The house will be handy though as when we go cruising on a more permanent basis (tentatively aiming for Tonga winter 2004), I can rent it out and the dollars it brings in will help the cruising fund.

Anyway I digress, Rachel a.k.a. first mate, wife, nurse, navigator, mast jockey and entertainment director was getting a case of the winter work blues. She stated one night that we should have a mid winter holiday as she wanted a break from work. Now I think she had visions of cozy motels, restaurants and she did mention something about shopping in a big city etc.

I thought it over for a couple of days and as usual I managed to think of a way to turn it into a sailing trip. I pointed out that staying in motels is expensive and Nightshift is very economical, planes or Cook Strait ferries cost money, as do motels. (I have Scottish ancestors hence the love of travel by sail).

She looked a bit skeptical as I assured her that mid winter is an excellent time to cross Cook Strait, I wasn't sure if this was true or not but by this stage I was on a roll.

So the leave was booked with both our respective employers, actually another advantage of winter trips is that no one else at work wants time off over this period so its easy to get leave.

Our leave started after Friday 16 August I had the day off as well and loaded Nightshift with supplies. I had the number two genoa on the furler which I thought I would probably keep on there as this time of the year we seem to get no wind or too much. I also loaded on the high wind hank on sails for the second forestay just in case. The trisail went on board and the storm boards got fitted to the 4 large windows especially for Cook Strait.

Rachel finished work at 4pm and by 4.30pm we were motoring away from the Nelson Marina looking like a pair of multicoloured "Michelin men" wearing just about every piece of warm clothing we owned under and over our sailing gear.

By the time we cleared Nelson harbour entrance it was already getting dark. The M S A were talking only 15knot southerlies for Abel which was about right. I lodged a trip report with MSA and we motor sailed off into the darkness under a cold grey sky.

Nothing could dampen my spirits though, too long on dry land had given me wharf rot and I would have been happy sailing in a gale in the rain. I had spent the previous week plotting courses, writing way point notes etc so all we had to do now was sit back and enjoy the sail.

The passage to French pass was uneventful, the usual pattern of the wind picking up a bit when opposite valleys and easing when opposite a headland. It was a dark night with cloud obscuring the moon so I was glad of the GPS although each hourly position was cross-checked with sighted bearings or depths etc.

We reached current basin at the south side of French pass about 10pm and slack water wasn't for a couple of hours so we picked up a club mooring just short of the pass (thanks once again to the wonders of GPS) and got an hours sleep.

About 0100hrs after a whole one-hour's sleep Nightshift slid through the pass in the inky dark. I was still full of the excitement of being at sea again so I suggested Rachel get some sleep while I enjoyed the next few hours threading my way through the islands I couldn't really see at the top of the South Island.