Rain, Wind and More of the Same
Tuesday, June 25th – It rained all night, but it is supposed to clear as the day lengthens. With good wind forecast, we decide to sail on to Ouvea, the next island up the chain. Under overcast skies, we set forth motoring past the limestone cliffs off the end of Lifou.
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High on the escarpment, a large church with surrounding buildings can be seen. Certainly it is more than a simple village church. Is it a monastery? Whatever it is, we wonder, with the relatively small population of the surrounding area, if it is still in use. It certainly has both a commanding presence and a magnificent view.
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The day’s forecasted clearing never happened nor were the winds up to forecast levels. With only 8 – 10 kts from directly behind us, we end up dismally motoring all 48 miles in the rain in order to arrive in daylight. Through grey weeping skies, we see the low-lying island of Ouvea in the distance. This island to us is the prettiest of the Loyalties with a white sand beach following the huge crescent shape of the island. As far as you can see is sand beach, and as far out to sea as you can see shimmers beautiful light blue water. You need calm, clear and sunny days to appreciate it all, and not the present weather that is forecast!
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Wednesday, June 26th – Anchored off Ile de Mouley on Ouvea, we are delighted that it is not raining this morning. Skies are heavily clouded, but the sun is able to shine forth in open patches. Time for a walk! With a good stiff breeze, hiking along the beach is pleasant. Without thinking about it, we hiked a good 5 miles. How great to be able to get in some decent exercise for a change!
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Along the beach, small fishing boats have been pulled up on the sand. Every once in a while, rustic benches or picnic areas can be seen set back in the shade of the trees. A simple shelter can occasionally be viewed. Though we see no one on our hike, the evidence that the area is occupied and used is nice to observe.
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Sitting on the boat in the afternoon, The First Mate spots a young family walking down to the water’s edge. Both parents cavort in the water with their 2 children. This is not a sight one sees very often on the islands. Young children will play in the water, but seldom do we see grown men swimming or playing in the water. Never have we seen a woman. It just isn’t done. How great to see this family enjoying these beautiful waters!
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Later in the afternoon, a group of youth set up an impromptu soccer field delineating the boundaries with upended logs. What fun to watch them out there enjoying the beach! We never saw such playful activity on Grand Terre. The First Mate decides that if she were a Kanak child, definitely she would want to be living out here on the Loyalties!
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Thursday, June 27th – Rain, rain and more rain! That forecasted rain arrived last evening, continued all night and all day. There are few things drearier than being encased in a boat due to rain.
Friday, June 28th – Easing up a little in the morning to intermittent misty rain, we set out for another walk. Instead of following the beach, we head inland to the main road. We know there’s a really small shop out there. Maybe we can, at the minimum, buy a baguette.
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Set back off the main road at the end of a long avenue of trees is a small Catholic Church. Traditional in design and coloring, pretty it is from the distance until one walks up close enough to observe the peeling paint, cracked plaster and occasional broken window. The constant state of disrepair out here on the islands truly depresses The First Mate. It would not bother her if she could see that money was being spent elsewhere to improve lives or living conditions, but she does not see that happening, at least not in a way that can be observed. She supposes, too, that as with every municipality across the world, the cost of infrastructure is more than can be afforded or prioritized.
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Further down the road, we come to a formidable fortress. These are the grounds of La Grande Chefferie Doumai. Look at the size of the tree trunks that went into building that wall! We know from our reading that it is forbidden for us to step inside the entrance, but we can glance inside. The grounds are immaculate. Nothing is in disrepair. Care and maintenance has been expended here.
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We recall the many Case we had seen on Livou. All were beautifully built, landscaped even, and none were in disr, epair. Thinking back to what Dominque, our French cruiser acquaintance, had postulated, we think he may have been at least half way correct. The Kanaks maintain the things that are of their culture, that are important to them, but the things put in by the outsiders are another matter. If someone else maintains them, that’s fine. If not, that’s fine, too, for they mean nothing to the Kanaks and their way of life.
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That all may be true, but taking a look at the construction materials, The First Mate notes that materials such as concrete and paint are much harder and costlier to maintain than buildings made out of Mother Nature’s abundances, cost-free and easy to gather and replace.
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The next point of interest we pass is a cross-filled cemetery with a commanding view of the blue ocean. “Not a bad place to spend eternity,” thinks The First Mate. Though many of the graves are old and show the ravages of time, many more are beautifully decorated and maintained. In a culture which reveres its ancestors, this is not at all surprising.
