Fri 12/12-2014 Day 717

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-75I_lnfjcrI/VJMZmZ0NLwI/AAAAAAAAjtU/WyKHq6FvTgc/s144-c-o/IMG_0858.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage21Brazil3NatalToSalvador#6094242868317990658″ caption=”The fishing boats also have to fight high breakers leaving Pirambu river mouth” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0858.JPG” ]

 

Highlights: Good speed!
Lowlights:nasty river surf
Launch: Low to not so low surf
Landing: Fat high surf belt
Pos: here
Loc: Pirambu
Acc: tent
Dist: 56,2 km
Start: 4:35 End: 13:30

No one passed by my tent site all day and night. Good. I took good care that my tent was not put up directly under a palm tree with possibly falling coconut…

I had the impression I could have landed all day today with not too much effort -until I actually decided to land:-) Fact is that during high tide this piece of coast seems to be easier to land, as the shallows don’t break as much when the general sea state is moderate to low as it is now during neap tide. When it was for me to land, it was full low tide and breakers obviously accordingly higher. But as usual, the surf is always higher than you think from sitting low offshore. And as usual, I was too impatient to find the best part of the river mouth – if there would have been one at all at low tide. This is what I remembered also from the sat image- no real unbroken channel to spot.

So I thought what it’s worth for to wait, this spot looks as good as any and it can’t be that bad if I see fishing huts on the beach (but no boats…). I decided to go in, timed it carefully, but not careful enough and got surfed in a perfect style with 23,6 km/ h maximum to the beach, lying fully flat on the back deck, thank goodness for a perfect rudder. If wouldn’t have laid flat on my back deck, I probably would have performed a lovely pitch pole capsize, also in great style:-)
The river mouth with it’s low tide shallows was about 500 m away, and I dragged and paddled the rest in the not too good shallows. The beach is just too flat to have puddles formed to paddle nicely behind the surf.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-u4LPahi17Kc/VJMZoid3n3I/AAAAAAAAjtc/3aYqsZhOgbI/s144-c-o/IMG_0854.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage21Brazil3NatalToSalvador#6094242904999960434″ caption=”Pirambu river mouth camp” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0854.JPG” ]

Eventually there, I was watching some fishing boats going in and out over the river bar break, some of them looked quite scary to me with their bow almost vertical up. Then I rather be in my kayak! Their small long poled engine is not really powerful enough to push them over the waves quickly, and they have to steer with a stern rudder as much as myself to stay perpendicular to the waves. But if they would capsize…

I saw a few lucky dolphins today, one also already yesterday, this is why I was managing this fat surf so well…

THANKS FOR VOTING FOR ME TO WIN THE WORLD PADDLE AWARDS!

1 comment on “Fri 12/12-2014 Day 717

Randall Lackey

Good to read of your pleasant day and always skillful landings.Bless the Lucky dolphins.Safe paddling

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