position S22 12.600 E166 20.500
Ocean Rival Journey Log
Adam Power Diana Power
Wed 15 May 2019 09:57
Happy
Birthday Mother!
I made a
dinghy dash back into town 1st thing to return
the hire car and pick up some bread. It is
quite a long run from the achorage and I am
pleased with the new dinghy and outboard from
New Zealand, both performing very well.
Gas is an
issue -I couldn't fill my U.K bottles in New
Zealand (out of test) or the french bottle
that I bought in Tahiti (no adapter). I
assumed that I would at least be able to swap
the french bottle here but while the bottles
are identical apart from the colour (yellow
not green) it couldn't be swapped and couldn't
be re-filled. They are equally snooty here
about the U.K bottles which do look a bit
rusty but are still much heavier duty than
anything new available. I couldn't bring
myself to spend another £50 just to abandon my
french green bottle for an identical yellow
one and so I bought a 23kg houshold bottle
which holds more gas and commands less deposit
plus it is more likely to be fillable
elsewhere in the world. Now I have to work
out how to accomodate the over-sized bottle in
the vented locker.
I found the
new ignition switch-fitted it and we now can
start the engine from the cockpit again which
is a relief. Diana has been plagued the last
2 nights with a new noise- a regular resonant
twang which I couldn't locate and was
beginning to think was to do with the nickle
extraction factory resonating through the
water. Diana sleuthed the noise to the port
side stern and after searching below the water
line with mask and snorkle I realised that the
twang was emanating from the wind generator.
It wasn't audible above deck but below deck it
transmitted through the mounting pole and
emerged mostly in Dianas head. The generator
is currently tied off awaiting its turn on
the doctors treatment table.
After lunch
we decided to explore a bit up the coast so
upped the anchor and sailed northwest to a bay
about 10 miles away from Numea. As soon as we
left it started to rain of course but the sun
came out for a lovely sunset as we anchored in
a well sheltered bay along with an Irish
flagged ketch and a catermeran. The Irishman
and his New Zealand wife passed by in their
dinghy and welcomed us to the bay like they
are the lords of the manor, which is how you
feel when you claim an anchorage for yourself.
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