THE ROUTE

The map shows the route taken by the Santa Magdalena and her sister ships around South America. from Tacoma, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia. South to San Francisco and then Los Angeles where loading was completed. A call was often made at a port in Mexico, thence thru the Panama Canal- ports in Northern Colombia, Venezuela- down the east coast of Brazil, calling at Rio de Janiero and various other Brazilian ports- to Buenos Aires and other Argentinean ports- thru the Strait of Magellan where Chilean Pilots boarded and piloted the vessel through. Ports in Chile from Valparaiso northward to Callao and other ports in Peru. Guyaquil, Ecuador and Buenaventura Colombia and return to San Francisco. This took a total of 59 days. Sometimes the itinerary was altered because of cargo loadings at the various ports.

Some of the cargoes loaded in South American ports-

I can't begin to name all the various cargoes that we carried during the years that I sailed on the Santas. Here are some of them:-
Colombia
Mainly coffee- shipped in 70 kilo jute bags. Frozen prawns.
Ecuador
Cocoa beans in bags, bananas originally stems, later boxed as we see them today in the grocery store, plantains, pineapples, frozen tuna and swordfish.
Peru
Very fine mountain grown coffee. All sorts of minerals, concentrate of copper, zinc, vanadium etc. copper, lead and zinc bars. cocoa leaves. quebracho (a product from tree bark used in tanning), fish meal, canned fish, sugar, molasses., alpaca wool.
Chile
Copper, ingots, bars and other shapes, ore concentrates of zinc, lead, magnesium etc., nitrates, fruit of all kinds: apples, grapes, nectarines, peaches, melons; onions, etc. very fine wines.
Argentina
Frozen and canned meats, hides, tea, quebracho.
Brazil
Coffee-shipped in 60 kilo jute bags, cocoa butter, jute, carnuba wax in bags, manufactured products- auto parts such as wheels etc. heavy machinery.

This list is by no means complete and I have only named a few of the many products that we carried over the years. I also have not named all the countries to which we went or the products that they ship. Nor have I named any of the products that were transhipped from country to country.

Cutout view of cargo holds

Epilog

After I retired I moved to Canada, where I have lived for the past 20 years. I lived with my wife, Grace in Sooke, British Colombia. Sooke is a small town on the west coast of Vancouver Island, about 40 miles west of Victoria. Although Sooke was our mailing address, we actually lived at Point no Point, about 15 miles west of Sooke. SOOKE (pronounced SOOK) has a great web site............. Come visit. (Click on Sooke)

Point no Point is located on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It overlooks the Olympic Mountains on the other side of the Strait. All vessel traffic for Seattle or Vancouver (which is on the mainland) must pass thru the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I sailed past our house many times before I realized that someday I would live here. In June of 1999 we moved to Victoria where we now live. We are still on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and we can watch the ships come in and out of Victoria harbor.

IN MEMORY

I would like to dedicate these pages to all my old shipmates who have Crossed the Final Bar. 

	Some time at eve when the tide is low

	I shall slip my moorings and sail away,

	With no response to the friendly hail

	Of kindred craft in the busy bay.

	In the silent hush of the twilight pale,

	When the night stoops down to embrace the day

	And the voices call in the waters flow

	Sometimes at eve when the tide is low

	I shall slip my moorings and sail away.




	Through the purpling shadows that darkly trail

	O'er the ebbing tide of the unknown sea,

	I shall fare me away, with a dip of sail

	And a ripple of water to tell the tale

	Of a lonely voyager, sailing away

	To the mystic isles where at anchor lay

	The craft of those who have sailed before

	O'er the unknown sea to the unseen shore.




	A few who have watched me sail away

	Will miss my craft from the busy bay

	Some friendly barks that were anchored near,

	Some loving souls that my heart held dear

	In silent sorrow will drop a tear,

	But I shall have peacefully furled my sail

	In moorings sheltered, from storm or gale,

	And greeted the friends who sailed before

	O'er the unknown sea to the unseen shore.

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