We are on our way back up to Noumea, and were looking last night for an anchorage good in Westerlies, which we had yesterday and last night. In the cruising guide, Baie Ngo looked to fit the bill, so in we sailed and dropped anchor in 4 metres on the inevitable red mud, and found ourselves in a bay with the usual spectacular mountain backdrop, some scattered huts along the shoreline and ABSOLUTE peace - the boat didn't move at all overnight - in fact I woke at one stage concerned at the lack of the usual gentle rocking one gets in even the best of anchorages.
As we are heading into Noumea today, we had a shower and spruced up, before setting off. When we get in we'll put up a few photos.
Prior to Baie Ngo, we had a few other adventures - amazingly we ran into two other OCC boats in Baie du Prony, including the Dutch couple Frank and Miriam on their beautiful Hans Christian cutter, with their son Menno, and Damarri (Paul and Ute Jefferies).
We spent a day anchored at Baie Sebert, right off the old penal village of Prony, and explored the convict ruins, then went around to Baie de Carenage - a local cyclone hole - which is marked on the chart as having 1.6 metres low water at the entrance shoal. The cruising guide differs, telling us there's a good 3 metres there. Well, he's wrong - we bottomed out a couple of times (thankfully just on sand) and thought better of it (or should I say, Shauna yelled: "OUT!!"), heading back out to Casy for a more restful night.
More soon!