Mr John VI

in

VANUATU

2011

What we did
We arrived from Fiji in mid July 2011, this gave us plenty of time to explore and still have some time for New Caledonia before clearing out of the Hurricane Area in early November (the official start of the season). All of those that we had met, who had cruised this area before, had stressed the need to start in the South and work north; this was very sound advice and I pass it on! One of the big attractions of Vanuatu is the Tanna Volcano Experience and most of the year this is a hundred (plus) miles dead to windward from Port Vila; thus it would be logical to head either directly to Tanna or to Aneityum in the south. Clearing into Tanna has its own problems (more on that later) so now that Aneityum has become a Clearance Port, this is the best place to head for. For us, it was 493 miles from Lautoka and took us a very pleasant four days of broad reaching. Aneityum was a good anchorage and safe in almost all conditions outside the Hurricane Season. We had an enjoyable stop-over there with plenty to see amd do We moved next to Tanna and did the Volcano Trip, which was exciting and memorable however Port Resolution was rolly (as normal) and wed already run out of local money so we moved on northwards. There was a really large swell out of the SE at this time so Erromango got little attention. Port Vila was a nice change, we spent some time there and did some trips on the bus after which we went around to Havannah Harbour where there were several anchorages to explore. Next we went to Lamen Bay on Epi but couldnt find a spot where we were not rolling, we had gone for the Canoe Races but could see that the deteriorating weather and increasing swell were going to cause problems (and indeed it was all cancelled), thus we shot across to Port Sandwich on Malicula where good protection and a flat anchorage can be found in almost any conditions. From Malicula we went across to Ambrym for the Back to my Roots Festival in Rodds Anchorage and were blessed with reasonable conditions for this as it is exposed to the north. After the Festival we checked out a few more Ambrym anchorages then returned to Port Sandwich as they were having a Festival there also. At the time we were doing Back to my Roots they were having a Festival in SW Bay on Malicula and many of the boats that were there reported it to be Very Good. if they can manage to do these festivals on different dates in the future, it would be good to do them both. From Port Sandwich we went up the east coast of Malacula calling at most of the bays then moved on to Espiritu Santo, which had a nice little cruising area on its east coast. It had been our intention to go to the Banks Islands where they hold another well recommended Festival however the Weather prevented thiswell, we could have gone but it would have been somewhat uncomfortable.

3 When a weather window came along, we went across to Ambae, Maewo and Pentecost but this was a fly through as the wind decided to go around to the North and Northwest.. Not the best conditions for any of these islands! Having got blown / rolled out we took the opportunity to go south without beating our brains out. We got a great window for the leg from Port Sandwich to Port Vila and had a comfortable beam reach the whole way. Returning to Vila put us in a very good position for the trip to New Caledonia, for some reason the New Caledonian authorities will only give you a full clearance in Noumea and this, being right at the southern end of the island, can de difficult to get to. If you sign up with The Rally they usually go to Uvea and fly the authorities out to clear the boats there.that is just an option to look into; more on that when I write up New Caledonia. We did some more exploration whilst in Vila then cleared out for Noumea We left on the 25th Sept after a little over two months of cruising; it was enjoyable but it was also expensive.

What there is available to see

5 Unfortunately, if you are travelling Vanuatu by yacht, you are very much governed by weather and in particular the South Pacific Hurricane Season; you also have to get here as there are few (if any) Hurricane Proof anchorages and no acceptably safe haul-out yard. At the time of writing, the yard in Vila is up for sale and when it changes hands there maybe changes which could make it acceptable, however, that remains to be seen. Another consideration is that, unless you wish to import your boat (a process that I am told is not so painful or expensive as one might expect) you only get three months to do your cruising, after which you have to leave. The situation regarding visas and costs is rather fluid here so it is best to check out some of the excellent Web Sites covering the area the best of which is www.yachtingworld-vanuatu.com Before you come, download the events calendar from www.vanuatu.travel as above and make a rough plan of what you want to see; if you dont have a plan, you could easily miss everything and in our opinion, with the heavy costs involved in cruising Vanuatu, if you are only going to visit the anchorages and not witness some of this fascinating culture, you would be much better off in New Caledonia!

We made up a plan as you can see below.. it also contains some gems of info we came across!

Getting there
For most cruisers Vanuatu conveniently gets in your way as you head west out of the Pacific. More often than not, its an easy three or four day sail downwind from Fiji. From New Zealand its more downwind than either Tonga or Fiji but the passage length can cause some uncomfortable brushes with the SPCZ. From Australia it can be hard work, especially if you dont play the weather card right; however many boats do the trip each year and some of them get really good sailing weather for the passage. Before departing, check out www.passageweater.com and www.metvuw.com to help pick a good window, you can get an idea for seven days but its the first three days that will set the tone..

Arrival
IF you arrive in Port Villa to clear quarantine, they MAY take away any fresh vegetables that you have. Im not too sure how often this happens but it does happen! Meat stuff in you fridge / freezer, is yours.. no problems there. You should anchor off the QUA-quarantine (yellow) buoy on arrival, fly your Yellow Flag and make contact with the Port Control; Yachting World Marina are very helpful in making arrangements. If you arrive out of normal working hours you just anchor, sit around ON BOARD until it is normal working hours..then call in. Its not a bad anchorage in normal conditions. Charge on arrival: Everything in Vanuatu Vatu currency.. Quarantine 3000 Immigration 4000 Customs. we didnt pay anything to Colin in Aneityum but understand this MAY be 3,000 (as per stated in Jasons Vanuatu Visitor Guide to Nov 2011). FOR THE ABOVE you get. One month Visa and one month in Vanuatu bearing in mind that you will have to pay PORT DUES / harbour fees of 7850 when you clear out. ALSO they will charge you 100 vatu/day on top of the 7850 Port Dues above for each day you are cruising Vanuatu Waters. HOWEVER may be because we are so small but my bill showed the Port Dues :7000 Surcharge 10.08.11 23.09.11 x 100vt /day :4500 Total : 11500 VAT : 1437 Grand Total : 12938 If you wish to stay longer than 1 month, you will need a Visa extension.. 4 months / 7 months / one year; we purchased 4 months which was the minimum we could do at 5000 per person. ALSO with the VISA. despite paying for four months they only gave us two months in our passport. they said that we should use the two first then go to the nearest immigration office with my receipt and ask for the other two. And, the best rip off of all, when you pay for the four month extension they take the first month back off you so its not really a four month extension at all.its only three months on top of what you have already paid for. Moorings in Port Villa are 1200/ night (more for a cat)..(anchoring details in the Port Vila section). Diesel was 174/ltr Petrol 172/ltr (duty free Diesel 127/ltr was available on departure foreign) You may gather, Im not too keen on fees in the sailing world..it never happened to Josh Slocum! Everyone here uses the Rocket Guide, its a very good guide and if you cant afford to buy it, there are plenty of free copies available BUT these early copies have errors so you may want to get the latest through the Yachting World Web Site. DO READ the Rocket Guide for Pentecost all ports going northwards, info sheets It makes interesting reading, somewhere between the Sharks in the water and the Sharks ashore (make sure to lock up everything that can be moved) and the We dont really want you bit, he forgets to mention that if there is anything you want to do or see (like a waterfall walk or dive on a reef) first you have to work out and pay the price.. Because there aint nothing here for free!!!!

9 Here is where some of the money goes.. Walk to waterfall in Aneityum 1500pp Volcano trip from Tana Anchorage 5000pp (includes 3250pp entry fee) Cascade waterfall in Efate 1500pp Botanical Garden Efate 800pp Back to my Roots festival Ambrym 7000pp but expect 9000 at the next festival.. Port Sandwich Festival Malekula 4000pp SW Bay Festival, Malekula (Fire Beach, Labo Village) 5000pp Twin Waterfall Festival, Banks Islands 4000pp? Photography may be charged extra and Video Cameras WILL certainly be charged extra (20000$US for a big Movie Camera!!!! and the movie guys also get taxed by the Government!). All above prices are subject to sudden jumps Average Coffee ashore 250/300 (but can get free WiFi with that in Vila / Santo) There are some quite good supermarkets in Vila and the choice in products, particularly dairy products, is an improvement on Fiji. The French influence is evident here but the prices also reflect this and whilst you can eat well you can expect to pay for it. The fresh Market however, is reasonable with a good selection of vegetables; throughout the islands good fresh produce can be secured at local markets or sitting at anchor and exchanging a few items that the locals need. Some places / islands dont have any Banks or ATMs so you need a big stack of money with you There was a notice at the dinghy dock (Vila) the other day that someones dinghy went missing overnight from Yachting World Dinghy Dock..You should be aware and take precautions. We were told TVL was the better Phone Company to be with; however we went with Digicel and were quite happy. One reason for this was that our Digicel Fiji Modem worked really well here (after only some minimum changes to instructions within the software). The Modems were not available to BUY in Vanuatu (although that may change) but you could use a Smart Phone as a Modem if you liked. Im not sure where you would go with an I-pad but most likely its coveredIn general, these guys are far from primitive, that bit is just for sale to the tourists, they are very good capitalists, educated, smart, raking in the money and they like to buy the techy stuff!!! Digicel did have a special Data Rate which found to be quite reasonable. Every which way, having the Modem and being able to download Passage Weather / Metvuw made a big difference to our sailing here; it really greased our path! Digicel to the US / Europe 50/min (maybe 40 off-peak or weekends) There is quite a good net going The Namba Net 4003khz at 2115Z 0815T also check out the VHF net whilst in Vila Harbour.

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ANEITYUM

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Making ANEITYUM a clearance port was a very good move and shows the readiness of the Vanuatu Government to adapt around its greatest asset.Tourism. Not that this has been done just for the yachties, it is mainly to service the numerous Cruise Ships that call here to sample Mystery Island. When we were there Colin was the local customs official and despite his responsibilities for Clearing Cruise Ships in and out (sometimes two in a week) his Customs Launch turned out to be rather leaky dugout canoe; which he can paddle one handed whilst talking on his mobile phone, this is indeed a land of contrasts! When we arrived the trade winds had been light for a while but there was a large swell coming up from a disturbance to the SW. The outer reef had some spectacular breaking waves and the western end had some good spots for experienced surfers; the anchorage was however quite calm except that our first anchorage, in the SW part, which we thought would give best protection when the trades returned, was too close to the reef; what swell that was getting in was refracted back off the reef wall and set us rolling. It was better when we moved to a more central position in the bay. Ashore there were some nice little walks, a store with a few basics and a couple of schools; Mystery Island has some nice beaches and is really very pretty when theres no Cruise Ship in; it was also fun to go and see the Cruise Ship operation when one pulls inthe entertainment was tacky in the extreme but none of the passengers seemed to notice. You can find protection here in everything but a Westerly Blow. it is a relaxing place to Clear In and sets you up with a nice down-wind sail through the whole Vanuatu Group.

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If this is your first taste of Vanuatu or third world cruising, you may want to protect your topsides from the visitors. They do try hard to avoid damage but it doesnt always work!

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When headed North

out of Anelghowhat you can break up the passage to Tanna by calling at Itchepthav Bay, located up on the NW coast of Aneityum. This is a nice quiet spot and you are unlikely to be disturbed; the holding is good and you can pick your depth in sand / mud. The only drawback is the bullets of wind that drop down into the anchorage, especially when the trade winds are developed. Whilst it only takes seven miles off the distance to Tanna, it does mean you can get around Inmat Reef in good visibilityThis reef is nearly always breaking.

