Ready to Head Further South
It was a blustery morning here in Hakana Bay inthe upper reaches of Port Underwood (on the South Island side of the Cook Strait). Each gust pushed us back against the anchor chain, the bow falling off to the side with the boat heeling from the wind. Then, as the gust passed, she would spring forward from the weight of the chain, standing upright again. A good morning to be securely anchored, protected from the sea, if not entirely from the wind. But the gusts faded away about low tide, so we launched the dinghy and went foraging for kai moana (Maori for seafood, but pretty much part of New Zealand English now). Extensive mussel beds along the rocky shore yielded our daily limit in just a few minutes. The mudflats nearby provided a bucketful of pipis and cockles. The only thing better than a snug anchorage is one that provides dinner.
We left the Marlborough Sounds yesterday after just over two weeks between Pelorus Sound and Queen Charlotte Sound, the two making up “The Sounds”. They are a little different in character, Pelorus being less traveled, and I think a little prettier. We saw much more recreational traffic in Queen Charlotte, and both more extensive logging and more development in general. We enjoyed the Sounds, but they are a challenging cruising ground for a yacht; gusty, variable winds mean you have too much sail up one minute, and too little the next. Deep anchorages lead one to prefer a mooring, but they are not everywhere and the one you want may be taken already. Visually, the Sounds look a lot like British Columbia. We did have some good sailing, though, often using just the jib and mizzen, a good combination in gusty conditions — underpowered in the lulls, though enough to keep the boat moving, but not overpowered even in very strong gusts.
Before we left Pelorus Sound, we spent a pleasant few days in Havelock Marina. Did the washing (laundry), etc. Steven and Maggie drove over from Nelson for a hike, and then lunch at the “Mussel Pot”— best mussels I’ve ever had. Havelock is pretty small, though, so when we looked for a nice restaurant to celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary, we wound up with steaks from the little grocery instead, to grill on the boat.
A few days after leaving Havelock, we motored around Cape Jackson into Queen Charlotte Sound on flat, glassy water. Sailing might not be so great here, but the fishing isn’t bad. The day before, Robyn pulled in a snapper, a kahawai, a barracuda, and a blue cod. After entering Queen Charlotte, we stopped to drift and bottom fish a bit, and Robyn quickly landed three gurnards. Gurnards are strange looking fish, with enormous pectoral fins like butterfly wings, and what appear to be three pair of legs! Strange looking, but super tasty.
We knew that our German yachtie friends, Dietmar and Marie, were somewhere in Queen Charlotte Sound. We also knew that the motor vessel “Starlet” was in the area. Her owners, Mark and Jennifer, who we know from Whangarei, were on their way back north after visiting Stewart Island (i.e. our destination). They are also international visitors “stuck” here in the pandemic. Shortly after our gurnard lunch, we re-entered cellular coverage and got a text from Marie that they were on a mooring quite near where Starlet was anchored, and did we want to join them all for dinner. Clearly yes, so a few hours later, we rafted up to Greyhound again, after which we all enjoyed a wonderful evening and delicious dinner on Starlet.
Dietmar and Marie had raved about their visit to Lochmara Lodge not far away, so still looking for that anniversary dinner, we decided to give it a try. After a few hours of mixed motoring and the typically gusty sailing, we happily picked up one of their moorings. Cleaned up and hungry, we signaled for our waiter to ferry us ashore — classy place, this! We were not disappointed. We do not dine in such posh places often, but once in a great while, it’s really nice.
Then it was in to the marina in Waikawa for groceries, water, etc. — the usual — before leaving the Sounds enroute to Lyttelton Harbour and Christchurch. I must confess to a little trepidation about exiting Tory Channel into Cook Strait. The currents here are vicious, with not much slack between ebb and flood, and Cook Strait has quite a reputation. Weather forecasting here is quite good, but topographic effects are significant, making it hard to know exactly what to expect at a specific place. Once heading out, there would be no turning back against the current. Well, silly me, we motored through on flat water into the equally flat Cook Strait.
Didn’t stay that way long, though. Forecast rising wind motivated us to hustle along the fifteen miles or so to Port Underwood. Powerful gusts soon came off the dramatic shore as we motored along. Every time a lull made me think about raising sail, another gust laid us over. Close to shore, though, the seas were merely a little choppy. Happily for us, Hakana Bay turned out to be an excellent place to wait for good weather to continue out of Cook Strait and down the east coast. The forecast looks promising for us to depart here early Sunday morning, expecting to arrive in Lyttelton Monday afternoon. We’ll see. Stay tuned.
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