Tuesday 8 October 2013
Departure Day Port Vila For Sydney
We were up early for aiming for a quick departure. The Port Office and Customs opened at 7:30, so a few quick stops to pay the harbour dues, clear customs and immigration, pick up the gas bottle and some fruit and veggies, put the dinghy on deck and refuel shouldn’t take long. Six hours later we cast off.
Ken and Joy from “Trinity Castle” fare welled us with a fanfare of toots from their ships horn and we thanked them once again for Ken’s help fitting the starter isolation switch on Monday. Ken you are a blessing! A few minutes later a dinghy came alongside. A young man was standing in the bow waving a piece of paper at us and we wondered what this was about. Then we recognized Moses from the fuel dock and discovered we had sailed without paying for the fuel! Oops. We didn’t have any Vatu so a few phone calls later the amount was converted to aussie dollars, cash was handed over and we were free to go.
Clear of the land a gentle east south east breeze enabled us to set the main and jib, shut down the engine and settle into a very pleasant sail with dry decks and open hatches on course for Grand Passage at the northern end of Noumea. This is how it should be! However the weather man did not agree and as predicted the breeze dropped off and shortly before midnight the engine was back on and we powered through a dark but calm night.
Interestingly the sailing distance to go north of Noumea is within a mile or so of that going south. The forecast was for light winds and favored the northern route.
Onboard Cub Reporter, Cam Heathwood