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The

passage from Aneityum to Tanna should be a Trade Wind Reach and with a good current pushing you along. From Anelghowhat anchorage into the Port Resolution anchorage is 49 miles. We left at 0600hrs and were happily at anchor by 1400hrs, departing from NW Bay would cut another hour off that so there seems little point in doing this as an overnight..Those that do seem to spend their early morning hours trying to slow down however they can be treated to some nice displays from the Tanna Volcano. After spending some time in Kiribati and the Marshalls we were surprised by the extent of the wind shadow in the lee of Aneityum, we had to get almost ten miles downwind to find clear air. This is a good introduction to all the islands in this group where the mountainous nature and geography of the islands in relation to the pervading wind conditions, can cause some very unexpected wind directions quite some way offshore. Having tried the purist thing until I was almost pulling my hair out, my advice now, when faced with these contrary and unexpected conditions..is to motor!!!!

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TANNA
When arriving in Port Resolution be aware that the early Rocket Guide had an incorrect waypoint so best check everything and know where you are. The C-map that I was using was almost in a different ocean; best be careful with all electronic devices; this is another reason for not rolling up here in the dark or early morning hours!

Route: Port Resolution inwards from south

1. 2. 3. 4. S19 30.879 E169 30.897 S19 31.011 E169 29.956 S19 31.322 E169 29.805 S19 31.565 E169 29.777

These waypoints worked quite well for us and our anchor position was 19 31.565S 169 29.745E in about 16ft of water with good holding mud In retrospect we could have moved a little further ESE to tuck in a little more but as you move into the shallower water there are more scattered coral heads and coral junk on the bottom. It is however worth it to move in as far as you dare as the swell wraps around the headland (as can be seen on the Google shots) and this anchorage can be quite uncomfortable.

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18 Tanna has one of the worlds most accessible active volcanoes in the world and whilst it has other fine points and a very interesting culture, it is Yasur, the Volcano, which is a MUST SEE if passing this way. You should go and see Stan the Man for this. Stanley lives just passed the school on the way into the village (see X on Google map) he likes to have a group of six or more so it helps if you arrive with a couple of other yachts..We made an agreement to visit the volcano the next day and fixed a price (5,000Vatu/per head about US$100 for the two of us), which included the 3,250Vatu per person entry fee. If you do this trip you need the following equipment: Good footwear ie. Hiking Boots Warm Clothing.its cold up there when the sun goes down also its windy so wind-proof and waterproof may work better than an umbrella!!! Thermos of something Hot to drink (optional) Supply of water Something to munch / eatits a long day Spare batteries and spare cards for the camera Flashlightsone each (at least) Kneeling / sitting mat bum padding for riding in the back of the pickup Camera Stand /Tripod Notes: Some people would have added full set of Kevlar Body Armour and burn dressings to this list; it can get exciting and even dangerous on occasions..its a live Volcano youre standing on! This adventure should not be mixed with alcohol! Try and get up there in time to see the sunset.you may have to gee Stanley along a bit Its late when you get back watch out for the coral (prop) when leaving the beach Leave your anchor light on and be sure your dinghy will float you back CLEARANCE AT TANNA At the time of writing , clearance is still possible in Tanna however it has never been easy as the official Port for Clearance is Lenakel on the SW side of the island. This is probably one of the worlds worst anchorages if tenable at all!!! Thus the accepted practice was to communicate with the authorities by phone and decide if you were going across to see them or they were coming to see you (at your expense I must add). This is an experience you can really live without and its all prohibitively expensive The trip across the island is no doubt beautiful however there are many other places in Vanuatu where you can put this money, time and effort to better use. It used to be that the Customs would come across to clear the yachts once a week during the seasonif you are expecting this then you should check in advance; they dont seem to be doing it any more. I was told that the anchorage in Port Resolution was safe (if a little uncomfortable) in all conditions Personally, I wasnt that impressed with it under normal trade wind conditions and it looks like a death trap in a northerly.. Whilst here, you should keep a weather eye and be prepared to leave at short notice! There was a yacht lost here in the approach a couple of years back went a little too far to starboard on the way in and found reef. Also be aware that the seas lump up round the headland and we had to slip a couple of hatch boards in as a precaution.

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When we left Port Resolution going north another, larger yacht, left at the same time going south then west around the island..we met up with them approaching Port Vila; they had searched the whole west coast for an anchorage and then, like us, they had checked out Dillon Bay on Erromango but with a large swell rolling in from the southwest it was a lost cause! CURRENTS.. when we got behind Erromango and fell into the wind shadow, we also ran into a very strong south going current (we were a couple of miles offshore to the west); this current had us going backwards until I started the motor and we were able to get out of it..The effects of the wind shadows and the currents can cause some very lumpy sailing conditions around all the islands south of Efate; this is one more reason why you really dont want to have to crash down to Tanna from Port Vila! Do not let this put you off though. if the weather is anything like normal then Dillons Bay is a good stop-over on this leg north and those that stopped the year we were there, all reported a good welcome and a nice time ashore.

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ERROMANGO Dillons Bay:

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We didnt think wed get any rest here with quite a SW swell in the anchorage so we headed back out to sea and did an overnight to Port Vila..

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EFATE PORT VILA

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26 ARRIVING AT PORT VILA If you are going to Clear In then you must anchor near the Yellow Buoy in the Outer Harbour and make contact with the Port Authorities. The best and easiest course of action is to contact Yachting World Marina on VHF and let them know you are there; they are most helpful in making the arrangements. If you are looking for a swing mooring or require to berth on their dock you may want to tackle this at the same time, even if you do not like the Marina Idea it is worth it in this case to have their assistance and at least one night on a mooring to get more familiar with the area before going your own way. Cant say we thought a lot of the showers but the availability of water and a pontoon to tie the dinghy were worth the $12 The blurb that you read on line suggests that you have little room in the outer anchorage and that space available there is only for yachts clearing in..There is actually quite a lot of room and it is by far the best anchorage in normal trade wind conditions. There is coral and some of the heads are quite large, we picked the shallowest spot we could find and had about eight feet under the keel, I got the chain well wrapped round some large heads to the extent that we were well secured; I slept well knowing I could recover my gear easily from that depth. Most of the inner harbour is taken over by moorings however there are times during peak periods that they are all taken, which can be a problem. Best not anchor anywhere in the middle of the inner harbour as it is deep and any spots without moorings on the surface are still likely to have mooring gear all over the bottom (along with an accumulation of other junk)! There were spots available for anchoring with a line ashore along the inside of Irriki Island, this would let you anchor on the up-slope in a depth where you could see / retrieve your anchor however it may be a little buggy so close to shore. We did similar further south on the spit, using an anchor instead of a line to a tree..it worked but only as a stop-gape whilst it blew a fresh westerly in the outer harbour. Boats on the Yachting World Marina Dock went bow or stern too and had to use their own anchors, there MAY be someone available to help you doing this but from what we heard on the radiodont count on it! It wouldnt be my ideal choice of venues, you get some heavy wakes from passing traffic, the holding is tenuous and side winds can be strong..seemed to me to be a great place to destroy a vane gear! There is a very good and active tourist office down town and this should be one of the first places you visit as you have to not miss anything. It is a good idea to make up some sort of schedule as to what you want to see in the outer islands and be ready to get away from Vila in plenty of time to get there. For us, the first critical date was the Canoe Regatta at Epi on the 4-8th of August which would lead on to the Back to my Roots Festival at Olal, North Ambrym; you dont have to do any of the festivals but to not do at least one would be a cultural tragedy and a waste of waste of all the time and money spent to get yourself here. There is quite a lot to see and do on Efate and Vila is a safe place to operate from; not much, if any, is free however some of it can be good value for money and entertaining.

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In normal conditions you can tie your dinghy to the seawall along the esplanade if you are in the outer harbour, not at night though! If you want to go ashore in the evenings or overnight it would be better chained to the dinghy dock at Yachting World but even there, they are not immune. In just about all cases, you need a stern anchor or weight to hold her off. There are plenty of ladders but watch out for the kids playing, particularly near the water slide, you can end up with a very wet dinghy. When you enter, it is all very apparent. If you are BIG remember there is an overhead cable and the underwater cable / pipe shown on the charts. Also it can be a bit shallow if you draw much more than eight feet.

29 On leaving Port Vila most boats head for Havannah Harbour on the NW coast of Efate, however some do go first to the anchorage off Mele in Mele Bay; here is found Hideaway Island where they claim to have the worlds only Underwater Post Office. You can tuck in to the NW of the island and then swim on the reef, which is a Marine Sanctuary. you do, of course, have to pay for this and/ or landing on the island / using any facilities. It is possible to land on the main beach and I believe there is a very good Pizza Place down here. You can also walk from here up the road to The Cascades or The Botanical Gardens (Secret Gardens). we did a half day at each and it worked as a nice day out. Getting around to Havannah Harbour is not a great problem even when the trade winds are fresh however Matao Tiupeniu Point was always referred to as Devils Point by the Admiralty and not without good reason, it cuts up quite lumpy here, especially when wind opposes tide.be warned, one moment its nice sailing and the next you have a lump of water in the cockpit!

Directions 1; S17 44.579 E168 17.225 2; S17 45.376 E168 11.034 3: S17 44.090 E168 09.844 4: S17 42.806 E168 09.201 5: S17 42.440 E168 09.125 A: S17 39.707 E168 10.281 AA: S17 38.380 E168 11.228 AAA: S17 37.118 E168 12.989 A1: S17 36.801 E168 13.658

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Havannah Harbour. This is a nice little area to hang out and explore if you have time and the weather is co-operating,
there are some good fishing spots just outside the Purumea Channel (off Payne Point). During WWII this was an anchorage for part of the American Fleet and a place they retired to for R&R. Thus the bottom of the harbour is still littered with Coca Cola bottles (and much more). The locals are now getting revenge by selling this junk back to (mainly American) Tourists who now want to do what they should have done in the first place..take their rubbish home with them! Well, there was a war on so I guess we have to give some leeway. On the positive side, like in many of the Pacific Islands, the Americans spent a lot of time and effort building roads, other nationalities have of late been involved in their upkeep of late but the original infrastructure on most Pacific Islands is down mainly to American generosity. This partly explains the superb road that runs from here to Port Vila (and probably right around the island. although I didnt get chance to sample the rest of it). Buses into town run fairly regularly along this road so if you do have to go back for something you can..it saves hanging around in Vila waiting (as many do).

If you anchor in Esema, you are sure to get a visit from these guys (Frank with his sons, Justin, David and Andrew) and if you are lucky theyll sing for you as they paddle over Always something to trade, mainly to get conversation startedthis is usually a prelude to being requested to charge the mobile phone, a small service we can provide without hardship and keeps the locals very happy! Dont forget the fenders

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Our Anchor Position: 17 33.097S 168 16.996E

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33 In the North of Efate you may want to try Undine Bay..we missed it as we just didnt have time however, we have had very good reports. The water is clear and there is some good coral; the walks on Ile Nguna are reputed to be really good with some stunning views. Just follow Google into a nice anchorage but go easy as we did not get to test this one out!!!

