Liveaboard in NEW CALEDONIA

[TDB1227]

I am considering liveaboard in NEW CALEDONIA. Anybody have experience for this area?

Thanks Teun

[sailormed]

No personel experience, but I have read of many circumnavigators who visited the island, only to never continu their trip and stayed there for years.
Seems to me you choose the right place. How is your French?

[InTheDish]

Steer clear of Captain Leadbottom.

[JPA Cate]

There are a few New Caledonians who live aboard all year long. The climate is nice. However, US citizens have to apply for a visa for there, and it usually is issued for 3 months. There is a lengthy visa extension procedure which will get you some more, but they want you to be gone before cyclone season.

I have been told, but never confirmed, that if you arrive after the beginning of cyclone season, you will be allowed to stay there for it.

Living aboard while you are there on a visa is not a problem, and imo, it is a geographically pretty place. Too bad about the ciguatera, though.



Ann

[Jim Cate]

Do you mean as a permanent resident, or as a transient? If permanent, how will you deal with visa requirements. If transient, no problems at all. And there are plenty of locals living aboard in and around Noumea.

Jim

[Evenstar]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

There are a few New Caledonians who live aboard all year long. The climate is nice. However, US citizens have to apply for a visa for there, and it usually is issued for 3 months. There is a lengthy visa extension procedure which will get you some more, but they want you to be gone before cyclone season.

I have been told, but never confirmed, that if you arrive after the beginning of cyclone season, you will be allowed to stay there for it.

Living aboard while you are there on a visa is not a problem, and imo, it is a geographically pretty place. Too bad about the ciguatera, though.



Ann

When we were there, we were told there is almost no way to get more than 90 days on a U.S. passport, and even then the limit is 90 days in a year, so it's not like you can leave and come back a month later.

I think with an EU passport though, you can pretty much stay as long as you like.

Lovely place, one of our favorites so far.

[TDB1227]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

There are a few New Caledonians who live aboard all year long. The climate is nice. However, US citizens have to apply for a visa for there, and it usually is issued for 3 months. There is a lengthy visa extension procedure which will get you some more, but they want you to be gone before cyclone season.

I have been told, but never confirmed, that if you arrive after the beginning of cyclone season, you will be allowed to stay there for it.

Living aboard while you are there on a visa is not a problem, and imo, it is a geographically pretty place. Too bad about the ciguatera, though.



Ann

I am USA resident but hold EU passport so that should not be a problem.

The "ciguatera" has me alarmed as I love (raw) fish; checking on this I realize the same applies for Northern Australia.

Teun

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by TDB1227

I am USA resident but hold EU passport so that should not be a problem.

The "ciguatera" has me alarmed as I love (raw) fish; checking on this I realize the same applies for Northern Australia.

Teun

FWIW, Ann and I have had three ciguaterra events in New Caledonia. It is rampant there, and we no longer eat local fish when cruising in New Cal... or any other tropical venues. A serious problem in our opinion, and for us, with a high loading dose, potentially life threatening.

Jim

[chouliha]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

FWIW, Ann and I have had three ciguaterra events in New Caledonia. It is rampant there, and we no longer eat local fish when cruising in New Cal... or any other tropical venues. A serious problem in our opinion, and for us, with a high loading dose, potentially life threatening.



Jim

Jim and Anne

I agree that ciguatera is a terrible type of toxin since you can never get rid of it. So many folks coming down to the SP from Mexico, CA that were unaware of it that Linda did a detailed write up on it.

For those that have heard about Ciguatera but want a summary of the risks and lack of treatment have a look at our website jacarandajourney.com under "Other Good Stuff". We also have chosen not to eat the local reef fish.

Safe sailing

Chuck
Jacaranda

[maxingout]

New Caledonia is one of my favorite destinations, but the longest we have been able to stay is three months at a time.

I don't know that I would like to be in New Caledonia during cyclone season.

The closest I have come to ever losing my boat was in a tropical storm while I was anchored in Prony Bay. My sixty pound CQR style anchor dragged and I had to run both engines to keep from being blown up on shore. It was one of the longest nights I have spent on board. Nine inches of rain fell that night nearly filling the dingy with water on the davits.

I also was not happy with the anchorages in the Isle of Pines. Poor holding with our CQR. Now that I am using a seventy pound Beugel anchor, I would like to give New Caledonia another try to see how well it would hold in Prony Bay and the Isle of Pines.

I never found what I considered to be a good hurricane hole in New Caledonia.

[JPA Cate]

I never found what I considered to be a good hurricane hole in New Caledonia.

Dave,

Take a look at Boat Passage, in the NW of Grand Terre; B. de Carenage in B. de Prony, against the south side mangroves; and friends have cycloned in Canala, too. I did not think Canala looked all that secure. Also, there is a spot before you get to the waterfall up the cut from Goro lighthouse where they have gone. One other they have used, is the mangrove river at Pt. La Guerre. Good depths, and good cuts in the mangroves.


Ann

[maxingout]

We were in Baie De Carenage in Prony Bay where we had the problem. I was surprised how much difficulty we were experiencing in such a protected location. I think it was a case of too much wind for the 60 pound CQR because there were no significant waves to create additional challenges. Our catamaran has a fair amount of windage, and after that episode I was done with the CQR. We met some German and South African cruisers using Beugel anchors, and they were doing fine wherever they anchored. They even volunteered to dive down on our anchor to see why it was not setting in a secure fashion. Their anchors held like superglue in the same location.

I always back down in reverse with full throttle to make sure the anchor is secure set. I want to do New Caledonia again with our seventy pound Beugel.

[JPA Cate]

Yes, we have depth issues with getting into P. Laguerre or Boat Passage, at 2.2m.

About your CQR, had the hole where it pivots opened at all? We've friends who still use a CQR, and had to have that repaired--they found themselves dragging in places they'd never dragged before. After repair, all was well again. In that case, the pivot hole had become somewhat oval in shape, not round.

Ann

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by maxingout

We were in Baie De Carenage in Prony Bay where we had the problem. I was surprised how much difficulty we were experiencing in such a protected location. I think it was a case of too much wind for the 60 pound CQR because there were no significant waves to create additional challenges. Our catamaran has a fair amount of windage, and after that episode I was done with the CQR. We met some German and South African cruisers using Beugel anchors, and they were doing fine wherever they anchored. They even volunteered to dive down on our anchor to see why it was not setting in a secure fashion. Their anchors held like superglue in the same location.

I always back down in reverse with full throttle to make sure the anchor is secure set. I want to do New Caledonia again with our seventy pound Beugel.

Hi Dave,

IMO the very best cyclone hole in New Cal is the mangrove river in La Guerre. With your shallow draft entry should be easy, and you can get quite a way up, past several big bends and tie to substantial mangrove trees. The bar at the entry is really marginal for our 2.2 meters draught, but that's where I'd try to get if forced to sit out a cyclone there. No development for miles, so far less worry about flying tin roofs or even coconuts.

We have several friends who live there fulll time, and who have boats. Their practice is to stay put in their marina berths, and that worked well during Erika, but she was a pussycat compared to Irma. I don't think any shelter is guaranteed for storms like that!

Good to hear that you are gonna come this way again... looking forward to crossing paths once more.

Jim

[maxingout]

The pivot hole definitely had enlarged.