Category: 2019 New Caledonia and New Zealand Fall

Rick woke up early as he usually does, sat in the cockpit and watched the turtles and the fish doing their things. There were areas in the water, about 6 ft in diameter, where we could see fish thrashing about to escape and engage each other with gulls hovering and diving in to pick up the spoils. Yesterday there were three large fish, maybe 3 ft long, hanging around the boat awaiting any morsel that escaped our decks.

Whatever they are they were they were clearly out for food.  There was a lot of thrashing and the fish were partially jumping out of the water. Then the area would become calm and the thrashing would start somewhere else.

The water is amazingly clear. We are anchored in about 20 ft of water and we can see the bottom clearly. We saw our anchor dug into the sand. I even saw a ray swimming along the bottom. Multiple turtles live in the bay. They pop their head up every 5 minutes of so, take a couple of breaths and head back down. One of them seems to have a plastic bag stuck on his rear flipper, sad!

At around 7AM we put the motor on the dinghy and headed into town.  A cruise ship was anchoring out beyond the bay, so we decided we should get into town before they started unloading passengers. We had read there was a bakery and we were hoping to get some decent croissants. We beached the dinghy tied up securely. Here are some pictures of the bay and the beach.

We talked to a gentleman walking up the beach who told us where the bakery was and implied that the bakery was not open to the public but supplied bread to the island’s restaurants and grocery stores. We walked towards the bakery just to check it out.

Everyone is very friendly. While walking to the bakery a dozen cars passed us and everyone waved and smiled at us. We never made it all the way to the bakery. After about 1 km we decided to turn around and went to a hotel along the water for breakfast. They had a buffet so we decided to try it. We ate a lot because the breakfast was expensive and we wanted to get our money’s worth. After breakfast we walked into town to the dock where the tenders were dropping off their passengers. Lots of people. Here is a picture of some men in traditional costumes dancing for the cruise ship passengers.

There is a very narrow piece of land in town with a beautiful harbor on the other side. If the wind shifts to the west while we’re here we’ll move other there. Here are pictures of it.

After a little exploration we returned to the boat. We decided we wanted to rent a car tomorrow so we could explore the rest of the island. I called several car rental companies and they were all booked up for the weekend. Next week is school vacation so a lot of people are coming down to Ile des Pins with their families. Our guide did not give us the names of scooter rental companies so we decided to go back into town to work on a scooter rental.   We went to the hotel where we had had breakfast because we read on the internet that they rented scooters. They didn’t but the nice lady at the desk called the scooter rental company and reserved a scooter for tomorrow morning.

One of the things we want to do while on this island is get more diesel fuel. All the other places we have been were completely deserted, no restaurant, no gas stations, no nothing. Our friend at the hotel told us where the gas station was so we walked there to check it out. The station was closed for lunch but we determined that it was too far to carry the full 20 liters (5 Gallons, 40 lbs a piece) canisters of diesel so we need to figure out a plan B.

Along our walk we talked to several people from the cruise ship. They had left Sydney on Sunday and arrived in Noumea on Tuesday and reached the Ile des Pins this morning.

We returned to the boat to relax and write the blog. We considered going back into town for dinner but decided we should eat leftovers instead. We relaxed for the afternoon,reheated leftovers for dinner and enjoyed the sunset.

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Last night Rick had trouble sleeping so he was reading about Ile des Pins in the Rocket Guide, written by a local and available for download. Ile des Pins is about 30 miles southeast of the main island of New Caledonia.  He discovered our the route we had previously planned required us to sail around reefs, doable but not our preference. It turned out that it was best to leave from Anse Magique. We woke up to beautiful sunny morning and decided that rather than do the hike we would take off early to make the Ile des Pins with plenty of daylight. We were off the ball by 6:30, motored through Prony Bay and put up the sails. Conditions were perfect, 9 knots of wind building to 12 knots, out of the northwest. We sailed most of the way (we are working on conserving fuel because there aren’t that many places to get more). As practice for our crossing to the Loyalty Islands, I skippered for most of the way.

As we got close to the island we passed several small islands and you can see why this area is called Ile des Pins. It looks like lots of those cell towers we have at home disguised as pine trees. Here are some pictures from our sail.

