Pos: here
Loc: Caleta Michilla
Acc: tent
Dist: 43,6 km
Start: 7:40 End: 16:35

Tomorrow:
Estimated landing: Caleta Atala
Estimated starting time: Right after sunrise
Estimated landing time: Well before sunset

We paddled just a few meters out from our steep night beach to the lighted harbor entrance buoy which seemed to be a favorite seal spot during the night. The guys were quite noisy by fighting for the best spots on the buoy! We were watching them jumping up, sometimes unsuccessful, or they simply got kicked off on the try by an already occupant! What a life…guys, there is so much space on the rocks!

On looking back, we saw the protruding beach we actually should have better taken last night! No danger of falling rocks there…but maybe not without people. So all good!

The crossing of the bay was dead calm, just a maybe 5 kn headwind, and almost no swell. We enjoyed watching again the many, many seals and birds fighting for the probably many, many fish down there. Quite a show on a dead calm sea! At least a bit of entertainment on almost no visibility across the bay.

Soon the well known fast navy engine came behind us, taking two flash pictures from the distance, and were speeding off again! Some more shots for the “WANTED” poster? 🙂 Or probably again:”Mission fulfilled! Let’s enjoy the day on the water!”
Or maybe they were also chasing the one and only sailboat we saw this early morning leaving the bay…

Turning around Punta Gualaguala showed our “village” for tonight – a mining spot with long loading jetty and a huge ship anchoring offshore.

I paddled under the jetty to the rocky point which hopefully was hiding the sheltered beach spot behind, but saw only a long line of surf rolling onto a wide beach…coming nearer, it was not that bad. I sensed it was breaking once before a shallow water area, made myself ready for landing with tray table up, backrest vertical, and seat belt on, and slowly paddled in. Once I spotted a lower set, I sprinted in on the back of the wave, and got stranded in the shallows. I jumped out, caught the boat before a bigger one washed it up, and dragged it easily out of the surge zone.

I had the camera ready for Peter’s landing, and no, I was not hoping for the splashy show… 😉 he made it in also all right, and we were just watching instantly the waves form the beach now, thinking how to make it back out again? Well…manana…

The Navy seemed to be not sure if we made it across the bay on these dead calm conditions, couldn’t again wait for for my website update, and had to check personally again…how surplus!