Vanuatu Part 2

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="1ccd05a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>DRUMBEAT</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DRUMBEAT"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> back to  <A HREF="id94.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Voyages"><B>Voyages</B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="1cdd2123.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="id386.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vanuatu 2007">Vanuatu 2007</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id377.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vanuatu Part 1">Vanuatu Part 1</A></div> <div> <B>Vanuatu Part 2</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id387.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vanuatu Part 3">Vanuatu Part 3</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id385.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vanuatu Part 4">Vanuatu Part 4</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id388.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vanuatu Part 5">Vanuatu Part 5</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id389.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vanuatu Part 6">Vanuatu Part 6</A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>  </div> <div> <B>Port Vila to Luganville (Santo)</B></div> <bR> <div> We left Port Vila as soon as possible, and started our voyage north, island hopping to Luganville on Santo Island where we are to commence the work with Pacific Yacht Ministries (PYM).  I am going to get lazy now and just copy my regular email updates....</div> <bR> <div> <I>Hi all,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>It is early Saturday morning (23rd June  2007), and we are anchored in Nawara Matua Bay on the north end of Nguna Island. The village of Utantangi is behind the beach in front of us, with an inactive volcano rising behind it. Awesome scenery. We left Port Vila at about midday on Thursday, and anchored that night on the SW side of Lelepa Island. Feeling rather guilty, as yesterday morning I speared the last Coral trout in Vanuatu….well it seems that way, as it is the first one I have seen. He was a good sized fish, about 4kg, but losing weight rapidly. Another Angel caught a Wahoo on the sail over here, so we enjoyed fine dining on Drumbeat last night. I won’t say any more about that Rob & Trev…..(pictures coming!!)</I></div> <div> <I>Linda has scored a tropical ulcer on the top of her foot, developed from a blister caused by her snorkeling fins. She (we) had a painful night. Any cures out there…apart from amputation?? AA have a course of antibiotics on board, but Linda doesn’t want to go that way (yet)</I></div> <div> <I>We plan to stay here today and tonight, and perhaps do a hike to the top of a nearby mountain (not the big volcano @ 593m) which is about 400m high. </I></div> <div> <I>Wind has settled in from the SE at about 15 knots overnight, after a week of light winds. A little rolly at anchor, but not uncomfortable.</I></div> <div> <I>Gotta go find something to cook up for breakfast…well looky here! Coral trout and wahoo….he he he he</I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="caec2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Another Angel anchored at Lelepa Island (south)" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10"><IMG SRC="cb3c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Another Angel crosses our bows, with Nguna Island in the background" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10"><IMG SRC="cb5c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Traditional house - Nguna Island" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="cbdc2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="76cm trout - Nguna Island" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10"><IMG SRC="cb7c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="Anchorage on north end of Nguna Island" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="cbbc2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="View back out the bay from Nguna Island" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Hi all,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Sailed from Nguna Island to Emae Island today (Sunday 24th June), a distance of 25 miles, in 2 hours. Wind was 23-28knots SE, with some pretty big seas. Top speed of 18 knots, didn’t see less than 11 knots, usually 12-13 knots, but cruised on 17.5 knots for a few minutes….ye harrrr!!</I></div> <div> <I>Haley and I dived in once we had anchored, and I speared a 68cm coral trout and a parrot fish within 15 mins. Nice diving here, but a rolly anchorage. We will visit the nearby village tomorrow morning to trade for some fresh veggies & fruit, and probably head further north later on. </I></div> <div> <I>Rob, did I mention that I speared a 76cm CT at Nguna Island? Yep, that’s 3 big ones now in 3 days……must have been the bananas on board???? Never mind….gave that one to the villagers.</I></div> <div> <I>Linda has had a bad run with the festy foot, but seems to me making ground now, plenty of time with it up….kids are doing fine, back to school tomorrow.</I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="cbfc2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="My friend 'Happy', who showed us his garden." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="cc1c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Brian & Jan Dodd's off Another Angel, in happy's garden" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="cc3c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Hi all,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>We are still at Emae Island, but will leave for Lamen Bay on Epi Island today. Yesterday the kids and I went with AA crew to the small village a couple of K’s away. It was a long walk, and we ended up coming back to get the dinghy to collect all the pomello, yam and coconuts they gave us. They appreciated the clothes and magazines we left with them. I went snorkeling in the afternoon. Excellent diving here – best yet. I speared 4 trout, but left the big ones after learning that the locals don’t eat them because of the ciguatera poisoning. It hurt to swim past 4 big trout (at least 10 lb’s) and take the little ones!! That explains why there are plenty here.