Strait of Magellan Crossing Agent — Transit & Mandatory Pilotage
Looking for a Strait of Magellan crossing agent? Every vessel crossing between the Pacific and the Atlantic needs a local ship agent to order the mandatory pilots and handle the formalities with the Chilean maritime authority. We are that agent — based in Punta Arenas, on the Strait itself, working for owners, operators and managers worldwide.
Send us your vessel & ETAPilotage is mandatory for the transit, pilot orders carry a fixed notice period, and a missed weather window costs a day. We coordinate pilot orders, navigation tracks, clearances, bunkers, provisions, ship spare parts and crew as one operation, by one point of contact — not by a desk in another city.
Mandatory pilotage
Pilotage is mandatory in both directions between Bahía Posesión and Punta Arenas. Pilots are ordered with 48 hours notice. Two channel pilots are carried.
| Pilot station | Position |
|---|---|
| Bahía Posesión — eastern entrance to the Strait | 52°22.75′ S · 068°58.63′ W |
| Punta Arenas | 53°10.5′ S · 070°54.5′ W |
Two kinds of call — quoted differently
Transit only
The vessel does not stop. The pilot embarks and disembarks between Bahía Posesión and Punta Arenas, the mandatory stretch is covered, and nothing else is triggered. Any further service is arranged on the master’s request.
Transit with activity
The vessel calls, works cargo, changes crew or takes services. Authority clearances, pre-arrival coordination, disbursement accounts and post-departure closure apply on top of the pilotage.
What we coordinate
- Pilot ordering and coordination within the 48-hour notice period, with pilot transfer at Bahía Posesión or Punta Arenas
- Navigation track preparation and submission in the format the maritime authority expects — the requirement that most often delays first-time operators in Chilean waters
- Authority clearances, pre-arrival coordination, post-departure closure and disbursement accounts — when the vessel calls
- Pilot ladders
- Bunkering coordination at Punta Arenas, if needed
- Provisions, bonded stores and ship spare parts alongside, through Amundsen Ship Chandler
- Crew changes and repatriation via Punta Arenas or Santiago, through Just Crew
- Waste reception, MARPOL Annex V handling and organic waste incineration — the only authorised incinerator for foreign-flag vessels in the Magallanes Region
Your Strait of Magellan crossing, step by step
A Strait of Magellan crossing takes a vessel from the Atlantic to the Pacific — or the other way round — through some 570 km (about 310 nautical miles) of sheltered Chilean waters, avoiding the open exposure of Cape Horn and the Drake Passage. Because the whole crossing happens in Chilean waters, Chilean rules apply: a local agent, mandatory pilots and a navigation track approved by the maritime authority.
Atlantic → Pacific crossing
Pilots board at Bahía Posesión, at the eastern entrance of the Strait, for the mandatory stretch to Punta Arenas.
Pacific → Atlantic crossing
Pilots board at Punta Arenas for the mandatory stretch east to Bahía Posesión, where the vessel exits into the Atlantic.
New to the route? Read our Strait of Magellan crossing guide for ship operators.
Why every vessel needs a Strait of Magellan crossing agent
A ship cannot simply sail through the Strait of Magellan. Under Chilean regulations, a vessel crossing between the Pacific and the Atlantic must be represented by a local ship agent who orders the mandatory pilots and handles the required formalities with the maritime authority (DIRECTEMAR). Shackleton's Way acts as that agent from Punta Arenas.
Mandatory by law
Pilot orders and transit formalities must go through a local agent — there is no way around it.
On the Strait itself
Our head office is in Punta Arenas, at the pilot station — not a desk in another city.
One point of contact
Pilots, navigation tracks, clearances, bunkers, stores and crew coordinated as one operation.
Working for operators worldwide
Vessels crossing the Strait of Magellan come from every corner of the world. We regularly work with owners, operators, managers and charterers from:
- China
- Peru
- Panama
- Colombia
- United States
- Europe
- and many more
Whether you are routing between the west coast of South America and the Atlantic, positioning a vessel to or from the Pacific, or heading south towards Antarctica, we handle the crossing so you only have to send us the vessel and the ETA.
How to arrange your Strait of Magellan crossing
- Appoint us as your agent. Send the vessel particulars, direction of transit (Pacific → Atlantic or Atlantic → Pacific) and ETA.
- We order the pilots within the 48-hour notice period and prepare the navigation track in the format the maritime authority expects.
