We have purchased a new catamaran, please visit us at http://www.sailblogs.com/member/cheval/ to see what we are up to now. We will keep this blog online for the time being but new adventures entries will be on our new blog. You can also click on the link "Cheval" to the right under Favorites.

Arrived up the river in Brisbane at 1pm yesterday after a four day sail from Noumea. Did customs etc and then continued another hour up the river to downtown Brisbane at dockside marina. Will try and post some pictures now that I am in the land of fast internet.

More of the same. Blew a hole in the mainsail while it had 2 reefs in so now only able to use with the 3rd reef in, so going a bit slower. Quite rough last night but much better today. 181 miles to go, 205 miles this 24 hour period.

The past 24 hours have been on the rough side as we are taking the waves from the side and even slightly ahead. Wind has been close to 25 now for a while. We have two reefs in the main and still moving along nicely. Forecast shows the weather window should last until we reach the coast. Weather can still be a bit winter like here at this time of year. 386 miles to go, 210 miles this 24 hour period.

So we spent a little over 24 hours in Noumea, defiantly a place that needs returning to. If we had not left yesterday the next possible weather window was on the 12th and that would not be a sure bet. We docked right next to our sister ship "Tahina" with Frank and Karen aboard and would like to have spent more time talking with them as well. The country was a pleasure to check in and out off with zero fees. The marina staff were super nice and the rates reasonable. We left at 1300 hr with a nice 17 to 20 knot breeze that lasted throughout the night. This morning it blew itself out so have had the screecher up since. This will be an 800 mile passage with 596 to go after 24 hours.