Two tortoise skeletons
I made the repairs to Samoset and was on the water by 11.00am.
In the morning, the wind was still blowing strongly but by the time I was ready to go, it had considerably diminished in strength. The water was still rather turbulent but that also calmed down fairly rapidly.
I was paddling strongly, keeping well away from any rocky outcrop and rock garden. The coast had a rough appearance; all rocks and pebbles and grey/brown in color. Not very appealing.
After a few hours I looked for a place to take a break, but there was nothing suitable in sight. I continued paddling but at a much slower pace; suddenly my energy had disappeared and snacks and water could not bring it back.
As I rounded Punta Santa Anna I noticed what looked like a sandy beach, being patrolled by a coyote, which only walked away when I was quite close. It turned out to be a grit beach, lots of grit, little stones and pebbles, but it was good enough for me. I quickly decided that the break would be the final stop for the day. I had a good lunch and drank water fortified with electrolytes but I still felt very tired. I guessed that things were simply catching up with me and that I needed some extra rest.
The beach I was on was about one half of a mile in length, very low with small hills and scrubs bordering it.
After my lunch I went for a walk and was surprised to find two tortoise shells in very good condition. These were different from the one I had found the day before. One was considerably bigger and still had its head attached to the skeleton and shell. The other one was flat and round.
They were not quite as weathered as the one I had carried on my rear deck that day. I decided to leave that one on this beach and to try to take the two new ones with me. It would be a real challenge tying them to the rear deck because of their size, but also their weight: The large one was rather heavy.
How was I going to take the one with its head attached and not break it off; a real challenge. I was also not certain that I could take them in the bus home; they might smell too much, even for the luggage compartment.
To try to keep the smell as much as possible under control, I spent most of the afternoon cleaning the inside of the shell by scraping away whatever I could and scouring it with sand and water. I did get them reasonably clean after a few hours and was optimistic that the smell would not be overwhelming.
The wind picked up quite a bit in the afternoon but it died away towards evening.
I was hoping for another calm day, the next day.