Umzumbe to Winklespruit

Easy launch with very little wind, hugging the shoreline and staying clear of the breakers on the points. The wind built to a steady 15kt SW after about two hours, and the wind chop got better and better to ride. My second waterproof VHF radio has now died, so comms with Warren are down to cell phones – awkward mid-paddle.

The past few days of turtle sightings tell me I’m into more tropical waters, along with the shark net buoys I now have to navigate around. Brief stop at Scottburgh beach to meet Billy & Tracy Harker and Colin Simpkins, our hosts ahead – had to back-paddle to free a fisherman’s line caught on my rudder. From Scottburgh the pace picked up with company, a great downwind run to Winklespruit with rather too much sea life leaping about, including long skinny fish with pointy noses that kept knocking into us.

Coming into Winklespruit I nearly made a meal of the small surf, burying the nose and flipping backwards through the white water before somehow coming up still upright, facing out to sea. Gary from the local surf lifesaving club had two flasks of coffee waiting.

Winklespruit was the end point of my first attempt, so I’ve now paddled solo around the entire SA coast – but not uninterrupted. 12 more paddling days and I should be in Mozambique.