Saturday February 13
As I awoke this morning it was nice to know it was going to be a calm day, well, I hoped. I have decided that it is to be a Stewart Island paddle. It could be the maddest thing I have done!
So paddle to Stewart Island I did, I had the outgoing tide to help me and I zipped along. The crossing was being kind to me and very much like Cook Strait, calm, tranquil and a big current! Fortunately our good planning meant the current helped me, T2 and I were at full power today, motoring along like a freight train, at one point nearly 12km per hour! We were making such good time that at my pre-selected final destination I decided that it was far too early to finish and I should push on further along the coast. A day like today is not to be wasted sunning myself on the beach, so I messaged Nat to say I would try for Masons Bay, or as close as possible.
The rest of the afternoon was spent ticking over the kms, some fast, some not so fast due to the tides changing and a few white caps as the wind picked up. I am stoked with my day, and pleased I pushed on but I was not keen to land on the north end of Masons Bay. It looked rather yuck with quite a few waves so I decided to land on a small little beach back at the point and stay the night. As I arrived the tide had just turned from high so I dragged T2 up and began unpacking. I set up my tent, stood in the rock pools to cool off, cooked dinner and sat in the evening sun getting updates via Inreach for weather etc.
Now I am in my tent, about to go to sleep. The tide is going out so it is safe to say I will not get washed away and until tomorrow, lets see what happens. It will not be such a big day as the wind is picking up, it will be hours of tent time soon. But I have started this trip and now I have to finish it. Fingers crossed.
My smiles today:
A great days paddling.
Being solo.
My Inreach, it makes communication great.
No mozzies in the tent!
My thoughts today:
Have I bitten off too much this time? Everything seems impossible until it is achieved...
Red
All packed up, Red turn on her tracker just before departing Bluff
Bon Voyage! Stewart Island here she comes!