Passage 1- Brisbane to Noumea

Departure Port: Brisbane (Rivergate Marina Official Entry Port for small craft)
Towards: Noumea (Only entry Port for small craft entering New Caledonia. That is significant later)
Actual time Date of Departure: Monday 27 1200 June 2022
ETA: Saturday 2 June or Sunday 3 July 2022
Estimated Passage Time: 5-6 Days in optimal weather
Estimated Passage Distance: 830nm via Cape Moreton to Land Fall at Passe De Dumbea
Weather Planning: Going east from QLD to the South Pacific has a bad reputation in Autumn and winter, once the South East trades have settled in. Ideally we would have a Westerly send off and at least 2 days of Southerly/westerly/ northerly winds. The week preceding our delayed deaprture would have been ideal with 4 days of sustained fairly mild westerlies.

Friday 24 June, the 10 day forecast showed Westerlies on Sunday/Monday then Southerly 20-25kn on Tuesday Wednesday, before a mid week change to trade wind condtitons.

Passage Planning: Day 1 – after overnight Sunday at St Helena. Proceed upriver of second half of flood tide to Rivergate for a 9AM Customs Clearance. Ride back down River on ebb. Final Boat prep for Sea at Mud Island as needed. Exit Moreton Bay via Inner Freeman Channel. Depart Cape Moreton by 1400 hours and make for sea before dark.

Day 2-3. Maintain easterly heading 80-100 True, on expected beam reach. Let EAC take us south. SOG should be 6.5 – 7.5kn. Expect 150nm run per day.

Day 3-4-5. As wind makes east alter course to North East. Proavbale close reach then clsoe hauled. Expect 130Nm per day and a SOG of 5.5 to 6.5 kn.

Landfall at Passe Nord or Passe Dumbea

Ship preparation:
Decided to retain tender on davits, covered and extra lashings. Our davits are high and very strong but the idea of a boarding seas from astern bothered me. Otherwise all safety gear checked, jacklines on, sea berths made up, New Nav lights fitted, HF and Iridium weather reports recieving.
Arrival Port/Date/Time: Noumea 1530 Local (1430EST), Tuesday 5 July. Landfall off Passe De Pouembout 2300, Sunday 3 July 22. Transit of West Coast to windward on Monday then via Passe St Vincent and Lagoon to Noumea.
Actual Passage Time: 8 Days, 4 hours.
Actual Distance travelled: 950nm
Bne to Kelso Bank (Maritime Boundry ie half way)= 456nm. 3D18H, AV SOG 4.3kn.
Kelso Banks to West Coast = 326nm. 2D15H. AV SOG 5.4kn.
West Coast Transit (at 5-15nm offshore) = 168nm. 1D19H. AV 5.5kn.

Average Boat Speed: 5.2kn

Daily Log Comments:
Monday 27 June. Departure uncomplicated. Final prep took 2 hours at Mud Island. Crossing sand banks at North end of Moreton is always nail biting. Turbulant. Never less than 2.5m under keel. Fine weather on departure but afternoon VHF weather announced a strong wind warning (25-30kn)for Northern NSW and Gold Coast waters for Tuesday. Evening VHF broadcast extended this to Sunshine Caost waters. Decided to coninue as we need to be comfortable with those winds if we are to be offshore sailors. Karen off watch at 1800. Reduced sail at sundown to 1st Reef in Main and Genoa at 100% (we have a 120% genoa). Winds at 22kn by 2200, Sail reduced to 2nd reefed main. Genoa furled. Staysail 100%. Making 6.5kn at 90True. Karen on watch 2300.

Tuesday 28 June. The wind is here. 0200 Reduced to 3rd Reef in main. 0400 Doused main. Winds gusting 30kn. Beared North East and runnning at 5kn at Dawn. Dean was by now very sick (as usual in first 24 hours). Maintain NW heading under reduced staysail on broad reach starboard tack for 30 hours. Seas 1.5m on a 2-3m swell and fairly consistent SE direction. Winds gust to 44kn apparant (this is downwind). Run to Paradise handled it well. Some big greenies over the deck when hit beam on. On Tuesday evening, steering wheel spun off its spindle, caused by vigorus autopilot action!

Wednesday 29 June. Autopilot failed early this morning. Hydraulic fluid leak. Topped up twice and kept it going to morning. Then fitted our spare. Yes a spare! Ancient belt drive wheel pilot, but it works! Wind calming to below 25kn and veering SE. Maintined NE heading. Seas abating, Nausea abated. Thats our first gail at sea. Tick. Main back up 2nd reef in but day spent in repair and recovery. We were now a long way North from our expected course and face an upwind passage for the next half of the passage. Also the banks and reefs of the northern Coral Sea were a factor in our headings now. Winds were still strong further south, so I decided to close the NW coast of New Caledonia and transit the coast SE to Noumea within the wind shadow of Grande Terre. Due Easterly Winds expected for next 5 days.

Thursday 30 June. Passage making again. Maintained ENE heading then motored overnight past Kelso Banks to achieve some ESE easting miles. Sees are calmer now and clouds clearing. Wind E 15kn. Seas 1m.
Friday 1 July. After some ESE motoring overnight. Long close hauled Tack, holding 35TWA (true wind Angle) all day. Due to motoring east much more fuel than expected used. Still have 380L which is 48 hours of motoring. Thus will need to close the coast under sail expect landfall on North West coast late Sunday, then Overnight to a northern Lagoon entry, or Bay Bouraill on Monday.

Saturday 2 July. Continued NE close hauled and comfortable. Tacked to Port Tack as winds shfted ENE in afternoon and lets us avoid the Landsdowne Banks. Expect landfall somewhere south of Koumac tomorrow evening. Winds less than 10kn overnight so motored east for 30nm.

Sunday 3 July. Continued NE. Wind east 10-15kn. Generally maintaining SOG close hauled of 5-5.5kn. Saw a coastal fishing boat. Shore lights sighted 2200. Town of Voh (Baie Chasseloup).

Monday 4 July. Great morning. Sailing ESE parallel to Coast. Very Scenic. Aim is a brief overnight stop for crew rest at Bourail Bay. Unfortunately an abrupt wind shift to SE at midday meant I decided to motor sail further inshore to achive Bourail by Sundown. Then an even more unfortunate delay disentangling some old floating line from the stern gear and rudder. Very fortunate no damage done. Motor sailed SE at 10miles off aiming for Pass St Vicecnt at Dawn for flood tide.

Tuesday 5 July – Passe St Vincent just after dawn. No wind. Calm seas. Clear entry into safety of Lagoon and then slowly steamed down to Noumea. Late arrival at 1530 saw us anchor in Baie De L’Orphelinat in 10.5m just outside moored boats. Sun downer, shower and bed.

Passage Making Blue Water Sailors. Tick.