Mossel Bay to Victoria Bay

Back into the paddling routine – up at 03h45 to be on the water by 05h00. Four local paddlers, including Ruan Knobel, joined in double skis across Mossel Bay, with NSRI Station 15’s new craft escorting the small flotilla. A misty morning kept visibility down to about 2km, so with no reference points I kept my heading purely off the GPS. A light NW wind gave a small assist. After about 8km the first double turned back; the other carried on for 20km before hitching a lift home with the NSRI.

On my own I started catching a few lumps and came quickly to the entrance of Herolds Bay, where a radio chat with Warren left me feeling good enough to keep going the extra 18km to Victoria Bay. Warren and Judy had been chatting to the lifeguards, who handed over boiling water for a morning coffee on the beach and spotted me through binoculars from their tower, which put Judy a bit more at ease.

From Herolds Bay the coast curves left toward Wilderness with no landing spots – high cliffs meeting the sea the whole way. Past Rooiklip point I passed two fishermen casting from at least 50m above the water. Vic Bay was a welcome sight, the surf mercifully small – we all remember the race from there to Sedgefield when it was close to unplayable. The lifeguards, tipped off by the Herolds Bay crew, came over for a chat.

Our planned accommodation at Victoria Bay had fallen through, so we scrambled and found a spot at the Carmil caravan site. We stayed two nights – tomorrow is a weather day, strong Easterlies forecast.