</I></div> <div> <I>Linda’s foot seems to be on the mend, but slow and still painful. Thanks for all the remedies sent through!! Our first aid kit isn’t quite up to amputation though, and it is her ‘best’ foot…..</I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="ccac2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="Rock history book" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="0">This is one of many rocks inscribed by the people of this village.  They record all sorts of things on the rocks.  This is a recent one which depicts the time in 2002 when people from an nearby village kidnapped their chief, trussed him up, and carted him off.  He was badly beaten, and then returned to the village.  They don't head hunt any more but.....</div> <bR> <div> We never saw rock recording anywhere else but this village on Emae.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="cc6c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Village on Emae Island" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Hi all,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Tuesday morning (26th June) Haley & I went for a snorkel on a large bommie behind the boat. This was the best dive we have had to date, and one of the best ever. There were fish every where, schools of 50+ bat fish, huge hump head parrot fish, and at one stage I could see six 5kg+ coral trout in my field of view. There was a dive through cave which Haley followed me through. </I></div> <div> <I>As soon as we got back, it was time to leave for Lamen Bay on Epi Island. We had a very pleasant sail with 15-20knot tail winds. We kept the double reef in the main, and used only the headsail to keep the speed down for trolling, but all to no avail. Not a single hit! AA hooked up a fish, but lost it.</I></div> <div> <I>We are now at lamen Bay, which is really nice, calm anchorage with heaps of action. There is a regional school here with 200 students. There is another yacht from France anchored here as well, the first we have seen since Vila.</I></div> <div> <I>We will go to a village shortly to get some fruit & veg. </I></div> <div> <I>Linda’s foot is getting better, but will be a while before she can go ashore or snorkel. I hope this finds you well,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I> <IMG SRC="cd0c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"></I></div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="cccc2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Paddling aroung Lamen bay" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="ccec2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Camoe on beach - Lamen Bay, Epi Island" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"></I></div> <div> <I>Hi all,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Well, it’s now Sunday evening, can’t believe its several days since I last wrote….we left Lamen bay on Friday afternoon after a couple of rainy days. The sail across to the Maskelyne Islands was awesome – volcanoes in the mist…spectacular, until a storm came in as we approached Valai Island, wind piped up to 30 knots and it was dark in a flash…had to find our anchorage behind Awai Island in the windy, rainy dark night. A bit daunting but no real problem as it is relatively easy to get into. Main problem was that there was already a yacht in there, who was a bit of a panic merchant…</I></div> <div> <I>AA caught a 15lb job fish on the way in….</I></div> <div> <I>I awoke to the sound of whistling…at the back of the boat….OK, time to get up…5:30am…local holding onto the back of the boat waiting for someone to come out…got any fish?..no, sorry…magazines?...no, sorry…idle chit chat until he is replaced by another…lots of canoes on the water here, not asking for trade, just asking…and looking…just stop 10m from the boat and look….like me in Surfers Paradise, what is all this stuff for??? We are that many worlds apart!!</I></div> <div> <I>There was a very low tide that Saturday morning, lots of people walking about on the reef flats, collecting whatever it is they collect…shells to eat, whatever. In the afternoon a couple of young girls paddle up to have a look…I invite them over for a chat…about 8 & 13 Y.O….been fishing all morning, about 6 fish to show for it, biggest is 200mm long, the rest I wouldn’t use for bait…they had been out all day…I gave them some small hooks..their’s was about 2/0…way too big for the catch, and a magazine…they giggled and offered me their best fish, which I somehow managed to decline…no trade, just a gift, thankyou. They paddled off, happy as….</I></div> <div> <I>We went for a snorkel out in the channel, bit of drift dive really, not too bad, but pretty freaky when the shore drops off at 45 degrees into the big blue.</I></div> <div> <I>This morning Damo, Dodds’y and I went over to the headland to find the fabled ‘magic rocks’…quartz rocks that shine blue in the sunlight, and conjure up blue sparks and a storm when struck together at night…handy if your enemy is out to sea in his canoe….and you aren’t. Work best in the wet season I suspect….Damo foolishly wacked a couple together, and we got drenched on the way home….just can’t trust some people with voodoo…</I></div> <div> <I>We had planned to leave this morning, after the storm had passed, but our stbd engine wouldn’t start…symptom which had been getting progressively worse, and we had been blaming on a flat/dying battery. After 4 hours pulling every damn thing apart, I discovered a joiner inside the wiring harness had corroded away….all better now, so at 2:30pm we lifted the anchor, just as the storm abated, and I had chucked all the voodoo rocks overboard….one at a time, setting sail for Banam Bay on the east coast of Malakula Island. We only used the drifter, and had a pleasant sail arriving well before the darkness beat us, and the storms stayed at bay.