End of passage

I though for a while that we were going to have a glorious finish under
spinnaker at 8 knots. Well, it only lasted a little more than an hour
before the wind started picking up again, not much but enough to trigger
luffing out of control and we were back under main sail (two reefs so
that Firmin can do its job) and full genoa on the pole.
On top of that, the current is still robbing us, today 13 miles. We
covered 145 through the water but only 132 over the ground. We only
have 194 miles to go and I am confident that we will enter the lagoon
early enough to anchor inside at the Ire Bay, only 20 miles from Port
Moselle.
As for fishing, it's dead calm. We now have the line wrapped up the
"Blue Star" tong of Claude, and a bengy cord to warn us in case of a
bite, but nothing to report on that score.
The weather continues to be ideal, just like on the postcards about
sailing in the south pacific. We are looking forward to getting to
Noumea, all for various reasons, some will go home, some will party, and
a new crew will join Papy Jovial.