WE made it! We circumnavigated la grande terre, the big island of New Caledonia.
We left Noumea in mid-August, spending a few blissful days around Isle Ouean before departing for the Loyalties. For the next month, until we sailed into Passe D’Ouarai, four-fifths of the way around the island, we saw only two other boats.
We had Navionics on the Ipad, a chartplotter and a few paper charts for navigation plus an out-of-date guidebook.
For one month we had been cruising New Caledonia’s southern lagoon, with its safe anchorages and friendly cruising community. French friends Regine et Gerard of SV Galdu had welcomed us to Noumea with baguettes and fresh fruit and chaperoned us to their favourite anchorages and fishing spots: Isle Mato, Isle Ouen, Baie du Prony with Isle…
