Baie de pam to Puebo lat.20 degrees 22.6' S long. 164 degrees 35.3' E

Well, today has been fascinating, but long and we're going to sleep well tonight.
We left Baie de Pam at 0600 as soon as we could see reasonably well and began with high hopes that the wind would be a favourable SW. However, when we cleared the reefs at the mouth of the bay and turned towards the south we found that it had swung back to the usual SE and up to 20 knots - no good for us as we are heading south and New Caledonia lies NW-SE. However, we managed to motorsail reasonably well by sailing very tight tacks which made the boat more stable and increased our speed, although with the penalty of sailing further. There's no such thing as a free lunch! The other issue as always was that we were always limited by the reefs all around us. For example in NZ one can decide to sail on one tack for (say) 20 miles offshore and then sail back in. But you can't do that here. You could, but only by sailing out through the reef into the open sea. In many places you are in a channel between coral reefs only a quarter of a mile wide or less which makes tacking a bit of a chore. Anyway we managed fairly creditably with reefed main and staysail and using the engine to hold her up to within 20-30 degrees of the wind direction. Close attention to the chart plotter and the trusty eyeballs made the navigation easier because you can't see coral reefs until you are fairly close and again it's not like NZ where one can see land masses to aim for or avoid - one is simply looking at an apparent area of open sea but it's littered with reefs - all under the water!!
Anyway, 16 miles south of Pam we arrived at Balade. There is a village on the shore but fairly inaccessible from the boat. However, there is a small sand island (about 500 metres long) called Ile Poudioue which is part of a reef about half a mile out in the lagoon and it is where in September 1774 Captain Cook landed and observed an eclipse of the sun. He called it Observatory Is. We anchored just on the shoreside of the island and went ashore where we trod the hallowed ground where the Great Navigator had been. We imagined the ship's boat coming into the island with Cook and some officers and the boat's crew; the island is the same today as it would have been then. There is also a concrete monument there in memory of Capitaine Huon de Kermadec who commanded the French Navy frigate "Esperance". He was part of Bruny d'Entrecasteaux's expedition of 1793 and NZ's Kermadec Islands are named after him. He died of a tropical disease and was the first European to have been buried in New Caledonia - a dubious distinction one would have thought. He died in May 1793.
We took our leave of Balade after some lunch on board - the last of our pate!! Horrors - we are now out of pate and cheese and almost out of wine! Never mind, soon we will be in Hienghene. The wind had increased and was really on the nose this time so as it was only 10 miles we just pointed her into it and motored. We soon arrived at 1400 at Pouebo where "Giselle" had arrived earlier after overnighting at Balade. Pouebo is an indifferent anchorage although sheltered behind a large reef system. However, unlike land, the reef does not give total protection from sea and so the anchorage tonight is a bit rolly. However, we will sleep through anything! This afternoon after we arrived we decided to see whether we could buy any provisions in the village which is largely invisible from the sea. There is the Puebo River which is supposed to give access to the village and we had anchored just off the mouth. We launched the dinghy and put our trusty 2.2 hp. Suzuki on the back plus some extra fuel and headed for the entrance. There is a shallow bar to cross and then we were heading upstream. A long way to the road bridge just out of town. It felt like going up the "great grey green greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever trees"!! Must have been at least half a mile winding our way around the bends. Anyway, we eventually arrived at the bridge which looked like a WWII relic all built of steel girders. Inexplicably there was a fairly new bridge alongside which had been blocked off from being used. Must be some local squabble. Then we had the usual hassle of asking directions. Fairly simple we would have thought - ou est le magasin? After about 6 different answers and different opening hours being quoted we were starting to lose interest when we came across a young teacher at the local school. Strangely she wasn't sure either but she offered to take us in her car to find the shop!! Find it we did and bought some cheap wine, some more Danish chicken sausages and a lettuce. No fruit available! Then she drove us back to the boat tied up under the bridge. She had been very kind and informed Jim that he was sitting on the front passenger seat where one of her dogs preferred to be!! Not that she was worried but it explained the strange looks the dog had been giving Jim!!
Than back down the Congo - oops sorry the Pouebo!! Out to the boat, hoisting the dinghy back aboard and generally getting ready for an early start in the morning for Hienghene 30 miles further south. Pork stirfry for dinner and now writing this blog. Hope there is no hassle with Sailmail and that it goes through quickly so that Jim can have a shower and get to bed.
Lotsaluv from us.....................
www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com

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