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After about an hour and with the skies darkening, we decide to turn around. Light rain is falling as we walk past a brightly decorated Snack Shack Tea House. Under The First Mate’s insistence, we walk into the outside palm frond covered patio. No one is around. Venturing further in toward what looks to be the kitchen, we find a delightful woman with a bright smile. The place is spotlessly clean with white dishes and glasses neatly lined on shelves. Yes, we can have tea. Would we also like some crepes? Perfect! We return to the patio to sit, and while waiting, listen to the rain pattering on the palm fronds above our heads.
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In a short while, our tea is served. Crepes will be out soon we are told. We learn from our welcoming hostess that cruise ships used to stop at this end of the island, but they no longer do that. Across the street, we can see a similar patio area that would accommodate cruise ship passengers. We wonder where her business comes from nowadays. Do locals stop by for breakfast or lunch, even a snack? We don’t know, but we tell her how delightful her place is and how prettily decorated. Her response is a wide grin of pleasure and pride.
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The crepes are served with a coconut cream that looks something like a chocolate sauce. We both struggle to finish the largest cups of tea we have ever been served. All in all, it was a very interesting stop, and we enjoyed talking a little bit of French and a little bit of English with an outgoing, friendly Kanak woman. We actually sat out that bout of rain, too!
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Looking out at the distant sky dark with heavy, grey threatening skies, we know we had better get back to the boat soon. The weather just will not let up on this rain. So disappointed we are, for this is not the weather to enjoy these islands.
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We decide to motor up the island to anchor off a spot called Lekiny. The weather will not be any different, but at least, the surroundings will offer a change.
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Shortly before our 5:00 Cocktail Hour, The Captain pulls out King’s Cribbage. He wants to play a game? Tired of our little projects and our reading, maybe it is time to let a good game distract us. A new pastime is started on Avante. A round of King’s Cribbage with our evening drinks and then another round after dinner before bed. How long we will keep this up is anybody’s guess. Probably not long with The Captain’s general aversion to games, but for now, it is a diversion to the steady atmospheric drip going on outside.
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Saturday, June 29th – Last night, The First Mate went topside just to look around as she likes to do each evening before bed. Stars! The sky was full of stars. Not a cloud was to be seen. Maybe this rain is losing its grip. Lekiny is a very pretty anchorage with a white sand beach extending in all directions as far as one can see, and when one gets tired of scanning that expanse, there’s always the blue, blue ocean to look at – provided it is not raining or totally overcast.
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In the morning, though it is not raining, the sky is full of clouds obscuring the sun. We head out for a walk along the beach. A group of men are fishing with a net right off the sandy beach. We approach them just as they have drawn in the net filled with smallish white fish. As one man pulls in the remaining net, others are kneeling on the ground untangling the fish from the net. We express our astonishment at the number of fish caught, especially when none can be seen swimming around in the water. We are told that this catch is small compared to others and that because the fish are white, it is hard to see them in the water.
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As we are talking to the fishermen, another group of men arrive. Cousins, we are told, and as they all jovially greet each other, we continue on our walk.
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We hike as far as the bridge which connects both sections of the island. On the opposite side of the bridge from where we are anchored is a large lagoon with access out to the ocean. The large island on the left of this photo is located just off the coast and is a private Kanaky preserve. Only those who live there or who belong to that tribe are allowed access. In fact, the whole area on this side of the bridge is taboo to anyone outside the tribe. The waters below the bridge are supposed to be teeming with tropical fish, but looking down, we have never seen any fish there.
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The nicest resort in the Loyalty Islands is located here in Lekiny. Hotel de Paradis is owned by the Japanese and is quite an upscale place by the standards out here. We have had dinner there in the past, for they do welcome cruisers. On a way back to the boat, we stop and make reservations for dinner tomorrow night.
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That night the winds clocked around to the west and blew much stronger than forecast. Our anchorage offered no protection from that wind direction. As a mater of fact, with a sandbar behind us we were now on a lee shore. The wind was noisy and we were bouncing with the waves that were coming across the lagoon. At 2:00 in the morning, we are both up, dressed and watching the anchor alarm as gusts of 20 – 25 knots barrel down on us. We are anchored securely with plenty of scope out, but we are very cognizant of the sandbar now not too far behind Avante. Facing into the waves, we hobby horse up and down all night long. Dawn breaks, and we know we want to find a more comfortable anchorage. There is no where to find really good shelter from the western winds on this islands, but if we move back down the coast to our first anchorage at Ile de Mouley, more of the southwestern tip of the island will serve to block the full thrust of the waves. At least, until these winds stop, we will have a gentler ride, and anchored deeper, we will feel a bit safer.
By the time we have moved down the coast and anchored, to our delight, the sun is actually shining! Has this wind blown away the rain clouds? If so, it is about time!