The day started with paddling through Scott Strait – against the tide…it went slow, with 4 km/h only.

As I was eventually through and passing Augereua Island and the tide should be turning, the wind started to bother me, coming from the bow quarter. Nothing about easy going today, the headwind was stronger than the tide helping. It was quite a slog, and draining…

I was happy to make it at least across York Sound that day, deciding, I would pull onto the first suitable beach on Ena Island.

The was no beach visible at Ena Island for quite a while, but a lovely white one on the shore across. If nosing around the southern corner of Ena Island wouldn’t offer a suitable landing, I would go for that one…

But Ena Island had a beach! A headland on the southern side, which was white and sandy, but it had quite a side current going and an occasional fat dumper with the water washing high up the beach…strange to look at!

But I was not really willing to head to the other inviting beach at Hardy Point about 2 km across the bay. I decided to land, despite the “funny” conditions…they were actually quite dangerous, as the backwash and the side current was dragging my kayak almost out of my hand when I was luckily landing and quickly jumping out! But I could hold it, and pull it up the beach out of the danger zone.

I was wondering about launching tomorrow…

Ena Island had high black threatening granite boulders shadowing over the white land spit of a beach, not an inviting place at all. But once my tent was up, I was in my own little sheltered cocoon again, and fell into a well deserved sleep.

Text message from Freya via satellite phone:

14.58 125.01 Ena Island.  55 km,  5:30 am to 5:00 pm.  Seemingly paddling against wind, waves and tides all day. Very draining…