During the last night the wind eased and we had to support our sailing speed with the engine to be sure to reach Bluff the next day before the outgoing tide. The entrance to Bluff is a narrow channel with quite a current, way to strong for us to go against. The tide changed in the afternoon, and if we were not there by then, we have had to heave to for the night, something we did not wish for.
At daybreak the wind increased and the engine came to rest. We even got an extra knot from the tide between South Island and Stewart Island. Heading towards Bluff with eight knots over ground we had no problem to reach the harbour in time. The VHF came in use, both to get allowance from the harbourmaster to enter the port and to Fishermans Radio to get a berth and coordination with the customs.
With additional three to four knots through the narrow channel, we entered the harbour. Unfortunately, the harbour itself is exposed to some of this current, so mooring is quite exiting. Especially as the wharf is a piled one with four meters between the piles. Luckily we have one fender board, and at the wharf we could borrow two more. The fishermen were quite busy, so rafting on one of their boats was not an option.
While Annika took care of the customs and quarantine people, Björn arranged with the extra fender boards and long shorelines to take care of the 2 m tide. We got some hints from the locals about the look of the harbour with strong wind and current against the wind, which encouraged us to make the mooring lines extra safe and secured.
A short walk to the Supermarket and the Pub with Wifi Internet where the only things we managed before dinner and then to bed for an undisturbed sleep.
Bluff is not what we normally call a town. It’s more or less a “suburb” to Invercargill 30km inland. The Ferries to Stewart Island leaves from Bluff and the bus to that ferry is the only transport to Invercargill and with some luck you can get a ride. (The bus is meant to only take ferry passengers!)
There is no ATM in Bluff, so to get NZ$ we had to get to Invercargill. At the Pub we met a Swiss couple touring the South Island, and we got a ride to Invercargill in their rental car.
Got our money and visited a huge supermarket, but by then the last bus to Bluff was long gone. It was after office hours, but after less than half an hour we got a ride back to Bluff with a friendly bloke who lived in Bluff and worked in Invercargill. He left us outside the Pub for a beer and some Internet before we walked back to Lindisfarne. The third day was the day for refuelling. It’s almost a pleasure to pay for the diesel in NZ compared to Aus. It’s less than 75% of the price in Aus and even cheaper as we don’t pay GST tax, in spit of what we had to do in Aus. We brought our six jerry cans to the gas station and they where very friendly and drove us back to the wharf with our heavy jerry cans. The laundry was also taken care of at the Hotel/Pub.
Bluff is positioned in “the roaring forties” and the fourth night we became very aware of that. In spite we where in a harbour it felt like we where out on the open sea. When we finally stood up, we had of course been up several times during the night to check the mooring lines and the fender boards, we discovered that the harbour was more of a roller coaster when a westerly gale was met by the westerly current. We had our fender problems at the wharf, but where somewhat protected from the swell by the fishing boat in front of us. The yacht behind us, rafted on another yacht was in the middle of the ripple with the stern towards the wind and current. He had water in the cockpit several times! We have never seen something like that in a harbour. Now we really understood what the locals told us when we arrived.
These conditions continued for six hours before the tide changed and the waves became more “normal”, only affected by the wind that kept blowing 30-40 knots. We spent most of the day taking care of Lindisfarne and regretted that we hadn’t left for Stewart Island before the gale.
Day 6 our friends Gail and Dick in Ice Dancer came from Hobart. They had been out there in this stormy weather, although from behind, and the last hours “hiding” behind Stewart Island waiting for the light and the tide. Tired and not prepared for this pile wharf, we helped them with fender boards and lines, and everything came out well in spite of the rough and windy conditions in the harbour.
We had decided to sail for Stewart despite the wind, yes in fact it was the upcoming wind direction from more northerly, pressing us onto the wharf that made us challenge the weather. Mary, the operator of Fishermans Radio advised us strongly not to go, and in stead offered us a more protected berth on the leeward side of the wharf. Advice from people who know the local conditions is to be carefully considered! Therefore, at slack water we moved Lindisfarne to the other side of the wharf. What a change! The waves where less than half in size, and after two nights jumping up and down we could now get some rest. Of course it helped a lot when the wind eased early morning, and we could sail to Stewart later that day.
We where quite pleased that we had followed Mary’s advice when we encountered the conditions in the Foveaux Strait. Even with not much wind the sea was quite rough and we motor sailed for an hour before the wind increased. The last hour, east of Stewart we sailed with almost no sail in strong williwaws to the safe anchorage in Glory Cove. It’s obviously common in this area that a day can bring both absolute calm and storm conditions! Glory Cove is all weather protected. By that means protected from swell. Catabatic winds reach all coves under gale/storm conditions. Compared with our three stormy days in Bluff harbour this was heaven.
Three guys came in their dinghy just before dinner and we got four abalone!
The next day we walked through the fern jungle and tried to follow what the pilot called a track. We saw some of the few markers under trees that had fallen down many years ago, but we had the track to our own.
Back in the boat we had to have a shower and Annika even jumped into the 15C water before the hot shower.
