Friday 29 May 2015

For those noticing the error in exchange rate previous message, we actually had about $110 US equivalent in CFP - missed a decimal place. Speaking of which dinner at the resort was outrageously expensive and yet worth it. May do it again if really, really hungry. It was delectable, but all-you-can-eat. On such deliberately rare occasions it's just wrong not to eat all you can.

Clear-in Tuesday was easy peasy, then we spent next few days scurrying around to markets, chandlery and elsewhere spending all those Pacific Francs and many more plus discharging a few minor to-dos. While messing with wind generator controller noticed that cooling fan on nearby battery charger was dead. Shop everyone indicated would have it didn't, but from ship's stores found a smaller one previously used to cool overheat prone SEA 235 SSB. Should be able to get the right unit in Oz with a heftier CFM and pricetag.

After 3 days in Port Moselle have now begun moving southeast toward the Ile des Pins (Isle of Pines) for quiet and relaxation. Water temps are a touch low at 23 C for comfortable diving, but most crew are tough except for Jack who would rather have 28 C and Jan who swore off anything that smacks of cold after leaving Canada. Nevertheless look forward to trying out new BCDs. The rabbit is afraid of sharks.

Info tidbit: New Caledonia is the world's third largest producer of nickel behind Russia and Canada. They sell the stuff to America to make 5 cent coins called, through a shortfall in imagination, nickels. This denomination hardly justifies the cost of production because nothing costs so little, but yet the US squanders tons of copper to make millions of pennies that are worth 5 times less.

Jack