After about 7 hours of sailing we pulled into Baie de Kuto which is absolutely beautiful. The water is a magnificent turquoise blue, the sand on the beach is white with palm trees and pines behind. We share this view with six other boats.

At around 2 we finished anchoring and decided to eat lunch. Then we did our usual chores,relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

We just had a lite dinner, having eaten a late lunch. It was a very clear night with lots of stars and the moon is almost full. I finished my book and started a new one before going to bed early.

There were rain showers on and off overnight into the morning and for much of the day. In Anse Magique, there is a hike to the top of a hill which is supposed to have beautiful views. We didn’t do it yesterday because we thought we’d rather go in the morning when it was a little cooler, so we planned it that way.  Unfortunately the weather did’t cooperate. It was overcast and, although visibility was good, the view would have been compromised by the clouds. Additionally the overnight showers would make the trek pretty muddy. Apparently the red dirt that we see everywhere stains and red mud is probably worse.

We relaxed until about 8:30 when we saw Jim leaving. He said he was going to Ile Casy in the middle of Prony Bay. Sounded like a good idea so we decided to follow him.   We packed up (put the dinghy on deck and folded up the swim platform) and headed out. We motored and sailed on the jib. We arrived at Ile Casy which only had six mooring balls, all of which were taken. We went around the corner to another anchorage where Jim was moored and found it completely exposed to the prevailing east wind, so we headed on. Stephan, the base manager, had recommended another anchorage in Prony Bay, Baie de Carenage, so we headed up there. It was like going up a river and when we got there Rick didn’t feel comfortable with the anchorage so we turned around and headed back to Anse Magique.

We had trouble catching the mooring ball but a nice gentleman came out in his dinghy to help us. He helped us get the first line on the ball. Best practice is to have two lines from the ball to the boat, one for either side to avoid overstraining the line and avoid chafing.  Also, if one gave way, the other line should hold the boat on the ball in a pinch. We lowered the dinghy and I took the other line to the ball. While all this was going on another boat came into the bay and picked up the ball on the first try. I would have loved to learn their methodology.  (Rick thinks strength is an important factor.)

After our boat was secure we had a lunch of leftovers from the previous evening. It was still overcast so we decided to wait until tomorrow morning for the hike.

We relaxed in the afternoon, had cold cuts for dinner and it was another early night.  Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures of our journey in Prony Bay.

One thing I haven’t written is all the harbors we have been to so far have NOTHING ashore. Specifically, no restaurants. We knew this when provisioning so we’re well stocked with food.

 

 

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!

We were up early and off the anchor by 7am. There wasn’t much wind so we motored. The wind built as the morning progressed and eventually we put up the sails.

We were making 4 knots on 8 knots of wind, not bad. At around noon we arrived at Baie de la Tortue (Turtle Bay) on the island of Ile Ouen. There was only one other boat in the anchorage.

Throughout New Caledonia the soil is very red due to the high nickel content. Here are pictures from the anchorage.

We had some lunch and then prepared to go ashore. Similar to Greece we carry our dinghy on the bow rather than tow it and risk losing it. So we use a halyard (a line to the top of the mast typically to hoist a jib) to raise it up over the life lines and then lower it into the water. Then Rick and I tie off the motor to a stanchion, take the motor off the mount fitted to the railing on the back of the boat and move it to the dinghy. Getting the motor started was a bit of an effort, but with enough pulls we got it going. We stopped by the other boat in the bay to say hello. It was a couple from New Zealand who had circumnavigated the world several times. They seemed like interesting, nice people.

On shore we tied the dinghy to a palm tree. You don’t want it to float out to sea if the tide rises.  Ashore there is an abandoned resort that closed about 15 years ago.  The guide suggested there was a nice walk to an old jade mine, but it didn’t give us very detailed directions. We set off and after about 10 minutes ran into a gentleman, Alex, who said he was the gardener for one of the  properties on the island. He told us where to go for good views. We followed what we thought were his directions and wound up in someone else’s front yard. At this point we decided to turn back. We got lost several times on the way, but after a couple of tries found our way back to both the dinghy and the boat. Here are pictures from our walk.

We had an amazing sunset that evening. A red fireball from the sun setting behind the clouds!

