Friday 3rd October.
Thank goodness for good, old-fashioned radio for communicating while underway without Internet!!
At last we're no longer close-hauled but are finally heading downwind, which always feels so much smoother... The wind backed into W, then SW, this afternoon - a change from the consistent northerlies giving close-hauled sailing into the seas that we've experienced since leaving Newcastle. The wind is expected to stay mainly S-SW as a strong Low system heads up from Tasmania. Either we'll get some strong S winds or we'll stay just ahead of them in lighter W-SW winds - time will tell.
This morning saw blissful sailing in bright sunshine but later light clouds came over with the wind change - they're not too dark grey so we might avoid the occasional light rain, that's forecast. My storm screens have been put ready, just in case!
At 0500Z/3pm AEST, our distance to the reef entrance leading to Noumea was roughly 310 n.ml., to which must be added another 11 n.ml. to reach a marina (either Moselle or Sud) for Customs Clearance. That probably equates to an early Monday morning arrival. The wind has just backed more - I must get on deck!