Paddling Update: Day 66–69

Richard Kohler paddling past a container ship near iSimangaliso

Day 66 – Nhlabane to Mapelane, 36km

Craig joined me again and we headed off at a good pace, just over 10km/h. The sea was glassy, the wind not yet showing itself, but on the horizon was one of those classic black clouds stretching left to right that slowly moves closer and threatens to block out the sun. Just before the 20km mark Craig said he wasn’t feeling well and turned back, leaving me to hammer into an increasing NE wind alone.

St Lucia

We are staying in a tented camp courtesy of Brent Gonzales, a very nice spot, but you’ve got to keep an eye on the monkeys and mozzies. The buck walk around without fear. The chap next door has already seen two leopards this year.

Day 68 – St Lucia to Cape Vidal, 32km

Back into the early morning routine to cover distance before the NE wind kicked in. The surf was a reasonable size, care had to be taken not to get caught in the impact zone where those hollow waves could do some damage. The highlight of the day was having a few dolphins come and greet us, one of the few times they’ve been sociable with me. Maybe they don’t like my black stripe?

Day 69 – Cape Vidal to Sodwana, 69km

By this stage of the trip I had officially become an EVENT, complete with a permit, a canoe event within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The tail wind was so light I ended up moving at almost the same speed as it, which meant zero cooling effect on a hot day without a cloud in sight. My music player froze before the start, so there was nothing to distract my mind as it slowly cooked under my cap, just splashing water over myself every few strokes to cope. My right buttock cramped into a hard knot with no amount of stretching helping, and I got through four litres of coke-and-water mix before reaching the beach. Ken and Romey Finlay, in town for a 50th birthday, were waiting with Warren to see me in. That night, shattered, I stayed with Corel Divers, the same outfit that had hosted me on my first attempt, with 85km still ahead the next day and no idea if the knot in my buttock would hold.