Rick made spaghetti with meat sauce. One of my favorites! All in all a great day.

 

 

Well, I finally slept in until 6:30.  Rick was up at 6:00.  Maybe our bodies are beginning to adjust. We are in conserve mode regarding water on the boat, so we showered at the marina. Showers were OK if you don’t mind hitting the on button every 15 seconds to keep the water flowing. Beautified, we headed to the market to get fruits and vegetables, as well as some tuna for dinner. Interestingly the tuna was cheaper than the pineapple. I guess not surprisingly considering the tuna is local and I assume the pineapple is from elsewhere. Generally, the vegetables seemed expensive.

We returned to the boat with our vittles. The last thing we had to do before leaving was put our empty suitcases in the office (Stephan, the base manager, is concerned they could damage the boat if they slide around in the cabin. They are soft-sided, so I doubt we’d have a problem but it’s easy to comply with his wishes we did so. The office didn’t seem to be opening today so I called Stephan and he told us to leave them on another boat. Mission accomplished, we were off!

Our shakedown cruise is to Ile Uere, only about an hour and a half away.

Rick wanted a relatively short journey today to give him time to get use to the boat, in general, and specifically, the gps, since it’s a brand he has never used previously. We motored the entire way.

Here are some pictures of Noumea from the water and Noumea harbor.

Here are some pictures from our trip from Noumea to Ile Uere.

We pulled into a lovely horseshoe shaped bay with about 4 other boats.

We got  and had the anchor down without a hitch and had lunch. We relaxed for the afternoon, aka wrote this blog and watched the kite surfers and jet skiers. Rick marinated the tuna which we had for dinner. Another early night after a hard day’s sail!

The weather seems perfect not too hot and not too cold. Today it is about 75F and with nice breeze!

I haven’t yet written about New Caledonia. When I mentioned we were going most people had never heard of it, so I here’s the scoop. New Caledonia is composed of several islands in the Pacific Ocean, about 750 miles east of Australia and about 1,500 miles north of New Zealand. The main island is called Grand Terre and then there are three other major islands, collectively called The Loyalty Islands.  Noumea is the capital of New Caledonia.  The country is a special collectivity of France and its people are French citizens. It has a population of about 300K, which are mostly of European descent or Kanak, the indigenous people. The Loyalty islands which are three islands, north of the main island, are home to mostly Kanak people. They’re governed by clan chiefs. New Caledonia’s main export is nickel. New Caledonia has about 25% of the world’s nickel resources. Another interesting fact about New Caledonia is that it has the richest biodiversity in the world per square kilometer. Should be an interesting place to explore!

Another early morning for us.  We woke up at 4. We left the apartment at 6:30 to go to the market to pick up bread.  Yesterday the lady selling bread told us to get there early to make sure she had enough bread, so we stuck to the plan.  Here are pictures of the lady and her bread.

On the way back to the apartment we stopped at a boulangerie for coffee and a escargot de choco (yum!). After some serious fortification we packed up our suitcases and walked 1/2 mile from the apartment to the boat.  We dropped off our suitcases and went to the grocery store for provisions.  $400 later, we hoped we have enough food for at least half the trip.  With all that stuff, including over 100 liters of water we had to get a taxi for the short distance from the grocery store back to the boat.  We stopped along the way to get ice for the icebox.

We stored the groceries and then hung around the boat for awhile getting unpacked and familiarizing ourselves with the boat.  The boat, a 2014 41ft Beneteau with 3 cabins and 2 heads, is pretty nice.  Its name is Artois, which I don’t think means anything in French.  Here are some pictures.

Just before lunch we walked back to the apartment one last time to get the rest of our stuff, including food for lunch.  We returned to the boat and enjoyed the harbor view while eating.

After lunch the base manager, Stephan, gave us a technical briefing, reviewing the features and mechanics of the boat.  Next we got a chart briefing. During the chart briefing the base manager talked about places to go, places to avoid, and various navigational issues.  By this time it was already 6:00.

We talked to Stephan about where to go to dinner.  Turned out two of dinner recommendations were closed.  Not sure why they are closed on a Saturday night so we went to the restaurant at the marina.  It took a very long time to get menus, nothing looked particularly good, and it was very expensive so we just came back to the boat and ate our own food.