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EPI ISLAND We had a fast reach up to Epi from Havannah Harbour, leaving in the morning twilight (0540), it
took us twelve hours to do the 67 miles from Esema Bay to Lamen Bay. There are places to break this journey however, they may be a little rolly in developed trades; we were anyways in a rush to reach Lamen Bay for the Canoe Regatta, which is held annually and attracts quite a few visitors. Lamen Bay is also supposed to have a friendly Dugong, which you can swim with..well, people have done in the past; it would seem that the Dugong had donegong for quite some time when we arrived but another one may show up when you visit (Ummmmm). Unfortunately the wind that brought us north was quite well in the SSE, fresh and freshening; there was also another heavy SWly swell, which may actually be common at this time of the year when there are some nasty depressions in the South Tasman SeaWe tried to squeeze into Lamen Bay as far as we could but the swell hooking around the headland was causing us to both surge about and roll; it seemed neither comfortable or safe and the forecast was for conditions to worsen considerably in the next twenty-four hours. We could have moved deeper into the bay but there was resistance to this as the locals were trying to protect the sea-grass (probably in an effort to get the Dugong to come back!). There was said to be a swell free anchorage (that requires a local to pilot you in??) up in the north of the bay..that maybe so but this didnt seem like the best weather to go poking about in the shallows. Thus, with a good anchorage only four hours to leeward, we had just the one rolly night and left the next morning for Port Sandwich; later we heard that the Canoe Race was cancelled and the boats that remained had a very uncomfortable period where it was rolly in the anchorage and too bad outside to leave! We had fortunately done Lamen Bay on our previous visit so we were not too disappointed.

Our anchor position: 16 35.830S 168 09.805E..but dont get any south of here as we were a bit close to the reef..!!!!

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I offer this more as a place to take your dinghy than a place to take your boat.. however there could be enough room for a small shallow draft boat to anchor off the beach but if you intend to do it, best check it out with the dinghy firstand I wouldnt put much faith in the Local Pilot idea; in general the locals are used to Canoes and the idea of a KEEL has never quite reached these parts!!!!!

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MALAKULA ISLAND

The visit to Epi was not so hot (fortunately we had visited once previously). with the big swell, rolly anchorage and deteriorating weather we left early for Port Sandwich where we knew wed find flat water. It was 27 and five hours anchor to anchor; with the wind already over twenty knots and increasing, it was a lovely reach but there were some confused and lumpy seas out in the middle area. Still, it was one of those beautiful days, with blue sky and sea, three volcanoes in view and destination visible on departureeven the odd dollop of water in the cockpit is forgiven on such a fine day!

PORT SANDWICH
During daylight, Port Sandwich is no problem to get into and with care, could be done at night. Our first anchorage was Ok but the bottom seemed to be broken coral and maybe a few coral heads. I went around with the sounding line checking as there was no way I was getting into the water.THERE HAVE BEEN SHARK ATTACKS AND MANY SHARKS SEEN IN PORT SANDWICH, ESPECIALLY NEAR THE DOCK(where the locals have, for many years, been cleaning fish). We had a night in this anchorage but the next day we went looking for something better as the wind was expected to top thirty knots. The local guide suggests that there is a Hurricane Hole in the Southeast arm of the inlet; we went up there and checked it out but found it to be huge funnel with one white water squall after another creaming through. If you ever intend to use this spot for a hurricane youd better not pick one that blows from the South or SSE!! We found a much better spot for the prevailing conditions in the SW section of the bay where our shallow draft allowed us to creep quite well into the bay, we were still a little out in the middle but we did get rid of the down-drafts and it was very good holding in mud.With two anchors out I slept soundly!!!! From this location we were able to use our dinghy to explore, there are some small rivers and an almost interesting wreck to visit; cant say we saw much wildlife or anything but it did give us something to do until the weather system moved off and we were able to return to Planters Point which gives the best access to the settlement (just over a mile away) at Lamap.

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The Maskelyne Islands

Located at the SE end of Malakula this may be your first anchorage if headed north, it was blowing too much for us on our visit, with a fresh Trade Wind blowing over twenty knots and a strong current we got cold feet however it looked interesting and plenty of boats do spend time here. The village on Sakao Island have been trying to get a Festival going and bring in the yachts.it could be good but the anchorage there (A) has limited room, limited protection from the trade wind and a strong current.

Anchorage B at Awai Island is the best in the area and sheltered in most conditions, it would be wise to make this a base and then do day-trips to the other islands in the group. It has good holding in fine sand and could accommodate about half a dozen yachts.

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Banam Bay

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PORT STANLEY
From Port Sandwich to Port Stanley was 34 (anchor to anchor) and a nice day sail as the SE trade gives you a good broad reach all the way. We wanted to get ashore (always looking for phone top up!) so went directly to the south of Taitaka Island where the BA Chart showed the sand spit you can see on the Google shot. The spit has 10 12 feet over it and is mainly sand with a few scattered coral heads. We drove over the top of it and dropped our anchor in about 15 laying back over the spit. In this position we felt very secure and comfortable despite the wind honking up fresh; there was a little pitching and the wind generator howled but the holding was good.

We took our dinghy across to the dock at LitslitsI could see some other anchoring spots along the way in and they would be closer to the dockbut you dont have to anchor out in the middle in the deep stuff where indicated in many of the guides; in moderate visibility you can see clearly anything that you are likely to hit! We left the dinghy behind a fishing boat on the inside of the dock.it looked quite safe. It took us forty minuets to walk into Lakatoro but it would be possible to flag down a local pickup truck/bus as all the locals do (only crazy tourists walk!). There wasnt much in Lakatoro and despite all our efforts we couldnt even get our phone topped up..we did get some rather disappointing bread and I noted that there was a small garage along the way selling petrol and diesel which they were decanting into bottles from a drum! There was a small produce market, not much but better than what was available in Norsup, some basic supplies were available.

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Norsup
At the northern end of Port Stanley, 4 from Litslits anchorage is the village of Norsup, built up for servicing a large Copra Plantation which is now but a shadow of its former glory. Still, the tidy village and the remaining Copra operation make this a worth while stop-over providing the weather cooperates. Unfortunately, the bay is only sheltered so long as the wind is south of southeast; once it goes north of there it becomes exposed and quickly swelly / uncomfortable. The further you get in towards the dock the more shelter you get; however, once ashore, you should not go too far from your boat as conditions change quickly. We took a walk to the Market as wed heard Saturday was Market Day.it was a somewhat limited market but Paula found something to buy even if only to have a chat with the locals! We found two small stores, one of which was a real historic gem! It was here that we also found Phone Top Up..that was a relief! On the way back to the dinghy we stopped by the Copra Shed where they were engaged in drying.it was possible here to get some idea of the size and infrastructure that went with one of the larger plantations when they were operating within the Pacific Basin.

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The Shop with no sign.

Oldy-worldy store

Norsup is an exposed anchorage

The Saturday Market

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WALA ISLAND
Going north up the coast the next logical anchorage was Wala Island; it was 10 from our anchorage in the SE of Port Stanley and quite a nice sail. The charting leaves a lot to be desired however it was not a problem and one has to remember...they get large Cruise Ships anchoring between Wala and the mainland.

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ESPIRITU SANTO

We had a fast sail up to Luganville from Wala Island (32 dist), AWORD OF WARNING: we left Wala through the northern channel early in the morning and due to having spent the evening doing computer related stuff for the locals I did not have a full Passage Plan completed or a route in the GPS. Bad move .as with most problems at sea we had a series of unforeseen events that could have led to disaster. A large rain squall came in as we were getting clear of Wala, visibility went down to a couple of hundred yards, and the increased wind took our attention to reducing sail. The current was ripping up to the northwest and .. Well, fortunately the rain cleared away in time for me to see that wed been set down on the reef that lays some way offshore of Achin Island. It was a sharp reminder that sailing in paradise does not mean we can let our guard down; there are strong currents in many places around Vanuatu and it really pays to know that you are on your pre-planned track line at all times. There are a couple of anchorages around the south end of Santo if you have the time and the weather to explore, our first concern was to get to Luganville where we could extend our visas, already paid for but given in small increments so as to cause the most inconvenience, or so it would seem. As it turned out the helpful guy in the office at Luganville was much more understanding of our small boat, big seas plea and extended us all the way to the end of our allotted time. Luganville is also a Clearance Port, often used by boats arriving from the west (those who left the Queensland coast and couldnt make Noumea); also a departure point for those making the end of season dash to Queensland without stopping in New Caledonia. These boats tend to use Chesterfield Reef as a stop-over on route however, of late the New Caledonian authorities are starting to take interest in this area with regard to boats not cleared out from there jurisdictionwatch this space!

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Anchorage..B

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Anchorage C Warning. this one is information passed on

These are the waypoints I was given 1. Arrival point S15 33.339 E167 16.572 2. 115 true to S15 33.378 E167 16.657 3. 184 true to S15 33.476 E167 16.650 Said to be a nice protected anchorage on a sandy shelf, nice village with nice people..

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SantoEast Coast We took advantage of some good weather to sail from Luganville to the East Coast of Santo where
some off-lying islands form a nice protective barrier, producing a lagoon area where you can move north or south without too much regard for the weather. This barrier helps create some nice flat conditions and a miniature cruising ground with over a dozen possible anchorages to explore; Peterson Lagoon being the most secure of them all as it is a lagoon within a lagoon!

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Palikulo Bay
This is the first logical stop-over when headed north as we were; it was 12 from Luganville, anchor to anchor. We had a few clouds about which made reef-spotting a little difficult however it cleared away for our final approach to the inner anchorage. There were three boats in the outer anchorage and one cat in the inner when we arrived, we certainly thought it was worth the effort to get into the inner part, there were just a couple of coral heads to dodge, but otherwise it was straight forward.

I have listed the way-points in the order you would need them on arrival.. 15. S15 28.789 E167 14.944 14. S15 28.929 E167 14.940 13. S15 29.034 E167 14.935 12. S15 29.161 E167 14.897 11. S15 29.256 E167 14.897 10. S15 29.337 E167 14.893 9. S15 29.384 E167 14.925 8. S15 29.441 E167 14.938 7. S15 29.484 E167 14.925 6. S15 29.562 E167 14.909 5. S15 29.589 E167 14.925 4. S15 29.632 E167 14.966 3. S15 29.668 E167 15.001 2. S15 29.703 E167 15.017 1. Anchor Position S15 29.725 E167 15.029

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The above gives an idea of the general approach; I noted that very few people seem to follow this route, they prefer to explore the banks with their keels to see if there is enough water to do a more direct approach!.....In good visibility everything falls into place. do not expect any buoys.if there were any, they are long gone. Once inside the inner anchorage it was calm and peaceful, the trees took away most of the breeze but we were not bothered by mosquitoes. It was a very pleasant anchorage; the Outer Anchorage had a lot more breeze and the holding out there is not as good as inside where we had a white sand bottom in 10 feet of water.

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Im not sure what the boat in the shot above is doing.maybe thats an alternative anchorage? Anyway, this is the placethe first bar of coral heads was well down and no problem but on the final approach you should avoid going directly over any dark patches, some of them have only 4 feet at LW.

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59 Whilst we were here, we enjoyed many walks ashore, there is a lovely, picturesque little lane that runs down the peninsular from the old fish factory, this is also an interesting spot to take the dinghy and explore. There were local fishermen who would come by and wave but we were not bothered by anyone.. Paula went into Luganville with a group of yachties off the other boats.Because there were seven of them together they got the return trip at a very good price; it gave her chance to visit the Market and pick up a few supplies. It is otherwise much too far to walk into town and doing it on your own in a taxi would be expensive. This would be a great place to hang out whilst doing boat projects..