</I></div> <div> <I>Linda is getting around quite well on the boat, but is unable to stand long enough to make dinner…or wash the dishes…..or hang out the washing….but she can fold the clothes…phew…</I></div> <div> <I>For once AA never caught a fish on the way here…neither did we, but we are used to that. Got some teeth marks on one of the lures, so we are getting close now…</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="cd2c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Lopeva Island rises in the mist" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="cd4c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Voodoo rock point" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"></I></div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="cd6c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="Damo & I with the voodoo rocks" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Hi All,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Early Tuesday morning. Spent a pleasant morning at Banam Bay. Found a loose connection inside the automatic antenna tuner for the HF radio, fixed that with a marked improvement in transmission power. Should be able to talk to other vessels ‘out of sight’ now. Then baked some bread, and while it was in the oven the kids & I had a snorkel out on the point, it was very good. Haley had her speargun, so I let her chase the trout around. I speared a brown parrotfish. Lots of fish life, reasonably good coral, interesting terrain. Wanted to stay, but had to go as it is a 22 mile run, down wind (slowest point of sail) to Port Stanley. </I></div> <div> <I>We received an email from McDiver to say they were en-route to Luganville, so we tried to call several times on the VHF radio. AA raised them as we were in diving. They sailed past out wide whilst we were in the water, so we arranged to meet at Port Stanley. AA had already left, so at 1:30pm we extracted the anchor from the reef (with some difficulty) and headed NW up the coast. Wind was around 16 knots SE and for the first time we tried running 2 headsails ‘wing & wing’, which worked a treat. We anchored near McD & AA at the Litslits Village anchorage, well before dark. </I></div> <div> <I>Four boys paddled out from the village with Pomello as a gift, and we gave them some hooks.We have had no problems with communication in Vanuatu as most people speak English reasonably well, and pretty much all of the kids learn English at school.</I></div> <div> <I>We finally met the family from McD. Tony & Carol Batten, and 8 YO daughter Sarah.</I></div> <div> <I>Yesterday was our first rain free day for a week or more, and as I sit here there are dark clouds gathering over Malakula Island….has Damo kept a couple of those voodoo rocks hidden away???</I></div> <div> <I>We plan to go to Luganville tomorrow to get started on the PYM thing. Linda plans to come to the village today….her first outing from the boat in 2 weeks…hope it doesn’t rain!!!</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="cd8c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Kids in canoes - Port Stanley, Malakula Island" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="cdac2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Trading items - we won't collect ot buy/trade shells which are alive when collected." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="cdcc2560.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="598" ALT="Canoe kids - Port Stanley - Malakuka Island" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Hello All,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>I found it hard to get up this morning, not because it is cold though (23 degrees), but because of sore muscles from yesterdays activities(yes, I do have muscles).   There are a lot of kids here, there are a lot of kids in canoes here....we had a very busy day.  It started out rainy, but that seems to be the cue for half the kids to have the day off school.  As soon as it cleared a bit they started to come, and soon there were 20 kids in a dozen canoes, some bringing gifts of food, shells etc.  I decided to break out the tennis ball chucker (lazy people use them to throw balls for their dogs...plastic arm with a cup on one end and handle on the other...) and a dozen tennis balls to play 'Master & Commander' (this is only one version of my favourite game), which basically involves me trying to hit the canoes with tennis balls from about 50m away.  The kids scream with delight, laughter and occasional pain, and dutifully retrieve the ammunition for the next salvo....hmmm, sore shoulder!</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Soon after, Damo figures that he if he disappears with the boys, he too will get out of school...so off he goes in his canoe with an escort of dugout outriggers, to the village half a click away.  I look over the side and can see the bottom clearly at 15m deep, unable to help myself I don snorkel & fins and dive over.  Awesome vis, despite the fact that we are in a harbour.</I></div> <div> <I>Coral is OK, lots of the usual small fish life, but worth a look further afield.  Kids in canoes look great from below in the calm water so I snap some happies which turn out great.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>After a cup of Tanna Gold (as opposed to Bello Green) I take Haley ashore with her new friend, and retrieve Damo from the shore as he isn't feeling well.  He comes laden with a neat (ladies) woven bag, three pomello, a shell and the status of Guru Damon.  We leave the canoe on the beach for the locals to trash for a few hours, and take Damo home for breakfast....hmmm it's 11 am!!