40 Breeze Magazine kelp forest into grottos full of anemones and sponges with fish and paua all around. The local population of about 400 people are very friendly and you quickly get into island time. “What’s the rush? I suggest you go here, look at that, shelter there and walk to that point, etc.” They are very willing, especially over a beer at the South Sea Hotel, where the food is superb. My impression after cruising here with family and friends for nearly a month is that if you are a sailor, or have a capable motor boat, you owe it to yourself to see and experience this amazing area. I did not allow enough time; it could have been two months, but we were lucky to be here after a wild Covid lockdown year. I would advise to prepare your boat well, including plenty of fuel, a heater and cockpit screens and to listen to the weather daily to see what is blowing up from the Tasman. The best local radio for weather and safety is Merri Leask of Bluff Fisherman’s Radio. We listened to her twice a day – fabulous service. I also worked with Bob McDavitt for passages, but also got updates from Viki Moore for the rally participants. In addition, we were dialled into PredictWind via the Iridium system. Most charts are good and the Mana Cruising guides for Stewart Island and Fiordland are excellent. This and some other publications form part of Island Cruising’s rally pack. The locals and fellow sailors that you will meet will add to this. It’s always great sharing information with locals and fellow boaties. The electronic charts on the Furuno system are very accurate and complemented our paper charts. There are some uncharted rocks, like most places, and we found one, a big lurch at five knots. I would plan on warmer clothes as you would imagine at 47° latitude; we found a diminished desire to dive over the side at 7 am with the water temperature at 16°C, although beach swimming was fine. I was very pleased with the direction that we followed with the rally. Following the east coast of the South Island and into Rakiura gets you ready for the next step to Fiordland, rigging bug screens, provisioning, getting weather updates, and preparing yourselves and the boat for the next leg into exciting but very remote Fjords. I will write again from Fiordland – on with the adventure!
Margaret Wilson and her grandson Paul check the anchor at Kaipipi Bay, Patterson Inlet.
A guiding presence from the shore Island Cruising has been organising yacht rallies to the Pacific since the 1980’s. When Viki Moore took over in June last year, she was keen to do something a little different, especially when COVID made cruising to the Pacific almost impossible. The South Island Rally attracted 22 entries from all over the country. Some choosing to just do The Marlborough Sounds and the rest venturing further south to Banks Peninsula, Stewart Island and Fiordland. The Rally is designed to be flexible, and people can choose their own timeframe. For example Tony and the Taranui 3 crew decided to head south earlier than the rest of the group so they could spend more time cruising the southern end of the Island. At present the rally boats are spread from Marlborough to Stewart Island. Everyone on the rally can keep in touch, ask questions and share ideas on the rally WhatsApp group chat, while Viki stands by ashore to give advice, or assistance should anyone need it. And they have! There have been a number of breakages of gear, lots of trips to various chandleries, two helicopter evacuations – a broken ankle and a heart attack (both are on the mend) – two tows in to port, loss of power and a seized rudder bearing to name a few. Viki lends a hand, giving recommendations of local contractors, sourcing crew, sending parts around the country and making connections and providing support. Viki has produced a comprehensive rally guide, giving tips on safety, weather, navigation, local contacts, fishing regulations, clean hull/biosecurity rules, and details of all her favourite anchorages, local history and interesting places to visit around the coastline. In addition rally sponsors have provided some excellent value added benefits including fishing tackle, shampoo, wine cooler bags, oil, boat hooks, discounted haulout, discounts on Marine Medic & Sea Survival courses and much more. The others travelling in the main group get the added benefit of having a professional weather router help pick the best dates to depart on the more challenging coastal passages. Island Cruising is planning on running the South Island Rally again in 2022. Departing from Opua between Christmas and New Year, and returning in March.
