Category Archives: Uncategorized

At Sea, West Coast NZ Tuesday 17 March 2020 It would have been a perfect night’s sleep at anchor in Jackson Bay, if it hadn’t been for the anchor alarm sounding at around 12:00 midnight, as the change of tide drew Chimere to the chain’s outer limit, albeit in the opposite direction to when weContinue reading “Tuna Slayer Delivers”

Jackson Bay, West Coast NZ Monday 16 March 2020 Up at 4:00, away by 5:00…  In fact, we actually got away at 4:45am.  a Personal Best to be sure.  No anchor of course, so it was  a simple act of letting go our mooring line; that had held us safe and secure these past fourContinue reading “On Our Way – North”

Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound Sunday 15 March 2020 John and I awoke to quiet boat, as the next stage of the NZ2020 got underway. Not that we were going anywhere. At least, not just yet. But with Linda, Matt and James heading back to Australia, yesterday, we now began seriously planning our departure from hereContinue reading “Preparation Day”

Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound Saturday 14 March 2020 After 14 days of action-packed adventure, fun and unique family time together, we knew this day would always come.  The time to say good-bye to Linda, Matt and James, and send them on their way home to Australia. This part of the itinerary had, of course, beenContinue reading “A Day for Good-Byes”

Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound Friday 13 March 2020 It was a particularly lazy start to the day aboard Chimere, with the morning sun highlighting different faces and angles of the mountain-tops forming the backdrop to our new world; at least our world of the past 18 hours or so. The highest priority was to checkContinue reading “Rest Day At Milford”

Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound Thursday 12 March 2020 CAPTAIN COOK, Second Voyage, March 1773 Cook’s Journal, Fiordland: “The country is exceedingly mountainous; not only about Dusky Bay, but through all the southern part of this western coast of Tavai Poenammoo (South Island, New Zealand)  A prospect more rude or craggy is rarely to be metContinue reading “There’s Only One Milford Sound”

Alice Falls Anchorage, George Sound Wednesday 11 March 2020 The sun seems to be getting up later and later these days, with our 7:00am departure from Toe Cove in Nancy’s Sound being in the dark, as we relied mostly on the black trail left on the chartplotter from yesterday’s arrival, to guide us out. ThereContinue reading “Another Day, Another Fiord”

Toe Cove, Nancy Sound  Tuesday 10 March 2020  This was definitely an anchorage inspired by body-parts today. Derived from the fact that Nancy Sound – our anchorage for the night – is shaped like a leg. Nancy’s leg possibly, although the Cruising Guide doesn’t go into detail, other than to say the Sound is namedContinue reading “Nancy’s Foot Arm”

Beach Harbour, Breaksea Sound, Fiordland Monday 9 March 2020  CAPTAIN COOK, Second Voyage, March 1773Cook’s Journal, Dusky Sound: “The almost continual rains may be reckoned another evil attending this bay, though, perhaps, this may only happen at this season of the year; nevertheless, the situation of the country, the vast height, and nearness of theContinue reading “Rain Equals Waterfalls”

Pickersgill Harbour, Dusky Sound, Fiordland  Sunday 8 March 2020  CAPTAIN COOK, Second Voyage, 28th March 1773 Cook’s Journal, Pickersgill Harbour: “In the PM hauled the Sloop into a small creek and moored her head and stern to the trees and so near the Shore as to reach it with the brow or stage which nature hadContinue reading “Dusky Dreaming”