Holy Smoke! Passaging to Chesterfield Reef

The Bloke was quite keen to be done with the passage home and compared it to a (Great Australian)Bight crossing. To be more precise, two of them back to back with intermission at Chesterfield Reef. Oddly, I felt better prepared leaving Chesterfield Reef (part 2) than the resort at Aore. Possibly squeezing in the dinner with Babmboo Band plus traditional Ladies Water Music at the resort on the eve of departure was a bit to blame.


Our first 2 days out of Luganville/Aore were as strenuous as anything we've experienced. Side-on swell that was mostly 2.5m (OK) but extended periods of 3 and 4m. We kept being pushed over from port side rollers.  Sometimes the starboard stanchions were cutting through the water. We took greenies on the bow, occasionally over the dodger and we'd get funny little fellows splosh in the side of the cockpit and shoot out the other side. We've never been so wet. Even the log book got sodden despite its hiding place under the cock-pit cushions.

The consequence of the port side pounding was that sea water got in (we can only think) through a stanchion base that will now need re-seating. The drips, because of the heal, missed a timber ledge intended for this kind of thing and dripped onto a 240v fuse/connection on the electrical panel below. Think electrical fire, smell and a small amount of smoke that we couldn't isolate. It was 2:30 am and neither of us could comfortably leave the cockpit - except we had to go below to attend to this situation, no matter what! We were still afloat and worked around it, enabling us to continue on and use the Honda generator to maintain battery charge.  Zofia is a hungry beast when all the navigation instruments, lights and autopilot are in action. We were not on fire nor burning down to the waterline - all good!

 

Scene of the trouble

 

Water sponged up from the leak!

Uncomfortable sea-state. Dinner service cancelled!

  

A busy sea and busy sky

It was an interesting passage and by the 4th night we had to actively work the sail trim to slow down our arrival at the Chesterfield Reef system. We logged every hour to ensure we met our goal to arrive to our entry way-point at dawn but not in the dark. Supa Trooper (a catamaran) arrived the evening before us taking a calculated risk on the way-points they had being accurate. They were doing 15kts in the end to arrive just after dusk. Amazing. We on the other hand, tiptoed in, in broad daylight having sailed through the night with barely 'frilly knickers' flying.

Having departed Vanuatu, it was time to swap the courtesy flags.

     
Permission from French authorities to call in at Chesterfield Reef and Huon Reef can be obtained by emailing dam-nc@gouv.nc.