Ile des Pins: Tsunami alert – 1

October 8th 1055: Suddenly a catamaran motored towards ADAGIO, and the skipper was shouting, “Big Wave, Tsunami coming. Go out to deep water!” Wow! First we put on our life jackets, then raised the anchor and were one of the first boats out of the anchorage. We turned on the radio, and monitored all messages between boats. An earthquake near Vanuatu. The resulting tsunami was due in New Caledonia at about 1100 hours, ten minutes after we received the alert. We motored away from land to an area of 25 meters depth. We heard on the radio that the Loyalty Islands and the east coast of New Caledonia had been evacuated. There was some confusion on the radio reports as to when the tsunami alert had been cancelled. By 1 PM we were re-anchored in Kuto Bay, greatly relieved that the tsunami waves had not come to New Caledonia.

The NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued the first of nine related bulletins at 07 Oct 2009 2216Z (that is 08 Oct 0916 NCT = local New Caledonia time). That is about one hour 15 minutes before we heard anything by the jungle telegraph in Kuto Bay:

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 001

PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS

ISSUED AT 2217Z 07 OCT 2009

THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC

OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS…EXCEPT ALASKA…BRITISH COLUMBIA…

WASHINGTON…OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.

… A TSUNAMI WARNING AND WATCH ARE IN EFFECT …

A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR

VANUATU / SOLOMON IS. / NAURU / PAPUA NEW GUINEA / TUVALU /

NEW CALEDONIA / FIJI / KIRIBATI / KOSRAE / WALLIS-FUTUNA /

HOWLAND-BAKER

A TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR

MARSHALL IS. / TOKELAU / KERMADEC IS / POHNPEI / NEW ZEALAND /

SAMOA / AMERICAN SAMOA / TONGA / AUSTRALIA / NIUE /

COOK ISLANDS / CHUUK / INDONESIA / WAKE IS. / JARVIS IS. /

PALMYRA IS. / GUAM / N. MARIANAS / JOHNSTON IS. / YAP /

MARCUS IS. / BELAU

FOR ALL OTHER AREAS COVERED BY THIS BULLETIN… IT IS FOR

INFORMATION ONLY AT THIS TIME.

THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY

NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE

DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND

ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME – 2203Z 07 OCT 2009

COORDINATES – 13.0 SOUTH 166.3 EAST

DEPTH – 33 KM

LOCATION – VANUATU ISLANDS

MAGNITUDE – 8.0

EVALUATION

IT IS NOT KNOWN THAT A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. THIS WARNING IS

BASED ONLY ON THE EARTHQUAKE EVALUATION. AN EARTHQUAKE OF THIS

SIZE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE A DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI THAT CAN

STRIKE COASTLINES NEAR THE EPICENTER WITHIN MINUTES AND MORE

DISTANT COASTLINES WITHIN HOURS. AUTHORITIES SHOULD TAKE

APPROPRIATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSSIBILITY. THIS CENTER

WILL MONITOR SEA LEVEL DATA FROM GAUGES NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE TO

DETERMINE IF A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED AND ESTIMATE THE SEVERITY OF

THE THREAT.

ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES AT FORECAST POINTS

WITHIN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL

ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE

LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN

SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

LOCATION FORECAST POINT COORDINATES ARRIVAL TIME

——————————– ———— ————

<snip all locations but AUS and Newcal>

NEW CALEDONIA NOUMEA 22.3S 166.5E 0015Z 08 OCT

AUSTRALIA BRISBANE 27.2S 153.3E 0155Z 08 OCT

   CAIRNS 16.7S 145.8E 0204Z 08 OCT

   SYDNEY 33.9S 151.4E 0228Z 08 OCT

   GLADSTONE 23.8S 151.4E 0301Z 08 OCT

   MACKAY 21.1S 149.3E 0322Z 08 OCT

   HOBART 43.3S 147.6E 0355Z 08 OCT

<snip>

Ile des Pins: Kuto Bay

October 6th: Our friends James and Lorna aboard MIND THE GAP were anchored nearby in Kuto Bay. The weather was beautiful and we were happy to be back in our favorite area of New Caledonia.

We had our friends Cleo, Albert and Tony aboard for dinner. Albert told us the story of how he and Tony had obtained permission in Paris from a high official to establish the first commercial dive center in New Caledonia, in the Isle of Pines. Cleo brought me a poem she had written about the Kagu bird.

The next morning, large schools of 6 inch long fish were feeding on the surface, creating flashing, silver swirls.

Ile des Pins: touring the island by car

We rented a small car and spent a day touring the Isle of Pines. The many beaches and traditional huts, outrigger canoes, carved wooden poles, shrines and gardens were a treat to visit after we had been away for five years.

