Stuart to Chalky Inlet, Fiordland

The next morning we were off early for the 90 mile run to Chalky Inlet that took us across the infamous Foveaux Straight and around the even more infamous Puysegar Point. Joe told us that the Foveaux has claimed more lives then Cape Horn – all the more reason to pick a gentile day. Doesn’t look like it was too gentile (and it wasn’t), but by Foveaux Straight standards, this was “flat as a pancake” to use Joe’s words.

This was in the vicinity of Puysegar.

Our destination was the southern most fiord, Chalky Inlet. The following is a shot of the chart. Those small red circles are the only safe all weather anchorages in the whole of the fiord.

A bit tough to see, but there are three all told. Our cruising guide for Fiordland (which was recommended by some friendly cruisers back in Picton) was “Beneath the Reflections”. An extremely good guide that identified all the anchorages, what kind of weather they were safe in, and how to anchor in them.

While we found it a bit conservative, much better safe then sorry. From our experience, we would trust it 100%. The locals (few that we saw) confirmed its value.

The following shots were taken after we had rounded Puysegar and closed on Chalky.

From the following, you can see how the inlet got its name.

Some shots as we headed down the fiord.

As we approached our anchorage, we saw this cruising sailboat – the first and last cruising boat we saw from Akaroa until we made Picton again – as a quick guess, some 1200 nautical miles.

We continued onto our anchorage – here are some shots as we approached and anchored.

As remote as we are, seems we never quite escape technology. The Sat dish is for visiting lobster men (so they can watch their all-important rugby games.

Anyway, we tied up just as our guide advertised.

We launched the dink to explore and Deb went prepared for bugs.

Just one problem – they got her anyway – even thru the netting. Joe and I were fine – the bugs were annoying but didn’t seem to trouble us. Deb – well they just attacked – absent protection, all we would have found of Deb was a bleached carcass by morning. Fiordland is infamous for these nasty critters.

We launched Beer Can and headed to where we had seen the other boat and came across this fellow kayaking. He was helping the boat owners out on their passage.

Shortly after, we met the owner and his family.

They were from Tasmania and had recently arrived. Enroute, they had endured a 90 knot blow coming across the Tasman – VERY nasty.

They had been out with some local lobster men who were checking their storage pots that morning. We had hoped to do the same, but the lobster boats were gone. The procedure is to place pots outside the sound and then take the captured lobsters to storage pots in the fiord. When the market is right, they retrieve the lobsters from the storage pots and helicopter them (yes – helicopter if the price is right) them to market when the prices are good.

The Tasmanians asked us to stop by to pick up a lobster – with pleasure!

Made our day!

Based on their recommendation (and the horrible bugs in our anchorage) and the settled weather – we moved Iron Lady out in to the middle of the fiord and joined them.

The lobster joined us for dinner! And another nice sunset – except for him.