Yate but NO LATTE!!!

Hi,
Well, we finally broke free of Ouinne's clutches and left the anchorage at 0510. We motorsailed under reefed main and staysail and held our course to within 20 degrees of the wind. We kept tacking to stay close under the lee of the coast and stay out of the worst of the oceanic swells which are largely unchecked hereabouts by any above water barrier reef. It was important to get at least down to a point where we could sail in a more southerly direction before the wind increased too much. We managed that and in fact, apart from a brief period of 24 knots, the wind never again went over 20 and was mostly around 18. That was manageable in an "on the nose" situation and then it was down to the last 4 miles with the wind on the beam. We turned into the Yate entrance past the coral reefs on each side about 1000 and surfed in on the ocean swells - a reasonably narrow entrance so accurate helmsmanship was necessary!! We shot in like a cork out of a bottle and then went head to wind to lower the mainsail. The bottom was shelving up rapidly from 200' outside to suddenly 20'!! So, we gingerly crept ahead watching the chartplotter and the depth sounder like a hawk. On the chartplotter there was a shallow patch showing on our port side jutting into the channel so we altered course to starboard - mistake!! We ran aground on a sandbank and we were being driven further on by the onshore wind - by then about 15 knots. That's when one is very grateful for sheer horsepower and a big propellor and we slowly forced our way back into the channel.
Without any other problems we continued upriver and dropped anchor opposite a boatramp which would provide an easy means of access to the shore. We could see no sign of any civilisation whatsoever but thought we'd go ashore nevertheless. We asked directions after flagging cars down and got the usual conflicting answers! Anyway, we set of on Shank's Pony and after about 2 kms came to the small settlement of Yate. It consisted of a shop/fuel station, a Gendarmerie and a hydro power station which supplies a nearby nickel plant. Of course the shop was FERMEE (!) when we arrived about 1300 and wasn't opening until 1430.
After exchanging pleasantries with a couple of resident dogs (there were no humans in sight!) we finally spied a most attractive local lady Gendarme. She offered us a cup of coffee or tea and we accepted with our customary enthusiasm! So, we went into the Gendarmerie and were taken out the back - not to the cells but to an outdoor table where we were offered very pleasant refreshment and broken French/English conversation! Then we were joined by two other Gendarmes who it turned out were on secondment from France. One of them was from Rouen in France. We had a very pleasant time with them and then when the shop opened we went next door to see what was available. Forget fresh fruit and veges, so we bought 3 bottles of wine and quelques choses apart from that at exorbitant prices - even for this place!! Even a packet of potato chips for 520 francs (NZD7.43) because we had been starved of junk food!!
Then we started walking back to the boat and were overtaken by said gendarmes in the police vehicle. They offered us a lift back to the boat ramp and we joked that usually when picked up by the police it is usually an arrest situation! Then when we arrived we asked them to take our photo in front of the paddy wagon. No mugshots though!! We gave them our card so we hope we hear from them again. It's amazing who you meet in this cruising life - it's part of the attraction, if not most of it, and certainly colours one's perception of a place.
So, it's back on board and cooking curried chicken. The cruising notes are hopelessly out of date as there's no hotel as they claim. We were looking forward to a meal ashore but will have to wait for Noumea.
Tomorrow we are off again and will get to the Havannah entrance by slack water and then hopefully be carried in on the flood tide to anchor for the night on the west side of Isle Ouen. That's the plan and then Noumea the next day. As always watch this space.
Cheers and love from us again..............
www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com
P.S. Pleased to hear the RWC final score but must have been a nailbiter. Thanks Perry. Sorry we couldn't have seen it - the Gendarmes told us France was leading at halftime so it must have been tense. Probably lucky we weren't locked up in reprisal!!!!

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