Wed 21/09-2011 Day 23

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my wind protection bush - I moved the tent and kayak four times around it!

Pos: same as yesterday
Loc: same as yesterday
Acc: tent
Dist: 0 km

 

Ok, I could have taken a worse repair- and rest day regarding the weather…what originally at 7am looked still like just about quite some good following wind from the side, turned to headwinds first from right, then from left…
I had to move my tent twice around the big bush I already seeked wind shelter last night – what a bush can make a difference…in the lee it was nice and warm in the mstly sunny day, in the fresh wind quite chilly!

But befor I gave myself breakfast and after moving the tent and boat into the lee of the bush, I had to do my bulkhead repair…

I cut some fiber glass cloth stripes and mixed epoxy and hardener 1:2 without being able to measure correctly…that was the crux! If I used not enough hardener, the whole stuff will stay sticky…and probably if I used too much it will rather tend to break earlier (or such…). I pressed to bulkhead back into it’s old position (thanks goodness this looked good already…), sanded the area, one-way latex gloves on, soaked the striped in the epoxy mix and applied it to the bulkhead seam as good as I could do. Two layers on the broken corners, one precautions layer on the rest. And it did harden out over the sunny warm day – hurray!
Now it just needs to hold my next jump over a wave crest…at least I know where to look at constantly.

And I rather keep *all* gear in the front hatch in a dry bag, as I was usually stuffing my clothing in some left corners. Never had water in a front hatch so far! Luckily the water last night was less than a cup and all on the bottom of the front, where there was a hollow space under my laptop and map case standing vertically in an Aquapac on the bulkhead. So no ral water damage…

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Santiago, my helper from the beach

When I was just about to eat my morning granola for breakfast, a huge red farm truck drove up to my tent – one of those over sized US-American Dodge ones. I think I barely saw those here in Argentine…so I remembered that yesterday across to Claromeco I saw such a one following me along the beach quite a while, taking pictures. I thought it may be a paparazzi again…but it was a friendly and just curious farm owner named Juan Santiago Dufour, who then searched yesterday night online about what kind of strange UFO (unknown floating object) he spotted along the coast…it was obviously not hard to find me in the web.

 

So he found me this morning with my GPS position posted, and asked what he may be able to do for me! Thanks a lot for that offer, Santiago! He even spoke a perfect English! First I was thinking he may be helpful in two days in Pehuenco when I would be about to cross Bahia Blanca, as I’d need to food shop again before doing so.

But then I got the idea: “I need to wait until my repair hardens anyway today, so why not just shopping already today?” The fore cast was favorable at least the next four days, and I’d rather have off on a headwind day like today.

And – there was even a food shop in the small holiday village Balneario Oriente! I probably underestimate those small Balnearios in size just paddling by, what I need for living I could as well shop there.

Oats or some granola, milk powder, sugar for breakfast, pasta, rice, polenta or potato mash with different extra flavoring sachets for dinner, cheese, cracker,butter, salt, olives, eggs, peanuts, tuna, mayonnaise, apples, bananas, white chocolate and the odd treat for lunch. Tang drink powder to cover any water flavor and to have a fruity taste, toilet paper, baby wipes (VERY important!), drinking water, batteries. That’s all my shopping list! Not much change, but it feeds you…

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Santiago dug his truck deep into the sand...calling for help!

But before we could leave for “downtown” (I took my valuables with me, but basically felt all right leaving my gear for an hour or so…), we had to leave the sandy beach again…and the huge over sized heavy 4-wheel truck was digging himself deep into the ground…well, with Santiago on the wheel…some embarrassing shit happens when you want just to help a nice German lady! :-))

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digging the truck out...

Shovel out, digging hard, but luckily a quad bike driver came up to us and he could drive up to the village to call the emergency tractor.

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The recue tractor is pulling the truck out of the deep sand

He came soon and easily pulled us out of the deep soft sand and back to the tide zone where the cars use to drive…well, it’s not all about having a great truck! Sorry I got you into trouble… :-)) Not much I could do, and I at least had my breakfast while waiting…

The local food shop in the village was all right sorted, and I still had some food left anyway. So I quickly filled up my basket, while amazingly the mayor of the village already showed up to great me. Thanks for the warm welcome!

This early food shopping made me getting rid of the necessity to stop in Monte Hermosa as planned – Dolores, if you read this, please tell the friendly tourist office lady (I don’t have her name, phone or e-mail) I’m sorry but I won’t stop by…very sorry! But I have to paddle now about 90 km along the coast to the west, before I cross over the bay. Two easy days, with well following winds fore casted!

I got dropped again by my tent by Santiago, a few more pictures, and off he was again! Thanks very much! You were sent like an angel!

And yes, I took the chance to pass on to him my one not-any-more working Olympus camera, in the hope he either finds a skill full person to solve the problem, or to send it to Alejandro in Buenos Aires who may find an Olympus dealer who can repair it. It continues to say “Batterie or USB lid open, check for foreign objects”, although it’s almost brand new, and really, really clean! No micro switch to see, resetting didn’t work, hope some one else may solve the problem. Luckily I have a second camera…

The afternoon I spent at my tent organizing my house hold in the quite warm sunny day in the lee behind my bush.
A woman with an older lady on the back seat on a quad bike came over, I recognized the same bike as the guy who was calling the emergency tractor. They just wanted a picture, and brought me a handful of candies! Thanks!
The woman came again with the guy on the same bike, with some cakes, and for more pictures…thanks again!

I’m not really sure if my lack of Spanish is a blessing or a curse…it keeps visitors short at bay, but may keep me off the information loop…but I always can talk somehow, and if nothing helps, just talk loud enough German! :-))

3 comments on “Wed 21/09-2011 Day 23

Chris Paterson

Love reading you blog, wish I could come along. I am fluent in Spanish but the most I have ever paddled in a day was 36k So could not keep up with you. Best regards from Loch Lomond, Scotland!!!

Meike Michalik

du hast es mal wieder geschafft :-). Es kommt doch immer ein Retter in Not.
Gute Weiterfahrt

Don Hebel

Gees Freya…you have more visitors on a beach in Argentina in one day than I see all week at my house in Pennsylvania! Lots of people are interested in your latest adventure. Stay happy and warm.
Don

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