The Silver Fern crew woke up in Endeavour Inlet this morning, with a couple rubbing their achy heads and looking for the first pot of coffee. After a day of hiking 17km from Ship Cove to the Furneaux Lodge at the head of Endeavour Inlet with the Salt Lines crew, then spending the late afternoon at the bar, that rolled on into dinner ashore at the Furneaux Lodge as well, these spritely athletes (we call crew) were rearing to head out of Queen Charlotte Sound and head somewhere (anywhere) west in the hope that it takes even a little closer to Fiordland 450nm away.

We have some serious weather set to pound Cook Strait and the Marlborough Sounds on 26-28 March and with gusts of 40-60 knots in exposed places, so planning where we are going to park for three days, has dominated the conversation for the past 5 days. As we get closer, this big low pressure system, set to hit the south island and lower north island is going to serve up a bit of a pasting, if you end up out in it somewhere. It’s going to be cold, windy and dangerous and its impeded our ability to head south down either coast.

After ruling out D’Urville Island in the NW condtions, we looked at hiding in Pelorus Sound. The lack of activities to undertake and likelihood of high winds ruled that out. Ray, one of our experienced boaties on board, was confident that we’ll find shelter from the wind and swell, in the Abel Tasman area, so a quick chat with Sharon and Jess from Salt Lines and Matt from Silver Fern and we agreed that was the best plan.

FIrst job for the Silver Fern crew this morning, was to lift the RIB and outboard motor back onto the foredeck, using our spare genoa halyard and an electric winch. The RIB doubles as a storage locker for our docklines and fenders, so its very handy. Salt Lines (better known as Bolt Lines), got the jump on us (again) and bolted out of the anchorage with a 15 minute head start.

*Emma fully focussed (on the camera) as she navigates the exit from Endeavour Inlet*

Not intimidated, the SIlver Fern crew took the throaty 160hp Yanmar Diesel up to 2,600 rpm and we managed to mow them down and take the inside line around the iconic Cape Jackson. Te Taonui-a-Kupe is the Māori name for the point, literally meaning 'the large spear of Kupe', the legendary Polynesian explorer. Kupe was the first person to discover New Zealand, according to Maori oral history.

Now given the Russian cruise ship; the Mikhail Lermontov attempted the same feat, hit the bricks and sank in 1986, this piece of real estate commands respect. The water through here can really cut up, as its an intersection of 2 oceans (Tasman Sea and South Pacific Ocean) with the Queen Charlotte Sound outflow. Just to add to the challenge, some really smart people like to litter the path with crayfish pot floats, so that you can wrap them round your prop, disable your engine and in this morning’s 3 knots of breeze, drift out of control into the nearby rocks.

Chris was at the helm and I did the best to scare him with my ‘Mikhail Lermontov disaster story’, so at least he would concentrate as we “shot the gap”. Sharon has nick named me “rocky” given my confidence in navigating (proven but) tricky channels at times. Sharon called me up on Whats App and asked “are you going around the end of the reef or through the gap?”. “Through the gap of course” I replied. “Great we’ll follow you through then”: responded Sharon, and off we went, happily shooting the gap and marvelling at the water turbulence, that had appeared off the end of the cape.

In the silky conditions and building 6 knots of breeze, we set a course for the top of D’urville Island, 25nm away. As we hit the top of D’urville, the water went from silky to turbulent again and we found ourselves in 3.7 knots of current from behind, and went roaring around the corner at 10.7 knots over ground. The contrast between the rugged landscape, lashed by millions of years of storm driven erosion, the fresh blue autumn sky, the warmth of the sun breaking the chill on our skin and the brilliant ocean blue, could not have been more dazzling.

*Shooting another gap at the top end of D’Urville Island*

The much promised, settled autumn weather was briefly here, just for a few days, but after the Bluff and Stewart Island conditions we endured 3-4 weeks ago, whats not to love about the opposite end of the South Island! The next course change was to 249 degrees true as we set a waypoint for Anchorage, 40nm SW of our position on the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park.

The evening was broken by Johnny, Ray, Mike and Tim, who conjured up a splendid meal of slow cooked roast lamb leg and roast veges. The red cabbage purchased in Bluff a month ago and stored in the fridge, was somehow still in peak condition and was sautéed and served and tasted surprisingly good.

It’s now 10pm and we have 4nm to go to our anchorage, where we will tuck in for the night, before starting a new adventure chapter tomorrow. With just 376nm from here to Mitre Peak in Milford Sound, we are another step closer to tackling the west coast, when Mother Nature opens a weather window and decides to give us a shot.

David

Join the crew for a sailing adventure

Go west young man!

Anchored Down In Anchorage

Getting airborne again