Time to go again

We've had wonderful time here in New-Cal, but now is time to go again. Tomorrow we'll check out and go.
Here are so many beautiful places to visit and we only saw tiny part. We would need a year to diacover this country.
Today we said goodbye to our dear friend Kim and feel sad now. Had again amazing time with her!

Passage to Indonesia will take us 3-4weeks (2500nm, about 5000km). We both are very excited, especially because we are going trough Torrest strait.
I actually don't have much to say now...will write again when we'll be in Indonesia.
Again you can follow our trip 

https://share.delorme.com/homeless

Suuntana Indonesia

Aika Uudessa-Caledoniassa on kulunut vauhdilla. Huomenna perjantaina 12.08.2016 on tarkoitus mennä uloskirjautumaan maasta ja varsinainen lähtö ehkä lauantaina... Täällä ei niin päivän tarkkaa (kuuluuhan tämä Ranskalle).
Seuraava etappi tosiaan n.2500nm siis lähemmäs 5000km, ja noin 3-4viikkoa merellä. Vettä varattu mukaan n.300litraa, Dieseliä 180litraa, ruokaa lähes puoleksi vuodeksi jne... Eiköhän me siis pärjätä pidempikin aika merellä. Dieseliä tarkoitus säästellä Torres Straittia ja loppu matkaa varten, siis alkumatkan tyynet kelit siis vain ehkä lillutaan ja odotellaan tuulia...

Taaskin reissuamme voitte seurata InReachin välityksellä ja tietenkin kommentit ja viestit ovat enemmän kuin tervetulleita. Yritämme päivittää MapShare palveluun vähintään päivittäin etenemistämme. Myös sijaintimme päivittyy tunnin välein.

https://share.delorme.com/homeless

Video

                                  Sailing New-Zealand to New Caledonia

Ilot T´Ndu

Video by Thomas, sy Origo

Red Boat Reunion, Noumea

Story by Kim, travelling friend!
Imagine my delight when I heard I would be in Noumea, New Caledonia at the same time as my good friends, Homeless!
We all met in French Polynesia in 2014 whilst cruising. Me and my partner, James, were backpacking around the world and had just completed a challenging 31 day non-stop voyage across the Pacific ending in Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, where we started to meet welcoming faces like Johanna and Mikko. We bumped into each other in Tahiti, Tonga and then New Zealand and by this time James and I were more permanently attached to a different red boat called Moksha, or 'Big Homeless'.
Johanna and Mikko met me on the dock at Noumea Port Roselle Marina moments after I arrived on the yacht I had delivered from Opua, NZ. It was raining and grey, not a glimpse of sunshine, and after 5 days heeling at sea I was so happy to see them.
That Sunday we gathered baguette, a variety of delicious cheeses, salmon and white wine, and we had a windy reunion picnic at Baie de Citron. Homeless invited me to sail with them and I excitedly accepted the offer.
On Monday we had a very pleasant upwind sail in 10 knots towards Ile Uere, a beautiful circular anchorage of still waters protecting us from Southerly winds. We discovered this was a training area for a sailing school on the mainland and we had Optimist dinghies manoeuvering around us in the afternoon with happy, chattering children as captains. We all enjoyed a pleasant walk to the highest point of the island and viewed Homeless in her stunning environment, followed by a few body-stretches before we headed back for a fresh 'thon rouge' curry and a small glass (maybe two) of wine and some music.
We woke early for a snorkel and a row in 'Hobo' looking for 'goujons' (posh chicken nuggets) rather than 'dugongs', otherwise known as 'sea-cows', and this joke continues throughout the trip where we spot neither. We then motored in flat calm conditions to Amadee, where a large white steel lighthouse guides ships and yachts into the port of Noumea, and countless green turtles swim in protected waters of the marine reserve.
We jumped from Homeless into 5m of crystal clear water and enjoyed swimming up-current with turtles being cleaned by remoras, and alongside huge snapper and unicorn fish. We all recorded a comedy video for a friend to be released in the near future... ;)
A long, healthy Nana-nap started at 8pm and finished at 6am! The night was very rolly on the mooring, but as a newcomer to the motion of Homeless I found it very relaxing and cosy and had a splendid rest.
That morning at sunrise we spotted a peculiar sight of a large remora on the back of a large turtle where the fish was being risen above the surface and back down as the turtle came up for air as if he was trying to shake it off. We motor-sailed to the marina after a long, and very French breakfast and back to real-life and 'people' where Johanna and Mikko continued to prep for the trip to Indonesia and I got ready for my flight to Brisbane to see family, before returning to 'Big Homeless' in Auckland.
We don't know when our paths will cross again but I am sure we will see each other, somehow, somewhere, and we will continue to write often. Thank you Homeless so much for your hospitality and friendship! It has been 'Oar-some'. ;)

Uusi matka häämöttää

Seuraava pidempi etappi on Indonesia. Matkaa sinne on lähes 2500nm, ja reitti vie läpi Torres straitin. Samalla taidetaan mennä Papua Uusi- Guinean ja Australian aluevesien kautta, pysähtymättä. Siis noin kolme viikkoa merellä + - viikko☺
Paperihommat vei kohtuullisesti aikaa ja hermoja, mutta kun lopulta kaikki legot osui kohdalleen oli homma varsin simppeli. Nyt meillä 60päivän viisumit Indonesiaan ja veneelle myös, mutta vene saa stopata vain tietyissä paikoissa.
Indonesiaan startataan ehkä viikon lopulla. Näistä lisää myöhemmin...

