Still in Port Bouquet

Well, conditions haven't let up although we have concluded that there seems most days to be a window of less wind from about 5 to 10 in the morning. Port Bouquet is quite large with several good anchorages so we decided to move about 5 miles to another anchorage that much closer to our next destination, Ouinne. This anchorage is Anse Toupeti off Ile Toupeti and the position is lat. 21 degrees 41.3' S long. 166 degrees 25.5' E. It is very pretty but even behind high hills the SE wind has been screaming over us most of the day. We went ashore and it's a steeply shelving beach with for once no coral obstructions in front of it. There is sign of previous habitation in the form of 2 rusty ramshackle corrugated iron hovels with sheets of iron banging in the wind. Behind there is evidence of some form of garden in the past and some banana palms but everything very overgrown and no bananas!!! Nevertheless a beautiful idyllic spot and only a few mining scars visible in the distance.
We are hoping that the wind pipes down tonight (the normal pattern but by no means assured) to allow us to head in a SE direction early tomorrow. When it's literally on the nose it's no fun if it's strong. Sure we can sail to windward but it's very uncomfortable in the nasty short chop that quickly develops and we have to sail many tacks instead of in a straight line. However, we do have to press on as we need to get back to Noumea before clearing out to Bundaberg. We are also worried about the watermaker which has now almost entirely packed up. Open Ocean of Opua have been making suggestions by email but with limited resources and the inability to replace anything critical we think that the best course would be to have it sorted in Australia. Just as an example, to get at the H.P. pump we have to disassemble and then reassemble the front of the engine box and also the galley sole (floor). So, we'll follow their suggestions once back in Noumea and see if that helps but we seriously doubt it; the problems appear more deep seated.
So, we have to get south, not least because we will soon run out of water. Washing dishes once a day in a bucket, rinsing in salt water and no showers isn't the reason we have a watermaker!!! Altogether very disappointing.
Hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to report further progress south weather permitting. One thing for sure we'll be up and looking at the situation at 0400 tomorrow!
Cheers and love from us
www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com
P.S. Can someone please confirm the date of the RWC final between NZ and France. Is it Sat. 22nd. or Mon. 24th.? Thanks

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