Sat 13/12-2014 Day 718

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sLQkvGm-dv4/VJMZypwpRjI/AAAAAAAAjts/ndZCymEVDUM/s144-c-o/IMG_0859.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage21Brazil3NatalToSalvador#6094243078756451890″ caption=”A tourist boat dumping people at a sand bank in Rio Mosqueira” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0859.JPG” ]

 

Highlights: Some lucky dolphins inside the river
Lowlights: Nasty river bar break
Launch: Low surf
Landing: Sheltered river mouth beach
Pos: here
Loc: Rio Mosqueiro
Acc: tent
Dist: 61,2 km
Start: 4:35 End: 15:40

The river bar breaking yesterday quite nasty, was this morning much better on higher tide and with few wind. I barely heard the fishing boats besides me going also out jumping and banging on the waves like yesterday, and I got also out with few tricks.
I was aiming to paddle about 2 km offshore in a direct line to first avoid this long loading terminal jetty and second to be out far enough to avoid the Aracajau river mouth breakers. The loading terminal jetty looked calm to paddle underneath, and as there were a bunch of ships on the other side with anytime one coming out, I simply went under the long bridge with no problem. Still eerie feeling…on the end of the jetty there would have been some calmish landing spot, with an extra small breakwater before. Too late…I opted for the last river mouth…

I spotted something which I haven’t seen since my returned heavy wind section…23 windmills! Not really as fast turning as the other ones further north, but they gave me some bad remembering. Also, one lonely kite surfer played his game at the Mosqueiro river mouth…I really felt like I did neither of them like to see anytime soon again! Actually, just today wasquite a calm day.

The river mouth breakers at Aracajau went out so far on the southern end I just opted to paddle through that minefield of heavy trashy breakers…why? I don’t know…it is kind of a Russian roulette. You can time it mostly not to get trashed, as they are coming slow, are breaking slow and not everywhere at once, mostly toppling, but not here, here they were trashing. But one day it is getting you…NOT today! I was happy to be out and in calmer water again in the breaker shelter.

Yesterday’s paddling was all day quite calm besides the stupid choice of landing, today’s paddling is actually mostly rough despite low wind, and I was sure to have the patience to find the unbroken river mouth entrance at Mosqueiro…only 4,5 km left to my extra marked spot…but with a wide berth…and soon I already opted to just paddle through the breakers at a better looking spot to be inside the river mouth in the shelter. I have been so good and lucky the other days paddling in in high trashy surf, today also, if you can call two success full rolls in a row”lucky”…then I was in, cussing as usual at myself I do such things. But who knows if I’d found the unbroken entrance channel…the GPS chart shows nothing usable, and the sat images are also not always according to reality in river mouth entrance as sandbars change quite fast over the years.

Now I had the pleasure of calm water on low tide, but had also to give all those dry sand banks a wide berth into the other direction – inside. Not really a short cut, but way more pleasant and relaxing! Some tourist boat had dumped their guests on to a sandbank, a lot of party noise on a Saturday afternoon. Quickly away…can’t stand that after all those hours of solitude. But I enjoyed the dolphins!

My camp side at the far end of the southern river bank had for once more this powder fine flying sand sticking every where, yuck! See where I can get out tomorrow -either 1,2km kind of back wards out of the main channel, or I’ll sneak along at the beach with some breakers getting fully out,not sure yet.

Tomorrow’s river mouth looks much better…we’ll see reality! At least it is not so far away like today.

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

3 comments on “Sat 13/12-2014 Day 718

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Clas Hagelstam

Congratulations to your magnificent round South America paddle.

Your blogg is excellent, a solid joy reading it in cold and murky winter Finland.

I would definitely wote for you but haven’t found out how, as I am not a registerd member of the disgusting “Facebook” – or any other of the likes for that matter.

I wish you luck for the remaining paddle.

Regards Clas Hagelstam / Finland

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