Please note the following blogs from here until I catch up are post event blogs (written 2 March 2012).

0750 Entered Westport Harbour and refuled and found somewhere to tie up for the morning. We stopped in Westport to drop off a hatch and hatch cover to one of the local fisherman. We refuled and filled the eskies (chilly bins) with salt ice. After tying up alongside another fishing boat we all went about showering, clothes washing and shopping for supplies.

I still have huge swollen feet, ankles and lower legs. Dont know what the cause is but decided to take them for a walk to get better circulation and do some shopping. No one bothered to tell me the the footpaths are made from jaggered glass (well thats what it felt like). You see I brought 4 pairs of footware along for this journey and none fitted due to the swelling. While in town I decided to pop into the hospital to see if I could get a consulatation with one of the GPs. The hospital was exteemly helpful and got to see a doctor within an hour.

Doctor advised I had the highest level of fluid retention and presribed water pills...great now Im going to spend more time peeing then fishing.

1320 Left floating Basin (Westport) with engine running 1500 rpm doing 8.5 knots...good going. We reset our course and speed for Milford Sound trying to make up for lost time (me 2 hours all up going to hospital and chemist walking on cut glass in bare feet).

Moving along at 9-10 kt we were making good way wanting to arrive in daylight as there are many obsticals in the Sounds and with poor visibility at night its not a good time to arrive. The run to Milford was overnight with 3 hour watch's. Bought a huge pork roast and eat the lot between the 4 of us...num num num.

On route to the Fiords noted some fumes below....found exhaust brackets ahd loosended and cracked the flexible section between the engine and pipe. Made repairs as best as could. When we were passing Hokatika around 30 nm out to sea we had to stop in rough seeas and replace engine belt.

21 February 2012

0200 hours Still making way to the Fiords. Had a relatively low winds and sloppy seas. At 0730 found we had no water...a pipe came adrift from the water supply side of the pump and the pump emptied the tanks. 1107 hours engine belt required realigning...1500 hours we were adjacent to Awarua Point crossing the entrance to Big Bay. Seas had settled for the past two hours. 1800 hours we arrived in Milford Sound and headed for Deep Water Basin to top up water and lookm for anchorage.