Pos: here
Loc: Bahia Bonifacio
Acc: tent
Dist: 51,1 km
Start: 7:25 End: 18:45

I’d love to get up earlier in the morning, but though those days was the moon shining bright early, I feel not happy to launch still in darkness. Nights are now humid and cold, my sleeping bag barely keeps me warm. Each morning, I’m packing a soaking wet tent. Yuck.

The same with landing -tonight’s landing was still in sunshine, but the sun is so weak now and low the last hour, nothing is drying any more. I need to land before 6 pm to have at least a dry tent, when the sun is shining. No problem to wipe the floor dry, but when the inner walls stay wet, it’s no real fun. So more than 45 km is simply too much to still have a comfortable camp.

I launched easy through the dumper with good timing into a foggy morning. But soon it became sunny and nice, with low wind and swell. Still I’m feeling I’d rather be done soon…but at least this weather is a nice gift.

I was hugging the coast in Caleta Chaicuin, watching the villages growing bigger in the shore. A big bunch of fishing boats were out, all coming from Valdivia, I assume. In Caleta Guapi, I started to cut across, as I’d rather be done fast than watching each single house on the shore.

I could have made a bet yesterday – I’d be getting a visitor today on the water! The Navy guys from the Gobernacion Maritimas in Valdivia, so poorly left aside as I’m not paddling into the town, got their big boat out, as the last “left aside” guys from the Gobernacion Maritimas in Aysen did around Puerto Aguirre. What’s it worth to have such a great nice toy, if there is not much chance to take it out! 🙂

*Twelve* Navy officers were busy to see me today, a better quote than I had on the “NOMADS of THE SEAS”! I must cost the Chilean tax payer a fortune…but thanks for so much attention! The same procedure – can we find her? This is no problem with my website and average launching time and paddling speed on dead calm seas. Then they launched a zodiac, I’m a nice exercise object! Three nice guys drove up to me, asked if I was ok (well,yes! Looks like it on dead calm seas…), how I was feeling (perfect! Or I’d not be here…), if I’d need anything (no, thank you! I’m fully self contained…), where my next destination would be (Bahia Bonifacio), where my next “port” would be (Sorry, not in Valdivia, but Talcahuano and finally Valparaiso), and if they were allowed to take a picture (NO! VERY astonished faces about that joking answer…)

We took mutual pictures, and even another zodiac with two more guys came up somewhere from the coast. I’m very sorry I was missing out to present you all some signature cards and stickers! And next time, I’ll ask for a tour on the boat. It may be quite interesting! Bye, bye! Thanks for the (mutual) distraction! You’ll find your picture on my blog when I can upload them in Talcahuano!

I kept on paddling to Punta Curinaco, where I was gliding through the thickest foam carpet I ever found. My boat was fully gone like a submarine in the foam! Actually, the sea foam is quite sticky, and I quickly washed it off once I was through. But it was quite funny!

I had marked three beaches in Bahia Bonifacio, the first option was a lonely nice gravel beach, but too many big rocks on low tide to land nicely. The same gravel beach was just beneath, but with a bunch of fishing huts, boats and people busy that night and I probably wouldn’t get a peaceful place, though it had a good landing place where they dragged up their own boats. But I was not up to entertain a bunch of local fishermen this night, with no real free spot to see where I can camp peacefully.

The next beach was also a gravel beach, and was fully lonely, but somehow I was up to take the last one, a sandy beach I saw already lurking from the headland. I was not really expecting it had such a surf, but it was a shallow sandy beach, creating about three rows of breakers. Hmmmmm, was that the right choice? There was a bit of shelter behind some rocks, but the water seemed to be very confused there…I couldn’t really figure out form the distance what was going on there. Still I donned, my helmet and PFD, and dared to go in, with waiting a long time for a good gap. I only had to hang in a moderate wave once with a high brace, and side surfed into the confused water behind the rocks. A few quick paddle strokes, and I was washed up the sandy beach safe and dry. Phhhh! Was that really necessary tonight? Maybe the safe fishing harbor would have been the better choice, and would have given me a bit more time to dry out at night. Getting out should be easier tomorrow.

I was landing on kind of a holiday beach, with a lawn with many fire places, a bathroom building and watch tower for swimmers. But no one there, even the about ten houses seemed to be just holiday cabanas. Only one lorry came driving past without stopping, and I had my peaceful night. Just too short! Landing was just too late in these wet conditions.