Captain’s Log: Stuck in Port Vila but leaving now!!!

Hi All,

Well…..we got to Port Vila 22 days ago and have been waiting for weather ever since…..arghhhhhh!!!!! We have seen several decent windows that look good but have just gone away. Most of the time it has been blowing 20-30 kts with 9-12′ seas…..not for us!!!

But we have found a so so window and have decided it is time to go!!! We are leaving tonight (Sunday) for Noumea New Caledonia….will get in Wednesday am. There have been no trawler windows the entire 3 weeks we have waited. This one is SE 12-16 kts with 3-6′ seas about 30-60 points off the nose….we soooooo do not like headseas……arghhhhhh!!! We wait 3 weeks and this is the best we get…..arghhhhhh!!!!

And, we might have to give New Caledonia a fly by. Waiting on weather has eaten up most of the time we were planning for NC. There looks to be a decent window the w/o 8/16 to go to Mackay Australia and given this El Nino year of rough weather, we are learning to take these windows when they are there. We will see how it plays out.

We actually are not that frustrated. In our 10 years of cruising this has only happened twice, so we feel very fortunate…..the last time was in Bora Bora!!!! But we do feel bad about maybe having to give New Cal a fly by. NC seems controversial….some cruisers love it and some do not…..very similar to how cruisers feel about Vanuatu. In these cases we have found we need to go see for ourselves and form our own opinions. We have absolutely loved Vanuatu…..not as much diving as we would have liked but the cultural experiences have been phenomenal….very similar to the Lau group in Fiji. The Mt Yasur volcano on Tanna, diving the Coolidge, Pentecost land diving, the ROM festival on Ambrym anchored beneath two active volcanoes, and helping deliver cyclone aid for Butterfly Trust are some of the highlights we will remember forever!!! New Caledonia promises more secluded anchorages and white sand beaches but we fear the water and air temps might be too cold for us….we shall see if we get to spend anytime there!!

So what have we been doing the past 3 weeks…..well…..reading, small projects, reading, small projects, napping, happy hours, dinners, etc!!!! We did rent quads one day and went around Efate with Bella Vita…..it was fun and something to do. We explored some beaches, saw a lot of cyclone Pam damage, ate at a nice resort that had just reopened a week earlier and got in right before dark….yikes!!!

We also observed Independence Day for Vanuatu….only independent for 35 years, and it is still a very young country struggling to form a cohesive government. We went to some of the festivities and had a good time……lot’s of speeches….boring….but they had a military review….mildly boring…..then French paratroopers jumped in 30+ kt wind….very exciting and 3/4 hit the mark….impressive…..then lots of food, music and fireworks at night….impressive!!!

Boat projects: cleaned/polished SS, found a coolant leak on the Cummins, changed the GEN oil and filter, changed the GEN fuel pump when it abruptly stopped, cleaned the props and bottom, tightened our rigging, and then screwed up the running bow light…..went to make some repairs….changing fixture….cut the wires going into the mast…..thought I had secured the wires from being sucked back into the mast….climbed down the mast and repaired fixture (new wires and connectors)…..went back up the mast and found no wires….WTH…..looks like I did a lousy job of securing and the wires got sucked back in the mast…..gone, gone, gone….oh, did I mention it was blowing stink and the boat was rocking some….arghhhhhh!!!!

Hope all is well!!

John
Mystic Moon