This is a rather tardy account of our arrival in New Caledonia.

We arrived at Grande Terre (the main island of New Caledonia) on June 25th after a seven day passage from Opua, New Zealand. The morning of our arrival found us in very light winds motorsailing with a beutiful sunrise. Toward late afternoon we passed through Boulari pass into New Caledonia's lagoon. The calm, clear conditions made spotting the pass relatively easy, besides Amadee lighthouse stands at the exist of the pass. Some minutes after passing the lighthouse the enigne shuttered and then violent vibrations occurred. Checking the boat interior we found water flooding into the engine bilge. It took a few seconds to realize that the propeller shaft had moved forward about 3 cm releasing pressure on the shaft seal and letting in large volumes of water. The engine was stopped, the leak stopped, and we coasted at less than 1 knot with the mainsail between the coral reefs in the lagoon. A VHF call got us in touch with Sauveteurs en Mer who sent out a tow boat. Just after sunset the towboat arrived and we got into Port Moselle around 8 pm. We were maneuvered in place on a commercial dock between a ferry and a small cargo ship.

Two days later we were on the hard in the Nouville Plaisance boatyard to examine any damage to propeller and shaft below. The cutlass bearing was destroyed since the line cutter was forced forward onto the bearing opening blocking the water flow. Inside, it was found, among other items, that the retaining bolts on the shaft coupling had sheared and one of the engine mounts was loose. Ten days later all was repaired and we were lifted back in the water. We motored to Port Moselle Marina top prepare for a two week lagoon trip.

The photo gallery has been updated for New Caledonia.