was clearing to the east. We needed to go west.
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Blue Corridor
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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When we got to the next valley, it was clear to climb on top of the low clouds.
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Climbing to Clear
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Looking over De Los Tabiques to Volcan Corcovado, one would think this expedition was seriously stupid. Underneath the clouds, however, was another river, clearly shown on the GPS.
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Clear to Mostly Rocky
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Cloud clear on top. The new problem was easy to see, however: the white blanket below stretched clear across the gulf. <br /><br />My copilot was totally unperturbed. I found out why. He was used to jumping out of airplanes at 40,000’, or at 400’. He was formerly the Chilean Navy’s equivalent of a U.S. Navy seal. He had retired as a captain.<br /><br />“If we are forced to land,” I asked, “how long will it take to get someone to come get us?<br /><br />He shrugged. “There is a helicopter in Puerto Montt. Maybe they come.” Then he added, “Not at night.”<br /><br />He didn’t need to remind me not to crash land at night.<br />
| | Attachments:
Cloaked in White
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Crossing the Canal Apiao it wasn’t clear that the airport at Castro would be. Just east of the town, however, the fog began to thin.
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Breaking Up
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Farms with nice emergency landing grass on islands off the Isla Grande de Chiloe
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Quilted Land
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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The gravel strip at Castro (Gamboa aerodrome) was quiet when we arrived. Located next to a major road we quickly hailed a cab into town.<br /><br />The veterinarian’s office was a small place among bustling shops. No one spoke English. The Chilean Captain and I did pretty good, but he looked skeptical about the concept of Pee Spray. He asked the clerk anyway.<br /><br />The response was laughter followed by a Spanish response delivered with Gatling gun speed. It could have been hopelessly lost in translation, except the mirth made it clear. “She says it is no mystery,” my copilot explained. “You must train the dog. No shortcuts.”<br /><br />To my amazement, a harness was available. “What size?” the copilot asked. He tried to show the size to the clerk. No one was sure.<br /><br />I resolved the dilemma quickly. “Buy them all.”<br /><br />“Es very expensive, Capitán.”<br /><br />“We just flew 80 miles over the fog to get a harness. I don’t want to come back.”<br /><br />We were also shown a non-collapsible crate. It was way too big for a SeaRey. I put it on hold for helicopter delivery. Before going out the door I stocked up on treats, water bowls and everything a dog might dream of. My copilot was shocked and chagrined at the cost (or maybe the whole concept).<br /><br />Back at the airport I decided to call the SuRi before launching. I got the helicopter pilot. His report was bleak: “We’re covered up. You can’t see 10’. The fog is right down on the water. I hope you took an overnight bag.”<br /><br />I hadn’t. It was getting late in the afternoon. In another hour or two it would start getting dark.<br /><br />Conferring with my copilot, I asked about options on the mainland for an overnight diversion. “There are aeropuertas, Capitán, pero there are no hotels.”<br /><br />I didn’t mind spending the night in Castro, but there were supplies to deliver. If the lake upstream from the boat was still open we could land there, hope to find ground transportation, and meet a launch from the boat near ChaitUn. Or, Plan C, we could put on enough fuel to get us there and back to Castro.<br /><br />We went looking for fuel. The copilot found someone willing to sell fuel for cash. I asked about getting back to the airport after dark.<br /><br />“No es posible, Capitán. But, he says we can go into the new aero-port.”<br /><br />“What new airport?”<br /><br />“There is a nuevo aeropuerta about 15 km north of Castro.”<br /><br />“But it’s not on my charts.”<br /><br />“No lo se. It’s over allí (pointing north).”<br /><br />“And it has lights?”<br /><br />“Sí. And control also.”<br /><br />“A control tower?”<br /><br />“Sí.”<br /><br />Uh, oh. So much for current information. In any case, it would be an emergency backup if we had to come back. Only I wanted to get going because having to air file an instrument flight plan in Spanish for a night flight was not something I wanted to try.<br />
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Airport Accommodations
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Jerry Ratcliffe - Apr 24,2013
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“We just flew 80 miles over the fog to get a harness.”<br /> - There's a sentence you don't read very often.
