On my way north I pass through the Waipara Valley, a great wine area but I do not have time to stop.

After tasting only 80 wines in Central Otago I decide to go for it in Marlborough, the region put onto the international wine making map by Belfast man Ernie Hunter in 1986. I manage to sample 101 wines and finish, appropriately, at Hunters on St. Patrick's Day. General manager, Peter MacDonald kindly drives me around the vinyard and I see the very first vines which Ernie Hunter planted in 1979. The more I learn the more I realise how little I know. Wine is a complex subject so I will just have to keep at it, for example, one wine maker was explaining to me the difference between the grape juices from grapes picked from the vine's mid canopy as opposed to the outside of the canopy.

At Villa Maria there is a "wine library" - 38 rows of different grape varieties, which at this time of year we can taste. Hans Herzog is making tiny quantities of 25 different wines only for sale to top range local resturuants. St. Clair make 12 different Sauvigon Blancs. Bladens were the first to plant Pinot Gris and produce just 6,000 cases a year. Nautilis produce one wine of just 80 cases a year and you have to put your name down to get some.

But now I am back at the boat. The work which should have been done while I was away has not been done. There is still much to do and the days are becoming cooler. Time to get things finished up...