With COVID - 19 rampant across the globe and new cases exceeding 350,000 a day worldwide it is easy to overlook our almost complete freedom here in New Zealand. We are able to go about our lives with little or no restrictions which makes us, as Kiwis, some of the luckiest people on the planet.
We are planning to resume our travel across the top half of the South Island in mid February 2021 and will continue our Blog at that time.
In the interim we have other adventures planned as we continue to explore our remarkable country, which I will document.
First up, a delivery voyage on 'Yvonne', a classic 1950's Swanson 38 foot motor launch built in Picton, from Port Motueka in Tasman Bay to Waikawa marina in Queen Charlotte Sound. A distance of about 92 nautical miles. I was asked to accompany my friend Ian Franklin Boatbuilder on this trip and wasted no time in accepting.
A brief description of our voyage is all that is necessary here as the photos tell the story of two days of beautiful weather travelling across Tasman Bay, through the outer Marlborough Sounds and up Queen Charlotte Sound.
30/09/2020
An early start and 39 nautical miles across Tasman Bay to French Pass.
We were escorted by a large pod of Dolphins as we approached Current Basin.
Through French Pass right on slack water. Quite a contrast to the turbulent white water tidal current we had observed from land six months earlier.
Elmslie Bay where we had camped in our motorhome in March viewed from seaward bought back great memories of sunshine and fishing.
Behind Forsyth Island and through Allen Strait to the 'Punt Rails' with it's classic Kiwi batch, inside Alligator Head in Guards Bay and our mooring for the night.
01/10/2020
A fantastic breakfast of Bacon and Eggs before heading for Cape Jackson which we rounded about 10:00 am in calm conditions. Despite the benign weather there were strong tide rips and turbulence at the cape.
The rest of the day involved a very pleasant motor up beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound and a stop off at Ian's friends home in Kumutoto Bay, before tying up in Waikawa Bay marina about 3:00 pm.
Great trip, great scenery, great company.
