I've
just got back from three days cruising on the
M.Y.
Faith in the Marlborough Sounds
in the South Island of New Zealand. It was just great.
I
joined the ship in Wellington (capital city of New Zealand and at the
southern tip of the North Island) on Thursday morning 5th August 02,
sailed across the straight to Picton in Queen Charlotte Sound arriving
some time before dawn the next day after a fairly rough crossing but about
what you'd expect I suppose for this time of the year. If you're
checking the map we came through the Tory Channel at dead of night using
only the instruments, (radar, Satellite Navigation, and depth sounder)
which was really interesting as I've never experienced that.
We
sailed off later the next day after picking up two more crew to cruise at
leisure through other parts of the sounds until setting off for New
Plymouth late on Saturday afternoon. We struck 45 knot winds later
in the evening and by 10 pm I was so seasick I thought I would cheerfully
jump over the side and call it
quits! With the exception of the
skipper, who seemed quite impervious to it all, the rest of the crew, I
think without exception, spent some time leaning precariously over the
side. I say "precariously" because by this time Faith was
going like the clappers reeling off about 10 knots under power, jib and
staysail and leaning over like a racing yacht! Since it was quite
dark by this time, and the seas were running quite high, the lee rail was
just about under water so trying to empty our insides of the large
quantities of mussels and scallops we had binged on earlier, was just a
mite chancy! However, since Faith is a very beautiful, classic motor
yacht built in England in 1935 and full of polished teak, nice carpets and
so on, no one had any intention of being the one to spoil her good
looks!
Unfortunately,
for myself, being the least experienced sailor aboard, I just couldn't
seem to shake the vertigo and nausea in spite of large doses of Marzine,
and by 7 am next morning after a totally miserable night, I felt I ought
to take the option of calling it quits at New Plymouth and live to sail
again (maybe) another day! The skipper very kindly dropped me off
and I sadly left Faith to sail on to the Three Kings and then Auckland
without me. 
The
three days I had were just the best, and I really appreciated the
opportunity, and who knows, maybe some other time I will be able to
complete the voyage when the sea may be a shade more merciful towards
me. Here's hoping!