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Surundu Bay / Surunda Bay

Just a couple of miles north, up the lagoon, there is Surundu Bay; another beautiful spot where you can get your hook down in 12 feet of water with an almost white sand bottom.

Our anchor position: 15 27.535S 167 13.349E

A B C D E F Arrival Point 0.2 mi 242 true 0.3 mi 223 true 464 ft 223 true 385 ft 213 true 258 ft 227 true S15 27.162 E167 13.815 S15 27.237 E167 13.670 S15 27.420 E167 13.492 S15 27.476 E167 13.438 S15 27.529 E167 13.402 S15 27.558 E167 13.370

Everything was clearly visible and we had an easy entry / exit however if the trades are blowing fresh and there is a big SE swell coming in through the entry to the outer lagoon, it may cause seas to break on the banks north and south of the entry to Surundu Bay, this makes it look a little intimidating and may put you off.. Dont worry, there is still no problem in getting in HOWEVER in these conditions you may roll moderately in the anchorage, and it may be best to find somewhere else to go until it calms down. I cant say I was that impressed by Surundu Bay, it was nice ashore but getting there seemed to involve going across private property (a couple of nice houses have been built on the beach here and more are planned).No one seemed to mind us wandering ashore but it just didnt feel right

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Peterson Lagoon / Oyster Island

Our next anchorage was up at Peterson Lagoon / Oyster Island, which is a whole mini cruising ground within a mini cruising ground Well, that is the case for us however if you have a big, drafty Cruising Boat you may not quite be able to move around inside as we could. It is however a nice protected anchorage and boats of eight feet draft can get right inside to what many of the locals say is the best Hurricane Hole in Vanuatu. In fact many boats have done Hurricane Season here, some unattended and left on moorings..Ummmmm.you may get away with a Cat1 or Cat2 if you were there to look after it but anything over thatGood Luck!!! The resort doesnt want the yachts anchoring close (in the sheltered/ shallower area) so you have to move back into 35 and more and with more than a handful of boats that can be quite a way down the lagoon. It seemed to me the bottom was a sloppy, soft mud and you need a 60lb anchor to get down through it..thus big boats will do better than us here (we dragged twice!). The Oyster Island Resort is quite welcoming and you can use their facilities if you are prepared to buy a drink or morethe prices were actually quite reasonable and the internet (Wi Fi) was most useful; if you can get front row in the anchorage and have an antennae, it is possible to get WiFi on board. There are walking tracks on the island and the Resort can fix you up with some nice tours / dancing if you require it.

XXXXXXXx

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1. S15 23.003 E167 11.848 2. 274 true S15 23.000 E167 11.810 3. 259 true S15 23.008 E167 11.772 4. 266 true S15 23.010 E167 11.738 5. 262 true S15 23.021 E167 11.661 6. 233 true S15 23.058 E167 11.609 7. 269 true S15 23.059 E167 11.553 8. 278 true S15 23.055 E167 11.522 9. 319 true S15 23.037 E167 11.507 10. 352 true S15 22.938 E167 11.492 The Dock at Oyster Island Resort with the anchorage beyond

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Ambae Island The Trade Wind let up and with the lighter wind we decided to get across to Ambae and Lolowai Bay
which has a very good write up.. as can be seen below, we didnt make it as the wind went round to the NE as we approached the anchorage and anyway it was getting late in the day for messing about, the sun was setting and whilst we could have done the outer anchorage in normal conditions, with a lumpy sea and swell running in, it was untenable. We could see there were a couple of yachts at anchor inside the lagoon but the entry is a little tricky and we were far from High Water.thus we bailed out. We thought to continue to Maewo Island and anchor off Asinvari but sadly the wind continued to shift to the North and Northwest and Asinvari didnt look too good the next morning.The only boat that was in there was making sail and getting out at first light; not a great recommendation! At this time we took stockdecided we were going over old ground that wed covered quite well on out first visit in 1990Thus we headed south

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Maewo Island Asinvari

There are MANY anchorages on the coast of Maewo and if you are going to cruise this area you should take a good look at the coast using Google Earth This way you can pick out some nice spots! The same can be said of Penecost, we did a few anchorages in both these islands first time around and found some nice spots. The diagrams that I drew in my log book at the time are no match for what is available now on the Rocket Guide or by studying the coast with Google Earth so Im not going any further into detail.

LOLTONG BAY Pentecost Island

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Ambrym Island
On our first visit, we sailed across to Ambrym from Port Sandwich when headed for Rodds anchorage and the Back To My Roots Festival. We took a look at Craig Cove and didnt like it one bit! The swell hooks around the point and the anchorage seemed deep with a lot of coral We moved north around the corner to Dip Point Anchorage but found this to be untenable also. we went right in to where we would have anchored but a northwest swell was bouncing off the steep too beach and we didnt fancy it We passed by on several other occasions and saw boats in therenot rolling so we were just unlucky!

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Due to our problems with Craig Cove and Dip Point anchorages we were faced with an arrival up at Ranon well after dark..this was made worse by the strong head current we got on the NW coast. The current eased as we got further across the bay. We were lucky that there were a couple of boats already in the anchorage with anchor lights on and I chatted with one before arrival. As it turns out Ranon is a nice easy one with a gradually shelving beach of Black Sand. you can steam directly in and drop your hook in anything between 12 and 18 feet of water; there is plenty of room. Ashore there is a nice and tidy village with a small market. There is resort at the north end and interior trips can be arranged. Whilst you can do the Volcano trip from here but its 50/50, due to conditions at the top you may not see too much; its also rather expensive. It may be possible to stay here for the festival and get transportation.. a large group was staying at the resort when we were there and they were being transported each day.

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RANON
My two anchor positions are close by one another. Positions E and F Id got from other sources and both of them would have been fine also.. 001. S16 08.487 E168 06.977 004. S16 08.485 E168 07.005 You could do a mild front here with the wind swinging through north.we did one and even with the onshore breeze we never got more than 10kts out of the north the anchorage was fine and we could still get ashore OK. If you are going to get 15-20 or if there is some northerly swell before it starts, you may have to leave bigger boats may last a little longer than the smaller guys at this! From all accounts, it is a rare event that you have to depart under these conditions

RODDs ANCHORAGE
Not a lot in written about Rodds but it is a surprisingly good anchorage. We had a waypoint G for our arrivalbut another boat was close by and we dropped at 002 This was a perfect spot, in about 32ft of water on sand. Unfortunately when I went to check the anchor I found I was hovering over the other boats gear as they were on very long scope.. we had to move and shifted down to 003 where we remained for the duration of the festivalthis was 34feet in Sand. 002. S16 06.545 E168 07.819 003. S16 06.601 E168 07.791 Whilst here, on the last day of the festival, we had a front go through and the wind went right round. We had about six hours with the wind out of the north at ten knots and had no problems. Swimming around the bottom, I found a well defined line at about 30feet depth where the coral starts and is more or less continuous towards the shore, outside of this it was all sand and shelved gently to deeper water. Although there are some heads and its uneven, you can cross onto the coral into 15feet without fear of hitting anything. you just wouldnt want to anchor there! The water is quite clear so you should be able to pick your spot, you just want to get your anchor out beyond the coral; if you should swing over it due to a wind shift, there is still plenty of water and I felt sure that the anchor would not drag far towards the beach without getting a grip on something! The guys ashore in this bay were most friendly and there is a small school just up the road towards Olal that the yachties have helped put together; they are always most grateful to receive more books and equipment Beyond that are a couple of small shops with minimal basic provisions. We were most happy in this anchorage and felt the boat was secure whilst we were away at the festival.

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RANON ANCHORAGE

Back to my Roots

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That was it for us

We were watching www.passageweather.com and almost a week before it happened we saw a window coming that would take us south.A situation that does happen but you have to watch the weather and be ready to move. Thus we had a beam reach, in perfect sailing conditions, from Port Sandwich just about all the way back to Port Vila which we did in about 14 hours. We missed The Banks and other islands north and we regret that but it was blowing just before they ran the Banks Island Festival and we were not prepared to go those conditions.A bigger boat would have had no problem, but we are small and we feel these things more! What we did of Vanuatu, we enjoyed. There was much to see and even more if wed had deeper pockets! These are interesting islands and interesting people, they are said to be one of the happiest nations on earthTheir home is sitting on a huge earthquake prone fault line, with live Volcanoes scattered like confetti. When the South Pacific Convergence Zone is sitting over them they are right in the middle of the South Pacific Cyclone Beltand just about every year nature hits them with something. Maybe they are just so happy to be alive!!!!!!! I have to say, from a small boat perspective, it was a nicer cruising area than Fiji, there were more safe / secure, / calm anchorages, the water was generally clearer and there was more to see on shorealthough this was usually at a price. We felt very relaxed here and never felt threatened in anyway, we took all the usual precautions when leaving the boat but encountered no problems ourselves. The people are friendly and helpful at all times; language was never a problem. We do hope you enjoy these islands as much as we did and hopefully this little guide will encourage you to visit and look around. I have enclosed below my newsletter, which I was writing during our visit.. You may find some more information here and I hope I dont bore you to death!

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The Mr John account of our visit to Vanuatu..

We actually had a good trip from Lautoka to Aneityum (the southern most island of the Vanuatu group), having had so much cruddy sailing in the past this was a most pleasant surprise; we actually managed to fly the kite for two days! It was just coincidence that we were advised by a French yacht that Aneityum had just become a Clearance Port just a few days before our departure, this was great news for us as otherwise we would have had to clear at Tana, a process that can be both complicated and expensive. If wed been able to clear out of Fiji and depart the next morning (within the usual 24hrs), then we would only have spent three nights at sea; as it was, the Fijians are no longer allowing boats any leeway when checking out, you have to leave immediately after receiving Clearance. So this eventually meant we were forced to slow down for a morning arrival and an extra night at sea. I certainly wouldnt have wanted to arrive here in the dark..not the first time anyway. We arrived on Sunday and did not expect to see anyone until Monday, in fact there were three other boats already there, two of which were flying their Q Flags, one of these was a French boat out of the Loyalty Islands on a Charter and very anxious to get cleared; we watched him go ashore, from where he was sent back to his boat and told to wait on board! On the Monday morning, Colin, the trainee Customs Officer came paddling out in his dugout canoe, it would have been a more incongruous sight had he been dressed in his uniform but it was enough that he had a real dugout. He was clutching his mobile phone and a small bag for his papers, the mobile phone seems to be a major part the way of life here and no matter where you go there is always someone on a mobile phone. Clearance was a none event as Colin, being only a trainee, couldnt take any money and that would have to be paid in Port Villa (fine by us); the bit that wasnt so fine was that we would have to wait on board to be cleared by Quarantine and that wouldnt happen till TuesdayThe Quarantine officer had been there up to Saturday but wed just missed her.both Quarantine and Immigration were flying in on the Tuesday as there was Cruise Ship due on the Wednesday with eighteen hundred people aboard. Aneityum is the home of Mystery Island, a P&O destination for its cruises coming out of Australia, that island forms the southern barrier creating this anchorage and it is also the airport; being the only flat bit of land around. There are some nice leading marks ashore for the ships to use but they are not lighted and the amount that each vessel gets tucked into the bay depends on the steel nerves of the individual skipperswhatever, they never get to where the yachts anchor! It was midday Tuesday before we completed formalities, we had been a little unlucky in having to wait around; the Quarantine and Immigration were going to be staying in Anietyum for the next month or more as they were expecting two cruise ships a week now that they had moved into the high season. The good news is that the cruise ship people do not go onto the mainland, they get to use Mystery Island and thats it..by 1600hrs they are on their way again never quite knowing where they wereFor sure, they will never find Mystery Island on any Admiralty Chart, it is said that Queen Elizabeth named it when she swam there on a visit with Britannia more likely it was just the P&O PR department being imaginative and coming up with yet another Mystery Island to go with the three in the Caribbean, two in the Bahamas, two in Indonesia, one in Malaysia and another in ThailandI dont think Cook or Bligh would have thought it imaginative but there again, they were a bit short in that department also! Once Cleared we went ashore for a walk and checked out the village, there is a shop but we didnt ever get to see it open; the people smile a lot and are very friendly, they didnt seem to mind us walking around and taking photos although there wasnt an awful lot to see. I got the feeling that most of them were pre-occupied with the Cruise Ship coming and the prospect of making money; this sits very well with their culture which very much revolves around Grade Taking, a system of proving ones position inside the community by displaying accumulated wealthThis ancient culture and

