Vanuatu Bound
We depart Musket Cove 30 Sept and slip out through the reef into big swells and strong winds around 30 kts gusting 34-36. Winds that ultimately will blast us all the way to Port Resolution, Tanna Island, Vanuatu in just 4 days. Sailing is great under 2 reefs in main, no genoa, lots of flying fish and frigate birds seem attracted to us. Beam swells become a little annoying but hey who cares when we are sailing fast direct to our destination.
02 Oct 2007
Ships Stuff
Copy of message to Alf in Wellington who thrives on helping P out with mechanical issues. This an example of a message that typifies some of the challenges that confront the cruising yachtsman who invariably is not an engineer but is having to learn fast.......
At sea Musket Cove, Fiji to Port Resolution, Vanuatu
Was surveying the engine compartment last night....bilge clean, everything was just sweet ie no oil leaks and the oil sender on song. On checking the water pump/alternator fan belt noticed it was a little slacker than should be so commenced tensioning process when noticed the whole mount was disconnecting from the engine and being held by one single threaded machine bolt which was just about completely out. In effect the alternator was firmly affixed to the mount but the mount which is also the fwd port engine mount was completely detached from the engine. So the engine was riding on only three engine mounts which maybe accounts for the stern gland leaking seawater. On closer analysis the mount should have 4 bolts connecting it to the engine but it appears there has only ever been one with 3 completely sheared off. I was able to find a new bolt in my box of tricks and fitted this and it is holding so far. To fix the overall problem will need an 'Easyout' to remove the sheared studs and line the engine up with the mount but this will have to wait until Australia. I will just keep a close eye on that single machine bolt. The thing that annoys me is the boys at Half Moon Bay Engineering made us up a new beefy alternator adjustment arm but did not notice anything wrong with the mount itself. The challenges and joys of cruising !!.
03 Oct 2007
Arrive Tanna Island, Vanuatu 0800hrs
At anchor at Port Resolution, Tanna Island, Vanuatu. Calling it a port is a bit of a misnomer as its just an open bay. Initial impression there is not much here - so far have spotted some thatched huts and some natives on the beach. Apparently there is a village with a "yacht club" (read thatched hut) and a restaurant somewhere but not obvious. There is steam wafting from vents on the shore (very volcanic area). Anchorage is rolly and shallow - we are in 4.5 metres. If wind turns to between east and north apparently one has to leave as the swell is very bad due to the shallowness. Forecast is thankfully for SE'sterlys.
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| Port Resolution Tanna Island |
Today we go to by 4x4 truck to the main town Lenakal on the other side of Tanna island to formally clear in. Leave boat at 7.00 am and get back at 5.00pm. The 4x4 taxi is a Mitsi ute with plank seating on the back tray for the passengers and a frame for a plastic sheet to be unfurled should it rain. We rode up front with "Sandy" the driver - bit of a squash as really only room for one. The tray was full of locals going to Lenakel for the day.
Leave the village on a dirt track (note not road) and then drove along beach then rejoin dirt track for some kms, passing through many small villages, all thoroughly traditional, no corrugated iron or wood in sight, all made out of woven coconut tree fronds wrapped around wooden branch frames. Everything very tidy, gardens all beautifully kept, sticks with barbed wire or all stick fences to keep the cows away from where they shouldn't be (surprising number of cows in very good condition, plus goats and pigs.
Power supply is by a few solar panels which are used to power the community phone and charge small batteries rather than provide any electricity for lighting etc. This is hilly country and we had to cross ridges to get from one side of the island to the other. This was to be a unique drive through lovely bush with attractive ferns and fantastic huge banyan trees. Suddenly we enter barren dry moonscape and then we were suddenly driving through an entire valley of volcanic ash - no road as such, just driving on this ash plain at the foot of Mt Yasur, the active volcano we hope to visit tonight.
The sides of Mt Yasur (which is only 361 metres high) are covered with ash, no rocks or vegetation visible on the mountainside at all. At the foot of the mountain are reddish and grey volcanic lava flows. After leaving the ash road we climb another ridge and join what can now be called a dirt road, the "government road" all the way into Lenakal, passing numerous villages, with men and women walking along the road carrying machetes to tend and gather crops for the day.
Got to Lenakel. Its 'Pay Day' for government employees apparently so a long queue at the bank to change NZD$ to Vatu. We spend some hours walking around the dusty town visiting Customs, Agriculture and Immigration which was nonsense but hey this is island bureacracy we will have to come to grips with. While P was at Customs B noticed the lady Immigation officer who had served us was now sitting round the back of the Government offices with some other women weaving roofing panels for a new house. Now that is multi-tasking.
