Well we rolled around in the swell all night last night as it built from the south west. The kayakers had a comfortable night ashore in their tent, but when it came time to leave the beach to start paddling it was their turn to be troubled by the surf.

After one aborted attempt to get off the beach they had a look the lee side of the headland that they were camped on to see if conditions were any better there; they were not! So it was back to square one in the surf. We had a grandstand view from our anchorage just off the beach as one by one they were launched out through the surf. Last one off was Simen and on his first attempt he gt upended by a wave, before he had even left the beach. His second attempt was somewhat more successful and he joined the other three kayakers clustered around Pelagic where Matias was doing some on the spot interviews on camera.

The day was beautiful with a light westerly wind and we all got a bit burnt even though we were all wearing sun block (Anybody know the current stat and position of the ozone hole?). We motored slowly down the coast closing up with the kayaks occasionally to film and photograph them. They crossed Newark Bay, then Jacobsen Bight, Cape Darnley & Annenkov Island, Skontorp Rocks and made camp in a small natural harbour at Ducloz Head. About 16 nautical miles covered for the day.

We entered the harbour in Pelagic but decided that it would have been a bit to uncomfortable due to the amount of swell getting inside so we found a quieter spot to the east of Ducloz Head where we were rolling around just a bit. I say were because now the wind has increased as it was forecast to and we have a near gale to gale force wind blowing across the anchorage now.

Tomorrow is forecast to be breezy but not too strong so we are hoping that it is a paddling day.

Today's image: Simen blasts out through the surf.