Our second day in the Marlborough Sounds dawned beautifully clear and sunny. Although there wasn’t quite as much wind as some of the keener sailors would have liked, the new recruits were quite happy to enjoy the sunshine as we slowly made our way back out into the main channel of Queen Charlotte Sound.
We decided to start making our way north heading towards the outer Sounds. Our first challenge was navigating the busy stretch of water between Picton and Tory Channel where the passenger ferries turn to head out into the Cook Straight and across to Wellington.
A short while after we passed the Tory Channel, we found ourselves alongside a beautiful bay. After consulting the navigation charts and mooring guides we realised that not only did the area offer some potentially good fishing spots, but we may also be able to get a mooring here for the night.
With a mooring secured, the boys headed out in our very precarious looking dingy to a spot that they had identified as being the perfect fishing hole. Whilst they braved the waves in the little inflatable boat, my mum and I relaxed in the warm sunshine enjoying the beautiful bay.
We were pleasantly surprised when some time later Eric and my dad returned with some blue cod that they had caught, together with some tales of all the other fish that had got away!
The blue cod cooked up nicely on the barbecue and we all enjoyed some blue cod with our dinner whilst watching the sun set over the Marlborough Sounds.