This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
in the Marlborough Sounds
y faith in weather forecasting took another
Meee as I crawled out of my tent on Saturday morning. Despite a brilliant weekend forecast, the skies were concrete grey. However, the water was dead calm and flat — in other words perfect for paddling. While the others went to get their boats, I circled the harbour, and waited.
After a very lengthy briefing they emerged and we finally were on the water. We paddled across to Allports Island, and continued up to Kumutoto Bay for lunch. As Lyndsay’s bucket of herbal tea was ready, the sun emerged and it gradually cleared up. We had a great paddle up to Ratimera Bay, our destination for the night.
We tried some fishing along the way, but were less successful — the only thing to bite (yet again) was a lousy barracuda. It was kept as a trophy on Wayne’s deck. John, after digesting the intricacies of recent developments in tax policy, raced out to try some more fishing, missing dinner and coming back only after dark.
The rest of us enjoyed Halloween dinner (appropriately Thai), chocolate fondue and liquid grapes, interspersed by screams from a bunch of teenage girls also inhabiting the campsite. Later in the evening, they came up to our Vice President, who for some reason they perceived as a teen idol,
Jeanine Langvik to ask for a trick or treat. Wayne quickly realised the value of his dead fish and promptly shoved it into their faces. They were not impressed. Sensitive as always, Wayne suggested to the girls’ brother that the fish be put into their sleeping bags, a suggestion that was taken up with enthusiasm — moments later we heard screams from the girls’ tent.
The boys were later rewarded with the remains of our chocolate fondue. Deprived of a bonfire, Lyndsay compensated by providing entertainment with sparklers and firecrackers on the beach (some of which needed some encouragement to light).
The next day was overcast but calm and we shot across the Sound, playing in the ferry wake, and cruised down the other side. More fishing was tried by John, and he thought he’d caught the big one when his boat suddenly stalled and he started to drift backwards while still paddling. At the end of the line was a double kayak... Sarah and Charlie were clearly after those chocolate bikkies!
The wind increased later in the afternoon and we tried some sailing with one of those large club flies. (Don’t panic Ray, it was rinsed in freshwater afterwards...). Lots of work but well worth it when we shot forward in a burst of wind.
Paddlers: Wayne, Jeanine, Lyndsay, Charlie, Sarah, John, Larry, Andrew, Sharon, Glynne.
ao wet
samme oe ee IB Scr