On täällä Uudessa- Caledoniassa myös ehditty hieman nauttia lämmöstä. Täälläkin tosin nyt "talvi" ja viileät säät. Vettäkin saatu välistä ihan mukavasti, ainakin luonto kiittää.
Ollaan pyöritty lähisaarilla, snorklattu, vaelleltu jne. Ja toki venee fiksauksiinkin mennyt jokunen tovi. Ollaan lakattu uusiksi peräsinpinna, tehty vähän sähkötöitä ja muuta pientä.

Tänään Homelessin vierailevaan miehistöön/naisistoon on tulossa Kim, jonka kanssa meidän on tarkoitus lähteä lähisaaria kiertelemään muutamaksi päiväksi. Kim tavattiin ensimmäisen kerran 2014 Ranskan Polynesiassa, Marques saarilla.

Videoitakin yritetään laittaa lisää, mutta hitaiden ja epävarmojen netti yhteyksien vuoksi hankalaa.

Ilot Signal

Video taken by, Thomas, s/y Origo

Muutama kuva

Pilottikala puhdistaa kilpikonnan kilpeä

Toinen kilppari odottaa puhdistusta

Meritähti

Ei ole kuuma,

Isla Signal

Noumean eteläistä osaa (kauniimpaa puolta)

Noumea

Näkymiä kukkulalta

Life in Noumea

First few days in Noumea, we were just recovering from the trip and tried to get things sorted. First night we spent in Port Mosel marina,which was good because we were able to wash our clothes (by hand because laundry service is way too expensive! 12€ per kg) and the most important: we got a good and long sleep.
Marina cost us about 25€ per night.

There are no real anchorages near Port Mosel (if you want to come to shore by dinghy), but we just anchored near the moorings and no one came to say anything. We use Port Moselles dinghy dock which costs about 3€ per day. That includes showers, internet,water and carbage disposal. There are not many places you can leave your dinghy without the fear someone steals it.

We don't like Noumea too much and the only reason that we are still here is internet. We used few days for searching info about Indonesian formalities ect. It was a bit confucing, because internet had different information than what we got from Indonesian embassy (they made some changes in feb 2016 so the info didn't reach everyone yet:)). However, we got things sorted and on thursday we'll get our Visas. We still need to send some forms to Indonesian customs. Actually getting the Visa for us is very simple, but taking boat there is another story.
We are aloud to stay 60 days in Indonesian waters and visit 18 ports (there is a list of ports where we can go). If we wanted to stay longer, we should have taken an agent and then we would have needed a CAIT aswell.
We got very friendly and good service in Indonesian embassy here.
Visa costs 50€ each...

Last weekend we went to ilot Maitre where they have free moorings (only 3nm from Port Mosel).
There were also few boats we knew before ( s/y Origo,Norway and s/y Libertalia, NZ).
It was great to swim with turtles and there was also some coral there. Our friends from s/y Libertalia had SUP boards and we got to try them. I wasn't really good at it but it was great fun!
Michelle from Libertalia also cut my hair and I got really happy about it! She is golden!
One evening Michelle and Thomas from Origo came to our boat with a cake and we had nice evening with them.

Today we'll go to a long walk and some shopping and then we'll go to some other anchorage.
Nice thing here is that you can do daytrips to other islands and the distances are not very long (if you want stay around Noumea).
We need to be around because on thursday we'll go to pick up our Visas. After that we may sail to ile des Pins which is south of the main island.

We are planing to leave to Indonesia in 2weeks.

Checking-in Noumea, New Caledonia

First of all, you don't need to give any advance notice of your arrival here. You just call to Port Moselle on VHF 67 before you enter the marina. Of course it's wise to call early enough because the marina is normally almost full. Some people also just anchor near Port Moselle and give marina notice about their arrival.
We got berth there and it was really easy to check in. We filled few forms in marina office and they called customs, quaranteen and immigration and informed them about us.
Soon 2 guys from quaranteen came to our boat and just asked few questions and took all our fresh food away.
Customs never came to our boat and we heard it's very normal here.
Woman in marina office just told that we have to wait them 2hours and if they won't appear, we can leave from boat.
Immigration was closed already (they close at 12) so we went there next morning. That visit was also short and easy (we filled that one form in advance).

So checking-in is very simple and FREE:)