Klemtu to Butedale

We left Fiordland too late to find a protected harbor and had an anxious night in Windy Bay.  The bay is exposed to the NW.  We had been unable to get a weather report and did not know that a weak front was expected to pass during the night.  Like most anchorages, we had found a small shelf at the end of a delta which quickly dropped off into deep water.  We set the hook in 20 feet of water expecting a 15 foot drop in the tide. 

It was raining hard and the night was black when the wind arrived at low tide.  We seemed to be holding.  Casey was close enough to us that a bearing on his anchor light was not very useful.  A trawler was anchored across the bay.  Thankfully, his bearing seemed constant which agreed with the GPS.  The depth finder showed us going from 7 to 50 feet as we yawed on our 120 foot rode.  Another good sign was the sound the anchor line made in the bow roller.  Over the sound of the wind, we could hear it groan as it took the strain.  But we could still be dragging.  I debated putting the engine down for a quick getaway or leaving is up so as not to strike the beach if we dragged.  I plugged in a powerful spot light and pointed it toward the shore.  We looked too close.  I used the windlass to take in 20 feet of rode.  The wind clocked 30 degrees and we were no longer near the beach.  I told Penny to get some sleep.  I’d stand watch.  Half an hour later the wind had clocked further and we were no longer on a lee shore.  I went to bed.

A sunny morning greeted us and we got an early start for Klemtu.  We bought gas, groceries and ice and made phone calls.  Fish and chips at the Band Store were cheap and good.