Fri 14/09-2012 Day 268

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It's a bit windy at Caleta Pajonal!

Pos: here
Loc: Caleta Pajonal
Acc: tent
Dist: 42,8 km
Start: 8:20 End: 16:50

Tomorrow:
Estimated landing: Puerto Viejo
Estimated starting time: Right after sunrise
Estimated landing time: Well before sunset

It was actually a beautiful paddle almost all day along the coast with few smaller bay crossings. The sea was low, wind was low to moderate, until we were almost landing! The last hour, it breezed up to almost 20 knots, and it is now shaking our tent at the beach!

It was obviously related to the sun eventually coming out during the day! Actually very nice, though the backs Peters’ hands preferred *no* sunshine. His light to red skin has a hard time with sunburn, and we need to watch out. He is covering them now with a sunblock 50 stick, but we rather would have loved to take some light gloves along. My own hands are fortunately simply turning dark brown as usual.

I have only to watch the skin on the backside of my legs. We are already paddling wet, means in the Kokatat surfskin pants. The pants feel very nice and fluffy inside, way better than regular neoprene, but any time I’m using my freshette for peeing, a little bit goes into the pants which are already wet from salt water… I now use some nappy rash cream already in the morning on those areas. It already worked for me in Australia.

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Yucky and probably very stingy bluebottle jellyfish

The rest of our bodies holds up well. I have as usual no problems in wrists, elbows or shoulders, due to a good core paddling style. Peter nearly lives in a racing kayak and has a good style anyway. Most sea kayakers could learn a lot from a good racing style…it’s not about the speed or holding the paddle steep, it’s about pulling with the back and body rotation and not with your arms. Then you don’t bent elbows and wrists and they can’t hurt or wear…simple.

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Peter entering Caleta Pajonal

We were landing on a wide beach with low surf, Peter went in first with no problem. I was due to wait until he would be landed and out of the way…it is so easy to come too close while waiting! I had to hard back paddle twice just over the crest of a what looked for me over the shoulder as a damn high wave, just about! I was simply too close waiting for my turn, and probably looking rather at what Peter was doing instead of watching the waves behind me. The same old mistake…on the third smaller wave I decided to paddle upfront, and surfed in nicely in the foam. All good, but it could have been wet!

Next to where we were landing were a few smaller rocks, just 30 m to the right, a bit closer to town, were none. But we felt like having a reasonable distance to the small village. Not many huts or people there, and even not a local harbor master is bothering us tonight!

Putting up the tent eventually in almost 20 knots of wind with no shelter was a bit funny, and we were only able to use the one entrance in our Hilleberg Keron 4 facing away from the wind. But it was sunny! Right after my small shower, I jumped into the tent which is so roomy I almost can stand in it…well, almost. But it was nice to dry my skin, especially on the lower parts of my body, inside the wind sheltered warm tent before putting clothes back on!

Peter had to attach his back rest a different way to the seat in the sand storm, but it is all goof now.

Tomorrow, we are aiming to paddle directly across the boring wide bay to either Puerto Viejo, or maybe to one beach before. See how it looks!

5 comments on “Fri 14/09-2012 Day 268

Ragnar Midtskogen

The blue jellyfish is the nasty Portuguese Man O’ War. Its venomous tentacles can deliver a powerful sting. The tentacles are typically 10 metres in length but can be up to 50 metres. Give it a wide berth!!!

Jörg Hofferbert

If i look right on google earth, then in some few days their are cliffs. Not so boring than now, but hopefully not to difficult too

Meike

ich habe bemerkt wie wichtig ein richtiger Ruderstil ist. Habe im Frühjahr einen Fehler gemacht und schon hatte ich Probleme mit dem Ellbogen. Damit habe ich fast 4 Monate rum doktoriert und konnte leider nicht so viel paddeln wie ich wollte. Habe die Lektion gelernt 🙂
Aber unglaublich wie Ihr Eure Körper belasten könnt ohne etwas davon zu merken.
Geniesst die schönen Strände und weiterhin alles Gute
Liebe Grüsse, kærlige hilsener aus DK

Richard Mason

This landscape is so incredibly dry, yet so incredibly interesting .
Thank you for being the catalyst that prompts me to investigate the area through which you paddle.

randall lackey

Good for a nice sunny day. Before putting any clothes on?…I like your style gal.You sound like myself; comfy in your skin.Safe paddling.BTW have a safe week.I’ll be off on my own paddling trip for the week. Randall

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