22.17S 166.26E Noumea
Mojo 2
Andrew Partington
Tue 11 Oct 2011 06:19
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It is 6am and we are just 8 nautical miles from our
waypoint and the pass that leads behind the fringing reef into Noumea. It is
just starting to get light and we are headed into what looks to be fog
ahead....great!! To our port side is another yacht travelling at 6
knots which is transmitting an AIS signal. It appears to be headed for the
same pass so I plan to just follow it in. Like so many other mornings on this
crossing we do not have a breath of wind to push us along, the ocean is like
glass. This will actually help us this morning though as the pass we are
entering is known to be very rough if an easterly is blowing. I would prefer to
be able to see more but you can't have everything. The outline of the Island has
just come into view so I will take a break and come back later.
....At 8pm we are around 4NM from entering the
fringing reef. The yacht with AIS is the "Beach House" and I am sure I have seen
this yacht in French Polynesia. If I have the right boat it is a huge 100ft
yacht with all the trimmings. It is going a little too fast for me to keep
up or to be able to see it. As its little green triangle is moving across
the chartplotter I am giving it a tap on the head every now and then and leaving
a waypoint mark. I plan to just follow the marks in like a breadcrumb trail. So
far so good. Thankfully we do not have a fog, it is just some haze and looks to
be clearing to become a beautiful day. Still like a mirror out here. New
Caledonia looks beautiful. It is a high mountainous island and is looking a
treat this morning. Wish Jane and the girls were here. Rob is asleep after
another long night. Not sure why but the last night before entering port always
seems a little harder to get through. We will sleep well tonight, especially
after a few cold beers at one of the local haunts.
Had a good sail in last night with a 10 knot
easterly but it died at 5am so we were forced to crank up the motors again.
It was like a freeway coming into here with several ships passing us including
the "Pacific Jewel", a very large cruise ship that overtook as at 4am,
at fairly close range, doing 16 knots. Back later!
....9.30am and the entrance to the reef was further
south-west than I thought it might be so we have yet to enter it. The plan to
use the breadcrumb trail has worked beautifully so far. I have the range marker
in sight as well as the first channel marker. Thankyou "Beach House". If there
is one thing the French do very well it is navigation aids. The range markers
which guide vessels into port run up the full length of the mountain and cannot
be missed.
Obviously someone got it wrong though as we passed
what looked to be a large [80ft??] boat stranded on the reef next to an island
we passed just to port. Must have been a horrible day for that skipper. The boat
is completely out of the water so it is unlikely anyone will hit that particular
reef again.
Very close to the island now and it still looks
beautiful. There is some sort of pine tree growing close to the water and mixed
in with the coconut palms. Too thin to be Norfolk pines but about as tall. Have
to go again a large ferry is headed our way at speed!!
....It is now 5pm Tuesday after entering the
Marina at 3.30pm. Typical of every time you enter a new country we have been
running around trying to clear customs and immigration and provision the
boat.
Gerard beat us here by a couple of hours and came
down to the Port Mosselle Marina where we are staying late yesterday. We
had a great meal and about a dozen beers last night at the Marina's bar
and restaurant, which is just 15 metres from the boat. Good position to
be for the wi-fi but terrible for the liver!! Slept like a baby last
night and woke to another beautiful morning. Rob took off on the bus to the
airport at 8.30am and was a bit reluctant about leaving. I think the lifestyle
has grown on him and he didn't really have a chance to check out Noumea
which is a very attractive city.
Gerard is looking forward to going but I suspect he
is a little nervous. I'm sure once we are out there he will soon become
accustomed to the routine and forget about just how far we are from
land.
We have now cleared out with customs and
immigration, a 3 hour exercise, and will leave around 11am tomorrow [Wednesday]
for Australia. There is some chance we may make Bundaberg our entry port but
have not decided for sure.
Back to daily blogs from tomorrow. I cant believe
after all this time we are just a 6 day sail from Australia. I'm looking forward
to getting home.
Andrew.
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