bonjour from chesterfield reef

Got the anchor down at 10am this morning after a good couple of days sail from New Caledonia. Actually this is still part of NC. If you are able to find us on Google World, you will see that it is a horseshoe shaped reef, with a few little sand-and-scrub islets. Wild and gorgeous. The nearest little islet has a tern colony, and we disturbed hundreds of them as we came in; hope they don't decide that rigging is a good place for a perch.

Heard on NZ radio yesterday that a cloud of Aussie red dust is drifting across to Auckland; well, we've intercepted it and have dusty red everything. Need a good shower of rain but don't think we'll be getting it.

Re fishing, one skipjack tuna hooked and thrown back, and four huge fish (probably sword fish) hooked but they luckily got away after straightening our hooks and chewing the trace wire. Luckily still have a bit of 3 day old fish in the frig.

Position 19 53.454 S and 158 28.149 E It's 300 miles to the nearest land eastwards, and about 400 miles to the nearest bit of Australia. Not too lonesome though as two other boats arrived before us, and Cat Coquette is an hour or so behind.