Noumea after 10 days of debauchery!!

Hi again,

Well, you might think we are spending the time supping G & T's in the cockpit but that's not the reality. We have nonetheless been enjoying the atmosphere not to mention the food. We are regular (daily) shoppers at the Marche Municipal (only 5 minutes walk) and the fruit and veges as well as meat and fish is soooooo fresh. So we are buying in the French way from hand to mouth every day.

Right now it is 1730 on Friday evening and we are sitting in the marina cafe enjoying a glass of vin rouge while a band is setting up to blast us with noise in a few minutes no doubt!! Must be an age thing!

We have finally organised a replacement wind vane which is being made in 4mm plywood and glassed so will be inherently much stronger than the original polycarbonate. Should see us as far as Australia. 

Then, just to remind us that maintenance is never finished on a boat, our galley sink drain pump has given up the ghost again with a split diaphragm. This has happened twice before and is inexplicable. So we made initial enquiries today from Marine Corail ( a local chandler) which were fairly fruitless. Then a suggestion was made that we get in the dinghy in the morning and go 1/2 a mile across the harbour to where there are other chandlers at Nouville Plaisance and who are more likely to have the replacement part we need. So, here's hoping. All a bit trying in broken French but we get by.

We were going to hire a car this morning to go up the island but glad that we postponed until next Friday. In the meantime once we get our bits and pieces we can sail north to Baie Maa or Baie de St. Vincent to see whether everything is working properly. In between we may be able to relax but it is certainly not like a holiday sitting on the beach!! 

We have met some very helpful people - not least of which is Herve who organised the windvane and drove Jim all over an industrial part of Noumea to buy the glass cloth and contacted his friend Bernard - another yachtie and is a furniture maker. Bernard is making and glassing the windvane.

Jim's French is improving but we probably need at least 6 months here for that to really start to flourish. We have walked to Baie des Citrons and tomorrow plan to go to Anse Vata to see the aquarium. Or maybe Sunday - Manyana!!

Love to eveyone

Jim and Gina (Jean)