Vanuatu

We left Levuka, Fiji on 18^th July after making a three day chicken stew in the pressure cooker. The first 30 miles were a beat south and it was a very uncomfortable and wet ride. We motorsailed. We had to go round the east and south coasts of the big island, Viti Levu. Once we turned the corner, we could set the sails for a beam reach. We had one reef in the mainsail and a small genoa The sea continued to be lumpy and the grey skies produced rain to add to the water that the waves had already dumped into the cockpit.

Floating helicopter in Port Vila

The wind shifted from SSE to SE  to E to NE to ENE over the first 24 hours. Once we’d cleared Viti Levu, we were able to change course for Vanuatu and sail goosewinged with the mainsail on a preventer on one side of the mast and a small genoa poled out on the other side. The sun came out on Day 2.

Children's Day

Jeremy and I both had urinary infections. He started taking antibiotics and I kept mine under control by drinking lots of cranberry juice. The heads were visited regularly.

We had to motor for a while in lovely sunshine but dark clouds were looming ahead. The squally weather hit at night making the sea boisterous and causing more waves to break into the cockpit. We made good progress clocking up 130 miles in one day. The squally weather continued interspersed with bouts of sunshine and gentle winds, until we reached the island of Efate, Vanuatu on Monday 23^rd July.

Waiting for lunch

Jeremy called Port Vila Radio on VHF 16 many times, eventually being answered. We were to anchor near a yellow quarantine buoy in Port Vila Harbour and wait for Biosecurity and Customs. Another yacht from Australia, called Golden Cowrie, anchored nearby. The officials arrived about two hours later. We were cleared to continue and go ashore but we had to report to Immigration and other offices to pay our fees. It was too late to do this on our arrival day and the next day was a public holiday for Children’s Day, so we had to wait until Thursday. We had contacted a marina called Yachting World and managed to tie to a mooring buoy there just before they closed.

There was a lovely, family atmosphere in Port Vila on Children’s Day. We wandered around the many shops and were able to change our Fijian dollars into Vanuatan vatu.

The first stop on Thursday was Customs. We took the dinghy past the cargo wharf to the cruise ship wharf, a trip of about 15 minutes.  After Customs, we went around the corner to Immigration and paid 4800 vatu (approx. 48USD). Biosecurity were located at the opposite end of the wharf. Here we paid 5550 vatu. Great, we were cleared in. Later, in town, we bought a Digicel SIM card and did some food shopping. The marina had a laundry service, so we dropped off our washing.

Eating lunch at Rossi's

It was very busy at the marina as the World Arc boats were in port. Now that we had access to the internet, we saw the weather was going to start with easterly winds on Saturday and then turn southeasterly and southerly. Well, you can guess the direction we wanted to go so that we could visit Erromango and Tena on our way south to New Caledonia. Sadly, it would not be possible to go to the two islands and might be a hard sail to New Caledonia. After a few days, the winds were going to strengthen, so we need to leave as soon as possible.

Yachting World office

Our last day was Friday and this time we caught a bus to Customs and Immigration to clear out. The Customs Officer told us we had to pay port fees of 8200 vatu but no-one from the port was at work as it was Public Servants’ Day. The money was put in an envelope and the officer told us he would pass it on to the Port Authority. Round the corner at Immigration there was no-one there. Our friendly Customs Officer helped us again by suggesting we telephone the numbers on the door. There were three telephone numbers. I left a voicemail on the first call and spoke to an officer on the second. Ten minutes later, an Immigration Officer arrived, our passports were stamped and we were cleared to go.

Yachting World mooring field

Last minute shopping followed and lunch in town. In the afternoon we went on board Golden Cowrie and met Steve, Carolyn and Danielle. They are from Adelaide and gave us useful information about anchorages in Sydney and South Australia. They also gave us a SIM card for New Caledonia.

We left Port Vila on Saturday 27^th July bound for Noumea, New Caledonia, a passage of 3 or 4 days.