Pos: here
Loc: behind Faro Campane
Acc: tent
Dist: 38,5 km
Start: 13:10 End: 19:50

I had to wait a bit this morning – the wind was too ugly strong over 20 kn from wnw, and the tide was against me as well. The bay ahead was littered with whitecaps, and though the sea was flat, paddling would not be a real pleasure.
For the afternoon it was forecasted much better wind, I assume it turns as well when the tide turned at 2pm.

I spent the morning with sleeping in after checking the weather, and kept an ear open to listen if the tent was still shaking…later I jumped again into the water to see if my dry suit repair yesterday was successfully, and it seemed to do well. The strong hot offshore wind was drying the suit again in no time.

As soon as the whitecaps seemed to become a bit less, I was sliding my kayak around 1 pm into the water on highest tide – easy game on a steep gravel beach with no dumper.

Dolphins were escorting me for a while – always lovely! Penguins were floating around, and even more they did yesterday. These guys are always making a strange loud noise which you can hear over a wide distance!

Cabo Guardian was guarded by three cars with weekend tourist, when I was waving at the first group of seven guys they were shouting and jumping up and down – did the know me? The second group of people didn’t even seem to notice me when I was waving at them, they were busy collecting something in the tide zone – mussels or fish bait or whatever.

Luckily the tide was with me, and I could float around the Cape easily with a strong current. Isla Rasa Chica had a very inviting beach, if it wouldn’t be that early…actually it was not early, I was just starting late and conditions were perfect now, so I had to put in a few more miles…

After the Island was a long rocky reef which created a deep channel between the rocky reef on the main land, littered with huge kelp plants. The plants are growing on the sea ground, and the long branches and leaves were floating on the surface with the current, and I assume they are up to 20 or 30 meter long, creating something like lanes in the channel.

I’m just wondering how they sort themselves out when the tide turns…how are all the whole long floating plants turning around without knotting themselves? The leathery leaves and floating fruits (or how would you call them) must be slick enough so it obviously does not happen… the crystal clear water made them easy to see with their bottom part in the seabed in maybe 4-6 m depth. Amazing plants…

I decided to cross Bahia Laura, as it seemed to be sandy beach only and nothing to see there. The low sun in the west made it hard anyway to see where I had to go, and I rather keep my head down with my visor than putting sunscreen on my face…

My GPS tgave me the direction to the lighthouse on Punta Mercedes, but I wanted to go around the next headland as well. It had a long rocky reef fully displayed on lowest tide, but behind it my chart showed “sandy”.  This is what I needed landing on lowest low tide tonight!

The low sun in my face and the hot air created one mirage after another on the horizon, it didn’t make it easier to see where I was going at all. One very small reef breaker offshore appeared in the mirage like a huge gigantic splash! Amazing…and the whole horizon seemed to be land rather than sea…

But eventually I could get around the dead calm point with the rocky reef, though doing it almost blind. In the distance, the usual steep gravel beach showed some yellow spots, indicating the more or less sandy parts. It means as well the beach is more shallow, and an easier landing in all conditions. Dragging up the kayak was longer, but easier as it was not really steep. It felt like a way more friendly beach! But I’m sure when the seas are up landing and launching from here is not going to be a peace of cake either. But tonight was calm!