Heading for Bluff

Date: 25/03/15 Position: Powell's Beach, Kisbee Bay, Preservation Inlet

Monday morning saw us heading into the morning sun, motoring up to the head of Long Sound and dropping anchor in Cascade Basin. On the way, we took Ambler slowly into a little unnamed cove on the western shoreline, diagonally opposite Only Island. The cove was formed by a peninsula and a small islet. We wanted to check out the cove's possibility as an anchorage. We discovered that it would make a brilliant anchorage as it was almost totally land locked, with good holding in eight metres of water and shorelines could be taken to any point around the bay. If we had naming rights we would call it 'Ambler Cove'. After this reconnaissance we continued motoring into a light head wind. The Cameron Mountain Range on the eastern side of the sound was stunningly beautiful with its rugged skyline silhouetted in the morning light. This mountain range is around 1300 metres in elevation. Once our anchor was set we rowed Gosling (dinghy) to the nearby spit at the entrance to Cascade Basin. Here we walked up a creek to the bottom of a short series of waterfalls coming out of a canyon. The rocks in the creek bed were amazing in their different shapes, colours and textures and very slippery due to the lack of daylight that penetrates this area. After this interesting exploration we rowed Gosling to the head waters of our basin, entering a sheer walled canyon to find a huge waterfall plummeting with such force that clouds of mist and spray filled the air. This incredible amount of water flows from Lake Widgeon further up the valley. Maneuvering the dinghy with our oars was challenging with so much current around us, but it was a quick trip back to Ambler downstream.

Tuesday was overcast and blustery and we stayed on board at our anchorage in Cascade Basin and waited for the high tide before proceeding downstream so that we could make use of the ebbing flow which was important particularly at Narrow Bend. In the early afternoon we began sailing down Long Sound with the headsail out. We then experienced quite varied conditions which saw us motoring into a southerly headwind and this made us consider the option of going into Last Cove again and anchoring. But then a moderate tail wind from the north encouraged us to unfurl the headsail, which we soon had to furl again as the wind reverted back to the south. Then within a space of about fifteen minutes the wind was blowing hard from the north west and we were doing 7 knots with just the staysail set. We had a fast run to Narrow Bend where we then lost the wind as we turned ninety degrees. So it was back on with the engine in the calm conditions with the rain falling and a magnificent rainbow over our shoulder. We continued on to Kisbee Bay which is in the south eastern corner of the outer entrance of Preservation Inlet. Here we dropped anchor off Powell's Beach to swing in eight metres of water.

Wednesday marked the end of our second month in Fiordland. Low cloud covered the mountain tops and mist hung in the valleys as intermittent drizzle fell around us. We considered our options for the day and chose to have a lazy day on board with a short trip to Powell's Beach to stretch our legs and check out the interesting mixture of rocks that make up the shoreline. After listening to the 13.30 weather forecast we have decided to leave tonight after dinner and sail overnight around to Bluff. We should arrive at Bluff on Thursday afternoon to enter Bluff Harbour with a flooding tide.

We have had the most wonderful time in Fiordland exploring each fjord, enjoying the close encounters with wildlife, being kept in awe by the stunning scenery and landscapes, developing a great respect for the weather systems that govern this wild environment and meeting very warm and hospitable people.

All is well on board. Kathy and Wayne

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