We had originally planned to go back to shore this morning to explore the abandoned resort on the beach, but decided it would probably just be dilapidated old buildings with not much of anything interesting. So we stowed the motor on the rail and raised the dinghy on a spare halyard to position it on the foredeck. We pulled up the swim platform (in other boats pulling up the swim platform involved pushing a button. On this boat we have use a line and the winch. Not a huge effort, but not as easy as pushing a button.) We were off the anchor by 7:30. We motored, motor sailed, and sailed up the coast of Ile Ouen, through Woodin Canal into Prony Bay and ultimately to Anse Magique.
Here are pictures of the Woodin Canal.
To this point we have anchored, but here in Anse Magique there are mooring balls to keep anchors free of the delicate coral that line the harbor floor. This harbor has six mooring balls, three of which were occupied. As we were cruising around developing a plan we spotted a boat from Victoria, BC so we went over and asked the people about their approach to grabbing the mooring ball. The captain of the boat, Jim, was nice enough to offer to come aboard to give us some expertise, some additional muscle and an extra set of hands. The additional set of hands made all the difference and we were on the mooring in no time. We spoke with him briefly while he was onboard, but he had to go back to his boat because he and the family were preparing for a hike to the top of a nearby to view the reefs and surrounding islands.
We shared the taxi from the airport to Noumea with a gentleman from New Caledonia who owned a sailboat and had done a lot of sailing in the area. He said Anse Magique was one of his favorite spots. Now that we’re here we I see why. The water is turquoise blue and calm. The harbor is very lush and green with red gouges where nickel had been mined. The wind is blowing and the birds are singing. Definitely magical.
We relaxed a little and then had some lunch. This afternoon Rick made chicken masala and rice for dinner. It hit the spot!