Baie de l"Orphelinat to Kuto Bay

It was time for us to leave the big city of Noumea and head to our favorite cruising grounds in the Isle of Pines. Dolphins sufaced from time to time near our boat as we prepared for departure from our anchorage in Baie de l’Orphelinat. Clouds were sloooowly clearing, and the wind speed was slowly increasing, but more on the nose. We were getting a little boost from the ebbing tidal current, as we entered the Canal Woodin. We passed the catamaran COOL CHANGE sailing under her two mainsails, one mast on each hull. We found an area of tide riffles as we enter the canal. The trees along the shoreline are beautiful palms and Araucaria columnaris trees. As we passed the entrance to Baie de Prony, we remembered that this is where Beth and Bone saw breaching mother and calf humpback whales the previous week. Small fish were jumping out of the water. Where were the whales? A long conveyor belt winding down from the mountains above Prony, were bringing nickel ore to ships and barges below. We entered a comfortable anchorage on the north side of Isle Ouen. Anchor down Baie de Ire in 15m at low tide on 55M rode. The next morning we raised anchor in Baie de Ire and departed for Ile des Pins. A beautiful morning. Flat water in Canal Woodin. Unfurled the jib after rounding Ilot Ugo. Boat speed increased. Beam seas but not too bad. We set the mainsail with one reef and full jib. At noon we set the anchor in Kuto Bay , directly in front of the Kou-Bugny Hotel Cafe where there is an internet antenna.

Reviere Bleue Provincial Park

During our circumnavigation of the island of Grande Terre, we had wanted to visit one of the rain forests and explore the many plants that are closely related to those that we have come to know so well in New Zealand and Tasmania, as well as Argentina. The Riviere Bleue Provincial Park is only 50 km from downtown Noumea. It contains areas of virgin forest and giant trees, as well as areas that are growing back from damage due to lumbering and mining at the turn of the century.

New Caledonia flora is particularly rich and diverse. There are more than 3,000 plant species, 80% of which are endemic to the country. Thirty-seven species of palms endemic to New Caledonia are currently known, growing at a wide range of altitudes. Tree ferns, Kaori trees and Hoop trees grow to 30 m in height.

Translating from “Fleurs et Plantes de Nouvelle-Caledonie”:

“The flora of New Caledonia is some of the most extraordinary in the world. … “The ultrabasic soils in some areas are poor in phosphorus, potassium and calcium, elements which are considered indispensable to plant life. In addition the soils are rich in metals such as nickel and manganese which are toxic to plants.”

Maquis minier, otherwise known as ultrabasic scrub, consists of shrubby vegetation growing on ultramafic soils and the growth-form of which is not influenced by altitude or rainfall. These plants are able to withstand the high concentrations of nickel in the soil by neutralizing it as organic acid complexes, thus reducing its toxicity. Long isolation has enabled the original ancient plant families to develop without the threat of being replaced by pioneering plants.

The maquis flora contributes significantly to the overall richness and distinctiveness of the new caledonian flora. The level of plant endemism (89%) is higher in maquis than in any other vegetation type and it is exceptionally diverse since it contains a third of all new caledonian species. Some of our favorites are the carnivorous pitcher plants and tiny sundews. The spring flowers were on display, showing their diversity and bright colors.

New Caledonia bird species are also numerous and varied. We heard constant bird song during our visit to the park. One of the most endangered is the Kagu, a beautiful flightless bird with powder blue feathers and crest. The driver of the van which took us to see the sites located north side of the river assured us that we would see a Kagu. About half way along the road, she stopped the van, got out, and began to quietly call, “Coco, Coco, Coco.” After a short while, she smiled and nodded towards the forest. Coming out from the underbrush was a perfect Kagu. The driver scattered a few bits of nourishment on the ground, and the Kagu walked cautiously out onto the road where we were able to admire it and photograph it. The Southern Province has been successful in captive breeding this bird, so the Park Riviere Bleue contains the largest number of Kagus of any area of New Caledonia. It was a rare treat for us.

Noumea: Beach at Baie des Citrons

The Baie des Citrons (Bay of Lemons) is part of Noumea’s long, landscaped waterfront. This particular bay was within easy walking distance of our anchorage in Baie de l’Orphelinat, so we stretched our legs to explore it. Most of the waters of the bay are reserved for swimming, with special lanes set aside for boat traffic.

The beachfront is a moderately upscale neighborhood – lots of cafes, clubs and restaurants. Today we treated ourselves to lunch out at an al fresco restaurant serving the food of Tuscany.

More to come on this experience…

Circumnavigating Grande Terre: Koumac to Ile Ducos

September 24, 2009 1500pm: Thursday did not quite go according to plan. The Koumac marina was supposed to have a berth for us – but did not. So Wednesday night we anchored in Anse de Koumac, the lovely bay west of the marina (no internet of course, though we did sniff the iNet wifi signal briefly).

