Hamburg to East London

I knew there was a problem when I couldn’t bend enough to pull my booties on – my lower back again. Conditions leaving Hamburg were good, a light tailwind building into a following sea, and I’d taken a painkiller before launch. About two hours in the wind and sea suddenly turned nasty, a strong head current pushing the swell up until two out of three waves were breaking. I stayed as close to shore as I dared.

At Kidds Beach two single skis went out to meet me but I never saw them on the water. At Cove Rock the sea instantly turned fun again. Approaching the harbour I saw a whole bunch of paddlers heading out to meet me, then a quick dash around the breakwater onto Orient Beach for a photographer from the Daily Dispatch – front page the next day.

That evening a braai and Q&A session at Border Canoe Club. The next morning my lower back wasn’t happy – I struggled to get out of bed and needed physio treatment and rest. We stayed with the Thompson family for two nights, breakfast each morning at their local Wimpy.