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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After launching, it wasn’t long before we ran into a troubling sight: the fog was moving into islands off of Isla Grande De Chiloe. I discussed alternatives with my copilot. There was always Puerto Montt if we couldn’t get back into Chiloe.
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Invasion of Whiteness
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Improving conditions approaching the mainland mitigated my concerns. At least we could put down somewhere on land.
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Clearing Ahead
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Open for return! “No problemo.” Don’t you just love it when the fog vanishes just in time for a grande entrance!
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SuRi in the Blue
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Frank A. Carr - Apr 22,2013
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This would be Plan A.
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Well, there were a few remaining challenges: the water was crowded with SuRi toys.
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Traffic Jam
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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There was no basking in the glory of a completed mission. As Woodacres was pulling in to SuRi for docking, the rubber ducky was bringing a passenger out that wanted to take advantage of the late blue sky.
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SuRi Docking
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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A rainbow glory lead the SeaRey towards bluer skies.
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Chasing Rainbows
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Low tide with Volcano Corcovada in the background.
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Tides Out
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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The abandoned town of ChaitUn, victim of a local volcano.
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Flying into Ruin
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Kenneth Leonard - Apr 21,2013
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Sounds pretty amazing Dan. Flying vicariously with you...so fly safe, my friend.
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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It’s a pleasure to fly with you, Ken, and I do fly safe. I love doing this stuff and want to keep on doing it.<br /><br />When I’m flying for SuRi, I’m lucky enough to have a lot of safety support not available to the average pilot. Like private satellite flight following, portable satellite phones, custom weather service, the finest maintenance that can be bought, a jet helicopter available for support, lots of expensive emergency gear, and local guides.<br /><br />Flight safety is, however, all in the eye of evaluator. Statistically it would be a lot safer to stick to the major airlines. Or to stay in known territory. Or stay at home. As you already know, if you want to fly an experimental seaplane you’ll statistically have to accept a higher level of risk than your neighborhood accountant. If you want to fly an experimental seaplane around a volcano in Chile, well, you should be comfortable with higher than average risks.<br /><br />Someday some risk, however small, will result in a sudden, radical change of scenery. That’s going to happen to everybody one way or another. And if it happens next week over Kissimmee or next month over Nuku Hiva, it’s good for me. It beats the heck out of being in an office. No one is making me do it. So, pack your parachute, mi amigo, and come fly along while we still can. It’s going to be an amazing ride. <br /><br />
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Dan Nickens - Apr 23,2013
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Watching Steve's Marchetti Riviera video reminded me of what the Travelling Wilbury's might say:<br /><br />Well it's all right, riding around in the breeze<br />Well it's all right, if you live the life you please<br />Well it's all right, even if the sun don't shine<br />Well it's all right, we're going to the end of the line
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Don Maxwell - Apr 21,2013
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Nice timing!
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Approach to one of the four lakes surrounding Corcavado.
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Late Splashing
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Float makes one last splash in the vanishing daylight.
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Last Splash
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Dan Nickens - Apr 21,2013
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Frank A. Carr - Apr 22,2013
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Dan, do you board SuRi by means other than lifting the SR?
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Dan Nickens - Apr 22,2013
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Usually I get aboard via the rubber ducky, Frank. While I was staring at the moonrise, however, the crew accidentally mis-sequenced. When I looked down the duck was gone! That got me a few minutes of unpowered flight getting onboard.<!-- >'"><br><font color=red size=6>' or > missing in user HTML. Please fix the HTML.</font> -->
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Frank A. Carr - Apr 22,2013
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0.1 hrs. in the column headed "Amphibian-Glider" but not PIC nor X-Country. Unique!<!-- >'"><br><font color=red size=6>' or > missing in user HTML. Please fix the HTML.</font> -->
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Steve Young - Apr 23,2013
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Looks like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea and going aboard the Nautilus. <br />Very neat!
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