This year while my parents were in New Zealand visiting, we rented a sailboat and planned to spend a few days exploring the Marlborough Sounds. After a very brief introduction to the boat and the area we cast off from the Waikawa Marina near Picton and headed out into the main channel of Queen Charlotte Sound.
We were kept busy trying to get a feel for the boat whilst dodging the huge Interislander ferries, sailing regattas and other boats out enjoying the beautiful summer weekend weather. As we looked up across the channel we were surprised to see a pod of dolphins playing in the wake from one of the larger boats.
We had a great weather for sailing and were able to get the sails up as we made our way towards Lochmara Bay where we were planning on mooring for the night.
We picked up a mooring just outside the Lochmara Resort and took advantage of their dinghy service to go ashore for a quick drink before returning to the boat for dinner.
We enjoyed a peaceful evening in the sheltered bay, taking some time to get a little more settled on the boat and planning out our route for the next few days.