[password]8Tarnhows
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We spent our first night as legally entered aliens in the Waikawa marina, toward the southern end of Queen Charlotte Sound. The skipper had his first night off from cooking duties as we made a bee line to the local tavern, the ?Jolly Roger?. A memorable and adequately lubricated night ensued followed by our first gloriously uninterrupted nights sleep since departing Tasmanian shores. The following morning after rising at a respectable hour, we ambled a little further up the Sound to Picton.
Picton offered a supermarket for revictualing, cafes with wifi for eating, coffee drinking and a frenzy phone messaging, email checking and the like. Picton also saw the piping off of Bill ( the Commander and scribe). Bill boarded a small plane to Wellington, being the first leg of his travel back to Australia. We three remaining cast off the warps after lunch to proceed north and east out of the Sound to an anchorage within the Tory Channel. This channel provides an alternative route back into Cook Strait, exiting from a point much closer to Wellington. Our night was spent in a glorious little inlet close to the channel?s northern opening into Cook Strait. We slipped the mooring at about 0415 to re enter the Tory channel and out into the Strait on a course to the south eastern corner of New Zealand?s north island. The wind, being fresh SSE had us rollicking along through seas that were being thrust into steep peaks by the tidal flow. We made good, albeit wet progress out of Cook Strait in the conditions but reflected on how treacherous this waterway must be with southerly gales and tidal flows working in opposition. The following days ( Tuesday 16th) sail north was steady progress against the spectacular western backdrop of thrusting peaks and verdant plunging valleys. Steady progress continued through the night with the breaking out of our big green and gold gennaker at daybreak and as I write this update we are closing with Cape Kidnapper at seven knots - bellies full of breakfast, mild sea and sky, life aboard Ambler is grand! We are making for Napier where will stop for at least a night. Fred will leave the team here to fly south to visit old mates hiding in the SW fjord lands. Jim, Fred and Graham (scribe)

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