Noumea again

03/09 Back in town!! Can't help liking this place - even with all its French frustrations. We went to the Saturday market this morning and enjoyed a croissant between us as well as 2 cafes noirs. Bought some fruit, veges and pate and then went to McDonalds (!) as we'd heard that their internet connection was superior - but it wasn't!! Still, we managed to send some emails.
02/09 Yesterday we left Ilot Maitre mid morning after calling Port Moselle Marina on VHF 67 and headed to Noumea about 3 miles away - same distance as Roberton Is. to Paroa Bay in the BOI. However, approaching Noumea on that different angle gave a confusing visual aspect to the entrance and Jim became quite disorientated which we later put down to a highish blood sugar level which was 11.5 when we tested it after we arrived in the marina. He's not very responsible when it comes to taking his medication and in fact had forgotten to take it for the 2 preceding nights. It's a minimal dose as his sugar level is usually only marginally above normal but it shows how the medication (or lack thereof) does affect things. After that and feeling pretty miserable he took a normal dose and went to sleep, then woke up after an hour or so feeling somewhat better with a sugar level of 5!! Jean had been feeling very much under the weather as well - possibly another virus, but after a strenuous episode of sorting the storage under our forrard bunk she seemed to be starting to come right.
Beautiful homemade chicken noodle soup with lots of veges for dinner (at least as good as we had had in Malaysia) and an early night. We both felt much better the following morning.
01/09 "Giselle" left the Rade de l'Est, Prony for Noumea at 0630 and very shortly afterwards so did we. A beautiful day and we motorsailed all the way through the Canal Woodin with the last of the flood tide which was the reason for leaving early. Going against the tide through there is a bit like pushing it uphill with a rake!! Then on to the Isle Porc-Epic whence we made a slight course change for Ilot Maitre. Most reefs in the lagoon are well marked but one needs to be sure of the position to avoid those that aren't. We arrived at the Ilot and picked up a mooring buoy for the night. Then decided to go ashore to inspect the posh resort with its over water bungalows to see how the other half lives. We wandered around - everything very upmarket - but almost no-one there. Then, just because we were there we decided to have a drink in spite of a sign which said that the bar was out of bounds to anyone who was not a guest. The price for a can of Heinecken and a Perrier water was 1350 francs (NZD20)so we won't be going there again.
Back on the boat for dinner which Jim cooked as Jean was starting to feel distinctly unwell. We had Escallope de Veau and the last of our veges and fell into bed with the wind starting to gust 15 knots and occasionally higher. Still, we were reasonably sheltered although the anchorage became a bit jobbly. We had doubled up the mooring lines so were quite secure. "Vite Vite" a German catamaran we had known at Norsand moored just in front of us.
This blog is written back to front just to keep you on your toes!!
Cheers and love again from us
J & J (G)

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