Checked out from Lautoka (Fiji) on Monday the 15 of September but couldn’t leave until two
days later due southerly winds. Had a SE wind around 20-25 kt and where heading in a Sw course. The sailing to Noumea – New Caledonia is about 700 miles. After three days of S-SE winds decided we to make a stop in Anatom, the most southern island in Vanuatu. The weather had so far been bad. Cloudy and cold so we were freezing all the time. Stayed two nights in Anatom which was a nice stay. Gave away all fishing equipment, lures and lines we had to the locals.
The trip from Anatom to Noumea took us two days and the wind were more easterly than before but much wind and high waves. Had a very nice sailing the last 50 miles when we came inside the reef. Strong current boosted us to 8 kt in 10kt of wind.
New Caledonia is just like French Polynesia – Expensive and English is not widely spoken. We were first planning to sail down to Ile de Pins but changed our mind because of the SE winds. Instead we explored a couple of anchorages not to far from Noumea, Lighthouse Amadee and another sheltered one. Saw many sea snakes on the islands.
After a week there were good forecasts to Australia so we took of a week earlier than expected. The sailing went very good. The first day was a little bit windy and big waves so the autopilot had problem steering up when there came gusty winds and when we surfed away on the waves. The other six days was really nice with the sun shining all the time and winds between 10-20 kt. No problem to sleep. Dolphins visited us two times and a whale closer to Australia. 800 miles and we were now in Bundaberg, Australia. Pacific have now been crossed! 10 500 miles on Uhuru.
Uhuru has now been sold and we will soon start our trip with backpacks for the next 6 months.
Posted by sailaround 