74 old fashioned little island group in the Central South Pacific is actually a shining example of Raging Capitalism (with a firecracker up the bum!). Our first introduction to this (apart from the clearance fees, which are NOT cheap) was when we asked about walking to the local waterfall, this is actually, apart from snorkelling, about all there is to see down here. It transpired that the waterfall is on Private land and the owners of which now require 1,500 Vatu (US$16) per person to visit, this seemed a bit steep to usto visit a waterfall of dubious quality and grandeurwhich may not even have any water going over it! Instead, we got permission to go across to Mystery Island and join the tourists and (wishful thinking on behalf of the locals) spend money at the Handy Craft Market; we also had an agreement with Colin that we could pick up our Outward Clearance from him at the venue. It wasnt to far to motor across in the dinghy and there was a beautiful sandy beach to land on, no one seemed to mind that we were there, we mingled but did not fit in due to us being bronzed and them being all white. As an ex Cruise Ship man I was keen to study the P&O operation so perhaps looked harder than I should and found the whole thing rather tacky. Security and safety seemed fine but I found the presentation of the island to be one great money grab, no sooner have the passengers set foot on the dock from their launch, than they are harangued by the onboard photographer who is hell bent on catching each one of them in his lens no matter that he has stopped the cavalry charge for the beach; once off the dock, the track to the main beach is a minefield designed to part the unwary from their money at every step. If the tourist survives this with any funds, the handy-craft market awaits, full of all sorts of Indonesian imports at grossly inflated prices and very little actually produced in Vanuatu; there were no quality items. I was startled to see they were selling Lobsters, alive or slightly dead, whatever without ice or even water; they were just sitting on a table in the sun with price tags of fifty and sixty Australian Dollars. I cant imagine what a Cruise Ship passenger would do with one of these! The beach however, was something else..it was a beautiful setting, even full of people..but most important of all, we were welcome to come back the following day and have the whole place to ourselves! Colin didnt have our clearance, must have been pressures of work..he told us to come ashore on the mainland at 1700hrs and hed meet us on the beach with itwell I was there with Mike off the British yacht Alchemy, whod been told the same story. Colin showed up half an hour later having just arrived from Mystery Island (without clearance); he asked us to wait and said hed return with it shortly. Sunset came and went and we started to loose sight of the markers that indicated the passage through the reef to this beach, at which time we went looking for Colin. We found him on his mobile telephone (surprise, surprise) at his house /office, he had completed Mikes clearance but mine would be a while longer so I told him wed deal with it tomorrow (and cancelled my early morning departure plan). I managed to get back to the boat without incident but I noted Mike was having a little more difficulty picking his way out. We were resigned to another day here and that was it, however our Clearance did show up at about 2030 when the young people off Delos (an American Yacht), who had just returned from an expedition ashore, delivered it directly to us. It was however, too late, we were not going to get involved with stowing the dinghy and preparing for sea at this late hour, departure was re-scheduled for Friday morning. Having given our selves another day, we used it to take a nice long walk ashore and followed a few of the tracks into the interior behind the village; we were impressed with the amount of cultivation taking place and the curious mixture of the old and new. There were huts of straw and bamboo for living inwith satellite dishes on the roofs! There were men tilling their vegetable plots by handwith mobile phones in their back pockets. There was a generator that hadnt worked for months as no one could fix it and yet there were solar panels and high tech equipment all over; the Cruise Ships had brought them wealth and new toys but their culture and infrastructure were many years out of synch. We found the river and we eventually wandered into a small village but retreated immediately as we did not want to intrude and we understand they are a little sensitive, if not shy, of foreigners invading

75 their privacy. Back in the main village, on a rather uneven football field, there was a very intense game taking place and most of the village people were in attendance, all the players had good kit and the shirts were obviously supplied by the local Mobile Phone Companies who were no doubt competing for exposure and judging by the cost of calls, were no doubt raking in enough money to participate in this form of advertising. It was rather nice to see that so many were taking part and supporting this game, they were all taking it very seriously and when I looked around, I noted that there were few if any obese people here..they all looked a fit and healthy bunch, happy in their surroundings. Early the next morning (13th July), just as it was getting light, we departed Aneityum for Port Resolution on Tanna, the next Island north and about fifty miles distant. We wanted to be sure of getting there in daylight, especially as the guide we were using had a fairly obvious mistake in one of its coordinates. As it happened we need not have worried as there was plenty of breeze and a big southerly swell running, which we surfed down at times. There had been a gentle roll in our last anchorage but it had not been serious and we considered our selves lucky as their were, at this time, warnings of damaging swells from New Caledonia to Tonga with a lot of islands getting well hammered. The seas were mounting up and breaking in the shallower waters to the north of Port Resolution and we put a couple of extra hatch boards in for fear of taking water in the cockpit but in the end we found our way through without incident and anchored not too far from the Yacht Club. There was however quite a swell hooking round the Cape and into the bay causing a not so gentle roll, we decided to make haste with our visit as any shift of the wind to the north would require an immediate departure from this anchorage. There were four other yachts in the bay when we arrived, Delos had come up the day before and the French charter yacht, who were leaving the next morning, returning to the Loyalty Islands; also two Catamarans who seemed to be less troubled by the rolling. We went ashore and found Stanley, he was the man who we were told would arrange us a trip to the Volcano. Did I mention that? Tanna has one of the worlds most accessible active volcanos and whilst it has other fine points and a very interesting culture, it is the Yasur, the Volcano, which is a MUST SEE if passing this way. We made an agreement to visit the volcano the next day and fixed a price (5,000Vatu/per = US$50), which included the 3,250Vatu entry fee; Stanley gave me a slightly broken guitar to try and fix for one of the locals and after a brief look at the village we returned on board to work on this and other jobs. After a short time on board we were visited by Tom in his dugout canoe, Tom was a local with a typical problemtechnology overload! He had his favourite DVD with him, music videos featuring Lady GaGa and others. he wanted us to transpose this onto a 4gb Flash Drive which hed brought with him. We explained to him that the DVD was most certainly more than 4gb and wouldnt fit on the Flash Drive without compression and that we could not do this on board.. Ah, he said, my friend can put four DVDs on this Flash Drive. So I explained to him that his friend, probably clad in just a penis sheath, living in a tree house on an island with no power and no (real) roads, must have far superior equipment and technical know-how than what we have! He moved on to the next yacht in the line On reflection, yes we could have done it..but on a small boat this is no easy matter, we have limited power available and we are most reluctant to put anyones flash drive in one of our onboard computers.we cant afford to pick up a virus out here and you can be sure the locals dont scan for viruses! Next day, I returned the Guitar fixed (I hope).good old West Epoxy Systems! Then we went to the Volcano. It was fortunate that we did a little planning and were outfitted for the occasion, well dressed for the chilly evening breeze (half gale!) on the rim of the crater, good boots, flashlights, some food and water..This is NOT a flip-flop and shorts expedition!

76 Thirteen of us (including the driver) piled into Hilux which was well past prime and headed down the main road.well it looks like a main road on the map but most of it resembled a dried up river bed or a section from a motor-cross venue. On many occasions we all had to jump out whilst the vehicle struggled up some incline, we were lucky we didnt have to push, which I understand is standard practice when its been raining. Paula got to ride inside the cab, I rode on the back and was glad to have brought a chunk of HD Foam to protect my bum (somewhat); the ride took just less than an hour and the truck certainly earned its fee! There was a short trek up the Crater Wall from the car park and whilst it is most accessible this is no place for the old or infirmed. As you approach the explosions of molten lava within the crater get louder and the puffs of dense smoke hang menacingly overhead, then suddenly you are looking down at an increasable sight, the sound level increases ten fold and you realize that the natural shape of the cone projects most of the noise upwards, standing on the rim you get full effect and you get to feel the shock waves that come from each explosion, it is truly impressive and awe-inspiring! Unfortunately the sun was just going down behind clouds when we arrived; it is possible, on clear days to get some wonderful sunsets up here. Still, it was a surreal landscape, the grey smoking crater, the old lava flows and the ash fields; each having its own presence yet combining into one entity. It was one of lifes memorable moments, to sit and watch Mother Nature in the raw, performing as she had for millenniums, revealing her power and soul, spelling out the insignificance of man and all his achievements on this incredible blue planet. We were not alone, many more tourists had come from the other side of the island, many having flown down from Vila for this experience; few were prepared for the bighting chill of the wind but all were warmed by the experience of being there. After three hours, we were ready to retreat; one could have sat transfixed for many more hours but wed taken in all we could absorb, our bodies were ready for food and a rest from the buffeting wind; our cameras were full of memories that our feeble minds may some time forget. It was time to go home! The trip back was thankfully more downhill and we were not called upon to dismount; it was nice, as always to spot our anchor light as we approached the bay and know that our little home was still waiting safely at anchor. Some of the group had arranged a local dinner ashore, to sample Laplap and a little island flavour, we deferred; mainly due to having been cleaned out of what money we had brought from Fiji. There are no banks around here so you need to have cash and plenty of it! I have to add that Im not anyways keen on these night time excursions, the risk of Deli Belly, little protection from the Malarial Mosquito and messing about in a small dinghy in the dark.these things have never appealed to me. The conditions in the bay had not improved and in fact, threatened to get worse; the big swell was still running and looked like it wasnt going down anytime soon so the next day at Noon we heaved anchor and headed out for Port Villa. We had thought of a stop over in Dillons Bay on Erromango Island (the next island north), however the swell was so high that we knew that bay would be impossible so resigned ourselves to an overnight passage and off we went. With a double reef in the Main and a well furled Genoa, we surfed northwards up the east coast of Tanna in lumpy seas; Yasur, the Volcano, puffed little clouds of farewell to us as we went. We had written off Dillons Bay but we still had to get through the lee of Erromango which we knew would have quite a large foot-print. As we were passing it during the night we laid a course well clear but it didnt help; as we sailed into its shadow the wind collapsed leaving us crashing up and down in a very lumpy and confused sea. To make matters worse there was a strong Sly set to the current here,