Thursday morning at 0800 we took Allegro into the little marina to see if there were any viable options for Adagio. In short, no – the harbor master offered us the fuel dock for three days, but it is really too small for Adagio, and is designed more for the work boats that better handle being banged against a concrete wharf.

While scouting the marina we met Patrick and his boys who had just finished their early morning water skiing (ski nautique). Patrick is very interested in Adagio, as he has a Catana 41-ft catamaran being delivered the end of September. Patrick kindly offered us a lift to the north country fair (Foire de Koumac et du Nord), so we were off.

We spent several hours exploring the annual country fair and rodeo of the Far North of the country. There were horses of all the main breeds being shown, cattle, wood carvers, beautiful orchids for sale, wonderful produce, and one man had even carved ostrich eggs for sale (remarkable – see the photo gallery). We felt as if we were in Texas, as everyone was wearing a Stetson cowboy hat and boots. We saw some of the Quarter Horse judging – very impressive.

During our fair tour the wind came up out of the west, which turned our anchorage into a lee shore. So we hiked back to Adagio to make sure she was not dragging up on the rocks (no, all OK for now, but not a safe anchorage for winds from the SW, W or NW).

To assess whether we had to move we downloaded a small weather model plus the Meteo France text forecast – both via Saildocs over Sailmail via HF radio.The outlook was that tomorrow afternoon the SE trades will come in with a vengeance, followed on Sunday by a cold front with shifting and strong winds. We concluded that the westerlies most likely would persist through the night – giving us a good shot at missing out on the expected head-sea bashing that is often demanded of those who circumnavigate counter-clockwise.

By then it was 1400 so we scampered around getting ready for sea so we could get out through the reef before sunset, then make on offshore overnight passage towards Noumea, and back inside the barrier reef after dawn – hopefully before the strong southeasterlies kick back in. We are now offshore, sailing southeast for Pass d’Ouarai. We hope to make the pass by mid morning so we will have light to eyeball navigate around the reefs and find a safe anchorage.

On departure we had enough wind for a nice sail under reacher, then the wind speed dropped to 8kn so we gave the reacher some help from the port engine. Four hours south of Koumac the wind died completely. So we are now motoring until the wind returns. The sea is flat calm, no wind, and no swell.

We are not complaining about the lack of wind. These conditions are MUCH nicer than beating into the normal 15 to 25 kn southeast trade winds.

September 25, 2009 0100am: A brilliant, starry night, with undulating seas reflecting the starlight and sparkling with phosphorescence. Steve took the night watch from 7 PM to midnight, and I am on watch from midnight until 5 AM. Steve said that the setting crescent moon was something to see, becoming more and more golden as it set. Rising in the east I see upside down Orion, Taurus the bull and the Pleiades. Sirius, the Dog star, is so bright that it is casting a streak of reflected light across the water. The Southern Cross is always the first constellation we see at night, with the “pushing” stars, Alpha and Beta Centaurus, above it in the sky.

All is well. All is calm. All is starry. The water is full of phosphorescence where ADAGIO disturbs the smooth surface.

September 25, 2009 0920am: We just caught a lovely, small yellowfin tuna. Just the right size, enough for three meals for the two of us. A non-obvious advantage of the smaller fish is that they can be cleaned in the galley, which makes for much less mess than blood all over the starboard transom area.

September 25, 2009 1100am: When we arrived at our approach waypoint for Pass d’Ouarai around 0800 the seas were still flat – so we decided to “press on” for the next pass south – another 16 nm or 2.5 hours. 30 minutes later it began to rain, then the wind began to increase from the SE, soon measuring 17 to 21 kn on the B&G. We again evaluated “turn back” or “press on”, concluding we should exploit the still-flat- water as the seas could not build to a developed trade wind state in 2 hours.

We are entering Pass Saint-Vincent in about 15 minutes. The conditions are grey, rain, wind SE 20kn. The reef pass is about one-half mile wide, so an entry is possible so long as the GPS system stays online. There are no leads, no major navigation marks. The extensive reefs both port and starboard are completely submerged now. It is nearly high tide, so there are no radar returns from either the reef or reef break. There is some small visible ascattered reef break on the starboard reef, but nothing on the port hand, and no breaks defining the channel. The chart shows a wreck on the starboard reef, and there was a BIG wreck high on the Passe D’Isie which we had just passed.

We don’t like “pure instrument landings”, but we judged this one to be safe as there is radar-visible Ile Tenia to port. Steve has worked out a safe passage through the reef – delimited by two radar ranges off this small island. Both our radar and electronic chart are showing a mid-pass safe range circle of 1.25 nm and a danger range circle of 1.50 nm (more would be too close to the starboard reef). So even if the GPS and our computers pack up we can find the 60 meter deep channel by radar alone.

