Cruising New Caledonia!

Toketie made it out of the anchorage in Noumea! The city was fine for a week, lots of bagettes and croissants! And the wine is excellent here...full bodied red Beaujolais and Bordeaux at prices even we can afford! But we are now sitting in a remote anchorage at the end of an inlet with our good friends from Sukanuk that we have not seen since NZ. Took a dinghy ride up a shallow river to a small waterfall and supposed 'hot springs' which were not hot but a nice pool anyway. Clouding over and a stationery front to the S will keep us here for a few days and then hopefully do some more exploring.

Arrived New Caledonia safely!

Made it! Not a bad passage overall but the cold beer and hot shower will be very welcome!!

Approaching New Caledonia!

With 110nm to go, Toketie is on her final approach to New Caledonia! The sky is deep blue with a smattering of puffy white cumulus clouds or 'tradewind clouds' as we refer to them. The wind is very gentle from the SE and the seas are kind. One can not ask for much more in an ocean passage! We hope to clear Havannah Pass and enter the main reef early afternoon on Friday (in New Cal). The AIS (Automatic Identification System) we installed paid for itself in the wee hours of this morning as the 'Coral Coast', a very large freighter, was bearing down on us directly ahead on a reciprocal course to ours! Calling the vessel on its MMSI # alerted a crew member who then had a look out the window and confirmed he could see us! The vessel then very kindly altered course to pass us safely.

Smooth Sailing!

After sailing out of the rain and clouds overnight to clear blue skies and sunshine with a gentle tradewind large off the port quarter, we are having some of our best sailing ever! (touching wood)

Underway!

Motored for 24 hours with no wind. Good offing from land, now sailing very slowly using drifter. Clear skies and trough ahead appears to have moved south.

Toketie ready!

Well, after a few very relaxing days in Momi Bay, Fiji, it looks like
tomorrow, Saturday in this part of the world is a good day to go to
sea! We avoided leaving port on Friday the 13th for fear of tempting
fate. Weather looks fairly light ahead but we shall see what it
brings. Managed to connect to Airmail so should be able to provide
brief updates by HAM radio en route.

Leaving Fiji!

We have not actually left Fiji yet! We are anchored in Momi Bay, a small bay within sight of the main pass through the reef. The winds have been howling for days and a trough of bad weather is approaching New Caledonia so we thought we would hide out here and wait for things to calm down a bit before venturing forth. A 35 knot tailwind and cross seas is not our choice of sea conditions! It is forecast to start to settle down tomorrow so we will look at the weather in the morning again and decide whether to set out. Tried to get into Airmail over the HF radio today but had no luck connecting so might not be able to send updates along the way. We will, however, be doing a radio schedule with Derek and Anthea on Sukanuk who are in New Caledonia now.
The extra day in the anchorage was welcome as we had a few loose ends to tie up before going to sea.

Toketie on the move!

Well, we have left the security of the marina and are now anchored off the sugarmill town of Lautoka. A nasty looking cold front sits between us and New Caledonia, however, so we will cool our heels till it passes. We are fueled, watered, propaned, and otherwise provisioned to head West so when the weather looks right, we will clear customs and immigration and head out the pass for open water! It is about 40 miles to the pass from here, about a 600 mile passage and another 40 miles inside the reef to Noumea in New Caledonia. Hoping the Convergence Zone with its squalls and thunderstorms stays North of us and the tradewinds from the SE are steady along the way!

laundry day!

Slaving in the hot sun.....in Vuda Point Marina, Fiji!

Living in the minute!

Once again….my apologies to all of our loyal vicarious blogging
sailors out there! I know I have been negligent in updating you on
our situation. There is no excuse, as usual, and I plead lethargy!

In brief…I survived two months of refitting Toketie…Linda arrived to restore me to sanity….and we escaped to Musket Cove for a few weeks of much needed rest. Soon being bored with resting, we took scuba diving lessons and earned our open water PADI diving certificates and made four ocean dives!

But we are back in the marina, doing the final preparations for leaving Fiji…a very mixed blessing….as we do not feel we have really finished with this place….but it is time to move on and the call of
the West is strong so we get up early to take the 'chicken bus' into
town…run around like mad photocopying charts and guides, buying whatever we can find to stock the cupboards for the journey ahead….one more trip up the mast, fuel, water, gas…all the nicessities…..and the parting with friends, always hard as everyone follows their own personal dream….but the ocean's track is not written and only by moving somewhat blindly into the future can it be known….so now we look at the weather charts and prepare ourselves to leave the safe confines of life ashore for the open sea….I think we are ready!

Toketie's TODO lists!

