It was the first day’s paddle inside the sheltered reef waters. It’s magnificent! Crystal clear water where you can easily see the ground! You feel like being in a very pristine environment, and don’t dare to drop even the rests of eating an apple or some orange peel into the water!

There were plenty of turtles, corals, fish, but amazingly not a single reef shark fin to be seen.

South of Jurabi Point was a boat landing with some tourist vessels waiting to be loaded with snorkelling and reef viewing customers, but it didn’t seem to be very busy. Some people camping shattered along the coast, or on National Park Camp sites which seem to attract the people to gather.

I was rather looking to avoid people on my night’s camp, maybe I’m getting a bit awkward anti-social being on my own for so many months…

It was a crystal clear paddling day…with following winds…what else do I want? Yes, I would know something…time to stop and to snorkel and swim with my partner! But I felt there was no time as I wanted to make distance, and my partner was on the other side of the continent! Seems we both together have to be back some day…

I felt I had to paddle out of the reef before the Mandu Mandu Bore, as the reef would soon close up to the shore and I would probably be trapped! Maybe not, but I didn’t want to paddle 5 km into a dead end and then have to turn around!

The exit point was clearly marked as an about 200-300m wide gap in the reef on my map and GPS. Besides big scary swell which was just not breaking where I was paddling, but close to the right and to the left on the reef, the paddle out went all right.

Behind the reef on the sea side, the water was bouncy, but all right, and a bit off the reef breakers the swell felt lower as well. Just the look to the left was scary as hell – big fat breakers with a huge mane of spray with the offshore wind – I simply don’t want to be there! Sometimes I have to simply just NOT LOOK to feel comfortable offshore…I’m wondering how the floating turtles know how to stay away…

The dugong (sea cow) emerging and quickly submerging again right before my bow was probably quite scared about my presence!

At some point the reef was far enough offshore again to have a quiet stretch of water, but I just had to get in again! GPS and map marked another clear gap of even about 500 m, but there was no real gap to be seen from offshore…breakers, more or less big all over!

I went closer for a better look, and felt this must be the gap…some quiet water at times, but still breakers when the swell lifted. OK, then I just had to time it right…and I tried, but a bigger waver still carried me…right on the f…… reef, high and dry!!! Luckily my boat felt not damaged, and I was praying for another wave to come soon flooding me again to paddle off quickly in the shallows! There it was, and the water luckily soon became deeper again.

THIS was NO reef gap – thanks to the GPS and map…it was just reef, but luckily obviously narrow. But the whole action might have been worse on worse timing…

I checked on my boat hull later, only a dark scratch to be seen, nothing serious. Thank goodness!

I was pulling in for the night some km before Yardi Gorge on a beautiful beach.

Text message from Freya via satellite phone:

22.16 113.49, before Yardie Gorge. 50 km, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. A most beatiful paddle mostly inside crystal clear reef. A dugong submerged right before my bow!