Wednesday 13th Feb 19

Dawn was just starting to break and there was an excitement as the crew awoke and joined the early morning watch in the cockpit. Clouds of mist rolled off the steeply rising land off the port bow. We where running downwind at 6 knots with winds gusting 30 from the North in prelude to a gale forecast for the afternoon. Soon, in the distance, we could see the entrance to Thompson Sound. We felt so insignificant in the face of the steeply rising mountains. The entrance of the Sound slowly opened up to us, and we willingly slipped in to a new world. Majestic, Awe-inspiring, Magic.

Very soon we were greeted by a squadron of Sandflies (clearly on duty to guard the gates of paradise). Deet all round and buttons up. Not hard because it's a little cool. We spent the next few hours motoring up from Thompson Sound to Bradshaw Sound and anchored stern-to in deep water in Precipice Cove. Thomas rowed out the stern line and tied it to a rope that the fisherman use that was left on shore between two rocks

The sounds are like a picture from Middle Earth with wisps of mist and cloud draping the mountains - long streaming waterfall hundreds of meters high. It's hard to due it justice in words.

We have treated ourselves to a refreshing (even tingling ) swim and warm shower, change of clothes and are chilling out with bread baking in the oven.

This trip has been awesome so far with nearly 1000nm covered in less than 6 days making over a 170nm per day. The west coast has been kind to us with winds either off or abaft the beam for most of the time.

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