We have lunch at a local coconut thatch hut cafe over looking the little harbour. The Lenakel supply ship was unloading at the 'wharf' - concrete structure stuck into the swelly bay, no protection at all. All supplies including timber planks being unloaded by hand, plank by plank, all day job. Lots of people in Lenakel. Presumably because pay day and supply ship in. Nothing to buy! Lots of little shops with absolutely nothing in them - a few canned goods, ubiquitous coca cola, batteries, some clothing, bare minimum. No "facilities" for tourists at all in the sense of cafes, place to buy a beer or anything!.
No public toilets (had to find some shrubbery - difficult as people everywhere). People are clearly poor although healthy. No western trappings although cellphone coverage is imminent. Most speak good English and many apparently speak good French which is a carryover from when Vanuatu was known as the New Hebrides in a condominium co-governed by the British and the French. You can only imagine the nonsense that prevailed all at the expense of progress and future of the local populace.
On way back B sat up front, with Sandy's wife (even more of a squash than when Peter was there). Peter sat on the back with the locals plus their shopping. He was not overly comfortable. Stopped for carrots and cabbage en route. We were going to go up the mountain last night but got back too late so will do it tomorrow. We get back aboard Muskie absolutely pooped. Thank goodness the volcano excursion is now delayed until tomorrow.
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| Looking into the cauldron |
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| Navigator taking pics |
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| Silhouette of Skipper and Navigator |
Nearly forgot to relate the story of the professional skipper of a big luxury motor yacht that caused a real show and pony act requiring our driver Sandy to immediately return to Port Resolution to pickup this guy because he was not ready when we had left at 0730. Then when he could not get a seat in the front on the return was forced to ride on the back with P and the others which he was certainly not dressed for. Our return was delayed over an hour because of him. We were not at all impressed at his cavalier and arrogant treatment of the locals but also the fact he had extended our day too.
07 Oct 2007
At sea en route Tanna / Port Vila
Its around 0800 local time Monday morning as we are motor sailing in a 10knot Easterly with sloppy seas. B is in the bunk and thankfully so far all is well on the sea sickness front which is surprising given the lumpy seas since we left Port Resolution at 1200 yesterday. P had a particularly bad day yesterday picking up on the AB's dumping and Australia's demise too at the Rugby World Cup. We were hoping for a trans-tasman final if that was possible. Reckon rugby has become a media game where even the players can only play to the next commercial break.
Back to life out on the edge....our four days at Port Resolution was really special. Saturday we walked all day first through the village to donate surplus clothing (Phantom and Ericcson t.shirts) and pens and paper to Chief Ronnie. This allowed us to then walk through the village at will. The village green is not mowed but very tidy and they all meet here to play sports, listen to music, dance, do handicrafts and in the evening on special occasions hang a big white sheet and watch videos like Shrek ? or old Westerns.
This Saturday morning the men were sitting around the green whilst the women and children were out hunting and gathering food..... fishing in the lake with bamboo rods, cutting greens with machetes, climbing trees to shake out pawpaw and mangoes, shang-eyes to kill bats and birds, spades to dig root crops. We walked for 2 hours on jungle tracks to Shark Bay to watch the sharks inside the reef. We then returned via the beach and by chance came across a little resort "Turtle Bay Resort" just 5 thatched hut bures and a restaurant run by an eccentric French couple and their 3 dogs. We could not help but stop to sample the fare. Inside guests from Grenoble (living in New Cal) and some Japanese. We enjoyed a cold drink Tuna salad (which I told B was meat) Fruit salad and local Tanna coffee. We walked the final hour back to the dinghy through the jungle so ending a magic day. Must add a highlight of the day was stopping on the track every 5 mins to dialogue with mothers and their children....all of whom spoke excellent English without grunting iduno and shrugging shoulders like young kiwi kids. The children either went to English or French language schools.
The finale to the day was the evening visit to the 361m Yasur Volcano. 1600 boarded a ute and trundled up the mountain to watch the sunset. Arrived on cue as the sun was setting and walked up to the crater rim...literally. And down deep down we looked into this abyss that was gurgling away with the hot ember rocks glowing around the inner perimeter. The rumbling increased then we experienced the first explosion as rocks flew skyward supported by an almighty boom before receding back down into the gurgling inferno. It rumbled on spewing low projectile glowing rocks that are glowing more by the minute as darkness arrives. Every few minutes there was a bigger than normal explosion as hot rocks would rocket like skywards. Luckily it was all blowing away from us with the regular SE wind. With complete darkness the crater was a huge glowing mass and we were just 150m from its edge on a high crater rim looking down into the fiery maelstrom. The sound emanating from the crater was surround sound boom box loud. After 60 minutes and numerous pics we headed back down convinced no New Years Eve pyrotechnic display will ever be the same. Interesting thing is there was absolutely no signage to keep back from the rim and no officials to police viewers. In the so called modern west you can just imagine the control freak mentality taking over the scene....its something we don't miss.
