Journals from the week ending November 15, 1996
New Caledonia
by Aubin Dupree
11/13/96, New Caledonia...
We sighted New Caledonia from the Concordia before sunset on November 10th and the island grew during the evening. Early in the small hours of the morning, we set anchor and by midday the port authorities gave us clearance to dock in the port, our most public location since San Diego.
New Caledonia is an overseas territory of France, politically subject to the French president but chiefly governed by a locally elected council of ministers. Although the system of government is much the same as the Tahitian one, however, Noumea is a city more evidently French than the large town of Papeete in Tahiti. Noumea is, consequently, a city that endorses French urban life, although not, perhaps, through the most evident of methods.
Cosmopolitanism is generally an easy idea to judge, a city is cosmopolitan or it is not. In the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, however, the definitions of the term are a bit skewed. The typical bejeweled, trolley-pulling, elegant Parisian housewife on her way to Les Halles (a market/mall in Paris) may be imitated in Noumea by a younger woman in thong sandals, carrying a palm frond basket, on her way to the beaches to buy from fishermen. The differences in the two images are evident, but the similarities are just as great. Both make up part of a close family system. Both carry their culture with pride, and both enjoy the French tradition of a daily market run for fresh bread and vegetables. In Paris, the drivers do not consider pedestrians as obstacles to avoid. In Noumea, the same feeling is prevalent, although obstacles to hit may be a better term to use. French families like to make the most of their free time, following the European creed of 'work hard, play hard.' In Noumea, the tendency towards recreation on holidays is also evident, as we arrived on the Armistice, making our way through droves of small pleasure boats launched earlier in the day for a bank holiday of fun.
For someone who has lived extensively in Europe, the differences between European colonies and the European mainland may be easier to gage than it would be for a foreigner, who would perhaps notice differences not between different parts of Europe but between Europe and his home nation. I should be able to truthfully say, therefore, that New Caledonia hints at the cosmopolitanism of urban Europe and carries mainstream French traditions without actually taking on the label of a European duplicate. Noumea, as is Papeete, is a tiny spoonful of Europe mixed into the batter of South Pacific tradition, and the result, as many will agree, is a fairly tasty 'melange des fruits.'
Totoya Reef Study
by Michelle Lanteigne
11/13/96, aboard ship...The day started like any other day with breakfast at seven thirty and Colours at eight. It was a fairly cool day with slightly overcast skies and mild winds. Weather conditions were not ideal for visiting the atoll, but it was possible for the ship to enter into the interior lagoon of Totoya.
As we entered through a narrow straight into the lagoon we spotted the village. We anchored in the lagoon, and almost immediately a group of islanders came out to meet us in small motor boats. They were friendly and gave us mangos and papayas. During this time Ms. Woomer and Wojech took the zodiac ashore to gain clearance for the snorkel. After only a brief period of time they confirmed permission for us to snorkel and the ship headed out in the direction of our proposed study. Once again the ship anchored, only this time it was only a short distance from what was to be our research area. Ms. Woomer and Wojech left again in the zodiac in order to survey the conditions.
It was not long before they returned to the ship and prepared the first group to leave. We were part of that group. The two zodiacs quickly anchored and our adventure began. Each group was appointed a certain area of the reef to study, with the only instructions being to always remain in groups of at least two people and to avoid any physical contact with the reef. Our group of four divided into two groups with Jarrett and Mark snorkeling together and Amanda and I working as a pair. We saw a great deal of marine life despite poor visibility and a strong current. This current not only stirred up sediment, but also made it difficult to stay in one place and observe one specific area. Although we saw many different types of fish, we only actually observed one school of fish. We were snorkelling for approximately half an hour. Once we were finished the groups reunited at the zodiacs. After ensuring that everyone was together we made our way back to the ship and began an exchange of information.
Hobey Cat
by Mark Unger
11/13/96, aboard ship...On our last day in New Caledonia agroup of students traveled to a nearby beach and rented Hobey Cats. Hobey Cats are light weight sailing vessels and are essentially identical to Laser II sail boats, with the exception that they have two pontoons instead of one.
Only two boats were available, and as such our group had to go sailing in two separate shifts. The winds were moving quickly, and my anticipation heightened with each passing moment. After one hour the first of the boats returned. Appartently they had seen a shark about three times during their sail, however, this did little to dissuade our resolve to sail. I was to go with Jarrett, and although he was experienced with sailing this type of craft, I was a relative novice as the Concordia was my only previous sailing experience.
We quickly pushed off shore in the Hobby Cat and began our adventure. Winds began strong and the boat moved quickly along the water. Jarrett taught me how to "hang from the wire" and a feeling of sheer exhilaration overcame me as I did so. "Hanging from the wire" entails clipping yourself onto the trapeze and then fully extending your body over the water, with your feet firmly planted against the side of the boat. After about twenty minutes Jarrett showed me how to steer the boat, tack and jibe. It was then his turn to use the trapeze. We continued this for some time, and would have gone for even longer if time had permitted, but time was winding down. We made a quick stop at a small neighbouring island before heading back ashore, and so ended our brief adventure.
Ocean Challenge / e-mail: ocean@oceanchallenge.com / Class Afloat '96-'97
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