- Pilots embark at Bahía Posesión or Punta Arenas, depending on the direction, and the mandatory stretch is covered.
- We close the transit and send the disbursement account — plus any bunkers, stores or crew changes you requested on the way.
Planning a crossing? Send us the vessel and ETA.
info@sway.cl · +56 9 5720 3454
We speak your language
Español — Tránsito por el Estrecho de Magallanes
Somos agentes de naves en Punta Arenas. Coordinamos el practicaje obligatorio, los trámites ante la autoridad marítima y todo lo que su nave necesite para cruzar el Estrecho de Magallanes entre el Pacífico y el Atlántico.
中文 — 麦哲伦海峡过境代理
我们是位于智利蓬塔阿雷纳斯的船舶代理，负责安排麦哲伦海峡强制引航，并办理智利海事当局要求的过境手续。欢迎通过 info@sway.cl 联系我们。
Frequently asked questions
What does a Strait of Magellan crossing agent do?
A Strait of Magellan crossing agent is the local Chilean ship agent who represents the vessel during the transit: orders the mandatory pilots with 48 hours notice, prepares and submits the navigation track, handles the formalities with the maritime authority and coordinates any bunkers, stores or crew changes. Shackleton's Way acts as crossing agent from Punta Arenas, on the Strait itself.
Do yachts and superyachts need an agent to cross the Strait of Magellan?
Yes. Yachts and superyachts crossing the Strait of Magellan also need a local agent for the formalities with the Chilean maritime authority. Requirements such as pilotage depend on the yacht's size and type — we confirm them for your vessel and arrange everything from Punta Arenas.
What do I need for a Strait of Magellan crossing?
A local ship agent, mandatory pilots ordered with 48 hours notice, and a navigation track in the format required by the Chilean maritime authority. Send us the vessel particulars, direction of transit and ETA, and we arrange the rest.
Who can act as agent for a Strait of Magellan crossing?
A Chilean ship agent. Shackleton's Way is a ship agent based in Punta Arenas, on the Strait itself, acting for owners and operators from China, Peru, Panama, Colombia, the United States, Europe and beyond.
Do I need a local agent to transit the Strait of Magellan?
Yes. A vessel crossing the Strait of Magellan must be represented by a local ship agent, who orders the mandatory pilots and handles the formalities with the Chilean maritime authority. Shackleton's Way acts as transit agent from Punta Arenas.
How do I arrange a Strait of Magellan crossing from abroad?
Send us the vessel particulars, direction of transit and ETA at info@sway.cl. We order the pilots with the required 48 hours notice, prepare the navigation track and confirm everything back to you — wherever your office is.
Is pilotage mandatory in the Strait of Magellan?
Yes. Pilotage is mandatory in both directions for the stretch between Bahía Posesión and Punta Arenas.
Where do pilots embark for a Strait of Magellan transit?
Pilots embark and disembark at Bahía Posesión (the eastern entrance to the Strait, 52°22.75′ S · 068°58.63′ W) or at Punta Arenas (53°10.5′ S · 070°54.5′ W), depending on the direction of transit.
How much notice is required to order a pilot?
Pilots are ordered with 48 hours notice ahead of the transit.
How many pilots are required in the mandatory stretch?
Two channel pilots are carried for the mandatory stretch between Bahía Posesión and Punta Arenas.
Is the Strait of Magellan faster than Cape Horn?
The Strait of Magellan is the shorter, sheltered route between the Atlantic and the Pacific, avoiding the open-water exposure of the Drake Passage that a Cape Horn routing involves — the reason most operators heading south choose it.
Does a vessel in transit have to clear with the authorities?
A transit-only call, where the vessel does not stop, is covered by the mandatory pilotage without triggering full authority clearance. A transit with activity — where the vessel calls, works cargo, changes crew or takes services — requires authority clearances, pre-arrival coordination and post-departure closure in addition to the pilotage.
Can a vessel bunker, take stores or change crew mid-transit?
Yes, under a transit-with-activity call. Bunkering, provisions, ship spare parts and crew changes are arranged on the master’s request as part of the same coordinated operation.
What are navigation tracks and who prepares them?
Navigation tracks are the route plans the Chilean maritime authority requires ahead of a transit, submitted in a specific format. Preparing and submitting them correctly is the requirement that most often delays first-time operators in Chilean waters — our team prepares and submits them in the format the authority expects.