We had picked some blue mussels on the beach and they made an excellent starter. Before we decided for the main course, our guys from yesterday came with some great Blue Cod and Greenlip mussels.
Sliced abalone fried in oil, served with garlic yoghurt as a second starter and blue cod cooked in white wine served with basmati rise as main course. Throughout the dinner a chilled Chardonnay was served. We can’t complain even if we try… And on top of this, most of our meal was for free and extremely fresh!
After dinner we informed Mary on Fishermans Radio that we where safe and sound in Glory Cove and asked her to give a message to our friends in Ice Dancer that we would leave for Port Pegasus 30 miles to the south along the southeast coast of Stewart Island.
Tuesday morning came with the predicted northerly wind that brought us all the way down to Pegasus. The wind increased during the day and the last two hours we had more than gale force added with some strong williwaws. Lindisfarne made full speed ahead, but the heeling angle was sometime a little too much in the strong williwaws. We actually sailed water into the cockpit, never ever happened before.
When we finally reached the protected water of Port Pegasus and we where heading for our anchorage in Evening Cove, Annika started to prepare dinner. Coming down below she discovered salt water beside the sink. The extreme heeling had made salt water come up the drain and flood into the locker, now even lower than the sink. Not much of water, but salt “everywhere”. After anchoring with three lines ashore we had dinner, before we started with operation cleaning up.
Everything out of the lockers in the whole galley, and then flushing with freshwater, drying up with cloths and a lot of dry warm air. The latter came from our primary Webasto air heater, but long term drying up came from the Refleks oil stove that we kept burning for the next two days. Luckily, the cove was perfect, very pretty and protected from all directions. We did some dinghy excursions in the rain next day, but most of the day we stayed in our warm and drying boat.
Stewart Island is just north of the trade for the lows between 40-50 degrees south and Wednesday gave us very clear evidence of that. Rain the whole day, but thanks to our little protected cove, we didn’t have any effect from the strong winds offshore. The temperature came down quite a bit due to the south wind, but indoors we where fine with our stove burning. With 22C together with warm floors, (the hoses between the Refleks and the accumulator tank runs under the floor) it is not difficult to live with some cold air outdoors.

Thursday came with more rain, but after lunch, it cleared a bit. No sun, but as we needed water and electricity we pulled the anchor. Port Pegasus is a quite big area with many protected anchorages, so while running the watermaker we did some exploring of different coves along the shorelines. Coming out on open water, Port Pegasus is more than two miles across, we experienced a strong southwest wind. We continued for two hours before we where pleased and turned to anchor in Disappointment Cove. A cove with access over the ridge to a beach on the ocean side.
Friday morning and a clear sky! We really had to use this day to climb the Bald Head on the west side of Port Pegasus. The distance across Port Pegasus was too much for a dinghy ride, and we weren’t sure what the weather would be like in the afternoon. Out of our cove with no wind, the wind was already blowing almost gale. We know from yesterday two good alternative anchorages in dinghy distance to the little river we had to travel to get to the track.
The cove we chose made it possible to pull Lindisfarne almost in under the trees, protecting her from all williwaws that already had begun. Following the shoreline closely, the dinghy trip was not a problem, but coming out of the trees out on the barren mountain was an experience. Keeping it short, we did not succeed to get to the top, but we walked all the way up to the bare granite cliff. Coming back against the full gale was quite a challenge and we where happy that we had been very carefully when choosing where to anchor Lindisfarne during our excursion.
The few miles we had to sail downwind back to our protected Disappointment Cove was done in almost no time. It was by now blowing +40 knots, but our cove was almost calm. Although in this strong wind conditions some strong williwaws came now and then into the cove, making life a little difficult indoors. No harbour behaviours, everything shipshape otherwise it ended on the floor.
Saturday February 27, and the wind was even stronger. We where perfectly safe in our cove, even if the williwaws made life a little bit uncomfortable. We took the dinghy ashore and walked over the ridge to the ocean leeward beach. On the beach we could study several types of kelp(seaweed). Quite much longer and bigger compared to the ones we are used to from back in Scandinavian waters.
The short dinghy ride in the cove back to Lindisfarne was time consuming because of williwaws and water sprouts in spite we where in our safe cove. Annika picked some mussels, the biggest blue ones we have ever seen. They came out just perfect, steam cocked and then fried together with onion and garlic, served with rice it became almost Paella. That evening we didn’t fire the oil stove because the wind gusts kept bowing out the fire with smelly air indoors as a result. We will probably have to get an H-shaped chimney later to keep the stove running in these conditions. That night we where almost not able to stay in our bed due to the fast heeling in the strong gusts, but still only uncomfortable. Three o’clock in the mooring the rain that announced the new calmer weather came and we finally got some sleep.
Because of this bad weather we slept longer than usually and had a late breakfast. Turned on the VHF because Ice Dancer was expected coming down to Pegasus from Oban, the little “town” of Stewart.
