Centre Ville - Noumea

Hi again,
Well, we've passed our first full day in Noumea and it has been uncharacteristically cold and raining non-stop all day. We had a jacket each which we had worn in Whangarei and almost didn't take with us but today was so unseasonable we dragged them out from under the forrard bunk and wore them most gratefully!! Our collapsible umbrellas (parapluies) were also very useful.
There is no laundry facility in the marina but 2 possibilities. So, first we dragged our huge quantity of washing to the other end of the marina only to be told by the person running the laundry there that she couldn't have it done before Monday. So, back again and we were directed to a laundromat in town not too far from the marina. They were very efficient but you cannot do your own laundry - it's a matter of dropping off and collecting later - the equivalent of NZD38 later! However, there were 3 loads so perhaps not so bad.
Sent an email to Fleming in Australia to get our windvane replaced and expressed the hope that any new ones are made from stronger material than corflute. Once we get to Australia we will look at getting a replacement made from something stronger such as Kevlar perhaps as it does take a beating.
Have to comment on our experience of the food here so far. Admittedly we have only eaten at the marina cafe and a pizza cafe in town, but we have found them to be uniformly bad. Very surprising, this being a French place but there you are. And a few years ago the marina cafe was reasonably good. However, as time goes on we will no doubt discover some better places. Only good thing about the marina cafe is that it is a Wifi hotspot so provided one buys a cup of coffee (about 250 francs) one can get free internet access.
We went to the market this morning and bought some wonderful fresh produce and fruit. As well as fish - it's a great fish market too and it operates daily. We bought a piece of the best Tuna we have ever seen and some Salmon. Tonight we had seared Salmon and Tuna Sashimi with beans and a great salad concocted by Jean and it was such a treat. And way less expensive and better than any equivalent ashore.
Tomorrow we have a local electrician coming on board at 0730 to look at our charging problem. Hopefully Jim's French will be up to the task although he spoke to Gerrard on the phone today and with Gerrard's broken English and Jim's broken French managed to understand each other!
We are feeling much more like people again now so hopefully the weather will break soon and we will be able to enjoy the place properly including the topless girls on the beach at Baie des Citrons!! With that to look forward to what more could anyone want? Speaking strictly for Jim of course!!
We will be putting a complete account of the passage from NZ on the blogsite in the next couple of days. Don't forget to keep watching www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com
By the way when we got up this morning we found a 3/4 full bottle of Coruba on deck with a note from John from the NZ yacht "Vagabond" saying that he had to fly back to NZ and "in recognition of our 11 testing days at sea couldn't think of a better cause"!! Neither of us drink rum but it was very good of him and no doubt it will come in handy somewhere along the line.
Must also mention the engine - the trusty old Ford just kept trucking along and we were never so glad of that than when we were coming through the Boulari Pass with the Amedee lighthouse looming up through the murk in front and waves crashing on the reef either side of us with a 20 + knot SE blowing. We've done over 60 hours motoring to counteract the easterly drift and headwinds we were subjected to on the way up. At one stage we were 100 miles to the east of our course (rhumb line). We would have then gone to Vanuatu 1st. but needed to get somewhere where we could get our various problems sorted. So, here we are.
That's it for now folks
Love from us both
J & J(G)

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