The Devil Wears Foul Weather Gear

A weather window which we took advantage of.  Snow on the hilltops, big easterly swell and an un forecasted easterly 12knot wind out in the open ocean.  Spied a seal crossing behind our stern and lots of pods of dolphins. 9.15am put up the staysail, 10am opposite Dagg Sound.  Beautiful coastline.  A gnarly rocky entrance to Doubtful Sounds had us all on our toes.  First day without rain in forever.  A long motor up the Sounds to Deep Cove.  We saw more and more snow from an icing sugar dusting to deep snow on the higher peaks.  An awesome crew! Absolutely awe inspiring! It just gets better and better! Moored alongside the Deep Cove Jetty at 14.15 and five minutes later Zoe arrived by bus, after a lengthy journey from Auckland. Passengers loaded onto the Fiord Navigator ship for an overnight sail in the Sounds.  Simon and Clare left on the bus, picking up Zoe’s rental car in Manapouri and then flying back to Nelson from Invercargill.  Moved to a dock further out in the bay. It's

Weather forecast blowing NW, wind outside blowing 45knots westerly and an easterly blowing in our anchorage. Made the decision to motor through Cooks Passage, past 2 Sisters, into Bowen Passage and then into Breaksea Sound.  More rain, grey, cold.  Snow on the peaks.  Passed Stick Cove - no good memories of that place! Tied up in perfect conditions to a huge mooring buoy. Clare and I were dropped off at the shoreline to explore.  Stunning!  Clambered along the rocks until we reached the beach.  Loads of hideous long jellyfish washed up on the tide.  Found remnants of other people.  A small wooden hut covered in 3inch thick lichen, huge rimu and rata trees.  Stunning colours of green. Washed up on the beach - really unusual type of jellyfish we think. Floating all around these waters. Thank goodness we were still wearing our life jackets - needed on our bush walk! Arrived back to Mimu decorated for Simon’s birthday.  Had a fun night. It's party time!

Motored through Archeron Passage, Bowen Passage and into Cook Passage.  Archeron blowing 30+ winds, Cook Channel 25+ winds, into Cascade Cove - no wind at all. Bitter wind on the nose, snow on the peaks behind us.  Safely tied up to a visitor’s mooring buoy now in Cascade Cove, well protected from the NW forecasted. Simon immediately set to fishing from the transom, dropped the hook and brought up blue cod one by one by one. Fish skilfully filleted for the freezer. A crew debrief, nana nap for some, a drink or three, dinner flat iron steaks, spinach and mushroom risotto with left over coleslaw. A great night’s sleep safely settled on the mooring buoy.  Wind swung round about 4am, SE to E, funnelling straight in from the channel.  Rain showers, cold, squally conditions.  Making the call after breakfast as to whether we stay here another night or head out to Breaksea where we can tie up in safety to a moored barge or mooring buoy.  Cascade Cove anchor watch Tuesday the plan is to head ou

So our all weather anchorage was not quite as it seemed!! Woke midnight to hear the anchor chain rattling and groaning and the wind screaming into our sheltered anchorage..  Checked with Skipper on deck, all seemed to be ok.  Skipper up 3am, to check the rising wind gusts. 4am a jolt, keel on bottom, intense wind gusts. All crew up, foul weather gear, and life jackets on.  Howling gusts of winds turning Mimu on her ear, intense rain in our faces.  Started engine, 40kg Delta anchor dragging.  Engine in drive to keep us off the land. Made the call to lift dragging anchor to surface for 2 crew in dinghy to motor out and relay.  Crew couldn’t get anchor out far enough with heavy chain holding them back. Retrieved the anchor and decision made to escape from the anchorage and into the larger Wet Jacket Arm channel.  Retrieved anchor, bow thrusters working keeping our nose straight into the narrow Stick Cove. Engine in gear to keep us off the rocks on our stern. Spotlight on bow, thundersto

  Saturday Fishing in the morning.  Clare and I zapping around in the tender taking photos of Mimu exiting Sportsman Cove.  Skipper with Droney McDroneface   Motored up Acheron Passage and moored behind the most gorgeous little island, Stick Cove, a really picturesque setting at the entrance to Wet Jacket Arm.  Amazing gold coloured granite backdrop on the island.  Laid an anchor and reversed into the island laying two stern lines.  Picture perfect setting with birdlife.  Clare kitted out in 5mm wetsuit snorkelling.  Dinner and movie night. Guide book describes Stick Cove as an "all weather anchorage" .... yea right!!

  Friday, anchor up at 9am, flat calm, rain, cold and with limited visibility we set off to explore Cook Channel, poked our nose into Fanny Bay, photographed numerous water falls cascading from vertical cliff faces.  After being surrounded by bird life, we noted there were no sea birds to speak of inside the Sounds.   Dusky Sounds extends 44km inland and Doubtful Sounds, second longest of 40kms.  Saw the little blue penguins, mollyhawks, terns.  Majestic country, deep water, over 100m deep. Heavy mist down low, squalls of torrential rain, sighted a couple of tourist boats in the distance.  Podocarp forest growing right to the water with visible slips. Towering rimus, beech, totara, punga. Cascade Waterfall 2.30pm could see a very slight tinge of watery blue in the skies.  Entered Bowen Channel and then motored carefully into Sportsmans Cove.  Sportsman Cove A narrow inlet of water, deep sided channel, brackish water, heavily flowing waterfalls.  Beautiful frothy patterns in the water