Mon 26/01-2015 Day 762

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-xWjBL8TPqCE/VM4Gl4rHpkI/AAAAAAAAlJ4/UMnrK9_h6Vo/s144-c-o/IMG_1165.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage22Brazil5SalvadorToRioDeJaneiro#6110828992326510146″ caption=”Camp in the lovely bay of Ilha de Santana” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1165.JPG” ]

 

Highlights: So many fishing boats out there!
Lowlights: Bad exit over the river bar
Launch: Sheltered river bach
Landing: Sheltered beach
Pos: here
Loc: Ilha de Santana
Acc: tent
Dist: 72,1 km
Start: 5:55 End: 18:25

After two long days of physical rest, I was keen to go again! I woke by the roaring engines of the fishing boats morning rush hour, starting to leave the river at 5 am. One after the other, all big trawlers, an endless queue. Why do they dare to go out of this really narrow exit already in darkness? Light is at 6 am. I got ready and had literally to lineup to get out of the river mouth! I was so clever to try to pick at least a larger gap, waited for a while besides the exit sandbank and when I could barely see the next fishing boat back in the river, I started my own exit.

Unfortunately, I had to fight the running up tide as a counter current for a while with 1-2 km/h, and when I was free to hit the breaker line, the next fishing boat already sat literally in my neck. I had to move a bit to the right to give him space and not to get simply run over, just to where the breaker were higher on the shallows. The boat squeezed himself close to the rocky breakwater and my kayak through the deeper water with a small breaker only. Nasty bastard! Maybe he has not seen me to his excuse, and he has also to concentrate to neither hit the rocky wall nor to get stuck on the shallow river bar. Speed is probably the best in this case for him just in case his keel hits the sandy bottom somehow on this low tide early morning. Sure I could myself now neither wait a right timing after the first breaker hit me full into my face.I just struggled to stay straight and to not get washed back to the beach. I made it, but with right timing I would have stayed dry on this breaking bar in these conditions!

The fishing boats kept on getting spit out of the narrow river mouth, like a mother giving birth to a bunch of kids. Where did they all park inside? Upstream must be many more cities. I was from now on part of a 20 km run downwind, some of the trawlers were already having their nets out, most of them not, obviously heading to start somewhere else. This 20 km 3,5 hrs stretch was packed like a fishing boat highway, I waved at most of them passing me, but the ones with the nets already out *I* was passing as they drive very slow. Maybe 150-200 all similar looking in size and technique boats on this stretch until the light house?

The light house seemed to be the turning point for most, at least I was never threatened to be run over here. I rather could have caught a lift with a bunch of them obviously offering to take me along 🙂 Most guys waving at me raised their thumbs to show their respect. Nice! A bunch of dolphins entertained me, they are now more frequently in these colder waters, as also some kind of large birds. Eventually the sea becomes alive again! Now some seals and whales, and I would be happy…but I doubt I will see any of those before Buenos Aires.

Colder water also means I am thinking of soon changing from my long fleece pants to my warmer long seal skin pants, and will have my paddling jacket handy! The warm water paddling days may be over. See if it heats up again around Rio de Janeiro.

After the light house I had nothing any more to entertain me, no fishing boats, just the ever roaring surf, running still the steep beach up with wide white washes. Lower though already, and around two small villages it was even looking like I would be able to handle it on landing. Way too early though…the next amazing hundreds of fishing boats high way came soon after, but different to the first one which was very close to the beach and I was out this one was about a kilometer out and I was paddling close to the beach.

I was still aiming to Macaré, but when Isla de Santana was slowly growing out of the horizon, looking so much nearer, I changed course and was crossing now from the shore 30 km over to camp there. I did not really have that island on my mind as a stop, as I had not downloaded the sat images of that area, but my chart showed two sandy bays. That will be the alternative to camping on a riverbank in the city with probably many fishermen at night, or to land earlier on a somewhat steep beach with some kind of dumper I could not estimate how it would develop further inside the wide bay!

I really enjoyed paddling now with stronger wind and and following sea, the island quickly growing as well as two oil rigs to the left. I decided to check the first sandy bay on the first island, praying no one was in there this late afternoon and no houses. The whole island looked very rocky and natural, and for the first time again now it was home of hundreds of those large seabirds I saw already for a while! Really natural and nice looking!

The sandy bay was a dream, despite five trawlers parking inside. No people at the beach, but many seabirds and vultures. And a lot of trash…While I was making camp, curiously watched by the guys on the closest boat, another one came from the outer pack of three and was parking as close to my beach as he could do, turning his music on as loud as he could do also, international disco hits out of my teenage times this time…was this kind of a mating behavior, the louder the music, the more attention? Especially from a lonely elderly lady on the beach? I am really wondering the other boats don’t mind this…but this bay is probably a fishermen’s interim parking space ever since centuries, and a guest parker with a kayak is not supposed to get peace for necessary rest…

I will probaly be at Cabo Frio in two days, and in Rio de Janeiro in four days. We’ll see!

3 comments on “Mon 26/01-2015 Day 762

Randall Lackey

Tell her about it Frances. I’m 51 and sure not in the elderly class yet and this Gal has done more in life and still doing than I’ll ever get the chance to accomplish.You’re doing a wonderful feat Freya and I think, feeling a bit tired with it all and ready to see it’s end,and maybe feeling a bit older than ,I think even you are really proud of. Hang in there. The end is in distant sight.Just my opinion, don’t let it offend you at all,if you can.

Frances Price

“Elderly lady”? Hah! At age 59, I do not yet call myself “elderly.” Most younger people, both men and women, lack the strength of body and, especially, mind to accomplish the things you do, Freya! Happy paddling!

Randall Lackey

Never a quite nights rest to be found any more for you.Maybe you’ll find a quite peaceful island to call you own for a night soon.Safe paddling.

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