Day 1

After our Cook Strait Crossing the previous week and following a week back home in Wellington, I returned to the Sounds on the morning Interislander to rejoin Halo. Phil and Francis had sailed Grenadier across Cook Strait a few days earlier and they collected me at the Picton visitors jetty. Over a welcome cup of tea we discussed cruising options for the next couple of days. We then motored round The Snout to the Waikawa Marina where they dropped me off and I walked (via Burnsco) to rejoin Halo at Pier 1E.

After preparing the boat I slipped the lines at 1500 hrs motoring first to the fuel jetty to top up the diesel tank (using my new NPD card) and then sailed off to find Grenadier who by now was moored on the club mooring at Kumutoto Bay.

It was a short passage with some light northerly breeze in Queen Charlotte Sound. I arrived at 1615 hrs and rafted up with Phil and Francis. The club mooring is located in the NW corner of Kumutoto Bay, well sheltered from the northerlies and protected from the ferry wake.

After carefully securing the two boats together with bow, stern and spring lines we settled back with a cup of tea with cheese and crackers to enjoy this beautiful piece of paradise.

Day 2

Had a good night’s sleep and woke to a beautiful morning. After breakfast we rowed Phil’s nice new dinghy to the beach and took the bush walk around the coast to the next little bay where the DOC campsite is located. The DOC sign said it was a 30 minute walk however a large slip had taken out the track in one place so we had to bush-bash a bit to get around. The rest of the track was great.

After returning to the boats we had a quick lunch and then decided to sail north to Bay of Many Coves. We cast off from the mooring and motored out of the bay.

I used ‘Ernesto’ to steer Halo while hoisting the no. 3 Jib and full main. I sailed up Queen Charlotte Sound in company with Grenadier past Perano Shoal and Luke Rock, accompanied by some dolphins at times, to eventually enter Bay of Many Coves.

The intention was to locate the club mooring at Cockle Cove for an overnight stay however when we arrived we found a big flash launch tied up on the mooring. I hailed the skipper and he confirmed they would be using the mooring for the night. In accordance with club rules he said we could join them but we decided to leave them to it.

We considered going to the BOMC Resort moorings but decided against it as the forecast was for wind to increase in the night and we wanted somewhere with more shelter from the northerlies.

Plan B was to sail back south to Ruakaka Bay where there are two club moorings. As I’d already stowed the mainsail I enjoyed a leisurely downwind sail with just the jib flying.

At the entrance to Ruakaka Bay we could see the two club moorings in the distance, but each of them had boats already moored up. After a brief discussion with Phil we decided to return to Kumutoto Bay. We sailed past Blackwood Bay and arrived at 1700 hrs and rafted up on the mooring as the sun was setting behind the hills

That evening after dinner we watched the movie ‘Longitude’ on Grenadier’s nice television screen. A maritime-themed story of the carpenter John Harrison who in the 1700’s developed the first chronometer which enabled navigators to accurately measure their longitude position while at sea.

Day 3

We decided on a rest and relaxation day today and enjoy the tranquility of this beautiful cove.

Phil and I rowed ashore and went for another walk round to the DOC camping ground. We explored what we thought may have been a track round to the next beach but this turned out to be a steep climb up the hill which ended at some sort of meeting area around a beautiful big Rimu tree entangled with Rata vines.

After returning to the boats I decided to jump off the stern of Halo for a quick swim. A bit cold (!) but nice to freshen up and then rinse off the salt while standing in the cockpit under the solar shower hoisted on the boom.

Day 4

Time to sail back to Waikawa in time for the regatta social events due to start in the afternoon. Halo sailed in company with Grenadier and I motored up to our berth at the Waikawa Marina where we found Wellington boat Tamerlane tied up right next to us.