[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dau3uQ7h1fo/VGSja-EbGqI/AAAAAAAAins/JW52rpty9qE/s144-c-o/IMG_0541.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage20Brazil3SaoLuisToNatal#6081165080590490274″ caption=”A catch of some larger fish at Ponta do Mel” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0541.JPG” ]

Highlights: Got very easy freshwater from a friendly Austrian local!
Lowlights: Hot as hell on that half day on the beach
Launch: Sheltered beach
Landing: Low surf
Pos: here
Loc: Ponta do Mel
Acc: tent
Dist: 43,5 km
Start: 4:40 End: 12:10

No one looked me up on my sand bank out here, which was quite unlikely anyway. The wind was blowing all afternoon strong over 20 knots, and even eventually blew the sand out between from the sea shell layer. It sounded like rain, when my tent got sand blasted, the poor fabric…

I launched easy and made good speed all morning on calm seas with 15 knots from behind. My goal was to reach the river leading into Porto do Mangue, the next sheltered landing would be another 15 km up the beach. I didn’t dare to go that far, as I’d reach the shelter around two hours after low tide at noon, though it would be probably go well. But who knows? I really don’t want again to be in strong wind paddling too much,and rather play it safe now.

But when I reached the river mouth, it was as on the sat images a very shallow entrance with a wide belt of low breakers. The breakers were no problem, as I had such breaker fields on many shallow spots around low tide, but the effort to find eventually dry land on lowest tide was too much for me, and I decided to push on to the next hook at Ponta do Mel. I enjoyed to do it as fast as possible, racing the upcoming wind. The sea stayed low, the wind moderate, breakers were weak, so all went well. But who knew?

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-02W0ScSFSww/VGSjVZsoSFI/AAAAAAAAins/G6Y_eQVhDkM/s144-c-o/IMG_0538.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage20Brazil3SaoLuisToNatal#6081164984927668306″ caption=”Got a donkey visit at Ponta do Mel!” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0538.JPG” ]

I landed first time on this section on purpose in a village, this one a typical fishing village in the back country. These are the best and the safest ones for me to camp on the village beach. On landing through a wide belt of low surf, I already had a friendly local fisherman to help at my side, very nice, as on any landing of a larger boat many local men are there to help. But when I was ready with making camp at the end of a long row of fishing boats on the beach, I had to chase him away to have my fresh water shower and change.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FcTb-9mOm0I/VGSjZuSvHGI/AAAAAAAAins/psEK8ey6jI8/s144-c-o/IMG_0539.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage20Brazil3SaoLuisToNatal#6081165059175685218″ caption=”The landing of a small sailing fishing boat through the surf requires some men at Ponta do Mel” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0539.JPG” ]

Later, two more flat bottom boats with a sail came in, landed on the beach and got dragged up by about ten men with thick logs under the hull. Their catch of the day was quite impressive! I attracted eventually half the village, and by chance I heard my name behind me in German? Werner, an Austrian native, lives here for a boat building project for a while. He was happy to translate a bit for all the locals, and was helpfully bringing me a 20 litre bottle of fresh water right down to the beach to fill five of my water bags, enough now until Fortaleza. Very nice, thanks! This job couldn’t have been done easier…!

The locals were discussing my security on the beach, but I felt all right here and was too lazy to move anywhere. And I’m planning to leave again tomorrow early at 5 am. On high tide, the surf is a bit higher, but not really violent and it will be ok. (I hope…)