77 maybe a big eddy caused by the island, whatever we suddenly had three knots on the nose and even surfing down the fronts of the stand-upish waves under power; we were only making two knots for an hour or so until we managed to break free. It was a frustrating night and we had to use the motor and hand steer for almost four hours before I could get her back under sail with the vane gear in control, the wind however had died away somewhat by morning and our speed was down. As we crept away from the Island the seas settled and at first light we went to full Main and Genoa and I got the staysail out to windward on the pole. It turned out to be a beautiful day, even if a little slow and we arrived off Port Villa on Efate Island just as the sun was setting; our anchor went down a hundred yards NE of the Quarantine Buoy in fifteen feet of water and promptly got well wrapped around a coral head.well, at least we knew we were not going to drag off and we slept soundly. It was over twenty years since we had last visited Port Vila on our previous circumnavigation, things had changed considerably! Vila is now a throbbing tourist hub with all the Boutiques and Coffee Shops that go along with it, there is a strong French influence left over from the Colonial Days when the group was governed (or misgoverned!) jointly by the French and the English. They have the old British bureaucracy and the new French Pacific prices, which unfortunately is one hell of a combination! The people however are smart and friendly, smiles come easily and they are always most helpful. I went across to the Customs (down at the Container wharf) to complete my clearance inwards, after which we went exploring down town. There is a big Market which has quite a collection of vegetables, some of which we wouldnt have a clue what to do with; they also have the Au Bon Marche supermarkets, with a really nice / modern one about a quarter of a mile south of the Dinghy Dock; well within walking distance. Here they have nice Cheese and Meat counters presented in a civilized French sort of wayunfortunately there are some rather chic prices to go along with it! We thought we might find some cheap wine here but nothing doing..we are going to be very dry for the next couple of months; probably it will do us some good! The big Marine Organization here is the Yachting World Marina, who run the moorings (about 35 of them); they have a great web page full of good information for visitors although I have to say that several bits have been skewed to favour the use of their services. The moorings all seem to be quite good and there is no doubt that they help accommodate a greater number of boats in the harbour area, which is just as well as we have noted that many of the Australasian yachties coming up have even less idea on how to anchor than the..oooops Id better watch it here!!!! We got to test a mooring for two nights when the wind went westerly and the outer anchorage became untenable; in fact the swell even found its way into the mooring area which is normally well sheltered. The sea wall, where we had been tying our dinghy, became a jumble of breaking waves and at this point the only available place to land was at the rather crowded Yachting World dinghy dock. As soon as we could however, we moved off and found an anchorage within the harbour, it wasnt one that most keel boats would like but for us it was fine and I do like to make the most of our shallow draft and small physical size to get in places where others would fear to go. We decided to take in a couple of the local attractions whilst here and took a local bus out to The Cascades at Mele, this impressive twenty meter waterfall has created a lovely swimming hole and as the river courses further on it does so creating more swimming holes and small falls with water shoots (great for the kids) all enclosed in botanical garden. it was lush, effective and neat, for some reason its not slippery under foot so you walk up through the water guided by a few posts and ropes. Another place we visited was the Botanical Gardens, also out at Mele and a short walk from the Cascades; sometimes called the Secret Gardens I preferred to think of it more as The Cultural Gardens. There were not that many flowers or trees of note, however they had laid out typical village huts and tons of information sheets on the history of the islands and the culture, which is still very

78 much in evidence as you move out into the islands away from the tourist centres. Unfortunately, with the amount of tourists that are now visiting and all wanting to see a slice of the old culture; it wont be long before the old customs change. Culture on demand becomes a presentation, then it becomes a feature and eventually its Hollywood all over again! We were waiting on some mail and the weather was taking a turn for the worse so we remained in Vila for just over a week. On what was supposed to be our last day, Paula noticed that there had been no fresh mail in the Yachting World Office for some time so she asked about it.. the girl thought for a while and admitted that she had not been to collect it from the Post Office for over a week!....She was going to pick it up during her lunch break (just for us), so we decided to remain another day to see if we could get lucky. All things considered, Vila is a nice stopover, however a week on a mooring here would be almost one hundred dollars (US), the clearance charges for a boat making just a couple of weeks visit would be over two hundred dollars (US), so anyone on a tight budget may want to consider their options! Having decided to remain over one month we had to get visa extensions (US$58 each) and we will also incur Light Dues of US$1.20/day for the extra period we remain (above one month), payable when we clear out. Our feelings on all these expenses are as follows..We are here now, we will most likely never be here again, wed better get out there and see the most we can whilst we can and well just have to sort out the budget later! No Christmas presents this year!!!! We scooted out of Port Villa on 28th July and moved round to Havannah Harbour on the North West coast, it was a good down wind sail for the most part and we especially enjoyed the bit off Devils Point where we went through some impressive tide rips; we considered Devils Point well named! The forecast had been for rain with thunder storms moving in, so we picked out Esema Bay as the best anchorage for the conditions and sat there for the next five days; four of which it rained, heavily at times, with thunder. We caught plenty of water, filling our tanks, all the containers and even the buckets so that when the rain abated Paula was able to do a big load of washing. The anchorage however, remained flat calm and it was quite relaxing in a wet sort of way! Not much happened at Havannah Harbour, getting ashore required some thought to avoid a muddy dinghy drag. The small river, which was said to be an expedition, turned out to be a short flop. There was lots of activity with canoes going back and forth from Moso Island to the mainland, where most of the Islanders seemed to have small plantations where they would spend the day working; a few would stop by and talk to us. From Esema Village, Frank and his three children, Justin, Andrew and David visited us many times and on one occasion, during a rain shower, they sang to us as we were rowing back to our dinghy after trying to find away ashore to stretch our legs. They were a very nice family but unfortunately, we were unable to help out with a few of the problems they had, like fixing a portable video screen that had a double image or helping out with oil for his two stroke generator. Its all very well having all this stuff, which they work so hard to get, but at the end of the day when things go wrong, their only help is when yachts visit the anchorage and even then, not all can help (as in our case). One day we took the dinghy around to Port Havannah and walked into the small village, which is the main settlement in this area; on the way in we passed many small stalls, where the locals would sell produce to people passing through on the road. We picked up a few vegetables for ourselves and admired some of the Mud Crabs that were strung up. There was also a small Museum displaying and selling WWII momentous left by the American Forces that were once based here. It would seem that the Americans had little thought about dropping their

79 garbage overboard when anchored in the harbour and it is now that garbage that the locals are selling to any passing tourist who shows interest. On our last day in Havannah Harbour I went into Port Villa on the bus whilst Paula remained on board, we had discovered that the events which we had planned to see up island were going to cost more than we had budgeted for so I had to raid the ATM before we departed to those parts without ATMs or Banks. After almost two hours of waiting by the roadside, a minivan (bus) showed up and twenty minutes later I was in town; just in time for most of the shops to start closing down for the long lunch break. I checked for more mail with Yachting World but the package from England, which had been on route for over a month, still hadnt arrived! The bus back to Moso Landing was not easy to locate, in fact.few of the locals seemed to know where Id get one! Fortunately a friendly minivan driver picked me up and delivered me to a Service Station just outside of town where he managed to hook me up with a pickup going in the right direction. It was all a bit of an adventure but for 400Vatu each way it was still easier than sailing it; especially when I thought back to that little race off Devils Point! In the evening we were fortunate to have Paul and Gina Rae come over for a coffee; not only were they great company but they also brought a fantastic Lemon Meringue Pie with them, we are working hard on getting them to revisit us often! After our restful stay in Havannah Harbour we headed north for Lamen Bay on Epi Island, with the hope of seeing the Canoe Race on the 4th of August. We left just after 5am in the morning, motored through the Northern Entrance, and were soon sailing goose wing with the pole out, in winds from Zero to 15 knots in a very confused sea. The swell was coming from two directions between half a meter to over two meters high and we did nothing but roll from one side to the other for most of the day. The last couple of hours we went on a fast reach in 15/20 knots of wind and this took us almost into the anchorage; unfortunately, whilst the wind died before arrival the swell did not and it wrapped around the headland causing us to roll heavily once we got the hook down. It was a rolly night and we were not impressed..Morning did not improve the situation and with a forecast of worsening weather (and larger swell), we decided it would be a good idea to leave and move to a safer, calmer place. So we heaved up anchor and sailed the twenty seven miles across to Port Sandwich on Malakula Island. Later, we heard that the weather caused the cancellation of the Canoe Race and the planned festivities that would have gone with them; the boats that remained were left rolling heavily and unable to leave due to the strong winds..It seems we made a good strategic move (for once)! It was a great sail, with a deep double reef and a full No.3 Genoa we reached across the straits that separate the two islands in 20/25 knots of wind and some short, steep and breaking seas in the 2 -3 meters range. I was surprised that we didnt take any water aboard but despite carrying a full load of water containers the boat performed well and I enjoyed it; Paula wasnt so favorably impressed but coped well and had a go at steering for a while when she wasnt taking video footage; trying to capture a big wave or two! We anchored some way south of the dock at the Planter Point, Port Sandwich in about twenty four feet of water; the anchor was holding well in a mixture of coral and mud but I wasnt too sure it was well set. I would have gone over and checked it but there are warnings all over the place here about the consequences of leaping into the water, a few years back a small girl from a yacht was taken by a shark whilst swimming near the dock and there have been several other attacks since; at least we were not rolling even though it was quite windy and through the night we had some strong gusts.

80 Next morning we moved further up the bay in search for a better anchorage with less wind, we tried the anchorage our Guide Book suggests is a Hurricane Hole but found it more of a wind funnel than anywhere else, with gusts in excess of 30 knots and white water squalls; not our idea of a Hurricane Hole! After a bit of exploration we found a spot that had less downdrafts and great holding in soft mud, located in the next bay over to the west; it was still however, quite windyand we still got occasional heavy downdrafts which healed us over from one side to the other and reminded us of the last Hurricane wed had to ride out in Horn Harbour, back in the Chesapeake Bay. We took off our awning, put out a second anchor, put extra ties on our sail cover and settled down to relax a little after two days of fairly intense sailing. The strong winds, which were caused by an intense high pressure area to the south of us, began to subside after about 30hrs and we were soon able to launch our dinghy and take off to examine the bay and some of the rivers / streams that lead into it. One of these, known as Murder Stream, has a history dating back to when the first white people settled in the area; due to certain tensions between the settlers and the indigenous people there was a bloody battle close by the banks of this stream which was said to have run red for many days thereafter. We were a little disappointed that our exploration of the stream was halted by a substantially constructed road bridge; it did however provide a landing place from which to explore the northern shore. As soon as the weather allowed, we returned to anchor off Planters Point and went for a morning walk ashore, not too far as we were out of condition again! We made it to the store where we bought eggs and some bread before retuning to the boat and getting underway for Ambrym Island, only fourteen miles distant across the small strait which separates them. It turned out to be a boisterous trip with the wind funneling between the islands and the left over sea, from the previous days bad weather, gave us a few lumps to try and get around. Arriving at Ambrym, those same lumpy seas were making the anchorages uncomfortable if not untenable; Craigs cove was not inviting, Dip Point Anchorage was full of multi-directional swell right up to the beach and with the sun low on the horizon we were in a bit of a fix, like the last person standing at Musical Chairs. We managed to make contact on VHF with a boat at Ranon anchorage, about twelve miles up the coast; they reported one boat off Ranon and themselves in Hot Water Bay, which is part of Ranon.. Apparently it was quite calm there, so off we went in that direction; motoring with some assistance from the Mainsail. We had an almost full moon and I had several anchorage directions so the night time arrival in a strange bay didnt worry us too greatly; we had more problems with the adverse current which, for the first hour or so, was quite strong. Ranon has a nice, black sand beach which gently shelves and has few if any dangers; we arrived a little before 2000hrs and anchored in fifteen feet. Next morning we heaved up the anchor shortly after breakfast and moved a couple of miles further along the coast to Rodds Anchorage; this was actually the place we needed to be for the North Ambrym Festival but it was not an anchorage I was prepared to do at night due to a certain lack of information. As it was, I couldnt find the depth promised in one of the Pilot books and as the sun went behind a cloud, closing down visibility, we were forced to drop anchor in the first safe spot we came to whilst I went off with snorkel and mask to check out the anchorage area. The first thing I noticed was Chameleons anchor somewhere under our keel so it was a nobrainer that wed be moving again; it turned out that Rodds has mainly Coral down to about 32 feet of water, after which it is mainly clear with nice white sandy clay; very good holding but a little deeper than I like, we had a little chat with Patricia and David and then shifted a couple of hundred yards West.