We headed back to the Yacht Club for a quite beer with the other yachties we shared the experience with and so ended a sublime day. Then it was up 0500 Sunday to try to listen to the aforementioned rugby match....and we are back where we started this e.
10 Oct 2007
Hello from Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu
Port Vila has been a really pleasant surprise. P last here circa 79 with Sarah and Jacinda and does not recognise the place. Australian influence is much greater here than NZ due to its proximity to the big country although there are seemingly just as many Kiwis here as Aussies. The previous French and British influence has resulted in a vibrant and colorful town with a people who we find pleasnt to deal with. In our mind it has Fiji beat hands down with systems and attitude to work and service refreshingly proactive rather than the general Pacific malaise. The church influence is much reduced compared with Tonga and Fiji. The shops and restaurants are first class although largely stocked by French goods which are super expensive. Was craving for a good read yesterday so purchased last Sats Sydney Morning Herald....nzd$11.00 !! Also got a can of L&P for $3 to get a taste of home.
We are anchored off the town in 20m of crystal clear water rather than taking a mooring bouy. The mooring bouy area has upwards of 100 vessels of all shapes and sizes so it is a busy place. We have a number of larger vessels in our immediate vicinity including a 100ft 3 masted barqentine that seems to be carrying passengers. A number of major resorts are within view of our mooring with associated water activities including jetskis, paragliding, floatplane and even a chopper on a barge all buzzing around frantically during daylight hours. The sunsets have been fantastic heralded by a conch shell booming from the nearby Iriki Is Resort each evening to be followed by local singing and dance music drifting over the bay. We have been going on mega walks around the town each day up hill and down dale then catching a local minibus for 100vatu (nzd1.30) when we have had enough. The 100vatu is a set standard fare anywhere in town and there are 100's of these vehicles roaming.
The contrast between Tanna and Port Vila is astonishing with Tanna being literally back in the 18th century. Before we forget the trees of Vanuatu are a real treasure...huge banyan trees and a variety of numerous other big trees give it a big garden feel and provide great shade. Before the end of this week we will commence cruising north to the islands of Epi, Ambrym, Malakula, Pentecost and Espirito Santo before returning to Port Vila to clear for New Caledonia by the end of October.
19 Oct 2007
Emae Island, Vanuatu
Happy Birthday sister Deb B in Grenoble France. Now of an age band we no longer mention !!
Meanwhile aboard Musketelle we are now anchored in a shallow bay called Sulua Bay on Emae Island. We left Port Havannah at 0950 intending a short trip to Nguna Island at the top of Efate. Once out of the shelter the forecast 15-25 kts came at us at 25-35 with some very big seas. There is a not so low low (about 1008) sitting over Vanuatu at the moment - it is stationary/very slow moving and has been around for the last four days or so. Think it is being blocked by a very big high in the Tasman. So we are getting enhanced SE trades as they say - ie lots of wind, very overcast but very little rain This is a pain because we would dearly love to fill our water tanks.
Having rejected Nguna Island as an anchorage we continued on for a few hours to Emae Island where we are now anchored. Bit of a rough trip - staysail and 2 reefs, some pooping waves from the starboard quarter (how rude) and B dozed thru most of it whilst Peter kept an eye on the sea whilst the autopilot valiantly steered. B had wrist bands on (compliments of Alf) placing them on some chinese wrist acqupuncture point, they seem to be working. Came between Emae Island and Cook Reef, which did not look like a good place to connect, without trouble. Presume it is called Cook Reef due to some visit by his illustrious self. Anchored in about 9 m of water, rock/coral more than sand bottom, so hope we can get anchor up ok,at least depth is fairly consistent and not downhill like the last anchorage so we won't drag on that account (wind being another matter).