At 1125 am we are mid-way through the reef pass, headed for a very well-protected anchorage on the north side of Ile Ducos. Splinter’s Apprentice had noted this spot, Baie des Mostiques, in their briefing for Adagio — with the comforting comment “No mossies!”. At 1250 pm our SPADE anchor is down in 7 meters of sandy mud. After testing our set with both engines at 1500 rpm we conclude we are very well “stuck” and ready to tuck into the fresh sashimi Dorothy is making from the tuna we caught this morning.

Circumnavigating Grande Terre: Koumac

We are having a quiet morning anchored off the beach/park next to the Koumac marina..Sky is clearing. Yesterday, there was confusion about where the harbormaster would berth ADAGIO, so we decided to anchor out and take the dinghy in to the marina in the morning to look things over.

Beautiful sunset, no green flash, but we are bound to see one over the next few days now that we are on the West coast of New Caledonia. There is a park ashore, and a sailing club with small boats of various sizes. The restaurant at the marina was busy during the evening night. We arrived in Koumac a day earlier than originally planned so we were not rushed and slept late in the morning.

A man and his two sons were retrieving their ski boat at the launch ramp and offered to drive us to the fair grounds for the annual northern regional fair and rodeo. Horses, livestock, many farmers selling their excellent produce, handicrafts, and of course rodeo events. It was quite a scene and very pleasant.

Circumnavigating Grande Terre: Pam to Koumac

Anchor up at 0606 hrs, we departed Ile Pam, sailing in 20 kts of wind from astern, under a beautiful blue sky. The barometric pressure was steady as we followed the navigation marks, leaving red to port, green to starboard, through the reefs. Passing through Canal de l’Alcmene. To port is the top end of Grande Terre — beautiful golden mountains, like folds of silk, in long undulating ridges. To starboard, 1/3 nm, is a very long, flat reef, golden at low tide. The marks were easy to spot at 1.5 to 2 nm away.

Beautiful clear air. Excellent visibility. We had a 1/2 knot boost from a favorable current. Green mark north of W010 is not a tall pole, but a very low round ball with a triangle shape on top. Not green. With beam wind and seas we were rocking and rolling. I furled the jib and set the reacher. Our boat speed increased 2 kts. A power boat approached from astern. NC10324 was the number on the hull of the fishing boat. The captain hailed us on the radio and said he was going to Koumac and looked forward to seeing us there. (We spotted them in Koumac at the tuna fisheries dock – so now we know what they were up to when they peeled off to the west after rounding the top).

Lovely sunny sail south in almost flat water. After rounding Ile Tiya at the top Grande Terre we furled the reacher and set the jib. We were passing pretty, deserted islands with white sand and billowy shrubbery, surrounded by extremely hazardous coral reefs, heaven for a SCUBA diver. I phoned Jean-Paul Dupre’ at the Koumac marina to say that we would arrive at about 5 PM. I asked what time was low tide in Koumac, and he said no problem, that there was 3 to 4 m depth in the entrance to the marina. I said I would hail him on VHF as we approached. The barometer was falling.

Circumnavigating Grande Terre: Heinghene to Ile Pam

September 22, 2009 0700 am: At 0557 in Hienghene we logged “anchor up for Baie de Pam”. Now underway, dense groves of coconut palms and mangroves line the shore, with occasional cottage or waterfall, carving white ribbons in the black rocks between the trees. The mountains plunge down to the sea, leaving a fringe of land for the road, palms and cottages. Our position is due NE of the mouth of the Ouaieme River. Sky is overcast. Seas are down except for the swell coming through the pass to the east. ETA Baie de Pam is 1430 hrs. Sun is trying to break through the clouds, a little drizzle this morning. Steve set the fishing lure.

September 22, 2009 0800 am: We just sailed by Mount Panie’ – the highest in New Caledonia (1628m). Here the mountains are all right next to the coastline. Very pretty – though as typical the peaks are in the clouds. We still have cell phone coverage. There’s a waterfall streaming in ribbons from the top of Mount Panie’. This is where the Special botanical reserve is located. The forest appears to be dense and healthy.

We seem to be the only cruising boat on the entire east coast. It is a bit spooky. We were in Hienghene for 2 days, birthplace of Tjibaou, and home to the first Kanak Cultural Center in NC. The town has been outfitted with modern, fancy docks for the cruise ship shore boats to land – on both sides of the river. No cruise ships, no cruisers. The village feels like a ghost town, especially on Sunday when very few locals are about.

The chief who controls Ile des Pins (the southern part) banned cruise ships due to swine flu worries. Not sure about this area – perhaps it is another casualty of the global financial crisis.