Noumea
20 October 2015 | Noumea, New Caledonia
Colin
We had a pleasant albeit light motorsail up from Ile de Pins to Ile Quen where we anchored for the night in Baie Ire on the north side of the island off of Canal Woodin. Passage through this canal needs to be timed with the tide as currents can run up to 6 knots. We got there just after slack water and still saw a 2 knot current in our favor. From here we went east to Noumea where we found all three designated anchorages choked with local boats on moorings. All the transient cruising boats like us were anchored tightly around the edges trying to stay clear of the shipping channels.
There is much to do in Noumea. We have been to several excellent museums, seen numerous historic sites and taken many long walks around the city. Although the language is French, most people know enough English for us to get by. Probably a result of the cruise ships that stop here several times a week. The museums have been world class, with many outstanding exhibits of indigenous wood carving and local history. The US military had a large presence here during WWII and made numerous contributions to local infrastructure, health and welfare. There is also a tumultuous history between the governing French and indigenous Kanak peoples that is largely driven by the huge nickel mining concerns. It turns out the French are also mad for geocaching and that has fueled many interesting walks for us around the local sights.
We have been here now over 2 weeks watching for a good weather window to sail the 850 miles south to New Zealand. Because of the sometimes strong weather spilling up from the southern ocean, this can be a difficult passage and requires good forecasting and careful planning. Unfortunately, the weather has been unsettled making forecasting inconsistent. As a result, here we sit, waiting for the weather to settle a bit. We’re both getting a little anxious to leave and I’m worried for Wendy once the last geocache is found…