| s/y Nine of Cups Chesterfield Reef & Crossing the Coral Sea En route to Australia - 26 October - 8 November 2011 |
| We left Vanuatu on 26 October with 15-20 kts SE winds forecast and for once, the forecast lived up to expectation. Other than one night, the trip was fast and smooth and thoroughly enjoyable. Our stop at Chesterfield Reef was outstanding as you can witness below. |
Leaving Luganville, Vanuatu
through the Segund Channel, we
were surprised and thoroughly
enchanted by hundreds of
butterflies flying past the boat.
through the Segund Channel, we
were surprised and thoroughly
enchanted by hundreds of
butterflies flying past the boat.
| Several boobies (brown and red-footed) hitchhiked en route. We didn't mind offering the free passage on our whisker pole, but the mess they left behind was nearly overwhelming. |
| 573nm and 4 sailing days from Luganville and we were anchored in the middle of the Coral Sea at Chesterfield Reef. This pristine spot is virtually untouched by man (other than debris washed ashore). This is a place for birds to breed and rest and sea turtles to lay their eggs. It's magic! |
| At left, a sketch of Chesterfield Reef nicked from the Wiki site. Above, a satellite photo of the reef (also nicked from the internet) shows our route and anchorage. |
| Click here for more Chesterfield Reef birds |
| A booby in flight |
| There are some problems stopping at Chesterfield Reef, the primary one being we've never checked into New Caledonia and since this area belongs to them and hence France, most boats stop illegally and the French don't like it one bit. The area, however, is seldom patrolled, so the risk of being caught is low. We were aware of at least one boat recently, however, that was ordered to Noumea (New Cal's capital city) under patrol boat escort and their boat was impounded until they paid a hefty fine. Luckily, we were able to join the return leg of the Brisbane-Vanuatu rally coordinated by our friends and SSCA Cruising Hosts, Alan & Debbie Profke of Paradise Lodge at Aore Island in Vanuatu. They had secured permission from New Cal Customs for their participating boats to stop legally and had provided us with a formal letter and copy of the Customs permit. It pays to have friends in the right places. |
| Chesterfield Reef - Coral Sea - 19S53.05 / 158E27.75 - 56' |
| Chesterfield Reef ... It's "for the birds" - There are thousands of birds here, nesting, breeding, resting, thriving. Here's a few of our favorite bird/island shots. |
A masked booby and her fluffy chick.
Note that the chick is bigger than mom!
Note that the chick is bigger than mom!
A baby booby sits in its nest. In the sky, in
the trees, in the water, on the reef, on the
ground, birds were virtually everywhere!
the trees, in the water, on the reef, on the
ground, birds were virtually everywhere!
| The island is arid and the flora consists primarily of scrub, bush and sand. |
| Reefs surround the islets providing good protection for the birds ashore and boats in the anchorage. |
A red-footed booby keeps an eye on
Cups in the anchorage.
Cups in the anchorage.
| There aren't many trees, only shrubs, but everyone shares what's there. |
| Sooty terns and chicks |
| We watched two noddies "kissing". |
| A worn sign proclaims Chesterfield Archipelago-French territory since 1877 |
| Primary flora consisted of the two plants shown above. To the left was a large shrub with tiny white clusters of flowers and to the right, a yellow-flowers creeper. |
| David walks a coral ledge beachcombing for shells |
| The place was so thick with birds, it was nearly overwhelming at times with noise. Thousands circled, swooped and darted about. When something spooked them all of a sudden, they would all take to flight at once. |
| A booby couple with its hatchling |
| A crested tern protects her chick with her wing |
| Taking a walk (My personal favorite photo) |
| Above, two tern chicks head for safety in the coral reef. When they turn their heads to the rock, camouflage takes over and they're nearly invisible. Good training, Mom. |
But wait, there's more...
| We identified nine different species of birds while here, but we also saw so much more. Take a look below. |
| Black tip shark in a tidal pool |
| A crab peeks at the camera |
| A long way back to the sea |
| Sea turtles were mating - turtle bliss |
| Rock crabs scuttle in the surf |
| Hermit crabs were big...shells, not so much. |
| The females worked hard to dig nests |
| Turtles were everywhere in the anchorage |
| Beachcombing and shelling were fabulous. From left New Caledonia chambered nautilus, giant sea clam, spider conch, hieroglyphic venus and a jandal (aka flip-flop or thong). |
| So ends another adventure. Only ~450 nm to Bundaberg, Australia where another adventure awaits us. Join us in Australia where we will participate in the festivities of the Port 2 Port Rally and get acquainted with a new country and a new continent. |
| Shelling netted us some very different shells for our collection including chambered nautilus and spider conch. |
| It's hard to leave a place like this. |