81 It was the day before the festival was due to take place and we were the only two boats in the anchorage, further, Patricia told us they would not be attending as theyd done it the year before when there had been something in the order of eighteen boats in there! The low turn out could have been due to festival date overlapping those of South West Bay, Malakula, however there were only half a dozen boats over there from what we could gather so maybe it was down to the weather. We decided to walk through to the village where the festival was due to take place and get a firmer understanding on what was taking place; it was a good 35 / 40 minutes walk and one had to allow a little extra as the ni-Vanuatu all expect you to stop, shake hands and have a little chat when they meet you along the road..its amazing how many people you can run into this way! We managed to overshoot Chief Sekors village which is a neat gaggle of huts just before Olal where we ran into the wife of one of the events organizers. Chief Sekor, who is the Primary Contact for the event, was away picking up tourists; however we were warmly received and shown where the event would be taking place and confirmed the time. By the time we got back to the boat, our legs were telling us we were out of practice with the walking so the next three days of walking there and back to the event was going to be good for us! It is possible to arrange transport and when there are a couple of yachts together for this, the price is quite reasonable; we committed ourselves to walking but were grateful that we had a nice bay to swim in and cool down each afternoon we returned on board! The Back to my Roots Festival in North Ambrym has been ongoing for a few years during which its popularity has increased to the extent that it is close on becoming a bit of a tourist attraction. Would be National Geographic photographers from all over are closing in on what is (once was) one of the last great, authentic cultural experiences. Ummmmm It was good, and certainly an experience not to be missed however, if the numbers swell too much more than when we attended (sixty/seventy), then most of the authenticity would be lost As it was, we had some difficulty shooting video due to the continuous hum of tourist chatter and had to ditch quite a lot of photos which revealed, or always seemed to reveal, a certain portly Italian gentleman with a large camera and an even larger lens! Paula however, got some great shots and we were well enthralled with what we saw. Explanation of events were supplied in both English and French by a ni-Vanuatu in a Penis Sheath and a few feathers.it seemed incongruous to me, that this Pagan Ritual taking place in a jungle clearing where only a short time earlier tourists (mainly missionaries) were regularly eaten for lunch; could have most of its participants tri-lingual. The bit where Chief Sekor had to exit the dancing to take a call on his mobile phone was just another of those jigsaw bits that never quite seemed to fit.. Im not going to try and describe the dancing or even the setting, it was something you need to experience first hand. Our pictures describe it best, the video even better but none of that can convey the atmosphere; the rising dust or the earth trembling, and the stomping of the feet to the rhythm of the Tam Tams echoing around the clearing. We were lucky with the weather, I had asked Chief Sekor about this earlier and been informed that they would make magic to keep the weather fine for the event and I must say their magic was stronger than Passage Weather and the WMO, who consistently got it wrong (Im glad to say!). We did get a front going through on the last day and the wind went around to the north but only very light; it was enough to give us a few hours of bouncing about in the anchorage but it was never unsafe and it proved to be a really good anchorage. If it were much over twelve knots out of the north that situation would have changed rapidly, as the Coral leading up to the beach tended to refract the swell and not absorb it (as would be the case at Ranon anchorage); this would make life aboard quite miserable. Another good thing about Rodds was the number of Dugongs that we saw swimming about, there was a mother and calf pottering about in the anchorage every day we were there and Chameleon also reported a pod of Dolphins passed close by whilst we were ashore.

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The day after the event closed, we shifted back into Ranon Anchorage and went ashore for a look around; luckily for us we bumped into Rachel, a New Zealand lady who had spent some years ion the village writing a thesis on some aspect of village life (something to do with the effect of the absent men that had gone to work in New Zealand as part of the Pacific Island Agricultural Laborer scheme. Where New Zealand (and Australia) allow a certain amount of islanders in each year to do temporary (none skilled) work in the agricultural industry. Rachel showed us around, explaining procedures, events, and protocols; it was a very informative tour but I got the impression that Rachel was just glad to have someone around to hold a conversation with. We were most impressed; it was all very clean and tidy, well laid out and with a certain air of well-being (relative wealth?). We met a couple of locals and they seemed to be hard working and happy; at the East end of the beach was a small resort with some basic accommodations, a large group of Italian Photographers that had attended the Festival had been staying there but were now packing up and preparing to move out. Their journey would begin with a two hour boat trip; as there is often no other transportation on these small islands, the boat trips alone can be quite an adventure, especially when the weather is adverse. From the Ranon Bay anchorage, you can look inland over the beautiful, lush vegetation which stretches back to the two active cones of Ambyms volcanic peaks, steam and a volcanic plume billow skywards and cover the lee side of the island. The molten cauldron reflects off this cloud at night giving an eerie red glow which is the local landmark (navigational mark) and visible for many miles. Im told that when it rains, the natives that live under this plume run for cover as the acid content of the rain can be quite high causing severe irritation and sometimes burns! The plume is carried along way downwind and covers a large portion of the cruising area and whilst the acid effect is diminished with distance and we had no personal discomfort; we noticed that our Stainless Steel on deck was requiring a lot more attention than usual! We had a great sail back to Port Sandwich in Malekula Island where they were holding another Festival; this one produced more yachts, probably due to the security of the harbour. There were eleven boats in attendance and the Photographers that were in Ambrym showed up on the second day after a grueling truck ride (4hrs) from the airport up at Norsup. We had a couple of days to spare before the festival began and used these to look around and meet some of the locals; we treated ourselves to a meal ashore at the Rainbow Restaurant where Rock is the interface between the yachties and the local community. The generator was out so it was a candle light affair we shared with Pete and Sue off Nightcap Dressing for dinner here does not mean a Tuxedo and that little black dress; more that you cover bare skin and bring your own mosquito coil to slip under the table! For 400Vatu each (about US$5) we had a really great dinner with a dessert of fresh fruit salad and jug of Juice (beer wasnt available); it was brilliant value for money and we had a great time with good company. The festival was organized by Stephanie, who lives just outside the village and has become somewhat of a local institution; she helps get the flyers out, interfaces with the various tourist offices and interprets at the eventWe met her on our first day in Lamap and she quickly brought us up to speed on all the events as well as helping us out with other questions. The first day, events took place in and around a Nakamal (meeting house) close to the beach where we pulled our dinghies ashore; the villagers decorated the place and put seating in for lunch, the dancing was a little different from what wed already seen and it seems that every island, if not every village, has different twists and innovations to the theme. Lunch was great and we were able to sample all the

83 various local foods cooked up in the traditional manner, this was followed by more dancing and in the evening they brought in the local String Band and opened up the Kava Bar. Next day we were all loaded into a French Army Truck and transported to a nice village close by the Maskelyne Islands, which lay a little distance off the south coast of Malekula. Here we attended a Circumcision Ceremony, a major event for the village, for the boy and for the family of the boy as he passes into adult life. Again we had excellent translation of the events taking place and whilst it would probably take years to understand the complexity of family life and social responsibilities amongst the Ni-Vanuatu, we did get a glimpse, which was helpful. For sure, the Family Unit is strong here; there is no Welfare, Social Security, Old Peoples Homes or Orphanages.. The Family and the village take care of everything. The village laid on a really nice lunch and the ladys sang grace before we started and burst into a spontaneous chorus after wed finished, they all seemed so happy and the village was in a beautiful situation with what we in the west would term Million Dollar Views; its not that they dont have problems, more that they have found a way to live with those problems and remain cheerful. Our next destination was Port Stanley, about half way up Malakula on the eastern side; we had a great sail up the coast and carried the Chute for five hours in perfect conditions. On arrival we anchored on the west side of Taitaka Island where the Admiralty Chart showed a sand spit running more or less east/west; we went over the spit (12 feet), anchored on the uphill and dropped back in a very secure position but with some exposure to the southeasterly breeze. This was a good position to dinghy to the dock at Litz-Litz from where we were able to walk into Lakatoro, which is the main centre for Malekula; our main reason for doing this was the pursuit of Digicel Top Up, this was becoming part of our way of life, everywhere we go we walk miles and meet lots of people asking for the illusive Top Up only to be disappointed, Sorry no credit! The walk is a dusty thirty-five minutes and there is not a lot to Lakatoro when you get there, a couple of stores selling basic necessities; most of which were available in a store just a few hundred yards from the dock where we left the dinghy. There was also a small Market but produce seemed to be in short supply.maybe it was because it was late Friday afternoon. We moved on to Norsup, just a couple of miles north; wed been told it was quite a nice little village and that there was a market there on Saturday Mornings. The anchorage is a little open and as the wind was certainly east of southeast, the swell was getting into the bay; a shift to the east here can produce breakers from one end of the beach to the other and it becomes very unsafe very quickly. So we headed for the shore with one eye firmly on the boat! There was a small dock in the SW corner which gave a nice lee onto a sandy beach for getting ashore and we soon came upon the remnants of what was once a thriving Copra production plantation; it was still in production but in a limited manner. We visited the Copra Kiln, a large drying shed with several furnaces, most of which were lighted and being attended; the old husks used as the fuel source. The old foremans office stands close by but has now been converted into a general store, however there were no signs to indicate this, it was just a building we walked past on our way to the Market and on our quest for the dreaded Top Up. In fact, we were directed by the first young lady we met, to a small store almost behind the school and, indeed, it did have the Top-up sign outside.. Not that this made any difference as we soon discovered they were also out of credit come back Monday! The Market was just a few of the local women with a little produce sitting in front of the school just a little further along the road, not a great selection but Paula managed to pick up a few vegetables at a very fair price. It was coincidence that after the Market, whilst we were exploring a little further along the road, looking no doubt a little lost; we encountered a helpful gentleman who informed us that hed just topped up his phone at the store near the dock and that this was the place we should go toGreat!

