Day 1: Passage Fiji to New Caledonia

Coordinating a check-out over the holiday weekend (Fiji Day!) took a bit of extra coordination. Chris and Calder into the water to scrub the bottom for a faster passage, as we need to get into New Caledonia before a system comes in. The forecast looks a bit “sporty” (code in cruising for bigger winds and seas). Before we left Mana, we went over to listen to the singing and gift our remaining kava roots, the harmonizing and joy of the music overwhelming.

Off to Denarau, the main tourist city where people fly in; one cruising friend joked that we were going from Fiji to Florida! Cora and I prepped food and the inside of the boat, while Calder and Chris prepped the outside of the boat and the engine rooms/bilges. The big check-list before departure on any passage.

Into Denarau, we filled up fresh water, cleaned up the boat, prepared more food, and took showers. One brief moment of pause when Chris, while looking at all the boat rigging with binoculars, thought he saw a crack. Up he went to inspect and thankfully, all looked good.

We went out for one last Indian food dinner with Wildflower, our buddy boat for this passage. 6:30am at the Customs and Immigration Office, easy and friendly to check-out, like everything in Fiji. Mixed feelings as we pull away from the dock…sadness to leave Fiji, anticipation about this passage, excitement to go to a new country.

Hmmm…headline news stories about the French Prime Minister resigning…we are going to New Caledonia, a French Overseas Territory. Time to dig into the political situation and reconsider our destination, could change course to Vanuatu if needed and have 2 days to make that decision. It is still a “yellow” safety zone location (proceed with caution, similar to Mexico). I’ve reached out to the main marina in the capital city of Noumea concerning our arrival and the security measures of the marina where we have to check in.

10 am, now outside the reef and the wind and swells build. With a reefed mainsail we are flying along at 8-9 knots in 23 knots of wind with 2 meter seas. Getting our sea legs.

11am, winds in the 30’s, gust to 37, adding more reefs in the sails, trying to make some south progress during daylight, as we’ll have to fall off in the night as we can’t anticipate the waves. Chris is hand-steering; he will be exhausted. Taking waves over the boat. This is friskier than I like it. Would love if this were behind us more, rather than on our beam. Crackers and bread taste yummy. Saw a speed of 11 knots; giddy-up. This is a wet ride. These are compression winds accelerated across the land. We just need to get away from land. I was sad to leave Fiji and now I just want Fiji to go away from my sight!

I didn’t write much the rest of the day, as was feeling quite “green” along with Cora. Continued big seas, big winds, and uncomfortable roll. But we were hauling! Calder and Chris were the champs of the day, but I did recover to take my 4 hour nightshift which I was glad of. I had also prepared food for their dinner, even if I didn’t eat. Nice to see the light from our buddy boat on the horizon.

Overnight, more of the same with a bit of excitement when the Code Zero (our big headsail) started to unfurl due to the winds. We’ve been using our smaller headsail (genoa). Chris and Calder tried to get it rewrapped but, with these winds and seastate, it just got jammed, so down it came and it’s in our locker. There are supposed to be some mellow times coming up on this passage so we’ll get it out then. For now, the Genoa is doing a great job!

Our 24 hour passage was 194.4 nm; a record-breaker for us.