Pos: here
Loc: Caleta Lenga
Acc: Jeimy’s house
Dist: 61,7 km
Start: 8:30 End: 19:00

I slept wonderful, no people, just a few cows around. I calculated I’d not need to launch in darkness with the forecast of a nice southerly breeze for this day’s leg of another 60 km, and got up as usual.

Just jumping out of my tent, I already saw a zodiac boat with a closed cabin on top with flashing blue lights just in front of my lonely beach – another Navy boat was already waiting for me again…didn’t I clearly say and write I don’t need and want a continuous escort boat for today and for yesterday? If I would feel I may “need” an escort boat, I should not be out there and do such a trip. It feels not like a relief to me being watched all day in easy conditions, it is just irritating. I’m the only one responsible for myself and my actions. This is my point of view as a grown up, worldwide experienced European kayaker. The Chilean Navy may have a different point of view about conditions suitable for a sea kayaker.
If conditions are like I may capsize, can’t roll up any more, can’t climb my boat anymore and would need a rescue, then the rescue boat would also be in trouble. But then I wouldn’t be out there. And an event like my boat would break apart or I’d get a heart attack is even less likely than an earthquake with following Tsunami.

Paddling up to the boat for a chat, I was probably not in the most charming mode talking to the three officers. But I know he “has order”, and we agreed he’d just to do his job, and I’ll do mine, and paddled on. Later, I saw in an e-mail the boat was obviously sent from Puerto Coronel in the middle of Golfo de Arauco I was about to cross. Just one more Port Captain trying to be nice. Well, thank you!

The officer was asking also me where I’d stop for lunch – well, as far as I know, there is no land on crossing Golfo de Arauco besides the island at the beginning…?? Not sure if they were aware I’d go directly straight across? So my correct answer should probably have been: “I’ll stop at 11.23 am after 18,459 km, at 37.0152, 73.2743 for eating a sandwich, at 1.45 pm after 25,738 km, at 36.9834, 73.4938 for having a pee, and at 2.34 pm after 27,384 km at 36.8437, 73.2839 for poking in my nose…it’s all about a precise navigation plan, isn’t it?

The boat stayed the first time relatively close, drove about 2 km ahead, stopped, let me paddle pass, and started over again, driving with high speed ahead. The driving and stopping distance became longer, as he noticed how boring this job was…

There were many, many fishing boats out there, and the Navy boat should have taken their time and chance to check also on those…but instead, I noticed at some point, they rather mutated to the kind of boat they should be supervising besides an innocent kayaker – the officer was obviously indulging in the most favorite past time a man has being close to the water – he was fishing! He was using a hand line, like I saw with most people here in Chile. At some point I even saw him rolling the line up and something was hanging at the end – a catch?

I paddled at some point close up to the boat, and was shouting over: “How is the fishing? Are they biting well?” The officer, speaking reasonable good English, was obviously felt caught in the act, stumbled out of the cabin, and said: “No, no, I don’t…!”
So what? I don’t (fish)? Or *they* don’t (bite)? The trailing fishing line was not to be mixed up with an anchoring line…

The stops and driving distance got longer and longer, and I had a bit of more peace paddling by myself. And they had more time and peace for fishing. Or whatever. Live and let live…

Before I was passing Isla Santa Maria’s eastern tip Punta Delicada, it was quite nice windy from the south, creating a bit confused choppy water with the swell. This flat eastern tip was jutting out long, and had big waves were breaking in the shallows. I gave it a wide berth. After that, it was dead calm, sheltered and the wind was down for a few hours.

But soon I was reaching the area north of the Gulf, where even more fishing boats, about 40-50, all big size trawlers, were just heading home into the harbor of the river mouth of San Pedro de la Paz. It became windy again, and I really enjoyed my ride through the waves with a great push. If I’d only have been unloaded, I would have been surfing along like hell! So my speed was “only” around 7,5 km/h, with occasionally double the speed on surfing. I just had to watch the many big trawlers crossing…my “escort” was far out of sight, probably no good fishing here where all the “professionals” were hanging around…

The 5 km long headland before the entrance to Caleta Lenga came up, a nice view and as I paddled quite close, also a nice chop! Turning around the last corner, I heard a small fishing boat behind me, and saw them turning in through a rock gap which I was originally thinking I should rather give a wide berth.
But as they were chugging along quite slow, I though where they can drive, I also can paddle through, and followed them almost in the wake. No problem,it was a quiet space, just the breaking waves on the headland and rocks on both sides were quite close and may have been a bit scary if I’d not be following the locals…

The following 2 km were as beautiful coast as it can be, including the beach of Caleta Playa Blance where I originally was planning to land. But as it was not easy to access by car, I listened to Jeimy and was paddling 1,5 km further into Caleta Lenga. It was worth the detour! Though now the 20 knots southerly wind was directly in my face and I had to dig in hard to make headway at all. And you need to close your eyes toward the left side where it was all industrial beach from Talcahuano with a looooong jetty…

At the end, there was an area which had been badly affected by the earth quake two years ago, but it was looking impressive: steep with the broken off land from the cliffs.

Another small Navy zodiac came up to us, and I knew I’d be expected on land also by the Navy. Jeimy, having only a small car, was organizing they’d be taking care of my kayak while she would be taking care of me. Good plan.

But first I had to realize I’d not only be expected by Jeimy and the Navy, but by four TV stations, a newspaper and a bunch of curious locals what’s all this buzz about!

I paddled through the fishermen’s landing place, and would have loved to land there as it was completely sheltered, but no, they wanted me to head 500 meters further to the open beach at Caleta Lenga. Oh well…another 500 m into 20 knots wind…no problem. And a landing through a sandy dumper, but it was really only a tiny one.

I felt a bit out of place with four TV cameras and a bunch of reporters asking curious questions, as this was neither the end of my first stage nor the end of the whole trip, and was mentally quite unprepared to handle so much attention…but I tried to put on my professional smile, knowing my main sponsor THULE mast have been organizing this buzz and I owe them to be nicely present.

At some point I was spotting Jeimy, and she was eventually rescuing me out of the crowd, driving me to her nice home, gave me a shower and bed and fed me well. Thanks, very much, Jeimy!

And my “baby” was in the hands of the Navy…well, they promised to look after it carefully and to meet me again at 8 am Saturday morning on thesame beach. Thanks, Navy!