clear the last reef, which was 4 hours away!
Fortunately we’d chosen the same passage we used to come through to
Nadi and knew it was well marked and accurate when compared with the charts,
so we were comfortable to clear the last reef after dark.
By the time we got there the wind had come up and the seas outside of
the protection of the reef were big. The forecast gave us a day or two of these
conditions and then good conditions, fading to little wind by the last 2 days
and for once the forecast turned out to be right.
The good days in the middle were really good and Wind Wanderer gave us her
very best for the trip so far. Yankee, main and mizzen all balanced perfectly with
wind on the beam and sea from the aft quarter. We slipped along effortlessly at
7-8 knots and very little roll.
I sat there reveling in it and couldn’t think of a single thing to tweak.
Sometimes the magic happens…
As we were drawing closer to New Caledonia our research was a bit unnerving.
We would be entering the Havannah Passage to the south of the main island and
would still have 40 miles through reefs and islands to get to Noumea itself.
Entry in daylight was highly recommended, and starting at low tide and riding in
with the flood. The tidal stream can rush through at 4-5 knots and that in the
opposite direction would reduce our speed to a knot… ie 1 mile per hour!
There were also warnings about highly turbulent water, depending on wind
and tide.
The wind died 2 days out as predicted and we motored steadily, able to
time our arrival at Havannah Passage for first light at around 4:30am.
Fortunately for us it also coincided with close to low tide.
Couldn’t be better.
As we were approaching the passage before dawn a big vessel showed up
behind us on the radar and AIS coming up at 18.5 knots. Carnival Spirit, a huge
cruise liner overtook us a couple of miles from the entrance, all lights ablaze.
Quite a spectacular sight and close up too.
It sure made picking out the entrance easy!
The first few hours went perfectly and we weren’t too concerned about the head
wind that was starting to build. As we entered Woodin Canal, a narrow stretch
between an island and the mainland, the wind started to get nasty. By the time
we were coming out the other end we had a full head wind at 20 knots, against
the tide so it quickly built a rough steep sea. We were down to 2.5 kts against it
and the boat was rising and plunging.
I looked across at Sandy and she was taking pictures of the bowsprit burying
itself and throwing the water back over the foredeck!
She has come such a long way!!!
Eventually we made better headway by tacking so we were never taking
the wind and waves fully on the nose, and a few hours later we’d reached the
entrance to Noumea harbour.
They insist that all boats tie up at the Port Moselle Marina for customs and
immigration, and they had a dock there for the purpose.
The plus was that the first night was free.
The operative word in all that is ‘had’!
Although they had all our size specs. and said that we could just come into the
visitors berth, when we got there we were again faced with having to get a Tonka
toy into a Matchbox garage. It’s ridiculous but happens so often. They had a couple
of line handlers on the jetty and with 2 approaches and a very nervous big catamaran
owner sharing the space, we shoehorned ourselves into the dock.
When all tied up and secured nearly half the boat was sticking out, and they tried to tell
us this is a dock for up to 65ft boats, which is about our overall size.
No longer is the first night free, and immigration now is a trip into town, although they
did do our customs and quarantine here.
On the second day out from Fiji, the water maker stopped working and I
eventually traced the fault to primer pump. We always set off with enough water
to get through, maybe with strict rationing, just in case something like this
ever happens so we were fine for the trip and got here with half a tank left.
Another big disaster overtook us about 4 days out from Noumea, probably
the biggest disaster any vessel has had to face in decades. Sandy’s Ipad slipped
off the cockpit seat, straight through a small window in the cockpit side and
crashed to the floor in the workshop below. It worked but won’t charge and as
the battery ran out we all wore black and never was a smile seen…
On Friday we decided to hire a car to do all our running around and it was worth it,
even though the town is littered with one way streets and navigation is a nightmare.
We got the paperwork completed both for clearing in, and clearing out again, all at once!
We found an Ipad shop and Sandy’s Ipad can be repaired, once we get to Australia,
and we picked up the replacement AIS that was sent to meet us here by the manufacturer.
We got to see a bit of the town, got groceries in, and all for what it would have cost for taxis,
with a lot more convenience.
We like Noumea. It’s got a good feel to it and just about anything is available here for daily stuff, and anything else can be imported from NZ or Aus at a price, in a few days.
The pump replacement wasn’t to be found and would need to be imported, so we’ve decided to
fill the tanks, a dozen or so big drinking water bottles, a 20 litre jerry can on the deck and head
for Brisbane. We’ll be there within 6 or 7 days.
Most cruising boats do this all the time, but it’s amazing how adventurous we feel setting off
without a working water maker!
Here at the marina there is a popular bistro/bar and we went there the
other night for the complimentary drink all boats get on arrival. They had a
live band and the only table we could find was right next to where they were
setting up. There was a tall, black guy wearing a colourful shirt and Sandy
complimented him on his taste. Well he turned out to be the male part of the
singing duo and really was a charismatic, talented performer. They both were.
She had a powerful voice for such a petit thing and they were very polished.
The whole band was good. It was a good evening.
Well, in a few hours we’ll be on our way again. We’ll stop in at the
fuel dock on the way out to top up with duty free diesel and once again head
for the gap in the reef. Next stop Brisbane!!!!!!
Until next time…