I was very tired, but I was able to stay up until 9 (since I got up at 4).  Rick lasted until about 9:30.  The sun rises early here, around 5am and sets early, around 6pm. It is best to sail early because the winds are more moderate and it’s easier to see reefs when you pull into a harbor. I think our ideal schedule will be to go to bed around 9pm and get up around 5am.  At least that’s what we are working towards for now. 

As they say, “early to bed and early to rise”, which is exactly what we did this morning.  We were up at 3:30 AM which is 12:30 PM at home so I guess that’s a good start.  I was able to fall back asleep for about an hour and a half later this morning. Rick was’t so lucky, although he caught a couple of winks later.

After a delicious croissant we headed out around 9:00.  Our first stop was the charter base.  We needed to find some flippers for Rick.  His feet are hard to fit. We would have brought our flippers, but they are too big for the suitcase.  The flippers at the base were not big enough to accommodate his diving booties and the flippers hurt his feet without them.  Luckily a fellow at the base suggested diving socks, so we went to the local dive shop, bought a pair of dive socks and headed back to the base.  Success!  We found flippers that work.

When we arrived we noticed our boat-to-be was at the dock being cleaned. We had a quick walk through.  It’s in good condition and, at first glance, appears to have everything we’ll need.  Here is a picture.

Then we walked through the open markets next to the marina.  They’re open on Friday and Saturday mornings.  Beautiful looking fish and seafood and veggies, if you like that stuff!

We’ll make our purchases tomorrow so we can take it directly to the boat.

Then we went back to the grocery store.  We bought meat for the trip.  The butchers didn’t speak any English so briefly we seemed stuck, but an English speaking lady appeared from supermarket heaven to translate.  It was a bit confusing without a translator because we wanted the butchers to vacuum pack the meat and freeze it in their freezer overnight so we can keep it fresh for at least the next week or two .  We will pick it up tomorrow.  The supermarket is quite large and well stocked.  Here’s a picture of the meat market.

Then we went back to the apartment for lunch and a nap!

In the afternoon we went for a walk.  We went to the phone store to get clarification on our SIM card and data usage.  We also went back to the grocery store to buy water.

We cooked a pizza from the grocery store for dinner and watched CNN.  It was another early night.

Most people here in New Caledonia don’t speak English.  That surprises me because most of the tourists who come here are from New Zealand or Australia.  I guess their lack of dependence, or maybe interdependence, with the outside world, relative to most of the other places we’ve visited, keep the locals a bit linguistically isolated.  So far we have managed to work around most of our language issues, proving you can almost sign anything.  The woman at the supermarket yesterday said just that.  The butchers had a pretty good idea of what we wanted them to do with the meat without her assistance.  Nevertheless, it reassuring to know ones thoughts have been accurately conveyed.

Well, we survived our ridiculously long trip to New Caledonia.  We left the house on Tuesday around 10:30am, flew to Houston, then to Auckland, and finally arrived at our apartment in Noumea, the main city in New Caledonia, around noon on Thursday.  It was a long trip but luckily we both got some sleep on the flight.  There’s a 15 hour time difference between here and the east coast. We were also fortunate that the airport lounge in Auckland had shower facilities, so, all things considered, we were at least somewhat refreshed when we arrived in Noumea in our comatose state.

Our apartment is pretty nice!  It has an amazing view of the harbor.  Here are some pictures.

We walked along the water looking for a place to have lunch but the entrees were all between $25 and $30  .It seemed a little steep for lunch.  So we fell back on our old standard and went to the supermarket for bread, cheese and cold cuts and enjoyed a “picnic lunch” at the apartment.

After a brief rest we walked over to the marina.  We were hoping to do the chart briefing tomorrow, but the base manager made it very clear that we couldn’t do it until Saturday.  The boat wasn’t back from the prior charter yet, but he assured us it would arrive by morning.  We were at least able to get some logistical questions answered and plan to wait until Saturday morning for the boat and chart briefings.

Then we walked around the town.  It’s a sleepy little town that appears to be a little run down.  Here are a couple of pictures.

We came back to the apartment, relaxed for a little while and headed back to the grocery store to buy food for dinner and breakfast.  We were very tired, but managed to stay up until 8pm before crashing.