For the past eight years, the Nelson couple have spent their holidays exploring lagoons and rivers around the South Island aboard their home-built houseboat, and are now making their first visit to Otago.
This week they meandered up the Taieri River and made a side trip into Lake Waihola, including an unscheduled six-hour stop stuck on a sandbar in one of the many lake channels before the tide rose high enough to float their vessel in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Over the next week or so, they also hope to explore the Queenstown lakes area and may venture on to a section of the Clutha River.
And if the weather is too rough to launch, "we'll find a place to park for the night", Mrs Haines said.
The 5m-long Gentle is also perfectly at home on land.
She sits securely on her trailer and needs only the addition of a step ladder to be used as a caravan.
Mr Haines (66), who was born without arms, has led an adventurous life.
He was a solicitor, health administrator and dispute tribunal referee before retiring and in his spare time is a keen sailor and boat builder.
He also taught himself to swim and water-ski and recently built a trike so he and Mrs Haines, a school secretary, and their three adult children could cycle the Otago Central Rail Trail.
Gentle , the fifth vessel Mr Haines has built, took shape after the couple spent time touring parts of England and France on canal boats.
Mrs Haines (58) does not enjoy sailing or rough water, so Mr Haines promised her a houseboat which would travel no faster than 4 knots - walking pace - and which would never be used on the open sea.
Mr Haines scoured demolition yards for plywood and other materials, designed the vessel and built most of it himself using specially adapted foot-operated tools.
"We have a system," he said.
"I put everything together to waist height and Leonie takes over from there."
A tall friend helped with the roof and the curved sliding panel over the bed, which can be retracted so the Haines can sleep under the stars.
Requiring only 20cm of water to float and powered by a 9.9hp outboard motor, Gentle boosts a solar-powered electricity system and shower, fresh water tanks, grey water tanks, kitchenette and a chemical toilet. The sink and stove are low enough for Mr Haines to manipulate with his feet and, in another concession to his lack of arms, there are no side decks.
Mr Haines said he did not want to lose balance and fall overboard and having no decks eliminated that possibility.
However, the vessel has a high-sided sun deck at the stern.
Inside, a ledge has been placed at just the right height so he can brace himself and remain upright if the boat hits choppy water.
The houseboat was perfect, Mrs Haines said.
Their days were spent exploring what was around the next bend, reading books and catching the occasional fish for tea.