Toketie's 'todo' lists come in many flavours! The hastily scribbled
note on a yellow sticky! Or worse the hastily scribbled note on a
scrap piece of paper! The formal organized list for the day! Or the
formal organized list for the particular marina or anchorage. Then,
of course, each list will have the critical 'must do' items, perhaps
prior to sailing or prior to a passage! And then there are the 'would
like to do' items that are usually the ones scribbled on any available
paper as they usually occur to us while underway or busy with
something else! And then there are the 'dream on' items, things we
would like to do but can't foresee a time when we can afford them.
Routine day to day things that never make the list but take up a lot
of time include preparing meals, shopping, cleaning the galley, doing
the laundry etc..
But whatever flavour they come in, there is usually at least one list
at any time. Occasionally they are consolidated and maybe even
prioritized. I know it sounds pretty anal for the cruising lifestyle!
But we find that if we don't make note of these things and refer to
the notes, there is less chance of things getting done. And most days
we can wake up and look at the list and decide what we feel like doing that day…if anything! We try to cross an item or two off the list each day. That way, we can enjoy the rest of the day without feeling guilty about not getting anything done, you know, that nagging feeling that you should be working instead of snorkelling or hanging out at the pool!
The list(s) are like an accordion though. It seems that whenever something gets crossed off of it, two more things get added on! But that is the nature of the list! And slowly things get done and we can look around at our cozy little floating home and feel good about it!
Bigger items, like the recent repainting of the decks, require lots of planning and resources (like money)! Smaller items only require that you find the necessary pieces and tools, usually well hidden or buried at the bottom of a locker. So often the smallest task can turn drawers or lockers upside down to accomplish. But then everything goes back to its place and life returns to whatever 'normal' is on
board!

For example, at the moment the list is down to the following:
Rig lazy jacks
Soak rusty tools in diesel
Polish and remount brass bell
Test HF radio
Support for cockpit table
Call Willie to schedule paint touch-up
Refasten lifeline netting
Clear out V berth
Pay VISA
Provisions
2 cycle oil and diesel oil
Battery water
New fire extinguisher

So if you thought we were just lolly-gagging about in paradise here,
well we do a bit of that but…..oops….gotta go….the list is calling!

Up the mast!

Installing a new steaming and deck light on the forward face of the mast!  Got it on just before the weather went south bringing a vigorous 50 knots to the anchorage overnight and heavy tropical rain.  Deck light came in handy when someone dragged anchor and went steaming by in the middle of the night!

Toketie in Musket Cove!

We have escaped the confines of the marina and are enjoying the Fiji the tourists see!  Still have a list of things to do on board but much more pleasant doing them out here where we can swim with the colored fishies!!

The TradeWinds!

The trades have finally arrived!  Steady and strong from the SE....bringing lower temperatures and very cool nights to Fiji!  Makes for much more comfortable days.....and nights you can actually fall asleep in!  The locals are quick to put on sweaters and jackets but for us hardy Canucks....going from 30C+ degrees to 26 on board is easy to take. 

We have bent the sails back on to Toketie!  She rocks gently at the slip and teases us with her desire to leave the confines of the marina and once more feel the wind in her sails and the water gliding past her keel!

This week we hope to escape to Musket Cove and relax on the hook briefly while we plan our next leg!  There is so much more of Fiji to explore but New Caledonia beckons so the plan at the moment is to sail 700nm West to sample the baguettes before carrying on to Australia......

Andre's book!

Our good friend Andre that we met under very unusual circumstances in Mexico a few years ago has just had a book published.  His views are very direct, always entertaining and contain layers of meaning. 

You can find it online or through Amazon.com and it's called "Oceanborne Madness??? A self-alleged Aliens views about Humanity"

The weak in spirit need not apply!

Splash!

Toketie afloat once more!  The crew are very happy!!

Toketie painted!

Most of the hardware has been bolted back on....still lots to hook up and stow....very pleased with the new paint job!

Toketie's decks being painted

...masking the new paint before applying the anti skid....

Back in the marina!

Well, I have moved out of Abdul's house....I'm sure the cockroaches(those that survived) will appreciate having the place to themselves!  I am still not on board Toketie at night as I have sanded the floors and am varnishing them, between putting the portholes and deck hardware back on.  Our friends Russ and Sue on Antipodean are off travelling for a week and I am boat sitting for them while they are away. 

Deck painting finished!

Big day yesterday!  Rolled on the anti slip....today they pulled the tape off.  I sanded the floor inside all day!  Only eight days till the admiral arrives....have to get this old bucket shipshape!!
Pictures to follow......on a side note, one Fijian, a security guard at the marina, is renting a few doors down from me.....he invited me over for kava but I have not been able to make it yet!