[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-k9XwSYXC2y8/VHcFXSWZmpI/AAAAAAAAi9o/MIgK_OsMrdg/s144-c-o/IMG_0623.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage20Brazil3SaoLuisToNatal#6086339319035435666″ caption=”View from the dune of Jericoacoara” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0623.JPG” ]

Highlights: Good speed and reached my planned destination
Lowlights: Horrible Jericoacoara
Launch: Just enough water on the shallow reef
Landing: Luck on avoiding the rolling surf wave
Pos: here
Loc: Jericoacoara
Acc: tent
Dist: 51.9 km
Start: 4:35 End: 13:35

I was watching yesterday suspiciously the tide going out and the about 500m wide shallow sandy reef going mostly dry in the afternoon. If I want to launch tomorrow with first light at 5 am and it is quite dry in last light now…well, some dragging will be the option.

I packed in darkness as usual, but rather started to lready walk out withthe boat also in darkness in still about 20-30cm of water. Just about enought not to carry! I reached the anchored boats out there which I assumed were in some deeper water just when I could see a bit more, and guessed I just did right…

The first two hours were moderate wind on calm water, few shallows breakers, good speed. It breezed up soon, still easy paddling and good speed, the water was still calm. I knew it would be windy in the afternoon up to 20 knots, but as the swell and sea were low it could’t become that bad…or will the big lumpy rocky headland before Jericoacoara make it a bit rougher? Probably…I’d be rounding it at 1 pm, not really that late in the day, but stopping already at Jucumo, a village with many kitesurfers and fishing boats, would have been an option and probably more reasonable than rounding the fat headland in rising tide and wind…One fishing boat came close and shouted something at me I didn’t understand, was he warning me about the headland??

Before I headed directly to the headland across the last wide long bay, landings were all calm on shallow beaches. Jericoacoara should also be a protected corner. But first the sea became a bit rough, not too serious, but it afforded a continuous watch over the right shoulder. Across the rocky headland seas were big, and my full concentration was necessary before I turned around the first corner. I didn’t have any eye for the many tourists walking along the rocky base of the headland.

One daring kitesurfer rounded the headland in front of me, I wonder how hard this is. When the sea gets bigger, he just lifts himself up in the air? In any way, for both of us the option of an emergency landing on this rocky headland was not really inviting. When the famous arch came, seas were already lower, thank goodness, and I “only” was blown along with 8 km/h or such. Still I managed to take at least a shot from offshore from the arch.

The next corner to the sheltered bay of Jericoacoara must come soon, but I frightedly spotted a new “corner block” – about hundred of colorful high speed windsurfers going out and in from my sheltered corner! A few kitesurfers were rather in the background. I am really fearing more wind-than kitesurfers as they are going much faster and have more gear to hit.

If I haven’t had put my helmet on yet, I didn now…most of them also had on on. I saw many of them falling in, restarting out of nothing, not all of the guys have their toy fully under control…the last corner had a sharp fat rock with some breaks, sneaking around close would be no option. This worse than crossing a German Autobahn on dense traffic! Do I really have to paddle out so far to give at least most of the guys a wide berth? One may assume the furthest out ones are the most skillfull ones in this strong wind…?

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RifIVAM8RV4/VHcFOD6qlbI/AAAAAAAAi9o/F2q61LkAEDE/s144-c-o/IMG_0620.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection3Stage20Brazil3SaoLuisToNatal#6086339160542188978″ caption=”The so famous arch in Jericoacoara from the water” type=”image” alt=”IMG_0620.JPG” ]

I opted to do the safer way, as crossing close in – no way. Really too much speedy traffic. Still far out there I was better waving a couple of times for confirmation the guy has seen me. But some of them may have taken this as an invitation to come even closer and to shout omething…eventually I shouted back which must have sounded like “Fuck off!” or such…I was really highly stressed to cross this wide lane far offshore in high wind with those arrows flying around my ears. Eventually I felt safe to turn in, now I had to paddle against 20 knots to reach some shelter.

Shelter? Where may have been real shelter, it was packed with people and  umbrellas. But there was no real shelter anyway in the corner, rather rolling surf waves with some guys on their boards. Straight ahead, I also saw the wave rolling in against the wind with some high flying spray, which looked quite nasty. But the spray made the wave looking just big, I was lucky and could paddle in safe and landed just 50m behind the last umbrella.

Where to camp? I spotted a high and dry probably old boat on the dune base to the right, about 100 m to carry, but away enough from the crowd and just behind a “no cars and motorbikes” sign…well…my spot. It had flying sand en masse, but rather that than curious people. I was a bit off the beachwalk here, and felt all right.

In my tent, I had the option of either suffocating or having a constant sand shower. The latter was necessary to stand to a degree. The outlook forecast for the whole week is looking nasty, gone are the days of moderate nice following winds…see how the seas and landings will be doing. It is going due west for a while, maybe not too bad.