</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>An hour later we call Haley up on the 2 way, she is in a local hut weaving a mat, well one row anyway.  We have been invited over to see the pet turtles, so Damo and I head off a little later.  Linda still isn't quite up to a trip ashore...</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>The 2 turtles are kept in a low conc. block tank about 3 x 3 with about 200mm of water in it, by a family who make up the village of a dozen or so huts.  They caught them off the beach when babies, and have hand reared them.  They are 6 years old now, and about 450mm long in the shell.  They eat bananas, island cabbage and other vegetables. They swim in circles.</I></div> <div> <I>That's pretty much it.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>We were given the tour of the village, including Haley's mat making hut.</I></div> <div> <I>We were then taken to the next village, a couple hundred metres up the road, which is the other half of their family.  We gave them a couple of bags of clothes, and they gave us paw paw and bananas....fair trade.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Late in the afternoon, Haley and I collected Brian off AA and Tony off McD and we went for a snorkel around the other side of Telaka Island...simply awesome.  Despite the total cloud cover and lateness of the hour, it was excellent.  Best dive site yet, despite lack of big edible/spearable fish.</I></div> <div> <I>Ok, now I have a sore back...too many weights on the weight belt.  Woe is me!!</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>This morning it is bright and sunny, so we may venture forth for another dive before heading north some more....hope winter is treating you well..  </I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="cdec2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Canoe from underwater" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"></I></div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="ce4c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="View from Targa" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="ce2c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="50" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> We had a huge day with these kids.  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="ce8c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Haley with teacher" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I><IMG SRC="ce6c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="Haley's mat making hut" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Haley with her friend who taught her to weave.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="ceac2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="Malakula architecture" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>   <I>Hi All,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I> Thursday 5th July.  There is a God!!  Finally, our towing of make-believe fish on bits of wire and rope behind the boat has produced some fish.  We left Vao Island early yesterday morning (5am) and sailed across Bougainville Straight towards Malo Island, and had a double hook up on small (3kg) yellow fin tuna, followed an hour later with a 1.2m wahoo.  We continued to Luganville, arriving a bit after 9am and anchoring beside Windango, a 32' half-boat, sailed over from Oz by James Ward, the coordinator of PYM at this end.  I spent the next hour butchering the fish, and preparing for the freezer.  Haley cooked banana bread, and that is what we had for lunch.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>AA & McD arrived about 1pm, and we made the dinghy ride up to customs to check in, followed by a trip to the town to catch up with James, and start re-provisioning.  Linda had her first trip ashore in over 2 weeks, when we went for dinner at the mini restaurants at the market.  Good basic food, and no one has reported ill yet.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>I didn't see any internet café's along the main street, although I think there is a wireless connection at the resort near where we are anchored.  We have to finish provisioning, load PYM stuff and some team members on board, and get away around lunch time if possible, so I don't know that I will get to time collect any emails from regular mail boxes....no-one has mentioned anything urgent, so give me a call if there is.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>We head for Big Bay on Esprito Santo Island, where we pick up the rest of the team on Sunday.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>I hope this finds you well,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="cecc2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="Round two - the kids who actually went to school came out late afternoon, and left in the dark!! Another Angel & McDiver in the background" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="cf2c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="The lures finally yield fish!! Two yellow fin tuna, and a 1.2m wahoo." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="cf4c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> Santo is a dusty or muddy little town, with with older style buildings  sprawling  along a main street  which is about a kilometre long.  There are lots of chinese shops stocked with merchandise rejected by Crazy Clark.  The street is serviced by a dozen or so taxi's, which are small cars of the same vintage and type.  Someone must have done a deal with Daihatsu and bought a ship load of them to import.  100vt gets you pretty much anywhere</div> <bR> <div> The bread is all white, in the french style - good for a few days, but we were over it towards the end of the trip, consequently there was a lot of demand for me to cook wholemeal or grain gread.  The market at Santo is quite good, and considerably cheaper than Vila.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>