Picton to Nelson (side trip to Australia)

Hello To You All

We left Picton in the top of the Marlborough Sounds on Thursday 17th July (Help that was nearly a month go!] on a mild overcast winter morning with no wind, so motored out of Queen Charlotte Sound and back into Cook Straight where we were back into winds of 20 -25k with moderate seas!!! Also it started to rain. Oh well it is winter. By 3.00pm we were back into the sunshine and motor sailing into Pelorus Sound. This really is a pretty part of the country. We found a lovely sheltered bay where we tied up to a mooring buoy for the night. Alec and I put the tender into the water and motored off to find a spot to drop his Cray pot. Once back on Shamal we then watched the seals on the other side of the bay swimming around the cages of a salmon farm looking wishfully in for an easy meal.

Wellingron to Picton

Hello One And All

Well we have made it to the South Island. We are now tied up to the marina in Picton. A little sail boat among the huge gin palaces and supper yachts! Boy there is some big money floating around here.

Napier to Welligton - ONE HELL OF A RIDE

Dear Friends

Our three weeks in Napier seemed to go quite quickly. I spent a lot of time with Dad and he came down to the boat a few times and had one short trip out. We were hoping to take him out for a nice sail but the weather turned very cold with snow on the hills behind Napier.