Wednesday 17th October:  Noumea, New Caledonia South Pacific Ocean 22 16.6S  166 26.3E 

Today’s Blog by David (Time zone BST+10.00; UTC +11.00 )

It was a wet weekend; we occupied ourselves doing “jobs” around the boat; Lenie, Terry and Richard occupied themselves with the provisioning for a 10-20 day cruise around New Caledonia.  Outside Noumea this is a remote terrain. We expect  basic staples (Rice, pasta, oils, tinned tuna etc – perhaps flour)  to be available in villages locally with opportunistic purchases of whatever has been grown in the village a real possibility – perhaps by bartering.  

Catering quantities are  needed  for a crew of five provisioning for three weeks.   For example, if everyone is going to  drink three tinned or bottled drinks everyday  then we need 300 such drinks; if four then four hundred: say 250 beers and 150 diet coke look-alikes ......   and with such catering quantities comes the logistical challenge of sourcing them – and getting it all  back to the boat.  It took pretty much three mornings to accomplish.

Meanwhile the weather forecast for Monday deteriorated - it chucked  it down all day and we bided out time  – but Tuesday’s forecast looked more promising.  However, we awoke to a showery grey old day with clouds scudding across the skies.  Meteofrance.nc forecast that the weather would break in the afternoon and having twiddled our fingers all Monday we decided to go, gingerly slipping our lines at about 11.00 and then spending an hour reminding ourselves  what all the string does while going round in circles in the lagoon.

We  set off into a steady 22-25 knots of wind with an accompanying  stiff short chop (much as you would expect beating from Calshot LV to  West Bramble, the  wind against tide).  Only staysail, with two deep reefs in the mainsail – nonetheless we were quite pressed.

Sadly, we were all a bit rusty and things began to go wrong.

1              The pedestal chart plotter malfunctioned when it got wet

2              The cheek block that stows the lazy running back stay was pulled off in the enthusiasm to set the backstay  (eer ....without unstowing it)

3              The  sheath  over the staysail halyard parted, the staysail came partly down and a section of the bolt rope was torn out of the sail.

Thus chastened, we returned to an anchorage in Port Moselle (could not get a marina berth). Fortunately we found a sail maker and someone to supply a replacement halyard. The cheek block is intact and can be refitted – the chart plotter is another thing altogether. We’ll have to see how it goes – it still is working  but has lost some of its functionality.  

Today’s Umbrella Awards

While it is the case that there were others deserving, the currency is debased if just about everyone gets them. Besides, all of our available stock is today consumed by a single award for conspicuous stupidity – indeed a whole Hat Stand of Umbrellas is hereby  awarded to:  yours truly, your correspondent.

You see, the staysail halyard has failed before – circa June 2011 - in exactly the same situation. I can’t say that I think it should be so, but  I was told  one cannot rely on the jamming cleat at the mast.  The halyard has also to be held tight on the winch for security.  Apparently, if the halyard is not tensioned when the jamming cleat is opened, the friction caused as the rope is released can melt through  the cover which then parts exposing the spectra core (QED). 

That is all very well, but there are three halyards and only to winches – but the fact is that the genoa was not in use – so no excuse.  Ma culpa; thank goodness there is someone locally who says he can fix it within a couple of days…..