Pos: here
Loc: Punta Achira
Acc: tent
Dist: 41,9 km
Start: 8:35 End: 17:35

I got two visitors last night at 9 pm – the Navy liked to check if I’m all right! Well, I was just about to brush my teeth and to fall asleep, just about… 🙂

The same officers came this morning, plus two guards from the area. I didn’t mind launching help! A bit of a push in time downhill into the water doesn’t hurt, as the boat is heavy and the time window for a safe launch in a dumper is small. All went perfect, not a drip in my face! Just the coarse sand was making my rudder fin stick completely, so that I had to jump into the water to pull it out. My launching string pulling angle is not the best, so this happens occasionally in certain coarse sand conditions.

The procedure then once I climbed back onto the kayak was like:
– still sitting on the back deck, cleaning my seat pad from the coarse sand
– slide back into the cockpit
– helmet off, clip it under the net on the back deck
– PFD off, zipper closed, thread one attachment bungee through it and clip it on
– one leg out, sandal off, boot off and empty it out, neoprene sock off, wring it out, all back on and in again
– now the same with the other leg
– sponge the water out of the kayak
– spray deck on
– GPS on, all things on the front deck in order, now I can paddle!

It was a very foggy morning, but as usual it cleared up after one or two hours. Just the sun was not willing to shine today! I mostly paddled close to the coast watching the surf…Caleta Burca would have had s few safe landings, but after that, a long open beach with scary heavy surf along Punta Caicai was messing with my nerves. No way to land here…and I prefered mostly not even to look and would have loved to have ear plugs handy.

Around Punta Mela, the beach became a bit more rocky with tiny headlands, and I guessed if I had to, I’d make it through the dumper on this or that spot. Another long straight beach followed, and I was looking forward to turn around Punta Achira to my landing bay. Punta Achira itself had a big sand dune, where I saw thee youngsters sand boarding. Nice! Three huge caves followed, and I spotted a bunch of people up on the headland. Nice, that so many people are already looking out for me!

Well, I was wrong…only two Navy guys were up there, the rest were locals, watching also, but rather the local surfers just around the corner…and that I’d be taking care not to hit them! Oh shit…this was not my well protected landing spot, but it had a big nice surf wave just around the corner, with probably 15 locals playing nicely the game. Ok…a fishing boat came out to me – would they suggest to bring me in like in Quidico? No, they just said something, probably: “Watch the surfers!” or such, and were heading away. Yes, I do see the surfers…and they saw me. A heavy, hard, long object, with helmet on and a long scary paddle as a weapon 🙂 – probably they were scared I’d be challenging them on their waves! No way…I’m waiting just on my safe spot for NO wave!

Well, landing procedure in a dog leg. Helmet on, PFD on, paddle unleashed, GPS and camera secured, and paddling carefully in a wide berth as close as I though I could, to wait for the right gap to paddle safely in. I saw one gap while getting ready, but when I was, there was nothing but big rollers coming in. I was waiting probably for 20 fat waves passing by, watching the surfers doing a nice job. Some of them were swimming back out just in front of my safe waiting spot. I even had to sometimes back paddle when I saw a very big one coming in and accordingly breaking earlier and wider.

Some local guy was waving me frantically in, but he was only irritating. I doubted he could estimate my timing…then I saw the last big wave coming, and already on the next smaller one I could paddle closer, and then a few hearty paddle strokes and I was in sideways through the rolling waves. Strange corner…

Some guy was grabbing my bow while filming with his phone, but rather blocked my quick escape from the kayak. But I managed to get out, before the next big one was washing in.

The Navy guys and a bunch of local fishermen were greeting me, most of them with the usual hug and cheek kiss. The hugs from the fisher men were strong and happy, and they seemed obviously proud that the “famous kayaking lady” was landing eventually safely on their beach…but most of them smelled on their Sunday off quite like alcohol…and the last quite drunk guy really dared to grab one of my tits on his hug! I gave him a quick smack, but really felt sorry I was not hitting him harder. A Navy guy noticed his inappropriate advance, and was taking care of him…well, thanks! If I’d be more hot tempered, I should have done this myself…and sorry, fisherman, that I couldn’t offer more power on your check 🙂

I got friendly help on carrying my bags and kayak up the beach, and made camp as usual. Two cops came also along, and promised to watch the beach at night. Not that more drunken fisher men would come for another tit check – watch your balls, guys!

Tomorrow, I’m aiming for either Curanipe or a beach 5 km before, which may be a bit more sheltered. We’ll see.