Pos: here
Loc: Punta Puga
Acc: tent
Dist: 52,5 km
Start: 8:15 End: 17:35

What a first “real” sea kayaking day again! And what a headland at the end!

I launched with first light, ready to tackle “the sea” again. Actually, having paddled for so long on sheltered water get your “sea legs” rusty, and most scared I was about the landing.

Many fishing boats were out with me as I passed the last small village in Canal Chacao, Carelmapu. I was expecting for some reason a sandy flat headland to turn north, but it was actually all cliffs, like already some km ago. Beautiful!

I picked the right tidal time – thanks goodness! About 1 1/2 hours after launching, I had the tide with me, and I flooded not only out of the Canal, but around the headland as well with 9-10 km/h. The swell was reasonable low with about 2 m across Bahia Maulin, and seas were calm and easy.

It changed a bit the last hours of paddling, the seas became bigger up to 3-4 m, plus the reflection of steep cliffs and some breezed up wind, it was quite challenging! I paddled quite far out in a straight line from Punta Pupelde to Punta Puga, as I didn’t even wanted to look how the surf may be…I only saw white lines fringing the coast every where – when I was just getting lifted up on the swell…no reason to go more in.

I realized early I would make it around Punta Puga, where there would be a reasonable sheltered beach. I saw a bunch of houses before the point, and thought when there were houses, the beach on that side may be also good for landing, but eventually I better let go the thought of landing there, as the swell was heading directly into the bay. And it were holiday houses, no fishing village!

So I kept up my plan to land around Punta Puga, but first I had to negotiate a huge bunch of big rocks, small islands and sea stakes! What a headland! Wide, rough breaking in the big 3-4 meter swell, and I barely could see something against the glaring sun on the sea where safely to paddle! There may have been a wide enough gap some where between the rocks, but I rather played it safe, and gave the whole rocks and islands an eventually 3,5 km extra wide berth! So with a dog leg curve, I eventually safely paddled backward into the bay, and landed easily with good timing through a moderate dumper on a sandy beach. Phhhhhh!

Two locals came up to me, guest from the holiday houses, and the lady even ran for the holiday house keeper to invite me into a cabana. Thanks! But I already had put up my tent meanwhile, and in bad weather conditions I may have agreed, but it was great weather, and tomorrow will be all right as well. So I rather kept my solitude and went back to my usual chores.

I am heading around Punta Kapaitic tomorrow into Bahia San Pedro, into the first small bay, 55 km. Hope this is sheltered enough! Or I have to paddle on to San Pedro village.