Port Villa Efate island

2/8-17 In the afternoon we sail in to “Waterfront” Port Villa with a fully packed dingy with Kirsten and Bjarne and there luggage. It is still a problem with the propeller and the tour back does not go much better when lighter. Lars found an extra propeller and will try it next day. We saw the aeroplane taking off to Fiji passing over the anchor place. Later we saw a chines news program in English on the TV. We had not looked at television for a long time.

3/8-17 Next day was busy with getting Digicel net, ATM, vegetable market but we also had time to get the best pizza ever at the Brewery (goat cheese and lamb meat) with the India pale dark beer. Lars took the jerrycan for gasoline and got it filled up. Finally, in the afternoon, we took the dingy to the big key for Cruising ships and cargo ships to visit custom and get our cruising permit for all the island in Vanuatu. We continued to sail with the dingy over to the “Waterfront” and provisioning at the supermarket.

4/8-17 More provisioning for goat cheese, vegetable, and fish. Lars downloaded photos and made series of pictures for Suva, Beqa and Pacific Harbour. Unfortunately the net was not good enough to download pictures to the web side.

5/8-7/8 17 We sail to Pelé Bay north of Efate. First 1.5 hour for motor and then jib out. The wind disappeared later on and we started the motor. We met Samoa SY JAMS and Murray called us on the VHF to tell that we had to visit Banan Bay and so we did later on. We anchor between Nguna and Pelé island in a large bay with some protection for the swells. The weather did not invite for a dingy tour to land or snorkelling at the reef. In the afternoon we had a beautiful rainbow to look at thought. We were the only boat in the bay having a relaxing two day stop over keeping up with administration.

7/8-8/8 Pelé Bay to Lamen Bay on Epi Island. It is raining 7:15 in the morning so reign jackets on, anchor up and launch the mainsail with two reef and jib. Shortly after we took out the reefs and shortly after that we start the motor because the wind disappeared. More wind is coming up and we have to get the main down. The wind gusts get lower so main up with one reef. Main down and start motor with jib out. Finally, after a very difficult day of sailing, we sail into a wonderful and calm bay without swells. We hear the children’s laughter while they are paddling around in there outrigger canoe. We enjoyed a beautiful sundown in the cockpit having beer, freshly baked bread, olive and papaya. No sight of the Dugong (Cow Fish, has a “whale” tail) but we got another trial later on. Turned in 18:15.

8/8-10/8 Lamen Bay to Banan Bay (Banam) on Malakula Island. It is raining at 06:00 but at 08:00 sunshine. Hoist the anchor and sail out of the beautiful bay. We launched the main with one reef and the jib at 8:25. Jibe when sailing into Banam Bay and the anchor is dropped at 14:45. We are getting visitor immediately. A boy in an outrigger canoe and a man in a bigger canoe asking for rope. Another one got a rope for two pompelmus (pomelo, grapefruit, citron-melon, shaddock) he came with later on. Two yang men sold two pawpaw (papaya), bananas and a bag of very large green beans for 600 VUV. The next day it is cloudy but the water is 25°C. Mobile is launched up in the mast to get net and gen-set and water-maker is running. Also the dive-compressor is taken up from the aft store room and two new capacitor, that Kirsten brought from Denmark, are installed. Now it is possible for the compressor to fill up the two tanks with air without problems.

10/8-13/8 Visit Banam Bay village

Cloudy morning. We took the dingy down into the water, mount the motor on and sail into the beach situated outside a village you cane hardly see because of the big trees. I wanted, and felt that I needed badly, a walk on the beach, because we had not been on land for several days. It turned out that we did not get the long walk because we were invited in to the village by the chief. He wanted to have a rope and so did some of the others. I was invited to come home to a beautiful young mother of four. She had the youngest one on her arms and he was a pretty one. The other children were in school were they came by walking 1½ hour each way. She cooked for us and so did the oldest man (boiled pumpkin leaf and spinach surrounding mashed cassava roll). They were wonderful people. Almost all of the men were involved in building a house for the women’s brother in law who lived in Port Villa. All the children were in school except a little “sick” one. Lars gave him a little red US football he could play with with the other children. As payment for the rope, school things and nips we got wonderful big papayas, that we like so much, and the old man came with a bag of cassava roots.

Back on Alexandra 13:00 we hurried on to get sailing to a bay further up between Malakula island and Uri island. We dropped the anchor in the dark 18:30.

11/8 Sunny morning, at Uri island, but very windy so no snorkelling. Instead baking ginger cookies and rye and wheat bred. Lars try to repair the propeller to the outboard motor. There is always something to do.

12/8 Uri Island early sunny morning but very windy and 75% cloud cover mid day. Lars find out that the 12 volt converter did not work so he connected a household extra converter that works very slowly. Later sunny again and less wind.