Having anchored at 1630 and taken some transits, we sat down for sundowners - cheese (Mainland ex Fiji at vast expense), crackers, gerkins, buja (Fiji Indian nibbles - highly recommended). Plus vodka, galliano, lemon squash ( a variation on that stunning Gyles concoction that we were introduced to on an illfated sojourn on Muskie in the Hauraki Gulf last year(PMB having serious flu and refusing to admit it)). Back to the present P looks out and sights a swimmer. Now bear in mind the weather is pretty shitty, blowing a gale and overcast, its already 5.00pm and gets dark here about 5.30pm. Ni-Vanuatan swims up. Peter proceeds to throw him a line and haul him on board. We give him a coke and buja. He says he is looking for the spear from his spear gun - he speared a big parrot fish and line attaching spear to gun broke and fish and spear went west (makes sense because east is the shore). Peter asks various questions - eg we find that (i) cost of new spear is Vatu 2500 or so, (ii) there are 14 villages on the island, (iii) he can deliver fish in the morning and offers 5 or 10kg.
Given our fishing efforts have been miserable since Fiji we are at a loss to know whether its our technique or the fake lures from The Warehouse Alf left us ? or are these fish Vanuatuan fish smarter than Kiwi fish ? Peter next asks asks about bats and I hasten to add that we do not eat bats, merely curious!. We then get asked if we have any medication for his foot. Dr Peter takes a look. Apparently a cone (fish/shell?) entered it a year ago and a bit is still there. We say that antibiotic cream no use for embedded infections - he should go to Vila or Luganville and see doctor for surgical removal - seems unlikely. Apparently there is a small clinic on the island - god knows what it does , dispense disprin? and a "hospital" on the other side but the doctor went to Vila and has not come back. We finally suggest he swims back to shore before dark, rejecting his advice that we anchor further north (Peter points out later it would have more than halved his swim distance). He says that tomorrow when we come ashore (which, until P ordered the fish, had not been the plan) he can show us places so we can take photos etc. Peter then concludes that we are about to fund the replacement of the elusive spear!!
P now relaxing in master stateroom (ie back cabin) reading Claudia Orange's " Treaty of Waitangi" which he is finding fascinating and is having a major impact on his views - eeks he is about to turn into a woolly woofter liberal !!.
22 Oct 2007
Epi Island, Vanuatu
Copy of email to 4year old grandson Noah in Wellington NZ
Hello Noah
We are still on the yacht and we have been thinking how you would have enjoyed being with us today. Because today we had an exciting day watching dolphins and turtles swimming around the yacht as we are anchored in beautiful Lamen Bay, Epi Island. First we spotted about ten dolphins swimming in circles herding the smaller fish for a breakfast feast. Every so often we would see a lot of splashing going on as the dolphins eat the smaller fish. At the same time we would see the odd small fish fly out of the water and scuttle away at top speed from the dolphins to live another day in the deep blue sea. After this we spotted our first big sea turtle poke his rugby ball shaped head above the water for air, look around with his big eyes and then dive below the surface. Over the next hour we were entertained by six turtles surfacing around us. They were diving down to the bottom to feed on the sea grass. Sea Turtles have a big round shell and four flippers for swimming. The good thing for turtles is in most parts of the world they are a protected species and they are left alone which means they can live a very long life. At Epi Island in Vanuatu they are protected and that made us very happy. Tomorrow we are hoping to catch sight of another special sea creature the Dugong which is a huge big sea mammal that also eats sea grass. Maybe Mummy can google sea turtles and dugongs to show you what we are talking about because we are sure you will be excited too. Love G&G
ps Noah we hear from your Dad that you have a new pair of gumboots so you can help out in the garden over winter. While boys normally have gumboots in colours starting with the letter B...black,brown or blue; we think its great you select what ever colour gumboots you want. We know your gumboot shopping story will be told many times in the future.
23 Oct 2007
En route Epi Is/ Port Vila,Vanuatu
We had 3 nights at Lamen Bay Epi Island where it rained torrentially including 25-30+ knot winds but it was not cold. Clearly the weather in these latitudes is on the turn as is much more changeable than we have been getting. So much so that our plans to get up to Espiritu Santo were curtailed by adverse wind and wave conditions curtailing our northing at Epi Island. The other thing is our SSB Radio which we rely on for long range weather and comms broke down so we are returning to Port Vila to get it repaired and to prep for the passage to New Caledonia.
25 Oct 2007
Port Vila
Now back in Port Vila getting our SSB radio repaired and prepping for the New Cal leg. That is just a short 3 and a bit day trip but can be boisterous apparently. Boats that left Vila a couple of days ago Australia bound apparently got hammered with huge swells and some turned back. We had big head on seas coming from Port Havannah back to Vila but Muskie handled them beautifully.
30/31 Oct 2007
Port Vila, Vanuatu to Loyalty Islands
180 mile overnight passage due south from Port Vila, Vanuatu to the Loyalty Island group administerd by the French out of New Caledonia. Arrive Baie de Doking, Lifou Island at 0700hrs after gutsy passage into building E/SE winds and seas.
