Puerto Williams - Clearance
See full details on clearing into and out of Chile at Noonsite’s Chile Formalities.
Yacht Clearance Formalities for Puerto Williams
If this is your first port of entry for Chile:
- Prior to arrival, contact the Coast Guard by VHF Channel 16 and request authorization to moor at the Micalvi Club and wait there without disembarking for health, fauna and floral authorities to arrive.
- Once cleared by these authorities, go to the DPI police for immigration clearance then to the Customs office (Aduana) and finally to the Coast Guard.
- PDI will require the physical presence of all crew and passengers.
- SAG (the authorities responsible for avoiding alien flora and fauna arriving on Chilean soil) may inspect the vessel and confiscate fresh fruit, vegetables and meat, though enforcement is mixed.
- It is essential that those for whom this is the first port of entry into Chile receive their “Admiso Temporal” from Aduana as those who leave without it will have serious problems when clearing out of Chile.
- Note: if there is a cruise ship in port, there may be a long wait for clearance.
Fees and Charges:
After clearance formalities have been completed, you must pay a maintenance fee for the lighthouse, beacons and signals service. This tax is an ‘annual’ fee but cruisers report it is also possible to pay a single voyage fee.
See main Fees section for standard charges.
Domestic Cruising in Chile:
Yachts are required to inform the authorities of their intended route while in Chilean waters and, when practical, make a daily position reports on VHF Channel 16 or via email to the MRCC. In an effort to “more closely control foreign vessels”, further Clearance rules apply for local trips from Puerto Williams (for example to the Horn, to the glaciers (Ventisqueros) and up the Beagle Channel) for which specific itineraries may be specified by the Capitania and domestic zarpes will be issued.
Yachts should notify Puerto Williams Radio on VHF CH16 before movement into or out of the bay.
International Departure Formalities from Puerto Williams:
A departure zarpe can be issued 24 hours in advance of an intended departure. International zarpes will have to be signed by Aduana and PDI.
Last updated: April 2024
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Related to following destinations: Chile, Puerto Williams
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The new 35 Tonne Travelift lifted its first yacht is December 2017. Not cheap but when you need to do important underwater work – the first yacht was replacing a saildrive – it is a very handy resource.
When we departed for and returned from the Falkands in October 2017 there was no mention of us requiring permission from the Argentine government. That said it would be a good thing to have if you ever plan to take your yacht to Argentina in the future.
One thing they are always keen on seeing is your ‘Light Dues’ certificate which is valid for one year.
Upon returning we were not visited by any officials but given a time to present ourselves at the Capitánia.
It is possible to store in Williams for an extended voyage. Anything you can’t find in any of the small ‘supermercados’ can be ordered in from Punta Arenas on the next weekly ferry and delivered to Micalvi. The Lider website http://www.lider.cl gives a good idea of what can be purchased in Punta Arenas
Diesel is of a high quality and is about the same price as in Puerto Montt.
Propane cylinders can be filled at very reasonable – mainland – rates and there is no problem with US/Canadian/NZ/ Australian fittings.
Frank Holden
Westerly Serenade.
Last in Pto Williams Sept 2018.
Our thanks to Henk Boersma for these updates.
Puerto Williams Update:
Recently the “SAG” (these are the people responsible for avoiding alien flora and fauna arriving on Chilean soil) started implementing a law that no fresh fruit, vegetables or meat can be brought into the country. All will be confiscated and destroyed.
Threats with fines for not complying are in the air. For years this has been the rule in the rest of the country, however now PW is included as well which doesn’t make sense. Maybe it will blow over.
For the charter boats that do their shopping in Ushuaia (Argentina), this new rule forces a change of plan… The problem is of course, that there are no reliable supplies in Puerto Williams!
Ushuaia Update:
All is quiet on the customs front, apart from some issues which involved Argentine sailors with foreign flagged boats. They are still fussy about arriving or going to the Falklands without a permit.
Cruising the Beagle Channel
For cruising the Beagle Channel as far as Staten Island, no zarpe is required for trips to Lapataia and Islas Bridges but the Prefecture must be notified before you leave with the details of your trip. Anywhere further out, and you must pay a visit to the Prefecture for a zarpe.
Fees: The Port Captain follows the guidelines that any vessel over 50 tons requires a pilot. The pilotage fee is based on tonnage. Cost for our 69-ton vessel is only US $121.
We were not required to use an agent. Lighthouse fees charged in 2015 (each time you enter/leave any port) for vessels over 25 tons: US $51. So, Puerto Williams fees are not too bad–certainly less than Ushuaia across the channel! The charge for a large mooring ball is around $10/day.
Ann Evans
m/y Ithaka