84 With new directions and the sure knowledge that we had already been at and walked past this store, we retraced our route to the dock; once there we not only were able to top-up but also discovered a lovely oldy-worldy general store and a very helpful shop keeper. With an increasing swell and deteriorating weather we left Norsup in a hurry and went across to Norsup Island where we had noticed a nice beach in a hook form at the western end of the island, we anchored there in beautiful clear water in white sand and almost calm conditions.. Almost was the magic word here as once we set into our lunch we noticed a little rolling and seeing as we expected conditions to worsen further we decided that, although this was a great improvement on our last anchorage; wed go back into the Port Stanley Lagoon and seek out a better spot to sit for a couple of days. Eventually we anchored a little ways to the southeast of Uri Island, it was a little isolated but we got our chain over the top of a shallow patch and felt secure; also we were far enough into the bay not to be bothered by swell. Here we stopped for three nights whilst the wind howled through the rigging and the surf pounded the outside of the reef that was protecting us, we caught up on some jobs, caught water when it rained, watched movies and relaxed whilst greeting the steady stream of visitors who paddled by, inquisitive at our presence in such a remote part of the bay. We did manage to trade for Bananas and Coconuts from a nice couple that came by loaded down in their canoe having had a hard days work on their plantation and we had a phone brought out to be charged for one of the village elders, we were promised Mud-Crabs for this but the weather had driven the Mud-Crabs deep and seeing as the guy had only produced two small specimens; we told him to hang on to them and feed his own family.. Once the weather seemed anything like settled we moved off northwards; in this we were probably a little hasty as there was still quite a swell outside (2.5 3m) and the wind was still eighteen knots, it was a lumpy and boisterous sail up to Wala Island where the book had promised us a nice anchorage off a sheltered beach. Whilst we did loose the wind, the swell still got in; there was quite a commotion going on in the channel between Wala and the mainland where it was wind against tide and some of this came our way. We were however, stuck for the night, and would have to make the best of it! Several locals came by with various problems, the most prevalent of which seemed to be leaky canoes; they were all in search of some magic compound that could be applied and would stop their leaks, I guess at some point a yachtie showed them the joys of epoxy! I dont carry enough of that stuff around to hand out and anyway it is unlikely to fix a hole in a soggy wooden canoe. What they needed was a tar based product and some sheet copper and some copper tacks to nail it all down; all things that are unavailable to them; I made a note to see what we could get to help them in Luganville at one of the hardware stores. Another request was doable, and that was to down load someones digital camera and put the contents on a CD; unfortunately when we were done with this we discovered that there was also about thirty minutes of video which needed to be copied, a much larger and different problem as they wanted it in a format that could be seen on their TV. So the videos had to be rendered and copied to a DVD and half an evening and half a battery later we managed that but Im sure that they think it all gets done instantly at the press of a button! We were not going to hang around for further rolling so took off early for Espiritu Santo Island and Luganville, a rain squall arrived just as the anchor came up and off we went into twenty knots of wind, lumpy seas and almost no visibility. When it cleared enough for us to see anything at all, Croydon reef seemed deceptively close and there was a strong tide setting us in that direction; we passed clear but were grateful for the modern technology of GPS and that little black line we are supposed to follow, without which, we may well have had a problem there! After a few hours the rain moved on but both wind and sea increased as we passed across the Bougainville Strait, the passage between Malakula and Espiritu Santo, where the trade wind and a

85 huge amount of surface water squeeze into a natural funnel with the resulting increase in velocity. On top of this the uneven bottom contours kick up some steep seas and overfalls, so it can be a bit trying for a small boat. Once we got clear to the north, still about eight miles from Luganville; the wind and sea died down very quickly and the rest of the trip was in much improved conditions. Luganville anchorage was surprisingly busy with about ten boats at anchor of the Beachfront Hotel / Resort, never the less we did manage to find a spot quite close inshore and with good holding in sand; there was still a little swell that rolled down the Segond Channel but for the most part we lay facing into it and conditions were tolerable. The Beachfront Resort was very welcoming to the yachts and we could leave our dinghy in relative safety on their beach, it was however a beach landing and you had to be quite smart about getting in and out of the dinghy unless you wanted a wetting.. We picked up a Taxi outside the resort for 200Vatu and this transported us down town, it was actually quite good value for money and all the Taxi drivers seemed both cheerful and helpful. We didnt really get to know the town that well but I do believe that if it had a better anchorage it could be quite a good spot to hang out. Prices seemed generally better than in Port Vila and whilst the supermarkets were not as extensive there seemed to be much more in way of hardware stores and motor parts. Our most important errand here was to extend our Immigration Visas further and Im very pleased to report that the Immigration Officer looked kindly upon us when I explained that, extending one month at a time was a considerable problem for us due to our small size and inability to get to a clearance port each month so he gave us stamps that would take us through to the end of our four month period and that was a major weight lifted off our shoulders! The next morning we went ashore early, completed all our shopping and picked up five gallons of diesel whilst returning in the taxi; I didnt like the idea of being stern-on to the beach with less than a couple of feet of water under the keel at low tide and we were keen to get somewhere nice. We left at midday and were safely anchored in Palikulo Bay by mid afternoon having had a nice little sail on the way. Palikulo Bay has an inner and outer part and we were fortunate to have enough sunshine and a shallow enough boat to wiggle our way through the coral heads into the inner basin. Here we found perfect tranquility, beautiful clear water for swimming with a shallow, white sand bottom; this was a really NICE anchorage and a great place to hang out whilst attending to things on the boat or just resting up. There were a couple of walks ashore, enough at least to get off the boat and take exercise; Paula even managed to get back into Luganville after a couple of days when another yachtie managed to get a minivan driver to do a return shopping trip for half a dozen of us at 200Vatu per head each way. There were several yachts in the bay but only two of us that made it into the inner basin; we were very Happy to make the acquaintance of Mike and Chris with the Cat Shekinah, they were heavily into doing the good deeds of the church, helping the islanders out where ever possible and in particular had recently been involved in a special mission bringing medical treatment to outlaying villages not generally covered by the small clinics run by the government. Even where there were Clinics they were not able to offer the treatments that had been arranged by this small group of specialist, Doctors, Dentists, Opticians and the likes who were all doing voluntary service at quite some personal expense. As well as helping set up and assist these mobile clinics, Mike and Chris had been using Shekinah to transport the volunteers and their equipment to some really difficult anchorages whilst maintaining a really tight schedule which had been set down weeks before. The villagers had to know well in advance when and where these Clinics would happen well in advance as many of them would journey many miles on foot over difficult terrain to be treated for all sorts of ailments. I do take my hat off to

86 all those involved in this sort of work, its something positive in this negative world and we never seem to hear all that much about it. One thing I learned from Mike and Chris, Malaria is now a treatable disease. by which I mean they have a test kit and three day course of tablets which, if the test kit says you have it, will kill off Malaria. The test kit and tablets are available for free in Vanuatu from any of the Island Clinics and from the Hospital in Port Vila. This is a major advance in medicine as it means that we cruisers no longer have to worry about taking long courses of unhealthy substances to maybe prevent catching the dreaded bug. Unfortunately this drug does not cure Dengue Fever or several other nasty things that can be acquired in the tropics, so normal precautions to reduce contact with Mosquitoes are still required. I really liked Palikulo Bay, it would be a great place to hang out and get work done on the boat, no swell but exposure to the breeze as much as required, it was a shame we had to leave but with so much to see we decided to move on and had a nice sail up to Peterson Lagoon about two hours to the north and the whole way sheltered by outer islands. Oyster Island is a favorite hangout with the yachts and after negotiating the entrance, made a little easier by some local navigation marks, there is a sheltered inner Lagoon with plenty of anchor space and a resort that is welcoming. We did enjoy the WiFi at the resort and were very glad of it as Digicel was none existent here.Well perhaps you could get a phone link if you stood on the chair at the back of the Bar, which was strategically located there just for that purpose! The idea is to buy something at the Resort in exchange for this service but there were a lucky few that managed to anchor within range of the signal and could do their internet on board. The resort has a track around the island and this was good for a walk ashore as there is lush vegetation and many huge trees in what is almost virgin rainforest; it takes about two hours for a leisurely stroll round. A really interesting outing is to the Blue Hole laying up the river just across from the resort, the Bar and lower reaches (between the Bar and the Bridge) can be a little trying at low water (got to watch the prop!) but once into the river it is fairly deep and dangers obvious. It is a beautiful run and a must do if in the area; the river comes to an abrupt end at a blue hole which is just to tempting not to swim in and there is a rope for children of all ages to play splash games with. We discovered a neat hanging vine over the river which made a convenient swing and a place to dry off after a nice fresh water swim. Personally I found little to hold us in the Lagoon and Im not so sure about the claims that this is an excellent Hurricane Hole..who ever said that has obviously not sat at anchor through some of the Hurricanes that I have..Too much fetch in too many directions, too deep and very slippery mud unless your anchor has penetrated well down; you may get away with it if you stay aboard and are prepared to shift positions, or if you are lucky! The water in the area of the inner anchorage is murky and I do not swim in murky water.ever! Of course it wasnt far to dinghy to much better spots and there were a few WWII relics to be viewed, however these required a more substantial dinghy than ours. I had a good look at the passage from the waiting area outside, to the inner lagoon, I reckon you could get six feet through at low water but there were some shallower spots to be missed on the way; whilst we were there an eight foot draft boat got in at high water without touching however, as the spring(ish) tides were rapidly falling, they felt compelled to stay until the next lunar cycle. From Oyster Island we went south again, it was blowing outside but inside the protective barrier we had an easy beat down to Surundu Bay where we found shelter and shallower water. This was a very nice setting, quite opulent in many ways with a swish Florida style waterfront property or two and probably more in the offing as the remainder of the land is sold off. Unfortunately these waterfront

87 dwellings have fencing down past the low water mark and ashore there are all sorts of Tabu signs so that even though they dont seem to worry about us yachties going ashore, you still feel a little uneasy. We had a walk and discovered a lush Coconut Plantation, and again that distinct air of wealth drifting over the land..somehow I didnt think that second hand clothing from New Zealand was going to be that well received here! The main road goes past Surundu Bay (and its a nice road!), so it is supposed to be a better place if you want to get a ride into Luganville or to the airport, the swimming is good and the water fairly clear though far from crystal. Unfortunately the bay is not deep enough to stop the swell from getting in when the trades are honking outside and whilst its never bad, its enough to be annoying at times. We missed the festival at Waterfall Bay in The Banks, the more remote group of islands to the north, this was in part due to the weather which promised twenty-five knots of wind and rain for the event but mostly we didnt go as we could get no confirmation that the event was taking place; we tried the tourist board several times and phoned all the numbers at our disposal, all to no avail. Later we were told that we should just have gone anyway as the local chief there is most reliable and has never failed to produce this festival. Having missed out this time, we examined our options and decided to use a weather window to visit Ambae, Asanvari on Maewo and Pentecost; unfortunately the weather did not quite go as planned and whilst we did get to see all these anchorages, they were all inaccessible to us and we had to be content with a fly by.. To say the least this was somewhat disappointing and probably influenced our next decision, we decided to use this period of sustained northerly winds to return us to Port Vila where we would conclude our Vanuatu experience and have a much improved angle of sailing to do our next offshore passage, which would take us to New Caledonia. Whether or not this was a smart move will no doubt come up again later, when we are a long way down the track from Vanuatu however, in the meantime we had a great sail south, first to Ranon, then onwards to Port Sandwich using the Chute much of the way. The final leg from Port Sandwich to Vila provided us with beam reaching conditions in fifteen to eighteen knots of breeze and we were clocking around the seven knots for much of the passage. This was somewhat miraculous sailing conditions for moving south and we made the very best of it; the day after we arrived in Vila, so did a frontal trough and the weather fell to pieces with rain and squalls! We settled down to work on the boat, catch up on correspondence and see what wed missed in the Port Vila area whilst awaiting a weather window that would take us to New Caledonia without getting our heads blown off; there is always plenty to do and time always passes far too quickly.

Fair winds and good sailing John and Paula Wolstenholme Cleveland.QLD. Oz 2 April 2012 yachtmrjohn@gmail.com www.yachtmrjohn.blogspot.com www.scribd.com/yachtmrjohn3695