PAN-PAN-PAN. A Tsunami warning came up a few minutes later on the VHF! We where told to follow the instructions from the harbour authorities. That was not much help as we where out of VHF range for talking. We could only listen to the relayed channel 16 and nothing more. The HF radio gave us some e-mail from Sweden, urging us to be careful with the Tsunami coming from an earthquake in Chile. The expected arrival time to NZ where close. Better be safe than sorry so we left the cove and motored out on open water, but still in Port Pegasus. Actually we had had to run the engine to get water even if there hadn’t been any Tsunami warning. Some hours after the predicted tsunami we hadn’t seen any effect on the water. We did some laundry while making water and Annika took the dinghy up a small river to rinse the laundry. The water suddenly disappeared and it took some time for it to get back. In total 80 cm and it was not a wave, more like a slowly surge. Out in Lindisfarne, Björn couldn’t notice any surge. We continued our trip around the northern part of Port Pegasus and in very narrow sounds we could still notice the slowly shifting surge.
When we where up in the north corner of Port Pegasus, Ice Dancer called us on VHF. We could see them on our chart plotter thanks to their AIS signal a few miles offshore, approaching the northern passage into Port Pegasus and we directed them into that sound. Ice Dancer came through the sound and before they discovered Lindisfarne they got a collision warning from their AIS telling them there was a ship heading towards them! There are various ways to surprise your friends…
Ice Dancer continued south to Disappointment Cove, now a completely calm cove thanks to the wind shift and eased wind strength. We continued our exploring of possible anchorages in the northern part, allowing them to anchor without disturbance.
Back in Disappointment Cove we moored again to the heavy lines the fishermen put across the head of the cove. Then we helped Dick with an extra shoreline to keep Ice Dancer of the shallow water and then Gail and Dick came to Lindisfarne for an anchor drink (or sundowner, but we seldom saw the sun!!)
We had dinner together in Ice Dancer, a Nordhaven 57. Dick had caught some Albacore tuna that now was served as sushi with all ingredients, including Misu soup and Sake. Delicious.
The night was calm but rainy. Very nice to have a bed that doesn’t flip around!
Monday was a lazy day in rain. Many indoor works was made, writing and others. Annika took the dinghy and picked mussels for dinner. Afternoon was spent in Ice Dancer fixing there computer. A couple of hours later Annika and Dick had it running as new again. We also tested Ice Dancers big TV-flat screen connected to a PC. After some adjustments it was showing perfect images even from the computer.
We saved our mussels and had dinner in Ice Dancer once again. Clams, Blue Cod rice and salad where on the menu. As dessert we run one of our slideshows from the Med on the big flat screen.
The wind increased early morning, but nothing compared with our heeling some nights before. The cove seems to be protected from williwaws if the wind out in Pegasus is below 30 knots.
Early morning Dick called us on VHF and offering us to dry our laundry, hanging on our lifelines since two days, very well rinsed… Dick was running the gen set and offered us the dryer. Knowing the weather forecast it was easy to accept that offer!
Tuesday, we had planned to shift anchorage to a cove in northern part of Pegasus. However, the consistent rain made us think twice, and when we got the new grib it told us about more rain to come. Our mussels where left in the water for another day, because once again we joined Gail and Dick over dinner and another slide show, “Gothenburg – Patagonia”. During dinner the washing machine fixed our white laundry!
In the middle of our dinner a fishing boat came in and moored close to Ice Dancer and during our slid show later we heard somebody knocking at the stern. One of the fishermen came with a plate with freshly grilled oysters. What a nice gesture, and what a lovely dish.
Wednesday we finally changed cove. When we reached the entrance of our calm cove it was a full gale out in Pegasus.
Headwind and steep choppy sea made the trip across very slow, but we had to run the watermaker so we where not in a hurry. But we where sorry about the spry of saltwater, but also that was taken care of later by the rain .
We anchored in a nice , very small cove with four lines ashore. Ice Dancer came later after having tried to reach a bay on the offshore part of the island.
Annika made a chicken casserole that we brought to Ice Dancer. Going back to Lindisfarne we had to time the trip between the squalls. In spite of a storm warning the night was quite ok, mainly because we had big trees in the direction to windward.
Thursday morning, the gribfiles showed a possible Fjordland weather window within four days. So in spite of the storm warning we said goodbye to Gail and Dick and sailed to Oban, with an overnight anchorage in Port Adventure, in a very rough sea but only gale force from behind.
Finally we anchored in Golden Bay south of Oban and walked over the ridge to the village.
Oban could not give us everything we wanted to be able to go to Fjordland for minimum three weeks, so the next morning we sailed back to Bluff.
Mary, at Fishermen’s Radio, had arranged a very nice berth far into the harbour. Still somewhat exiting to moor in the strong tide.
Luckily the supermarket was open on Sunday, and the Gas station too. Both helped us with the transport back to the wharf.
Tomorrow – Monday – we hope to leave for Fjordland. The gribfiles show a three days weather window. Just enough for us to have a safe passage.

7 March 2010
Annika & Björn
Lindisfarne

www.sailaround.info
radio@ailaround.info
mail@sailaround.info