[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LN1aadSRhSk/VT15233uKVI/AAAAAAAAosc/V77F7tzwdyw/s144-c-o/HPIM0189.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6142199450420783442″ caption=”Anibal and Ernesto escorting me” type=”image” alt=”HPIM0189.JPG” ]

trip days left: 14
straight distance left: 208,8 km
Highlights: Paddled with two guys together
Lowlights: We had a little “accident”…
Pos: here
Loc: Montevideo
Acc: tent
Dist: 26,2 km
Start: 12:25 End: 17:50

I worked online all morning until the guys were picking me up to paddle from my last spot to the kayak club together. Ernesto and Anibal were my escort at first until two more guys joined in later. The wind blew moderately offshore, the sea was flat, Anibal spoke a good English,translated everything to Ernesto, and we were talking a lot. I felt comfortable with the constellation the translator paddled in the middle, and I was paddling inside, to be able to look at and to watch both guys *and* the sea, and Anibal had not to translate “across my head”.

At some point the wind breezed up quite a bit and changed direction, Anibal could not understand my answers any more with the wind blowing in his unprotected ear and the guys changed position with me now paddling outside, then Anibal and Ernesto inside. I was ok with it, could still understand Anibal words as my head was protected with my scarfs and hood, and the sea has been so low all the time…but somehow this sneaking slowly but long rolling low offshore breaker line occasionally developed for some areas. It was the same breaker style which already surfed me unexpectedly and woke me up the second day inside the Rio de la Plata when I paddled half asleep after the beach party with my Argentine paddlers. And now again, I was so immersed in our conversation and was looking all the time to Anibal to my right, when such a rolling bastard caught me from the side.

Basically no problem for me to brace into that moderate breaker and to stay upright after some bumpy rough side surf, but Anibal was paddling quite close to my right to understand me better in our conversation, saw only my white hull coming side surfing up to him and I knocked his kayak over with my kayak…fortunately I did not knock his head out. He “only” capsized and set up for a roll in vain as I was finding myself, after the side surf ride ended, sitting in the middle of his upside down hull with just the middle of my kayak. I could not really get off his hull quickly, and with this unwanted ballast Anibal could surely not roll but just bail out. Very sorry! Never take your look off the sea…It was just waist deep water by now, Anibal climbed in again and no one and nothing was damaged, but as I already had been caught once in a similar sneaking breaker with not paying enough attention I was blaming myself for this incident. You can make all mistakes, but only once…

We were fighting the 15 knots headwind right into the face for about half an hour with not much talking, until the wind calmed down again and we kept on talking. I offered as usual my “temptation” in form of my spare paddle, and as Anibal had a minimum of 220 cm long heavy and flexible flat blade, he was so surprised about my lightweight magic stick he once more capsized with the new wing in his hand…but this time at least his second roll attempt was successful, even with the new blade in his hand. Well done! What followed was some free forward stroke lesson,and many more stories out of my broad paddling experience.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GYca-Z69ZLg/VT152_xkucI/AAAAAAAAosc/kvVMXsJQOQQ/s144-c-o/HPIM0200.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6142199452542482882″ caption=”Anibal escorting me on the approach to Montevideo” type=”image” alt=”HPIM0200.JPG” ]

As usual, my seduced paddling company does not like to get rid of my spare paddle any time soon…actually, the same happened to me when I tried first time as a bloody beginner a wing paddle, and though I did not get any instructions how to handle the magic blade right, I instinctively felt how to do it right and ever since I am using one! I think I need to do a world “seducing” tour with “My Wing”…which I will do.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aBlEmz9d-D8/VT155udy9NI/AAAAAAAAoso/FVhOMnLtfyQ/s144-c-o/HPIM0220.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6142199499435734226″ caption=”Landing at the kayak club in Montevideo” type=”image” alt=”HPIM0220.JPG” ]

We were five paddlers at the end of the day,made a quick stop at the actually nature protected small Isla de las Gaviotas, and ended the trip in the kayak club just across where I put up my tent to leave early tomorrow morning. Thanks guys to join me on this short day!I think we all have learned once more a lot…