Port Moselle Marina, Noumea

700 boats are docked in Port Moselle! We haven't seen such kind of marina in a long time. Most boats here have long term leases, some owners live on their boats, others come in the evenings and on weekends.

While this is the largest Marina in New Caledonia, there are several more close by. Then there are lots of boats on moorings as well as on anchor out in the bay.

As is Fiji, New Caledonia is in the cyclone prone area. With that many boats around, what are the cyclone protections for the boats?

Huge damaging swell is dampened by the outer reef, plus Noumea and especially Port Moselle is placed well 'hidden' in a natural harbor. A couple sat-pics are needed to explain:

The marina has floating docks, that move up and down with the tide on large diameter metal pilings (see first pic above). Additionally, there are large chains placed on the bottom across the marina. In a cyclone event one has to move the boat off the dock a bit and tie to those chains. The ropes to the chains are placed on the bottom of the marina, with helper lines tied to the cleats, always ready to be pulled up:

small line with lots of growth

The thick rope laying on the bottom is pretty clean

mostly clean...

Below is a drawing from the marina, for the normal double slips they have here. We are currently, and likely for longer, on the end-dock, the T-dock. That is great for maneuvering in and out, but in bad weather we would like to be in a 'normal' slip. We should be OK here though: Four of these ropes are prepared to pull  us away from the dock, when the time comes...