[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1mMzgvc8wBI/VTI06P6B88I/AAAAAAAAoO0/VuXXOGn9VtY/s144-c-o/IMG_1806.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6139027417366393794″ caption=”With Kenneth and Guillherme on the last day of my lagoon paddle” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1806.JPG” ]

trip days left: 27
straight distance left: 599,4 km
Pos: here
Loc: End of Lagoa Mirim
Acc: Osvaldo and Evas holiday house
Dist: 27,2 km
Start: 5:15 End: 13:15

Today was a good example for the changeable weather in this area. The outlook was calm for the day, but strong 20 kn headwinds from 6 pm on. The first forecast from Karel on Friday night for Sunday was calm in the morning and noon, and strong 19-25 kn headwinds the afternoon. The second forecast Saturday night for Sunday was already ugly 15-20 kn in the morning until noon, and 19-25 kn in the afternoon,still all head winds for sure. This was how I started at still darkness, hoping for rather 15 than 20 knots. The morning update for today was less again, 11-14 kn until noon and 16-22 for the afternoon, which I didn’t receive in time.

The truth for today was maybe 11 knots from 5.15-5.45 am, then solid 15 kn until maybe 7 am, increasing to 20 knots with few 15 knots “lulls” in between. A day I should have stayed inside my tent and turned around again…but I promised my helpers who were to pick me up from the lake to be at the jetty Sunday night, so I was ok to paddle the “mere” 25 km left in solid headwind! I was so glad I bagged what I could get in yesterday…the best solution would have been to simply keep on paddling until midnight in dead calm weather and with almost full moon…but I didn’t.

So I had to paddle 25 km in some really ugly headwind for today! All good, until around 9 am, “only” about 11,5 km left with an ETA at 11.30 am with a not too bad speed due to low waves in the strong wind. I suddenly spotted two kayaks coming up to me – my pick up guys Kenneth and Gullherme in a happy easy down wind paddle! Guys, you picked a bad day for an escort…

Guillherme was the relaxed back seater in the double kayak paddling the canal with me for two days, and Kenneth has paddled for three month only. Nothing to blame him, everyone starts at some point with our great sport! But not really with a 11,5 km paddle into 20 knots headwind after a 2 hrs relaxed downwind paddle…thank goodness I got already relatively close to our destination due to my night paddles and putting in long hours yesterday.

We met at the beach for a welcome stop, as with stopping on the water we would have been blown backward with easy 3 km/h or more. When I heard about Kenneth experience, I was a bit amazed they have paddled so far downwind, just excited to meet me! There is usually also some way to get back!…I was happy to spot Gullherme’s tow belt.

Kenneth paddle tried to look like a wing blade, but the blade was made out of the softest plastic I have ever seen as paddle material and felt like chewing gum, plus the whole construction was a heavy bat. The shaft was thickly wrapped with some tape, almost double than mine in diameter and great to get blisters. Later I spotted bike gloves somewhere inside his cockpit…

So this time it was Kenneth getting my spare wing blade. I gave him some basic core paddling and wing use instructions as I was rather worried he may hurt himself if he does not do it right on the switch from a heavy chewing gum blade to a stiff lightweight paddle which can shovel a lot of water. To my content he did quite well in the new style! And he had to…but sure a beginner does simply not have the muscle endurance and the perfect technique to battle with no injuries into a 20 knots wind for 11,5 km. I explained him quite quickly he and Guillherme should simply even up their forces and form a “double” kayak with the help of the tow belt.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-l5LxEg7vzE4/VTI06L1JjXI/AAAAAAAAoO0/INkNqrTB8wE/s144-c-o/IMG_1802.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage24Brazil7UruguayArgentinaFlorianapolisToBuenosAires#6139027416272178546″ caption=”My jacket is blown up by the strong headwind” type=”image” alt=”IMG_1802.JPG” ]

All good, Kenneth could concentrate better on his new paddling style and was not frustrated being left behind, and the speed got a little better. But I noticed also quite soon Guillherme could not pull it all off and I was feeling I could also help a bit to balance the different forces. But I had no tow belt, just a bow line…

I always wanted (and have never done yet…) to do a “menage à trois” – einen “Flotten Dreier” – with two men, and me being in the middle… 🙂
As I assumed Guillherme may be the fastest one with his empty kayak, a reasonable wing paddle (just way too long with 2,25m) and one or two muscles on his upper body, I clicked myself in the middle with my bowline serving as a halfway working towline, and Guillherme’s tow belt around my waist with Kenneth at the end. Now the thing got going! Neither Kenneth nor I wanted to get rid of the slack as much as possible, though sure there were those hard pulls. No short pieces of bungee in neither “tow line”, which is much better. But they did their jobs in the easy and nor dangerous conditions with no real waves or surf, warm water and water depth you can stand in. Just in case, one could simply *walk* home and drag the kayak behind…

We had a necessary relaxing break on the beach at 7,5 km left to shake our stressed muscles. Guillherme was joking to Kenneth this will “cost him a beer!” to “have to be towed”, but I said to Guillherme it will rather cost *him* a beer to have paddled with a beginner so far down wind…

One more section with the same stressful mutual effort until I pointed to Guillherme we should better have another easy beach break at 5 km left before anyone was hurt. It took me three efforts to get him eventually paddling to the beach at 3,75 km left.

The now probably last section (which I would have rather liked to split from stopping already at 5 km and again at 2,5 km left) Guillhereme thought we do not need any towline any more…ok…but Kenneth who did a really great job so far was close to his end. I nodded to Guillherme to go back to the hooks, and asked him politely if he may now prefer a double or again a “menage à trois”? He thought the last “short” section he could do the tow job himself…well, guy, have a go! 🙂 I played around a bit, paddling laid back over the head, with my hands only, or simply walking faster than the complete tow in the shallow water- is a “menage à trois” not really better? – while the guys may have paddled only 2 km/h or such for a while.

Eventually Guillherme got the idea to tow Kenneth empty kayak alone back “home”, waving me to paddle along, and made Kenneth going to the shore and to walk the last 1,1 km alone home. My sympathy with a beginner who has done really great in these conditions, was rather making me unhooking Kenneth empty kayak from Guillhermes tow and clipping mine and Kenneth kayaks together. Now we were rather both walking side by side in the shallows the last km back home, instead of me racing Guillherme who was only waiting for an opportunity…I know those men! And I know how the “red lantern” feels for a beginner or simply weaker paddler, and not being able to arrive together…

As Kenneth’s car had only space for two kayaks on the roof, Guillherme called a friend couple living in a holiday house on the beach where we could also stay the night to do my passport chores in Chuy tomorrow. Thanks to Osvaldo and Eva to host us there! While I was typing this, Guillherme was already asleep on the couch 🙂