13/8 Aore Resort on Aore Island (pronouns Awree). Water temperature 25.6 sunny morning but a lot of clauds. Sailing towards Luganville, the one of second towns in Vanuatu, situated on the large island Espiritu Santos. We pass Uri and Uri Piv islands. Maria washes the deck while we are sailing out between small islands and the bigger Malakula island. We hoist the main sail, in up to 18 knots of wind and sail 5.5-6.6 knob. We get a cold coca cola. Lars feel bedder today and can get a nap. (We could go on messenger with Kristoffer who is moving out today of his apartment at Heimdalsgade, a little sad! He gets help by his big brother Frederik and his friends Mathias and Glen.) We decide to anchor outside Aore island, opposite Luganville, on the other said of Segond channel.

14/8 We take the dingy to Aore resort to talk to them about payment for the mooring and we got told that it is the neighbour, Paul White´s, Aore Adventure Sports, who shall have the money for the boy. We sail to Paul and Lars could make an arrangement to dive with him the day after. Afterwoods we take a tour by the curtsey ferry, cost one VUV per person, to Luganville on Espiritu Santo to buy net.

15/8 Aore Island. Lars had two amazing dive on President Coolige. They went down to 36 meter. Lars had not been so deep in resent years.

17/8 Lars dive on Million Dollar Point and on a beautiful coral reef with a lot of soft corals..

18/8 Aore island nice morning. Deliver to bags of dirty cloves to Paul’s wife and take the dingy to Loganville with gas-tanks to be filled up. It turned out that it was difficult to do with one of the tanks so the taxi driver had to take care of another customer and come back to us later. Lars tested repaired propel but it did not work. Nice bunns with tuna salad and French pâté. Lars shift impeller to gen-set and clean the filter. Make humus and boil kassava and mash it. It tasted like potatoes but more starch. Good with lam and Chicken sausages. Nice peacfull evening.

19/8 Aore Island. We went with the courtesy ferry to Luganville in the morning. The little ferry was packet because many people from the resort should go on bus tours. We went to the market after fruit and vegetables but it was not as good as in Port Villa. We had an ice-cream and a cola in the park. ATM and supermarket and back home to Aore island. We snorkelled on the reef outside the resort and it was fine because a lot offish, also big once. We took the dingy to White and paid for mooring and laundry and took a walk on the island. There were very quirt. We met a bull with his cows and calves.

20/8 We sailed from Aore Island to Palikulo Bay on Espiritu Santo. Lars had problems with the new version of Open CPN sent special to him. He had to ad an old version. When taking Dingyn up, there were problems with one of the screw to fastened outboard. I had problems to get free of the mooring boy so Lars came to help. Nice warm and sunny morning. Dead downwind out of the bay. 2 knots current so sail 6.1 knob with 11-12 SW. Free of Aore island at 09:52. We sail east a bit before heading strait north in direction of Palikulo Bay på Espiritu Santo. We past a rusty ketch wreck from the war. Beautiful bay with fore sailing-boats for anchor. A short time after anchoring we herd a bum and took the anchor up again and find another place to drop it. Nice lunch but disappointed not getting into the water to snorkel on the, for sure, fantastic reef, because of to much wind. Internet was not good but Lars managed to send an email to Pacific Circle Rally. Now there were time to bake a banana cake and a bred.

21/8-22/8 Pentacost island

Nice sailing, wind on the bow, with mainsail and stay-sail. We reached the south westerly coast of Pentacost island in the afternoon. At the 22/8 Maria’s birthday we herd kids playing on the beach and in the river mouth a family were fishing. We had a nice snorkelling to the reef close by. Lars discovered though that the anchor chain were around a “bummy” (coral head) so Lars got down, with diving equipment on, and released the anchor chain. Hamburger with freshly made buns for dinner.

23/8-2017 80% cloud-cover but nice morning with 8 knots of wind. Bistro coffee made of Vanuatu Aore coffee beans. Many birthday greetings came tonight on Facebook and messenger. Thank you all! We sail out of the bay 08:15 towards the island Ambrym and 13:41 we are in Olal on the north coast of Ambrym. Tuff sailing upwind with motor and staysail. Irritating swells on the beam. Wonderful to pass threw the reef and came in behind the Australian catamaran Tika with Russel and his family. They gave advise on the way in.

24/8 2017 Olal Ambrym island

We relaxed on Alexandra the next day. Cloudy and several rain shower but later on blue sky. A lot of wind up to 25 knots. A Cobra ship came into the tiny bay with fast speed and passed between Tika and Alexandra and sailed up on the sandy land with the front. And then there were a lot of activity emptying and filling up the ship from land. The natives came with bags filled up with cobra. A cow is bathing in the ocean. Lars is quick with the camera.

25/8 2017 The next day we went up to the festival place and had a nice afternoon enjoying old fashion traditional dancing that ending up with the famous Rom dance. There was a break in the middle of the show and lunch was served including fish, chicken, pie, vegetables and bread. We could learn about handcraft from the women and the sailors children could play with the local children.

26/8-2017 We are motoring the 2.42 NM, to Nobul village, situated at the north-west coast of Ambrym, early in the morning. Lars is very sick with lots of gasses in his stomach. We think it is a reaction of getting lactose in the food yesterday. Lars downloader GoPro film, sound trac and pictures from the festival and make copies to Russel. Florian and Martina arrange that we can have a meal together in a local hut. It takes half an hou to go there.

