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Published: November 18th 2008
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Hakura
Our floating home On Tuesday 11th November 2008, we set sail in Hakura from Wellington Harbour across Cook Strait and through the Tory Channel into Queen Charlotte Sound. Crew consisted of Doug Nichol, Captain, Lorraine Miller and John Hadfield.
The trip across the Strait was great. A fresh to strong breeze, gusting to about 25 knots, sea moderate. We got quite a big swell and every time I looked round the corner to see where we were I copped a face full of water, at at one stage a wave broke over us which went right down my back, but the sailing gear is great and keeps you warm and relatively dry. The wind was coming from the north west so progress was slow and we could not head straight for Tory channel. We ended up under motor, much to the Captain's disappointment, because we were under some time constraints.
Entering the Queen Charlotte Sound through Tory Channel with the tide coming in is amazing. We were being pushed twice as fast by the tide movement as we were by the motor. It is like entering another world really. Just amazing. I have been through the sounds many times on the ferry
Capt Doug
In the Strait at last! and driven round it, but nothing would compare to the shear beauty and magnitude of it this time on this smallish boat. We broke open non alcoholic bubbles and celebrated the crossing and then heated up some soup for a hot meal. We had been snacking all the way across on snack bars etc but needed warm nourishment at that stage.
It took us about 2 hours to get up to Waikawa Bay where John was to meet his rental car and we were met by friends who had prepared dinner for us. We enjoyed it, but were really too knackered to engage and were asleep minutes after we returned to the boat.
Wednesday we motored across to a Kumutoto Bay, moored and spent 24 heavenly hours just relaxing with nothing but the sound of the sea and the birds. Idyliic!!!
We have spent the last week exploring and waiting for an opportunity (weather wise) to head to Nelson. One of the highlights of our movement around the Sound has been the Dolphins. At one stage we had two Hectors Dolphins sailing with us under the bow. These are the rarest Dolphins in the world so such
a sighting was exciting on its own, being able to see them at such close quarters was a real treat.
Our time in Endeavour Inlet was amazing. We moored in Tawa Bay, a V shaped bay with no human habitations. It was very sheltered with steep hills on three sides. The highlight for me was a red jellyfish which hung around the bay and was just fascinating to watch. We actually got some video footage of it - it looks like some exotic flower opening and then undulating in the wind. The weather in the Bay was perfect while just over the hills we knew there were gale force winds - and we could see the cloud banks moving across the country, but we stayed sunny and sheltered.
19 November 2008
We are still in the Queen charlotte Sound because there have been gale warnings for the last week out in Cook Strait and the seas have not been viable for us to move out of here. It is very sheltered here and we spend most of our time in little bays usually in awesome weather. We did have a storm the other night and that was
Doug & Lorraine
Entering Tory Channel fairly exciting. The little row boat we carry with us (the inflatable type) which I have named Ethelred did not fare well in the storm and must have spent a horrible night being tossed around. The wind was so fierce it was lifting it out of the water and then spinning it. The inside parts of it were washed ashore and one oar was broken. Nothing too major as we were able to tie up to a little jetty and retrieve the stuff from the shore and yesterday in Picton the Captain bought stuff to repair the oar.
We have been in a little cove in Toria Bay for the last three nights after bringing a friend who was staying with us for the weekend back to Picton. This bay is on the opposite side of the Sound to Picton but within very easy access. At the end of the bay is access to the Portage, but that part is quite exposed, whereas this little cove is very sheltered and very lovely with the added bonus of allowing us spasmodic internet coverage. The bird life all through the sounds is lovely, you are never far from birdsong, and I
have noticed how tame some are. We have a little Finch (currently in the galley exploring for food) who has decided that the boat is home away from home and spends much of its time checking us out. There is no fear in him, he just wanders into the cabin and moves around as if we are not here. The only thing he has not allowed is his photo to be taken, clever little bird.
Our plan at the moment is to head back to Endeavour Inlet today and then early tomorrow head out into the Strait and move around to Pelorous Sound. The weather seems to be ideal for that tomorrow. It does not look like we are going to get to Nelson this trip because we want to be in Auckland for xmas so will be heading back to Wellington to pick up crew and get ready for the Wellington to Napier leg late next week.
Once in Endeavour we have no cellphone coverage so I will not be able to email or text until we come into range again and I am not sure what Pelorous is like for coverage.
Doug has been reading
the journals of Capt Cook and it has been interesting following his account of the places we are visiting. They must have thought they had entered paradise when they went into Endeavour Inlet. On our way out of this Sound tomorrow we will go into Ships Cove which has a monument to Captain Cook on the shore.
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Lyn
non-member comment
It's so beautify!
I am extremely envious of these piks of the first leg of your great adventure. thanks for sharing - and keep sharing!!