This week: We had a ripper of a thunderstorm on Saturday night which meant an early morning departure from the wharf to the mooring. The waves that rolled through this area were significant, and some of the strongest winds we’ve ever encountered at rest. The dingy ride back to shore was quite demanding, and wet, but exciting!!
We used our non cruising days to rejuvenate part of the galley worktop. It’s amazing how much the sun and UV rays yellow the varnish over time, but is wonderful to bring the original colour back to life. Heat gun to remove varnish, and careful sanding to smooth all surfaces. Brass hinges came up beautifully on the polishing wheel, and the newly rechromed lifting eyes were refit after the original screws were dug out, timber replaced, and rebated slightly lower to sit flush, with the router and chisel. This is about 8 hours of work, with another 6 coats of varnish to bring the finish to a standard we’d like.
We had a sky visit after the storm passed from our friends at Air Milford which is always exciting, and farewelled our crew Meg who has worked 3 seasons with us. She’s off to Rotorua to start her teaching career, but we can’t wait to have her back from time to time. Did you take a cruise with Meg this season? She’s one of the most thoughtful people on the planet, and left us with some lovely farewell gifts (incase the cookies and wine photos didn’t make sense!!) Thank you for everything again Meg – we wish you all the very best!!
We had a lot of cooler southerly winds this week, which meant a lot of sailing to the Hidden Lakes, rather than on the way home. This is very relaxing way to sail towards the mountains of the Fiordland National Park, especially with a hot drink in hand. Thanks to our crew Sophie, for keeping everyone comfortable and handling Faith so well while the skipper shares the history of the boat with our passengers in person.
The guided walks have always been a real treat mid cruise, and the greens shades that have come to life after the storm have been spectacular. We’ve been enjoying the white flowers of the native Manuka, and watching closely for the Southern Rata flowers. We found just one flowering tree this season, which really does highlight what a precious experience they are when they bloom all through the park.
We’ve always loved helping our guests take photos of their time onboard with us. Did you know that Megan is a professional photographer, with over 20 years experience, specialising in wedding and family portrait photography? We’re incredibly to lucky to have her skills behind the scenes creating our merchandise line, writing Faith’s history, skippering Faith, and sharing her passion and knowledge of the National Park during the guided walk.
Lastly, it was wonderful to have a close visit by one of our local Australasian Crested Grebe’s. Crowned the Bird of the Century 2 years ago, assisted by John Oliver, we’re so fortunate to have breeding pairs in town here. Take a look at this link for a little more of the entertaining lead up to the final results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZXte0dY8hA
Wishing you all a wonderful week!! Make the most of the variety your life offers you too, and celebrate the aspects of life that are easy to take for granted – it’s often the small moments that are the most precious….
Cheers,
Adam and Megan, and our team from Fiordland Historic Cruises
