Pos: here
Loc: Rada Ranu
Acc: tent
Dist: 31,5 km
Start: 8:45 End: 15:20

Not really a good paddling day…I was launching more or less allright, with a bit water in the cockpit, but nothing in my face :-). I had to launch from the other side of the beach at low tide, but I did already almost move to the middle anyway with my tent.

It was raining all night, and the clouds had a hard time to get licked away by the sun this day. Means there was bad sight all morning, and still around 4 meter swell paddling across Bahia San Pedro. Which made me sea sick! I was planning as usual to have breakfast on the water, but I got already sea sick before I wanted to eat…not sure if I’d have already eaten on the beach it would have been better? Or if then I’d have only been able to really throw up? I made plenty of attempts, but nothing came out from the one apple I was able to eat.

When I am sea sick, I am usually happy to throw up, as then it’s just better. But if there is nothing to throw up, it seems to NOT get better…

I was reaching after the crossing of the bay the first possible landing behind Punta Cóndor, but it got a tiny bit better, and I stayed strong not to stop already after 20 km…but turning away from the bay, it was the same – a flat feeling in the stomach form having not eaten, and tries to throw up all the time. I was able to eat at least a second apple and a few carrots. The swell was getting a tad bit less, but the back chop from the high cliffs made it lumpy. Fortunately, the sight got better and it stayed dry.

The next beach landing option was Rada Ranu, and I knew it was quite a big, reasonable open beach. But I was hoping it was deep enough to be calm enough! Somehow I overlooked the option just a tad bit north of this beach, a river mouth with an extra bay entrance. this may have been way more sheltered!

But as usual, you always underestimate the surf! You simply can’t see it form outside. You may be barely able to judge in which corner it’s more or less. I opted for the right corner, being best sheltered. This was probably correct, and I mad myself ready for the landing. Seat upright, tray table up, electronics off…sorry, this was in a plane. Here, I rather put on my PFD, donned my helmet, unhooked my life line and paddle leash, secured my GPS under the bungees, and as usual I was unsure what to do with my rudder…this time I pulled it half up, to protect the fin a bit, but still be able to steer a bit.

Approaching carefully, the first wave of the about five surf lines caught me without I wanted already, shit happens! And it trashed me already, I had to roll, and only made it up on the second attempt. I may have felt my weakness…excuses…but then I unfortunately noticed my rudder was fully blocked to one side, and before the next wave came, I couldn’t simply paddle fast straight in as I may have been able to, as I was quite close in already after the first trashing.

So I was sitting quite helpless there with a sideways blocked rudder (why? I should have either pulled it fully up or left it fully down, i assume), waiting for the next big one to trash me again. This time I was so close to the beach and felt even too weak to roll and bailed out…excuses…I managed to keep hold on my paddle and on my boat, and a few more smaller waves washed me in with me being able to already stand up in between.

Four locals were watching my embarrassing landing (why is it always with spectators?), and one guy was even walking quite in to be ready to help! Thanks! But fortunately I was *not* close to drowning. It was just embarrassing.

They eventually respected me at least a little bit when they noticed what long way I already came from :-), and were helping me to carry my stuff high and dry to the grass above the wide beach. Thanks! I even got an invitation to stay in the local school in the nearby tiny village from the lady who spoke some German and English, but this was too far away for me tonight, sorry!

I took my time to dry me out, and hated once again my leaking day hatch (1 liter) and back hatch (about a cup). On such trashy landing especially the day hatch with it’s one closure handle only is not holding up at all. Interesting creative idea, but a full practical misconstruction, sorry.

Tomorrow will hopefully be better with good sight, and I may be able to get out somehow reasonably in low tide and a bit less swell. And I think I won’t get sea sick tomorrow! The days are getting shorter though, first light is around 8.15 am, and last light around 8 pm…

The ripe apples from the wild apple tree in the other bay and here ripe black berries show me here it’s becoming autumn quite fast! I have to hurry!