Pos: 67.9612,-109.9693
Loc: Desbarats Inlet
Acc: Hilleberg Keron 4
Dist: 0 km

Thursday, August 31st, 2023
The last day of August, and the first day of my forecasted three-days asylum on this rocky shore ledge. I can overview the sea, and it does not look very inviting, when I dare to look outside at all. It is raining almost all day with well over twenty knots north-easterly wind. I drift in and out of sleep while reading and feeling how my sore body recovers. A very brief walk outside in a dry-ish spell to empty my en-suite bathroom box is all of serious activities this day. I have a large pot of spaghetties for lunch, and wait for tomorrow’s more severe weather to come.
I secured my tent as good as it goes with rocks all around and on the pegs, and think again I need to have extended flaps next season at the bottom of the outer fly. It will make the rocks much better holding. Petra Hilleberg herself sewed me once some on a new Hilleberg Staika she provided me after my near-disaster around Cape Horn. But after surviving hundred-twenty-knots in my Staika by supporting the corners with all my four legs plus corner number five and six with my split paddle while lying like a beatle on my back, I did not really need them any more on other areas. Now, they would have come already handy a couple of times. Why did I not think about that? And yes, maybe I should have put the tent over the ridge in a possibly more sheltered spot. But this one was looking so inviting as people have camped here before and left those flat spots and heavy rocks handy, so I gave it not much more thoughts. But I knew the wind will be forty knots tomorrow, and changing from north-east to south-east. But tonight, it is too late to change the spot in the rain. My tent will have to survive.

Friday, September 1st, 2023
I wake around four and know the forty knots have started. Unfortunately, it blows now not perfectly on the front of my tent anymore, but a little off from the side. I dare to walk outside and pile even more rocks around my tent, although things look not too bad. I quickly dive back inside, and hope for the best. But I need to do some action, just in case. I prepare my bags to ‘abandon ship’, though I know it will not be necessary. But who knows? It at least gives me a good feeling everything is well-packed in case everything breaks lose. I try to phone my Peter for mental support, but cannot reach him while he is in a conference. I fall back asleep, and wake again at seven while the wind and rain is still hammering my poor tent from the front right. It holds up, thankfully.
I finally can reach Peter, but all he can provide are caring words for my situation, which means a lot to me. Without his continuous mental support and modern satellite phone technique, my solo sections would feel much harder. Thank you for being in my life for now over thirteen years. And thanks to Karel Vissel who provides me with reliable weather forecasts since my first island-circumnavigation of Iceland 2007 – sixteen years of valuable support!
Around eleven, the wind slows a little, and the pouring rain changes to misty drizzle all day. Another brief walk outside almost soaks my down jacket I was stupid to keep on instead of donning the handy rain jacket. And I thought it has already stopped raining. But it might have also been the spray from the sea as the waves run high and massive rollers enter the channel of the Dasbarat Inlet.
Later, I try again a short walk uphill, but return soon again to my home sweet home after I located a few rain puddles I could use to refill my bags – tomorrow. It sounded like I must have a third day off, which is supposed to be at least dry. We will see. Basically, it is only five solid paddling days, when I can cover fifty+ kilometers every day. Chances are there, as two days ago, Karel forecasted calm weather from Sunday to Thursday. I hope it will still be there when I need it.