Marlborough Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Routes

The Marlborough Sounds’ three interconnected waterways – Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus – offer enough sheltered coastline (1,500 kilometres) to chart a different course every day for weeks. The 3-day and 4-day itineraries below explore different sounds and can be combined into a 7-day voyage covering the full Marlborough cruising ground without repeating a single anchorage. Every route is fully customisable – your captain adjusts stops and pacing based on wind, birdlife and your group’s interests.

Day Charter Routes from Picton

Picton to Ship Cove: The History Cruise

Depart Picton Marina mid-morning and cruise east along Queen Charlotte Sound to Ship Cove (Meretoto) – roughly 15 nautical miles, about an hour. Step ashore at Captain Cook’s favourite New Zealand anchorage (visited five times across three voyages, 170 days spent here) and walk the first section of the Queen Charlotte Track through ancient beech forest thick with birdsong. Return to the yacht for a chef-prepared lunch – green-lipped mussels steamed with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, local salmon, fresh bread – then cruise to nearby Resolution Bay for an afternoon kayak or swim. Back to Picton by late afternoon. Duration: 6–8 hours.

Picton to Motuara Island: The Birdwatcher’s Day

Cruise east to Motuara Island – roughly an hour from Picton. Tender ashore on this predator-free DOC sanctuary for a morning of extraordinary birdwatching: rowi kiwi, South Island saddlebacks, yellow-crowned parakeets, robins, tūī and bellbirds in extraordinary concentrations. Walk to the island’s summit for 360-degree views across Queen Charlotte Sound. Snorkel the rocky coastline where blue cod and spotties glide through the kelp. Lunch on the aft deck, then a relaxed cruise back through the Sound. Duration: 6–8 hours.

Picton to Kenepuru Sound: The Secluded Inlet

Cruise south from Picton into Kenepuru Sound – the smallest and most intimate of the three sounds, where narrow, bush-clad inlets feel almost fjord-like. Anchor in a sheltered bay for a morning swim and kayak, surrounded by native bush so dense the canopy almost meets overhead. Your chef prepares lunch on the aft deck as fantails and bellbirds call from the shoreline. In the afternoon, explore a second inlet before cruising back to Picton. Duration: 6–8 hours.

3-Day Marlborough Sounds Yacht Charter Itinerary: Queen Charlotte Sound

Day 1: Picton to Ship Cove and Resolution Bay

Board at Picton Marina by mid-morning. Cruise east along Queen Charlotte Sound to Ship Cove (15 NM, 1 hour). Walk the DOC historic reserve and the first section of the Queen Charlotte Track through ancient beech forest – tūī, bellbirds and fantails provide the soundtrack. Your chef lays out lunch on the aft deck: fresh Marlborough oysters, local salmon and a chilled Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Cruise to Resolution Bay for an afternoon kayak through calm, bush-fringed water, then anchor overnight in the deep silence of the Sound.

Day 2: Motuara Island and Endeavour Inlet

A short morning cruise brings you to Motuara Island. Spend the morning on this predator-free sanctuary: rowi kiwi, saddlebacks, parakeets, robins and a dawn chorus that reverberates across the forest. Walk to the summit for panoramic views, then snorkel the rocky coastline. After lunch, cruise south into Endeavour Inlet – a long, narrow arm of Queen Charlotte Sound with secluded bays, DOC huts and sections of the Queen Charlotte Track accessible by tender. Anchor overnight in one of the inlet’s quiet bays as the last light catches the hilltops.

Day 3: Grove Arm and Return to Picton

Cruise west into Grove Arm – the innermost reach of Queen Charlotte Sound, where the bush is dense, the water is calm and the anchorages offer excellent all-weather shelter. Swim, paddleboard and explore by tender. Your chef prepares a farewell brunch featuring greenlip mussels, smoked kahawai and local cheeses. Cruise back to Picton Marina (roughly 30 minutes from Grove Arm), arriving by early afternoon with time for a final coffee on the waterfront or a drive to the Marlborough wine region for a tasting at Cloudy Bay or Brancott Estate.

4-Day Marlborough Sounds Yacht Charter Itinerary: All Three Sounds and D’Urville Island

Day 1: Picton to Kenepuru Sound

Board at Picton by mid-morning. Cruise south into Kenepuru Sound – the most intimate of the three sounds, where the inlets are narrow, the bush is dense and the atmosphere is almost mystical. Anchor in a secluded bay for a late-morning swim and kayak, with native bush reaching down to the waterline. Your chef prepares lunch on deck – blue cod, fresh bread and a Marlborough Pinot Gris – as bellbirds and fantails provide the entertainment. In the afternoon, explore a second inlet by tender, then anchor overnight in one of Kenepuru’s most sheltered bays.

Day 2: Pelorus Sound

Cruise west into Pelorus Sound – the largest of the three sounds (55 km long, 380 km of shoreline) and the most remote. The water here is green and still, the bush dense and unbroken, and the sense of solitude profound. Pause at Dillon Bell Point for a morning swim in crystalline water, then continue deeper into the Sound. Anchor in one of the western bays for lunch and an afternoon of blue-cod fishing with handline gear from the aft deck – your chef prepares whatever you catch. In the evening, watch the sunset from a bay so quiet you can hear the wingbeats of shearwaters passing overhead. Dinner on deck: beer-battered blue cod, hand-cut chips and a Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc.

Day 3: D’Urville Island

Cruise to D’Urville Island – the largest island in the Sounds, separated from the mainland by the narrow, tidal French Pass. Anchor in Port Hardy or Greville Harbour, where the only residents are a handful of farmers and an abundance of fur seals basking on the outer rocks. Tender ashore for a coastal walk through untouched native bush – the birdlife is prolific and the sense of wilderness complete. In the afternoon, try crayfish potting off the rocky shoreline or snorkel the clear water around the island’s sheltered eastern bays. Your chef prepares a feast: fresh crayfish, mussels from the Sounds and a selection of Marlborough wines.

Day 4: Havelock, Marlborough Vineyards and Return to Picton

Cruise east to Havelock – the ‘Greenlip Mussel Capital of the World’, at the head of Pelorus Sound. Berth at Havelock Marina (340 berths) and explore this characterful working maritime village. After a mussel-themed brunch (your chef has been planning this since day one), transfer by car to the Marlborough wine region for an afternoon of cellar-door tastings. Cloudy Bay, Brancott Estate, Dog Point and Greywacke are the must-visits, with a long vineyard lunch to close the charter. Transfer back to Picton (45 minutes by road) or cruise from Havelock to Picton (approximately 20 NM) for a final night aboard.

Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine the 3-day Queen Charlotte Sound route with the 4-day three-sounds route for a comprehensive 7-day Marlborough Sounds charter covering Ship Cove, Motuara Island, Kenepuru, Pelorus Sound, D’Urville Island, Havelock and the Marlborough vineyards – without repeating a single anchorage.