The following lunch time we headed around to the next bay and waited for our lift out. This involved a tractor with a trailer that has a number of inflatable bags on it. At high tide they drove down the ramp, we motored forward between 2 (very close together) poles and then we wait to be inflated and driven off - simple but still a little worrying. As we were only out for a few days they left us a few metres from the high water mark and we were able to stay living on board. We blasted Chillie's underside, checked everything over and prepared her for painting the next day. We also took advantage of the time to cook our meals for the passage which makes life easier all round. We were blessed with the weather, for the first time in our time here in New Caledonia it hadn't rained so up early we set too with the brushes and rollers and the job was easily completed. Even Mark and Sylvana roared up on their hired scooter to lend a hand, thanks guys.
We had the job done in no time but couldn't go back into the water until later the following day so we caught up on internet and checked out of New Caledonia. Luckily they give you 72 hours until you have to leave so we were able to fuel up, and head over to one of the lovely off lying islands for 24 hours of relaxing before the passage. It was our last Chilli Cat day. I made a French toast breakfast (currently the kids favorite), we snorkeled, swam, drank a glass of wine at lunchtime, had a siesta, read our books and had early dinner and lights out early in preparation for the following days departure.
We had our weather window, it was time to go.