27/8-2017 Sunny morning in Nobul until NZ a lot of rain comes a short time. The guide from Ranon comes with a couple from NZ to talk a bout the vulkano tour tomorrow together with Florian and Martina from Esperanza. After making some bean salad for lunch we sail to Ranon. Rest a little when it is raining again. It is very warm up to 30°C. I bake bred and oaties even if it is very hot.

28/8-2017 Vulcano tour star of well. Up on the truck with Florian and Martinn. After a tuff ride up the mountain we have to get off the truck and walk up the rest of the mountain. We have a lot to carry because we have planed stay over night in a hut on the mountin. Half way up Lars get very sick with gases and when rest and drinking water doesn’t help the guide make a mixture with water and a herb find in the forest by his assistant. Lars get strength to walk down to the pickup place for the truck. After a while the truck come and drive us down to the place of our dingy. We get help with getting the dingy in the water. Lars can just drive out to Alexandra about 13-14 hour. During night Lars can throw up and the gasses get reduced. He can sleep the fever away.

29/8-2017 Ranon Bay. Lars is still throwing up but sleep a lot and the fever decreases over time. We are alone on the anchorage but I am happy to get contact with brother Stefan and our sons on messenger. Lars and I take a glass of mineral water against dehydration at 14 hour. I enjoy a cola and nuts at 17 hour and watch the cargo ship Vanuatu arrive in the bay. Bags with flour and rice are sailed in with a tugboat and bags with cobra are sailed out to the ship.

30/8-2017 Ranon Bay. Lars still not well but he could talk to Stuart on MagNet. He started taking medicine for ulcer in the morning before eating. Wish we had a doctor here. No wind and blue sky and 27.2 grader. I run the water-maker 1.5 hour and put isolation tape on the fridge. We drink a lot of water and other beverage. Esperanza sail up north today. Lars can eat spaghetti with vegetable at 17 hour. Internet so talk to the boys. The apartment is sold and paid for. One worry less but also sad.

1/9-2017 Ranon Bay. Sail to Craigs Cove village situated at the west coast of Ambrym at 08:50 after 6 night here not getting on land it I even is nice to get sailing. It clear up slowly after a misty early morning. We let the outboard hang on the dingy that hang on the davits because it is a short sail. 15NM 13 knots of wind in the nose, 3 hours motor sailing and anchor drop 12:30. There are a lot of activity on land. Peopel come home with small motorboats after shopping elsewhere. Two boys are passing by in there outrigger and said hi. Lars can eat a bole of rice. He is very weak also now with podagra in toe and knee and ibuprofen crème helps. Our sons in Denmark are going to a boat show in Ishøj tomorrow. Stew with rice and vegetable for dinner.

2/9-2017

Craigs Cove. Claudy 25°C the whole day. Magnet with Saroni Alison. Difficult to here. We get pictures from the boat show from Jeanne. Little Oskar enjoy the big Arcona boat! We rest and enjoy the bay and all the activity from the boat. Every morning women wash there cloves on lava stones at the shore side and dry them on the lava stones. They use a lot of energy banging the clothes on the stones. To women sit in an outrigger fishing every evening but they seldom get a little fish. Banana-boats are constantly running transporting people back and forth. Pickup truck transport wooden board away from the beach. The only other boat on the anchorage leaves today with to backpacker. We are alone again but both of us feel much better. Exercise in the cockpit. At 23:00 our I wakeup when a cobra boat comes in with a lot of noise from passengers. One our later another cobra boat comes in.

3/9-2017 Claudy with som blue fields. MagNet with Russel. Ten dolphins are swimming around Alexandra and make some low jumps. We put the dingy in the water and g to shore. A lot of children came and great us and we are guided around the village by Olivia one of the oldest child. They gave us fruit like pawpaw and coconut. When reaching for the dingy anchor I my left knee. scull looked and it heart a lot. After massage my knee scull came in right position and we could sail out to Alexandra. Five teenage girls came visiting us on Alexandra in the afternoon. They enjoyed finding were Denmark was situated inn the world and by looking in Jimmy Cornell’s World Cruising Destinations. Later on they came back with some eggs to us.

4/9-2017 Craigs Cove. 30 % cloucover wind from SE and a lot in the gusts so we stay unother day. Lars sign up to GoWest Rally. Lars clean the sea cuck to the gen-set and filled up with oil on the high pressure pump to water maker

5/9–2017 Craigs Cove til Lammen Bay searching for dugon. Sunny morning with only a few clauds. Sail out 8:00 for motor and it goes slowly upwind. 8:55 set staysail and sail 4.5 knots. Water 25.8, 25 in the air and swells 1 meter. At 13:30 we anchor at Lamen bay. Relax with books the rest of the day.

6/9-2017 Big turtle and dolphins around Alexandra. Dingy to land and shop. A lady sold her last tomatoes and salad. He sun had a little shop with mostly can food.

7/9-2017 A lot of wind but we get to swim and see several turtles, one very big, but no the dugon.

8/9-9/9 Over night sailing from Lamen Bay to Port Villa with start at 16:50 and sailed into the anchorage at 7 a´clock the next day.

9/9-16/9 Port Villa Efate Island

ICA Ralley

Provisioning

Tanna by air.