Today I am preparing to leave Espiritu Santo Island and sail to Pentecost, Ambrym and Epi Isalnds before sailing back to Port Vila.
I have had a wonderful time with Dianne on Santo. She is joining me on the trip back to Vila. I hope she enjoys the trip as much as I do.
Santo is an odd mixture of very, very old and up to date modern. It is common to see ni-Vans (natives of Vanuatu) who live practically the same stone age lifestyle as their recent ancestors yet industriously chatting on their cell phones or laptop computers.
Today I'll get my autopilot back and ship it off to the manufacturer in the States. I'm a bit upset that I have lost two weeks by allowing a local to try and fix it. Oh, well, welcome to the South Pacific!
Hopefully I can add pictures to my blog once I get back to Port Vila. In the meantime I'll have to do a Santo-Vila log. I hope to take lots of pictures.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
WORLD WAR II SITES
Today I went on a tour of several sites used by the US/Australian and New Zealand armed forces during World War II.
I was saddened to visit the ruins of the hospital where the wounded, injured and sick were brought after such epic battles as Guadacanal. Thinking how many of those brave young men and women put so much at risk to defend their countries gave me a new found respect for them. I enjoy the blessings of freedom which they defended often to their deaths. I again wondered whether my uncle Phillip was ever here on Espiritu Santo Island.
In the next couple of days I'll sail to Pentecost Island. Afterwards I'll try to land at Ambryn and Epi islands before heading back to Port Vila.
Dianne has bravely decided to accompany me. I hope she enjoys the passage. So far she has been an outstanding trooper. Life is good!
I was saddened to visit the ruins of the hospital where the wounded, injured and sick were brought after such epic battles as Guadacanal. Thinking how many of those brave young men and women put so much at risk to defend their countries gave me a new found respect for them. I enjoy the blessings of freedom which they defended often to their deaths. I again wondered whether my uncle Phillip was ever here on Espiritu Santo Island.
In the next couple of days I'll sail to Pentecost Island. Afterwards I'll try to land at Ambryn and Epi islands before heading back to Port Vila.
Dianne has bravely decided to accompany me. I hope she enjoys the passage. So far she has been an outstanding trooper. Life is good!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
AORE ISLAND RESORT
Yesterday Dianne and I went over to Aore Island Resort. The boat shuttle from Luganville was free and well organized.
The resort is beautiful and idyllic. It is directly across the Segond Channel from Luganville. There is no surge and the water is crystal clear. Kayaks are free to use as are the bicycles.
The resort is an idyllic spot to really relax and unwind.
In a few days we will sail from Espiritu Santo to Pentecost Island thence to Ambryn Island and Epi Island and finally back to Port Vila, Vanuatu.
I have decided to take Torrid back to Fiji where I'll put her in a slip for safe storage during the cyclone season. Afterward I'll fly to Australia and tour about until April 2011.
Next year I'll sail thru Indonesia, Malayasia and eventually Thailand where I'll put Torrid in for interior work. She needs storage cabinets and bookshelves.
Right now I'm still hoping that my auto-pilot gets repaired. I'm now promised "tomorrow". I've heard that promise before-----------many, many, many times.
The resort is beautiful and idyllic. It is directly across the Segond Channel from Luganville. There is no surge and the water is crystal clear. Kayaks are free to use as are the bicycles.
The resort is an idyllic spot to really relax and unwind.
In a few days we will sail from Espiritu Santo to Pentecost Island thence to Ambryn Island and Epi Island and finally back to Port Vila, Vanuatu.
I have decided to take Torrid back to Fiji where I'll put her in a slip for safe storage during the cyclone season. Afterward I'll fly to Australia and tour about until April 2011.
Next year I'll sail thru Indonesia, Malayasia and eventually Thailand where I'll put Torrid in for interior work. She needs storage cabinets and bookshelves.
Right now I'm still hoping that my auto-pilot gets repaired. I'm now promised "tomorrow". I've heard that promise before-----------many, many, many times.
Monday, September 20, 2010
BEACH GLASS
Yesterday Dianne and I went out for a day sail. Torrid and Di checked out beautifully. My repairman failed to show up the other day to install my auto pilot. Hopefully he will arrive early tomorrow to complete the job. Getting things done in the South Pacific requires patience, lots of patience.
Today we went back to the beach where the USS Calvin Coolidge was run aground after striking a "friendly" mine. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it later slipped off the reef and sank in relatively shallow water. Dianne and I snorkled out to the bouy that marked the bow. The water was too murky to see anything. Darn !
The beach is LOADED with beach glass presumably from the Coolidge. I had to stop collecting glass after 30 minutes as my back pack was getting too heavy. The glass was white, aqua, blue, green and brown. It was all well worn and beautiful. I have a "plan" to incorporate it into a coffee table when and if I become a landlubber again.
I barely scratched the surface of the available beach glass. Nobody else seems to bother! Sadly, I also saw bits and pieces of plates and cups which no doubt came from the Coolidge.
As a tribute to the Captain, he was able to save all of the personnel aboard the ship except two who were killed when the ship struck the mine. Sometimes running your boat aground is a mark of good seamanship!
Today we went back to the beach where the USS Calvin Coolidge was run aground after striking a "friendly" mine. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it later slipped off the reef and sank in relatively shallow water. Dianne and I snorkled out to the bouy that marked the bow. The water was too murky to see anything. Darn !
The beach is LOADED with beach glass presumably from the Coolidge. I had to stop collecting glass after 30 minutes as my back pack was getting too heavy. The glass was white, aqua, blue, green and brown. It was all well worn and beautiful. I have a "plan" to incorporate it into a coffee table when and if I become a landlubber again.
I barely scratched the surface of the available beach glass. Nobody else seems to bother! Sadly, I also saw bits and pieces of plates and cups which no doubt came from the Coolidge.
As a tribute to the Captain, he was able to save all of the personnel aboard the ship except two who were killed when the ship struck the mine. Sometimes running your boat aground is a mark of good seamanship!
Friday, September 17, 2010
PHOTO PROBLEMS
I seem to be unable to upload photos as the internet is extremely slow here in Vanuatu. As soon as I reach an area where the net is faster I'll put photos on my earlier entries.
Bear with me.
Today I hope to have my auto pilot reinstalled. I REEEEEEEEEEEEALLY hope it works.
I'll be making preparations to sail to Pentecost Island in a little over a week.
So far I have enjoyed Espiritu Santo except for the fact that is much more expensive than Fiji.
Bear with me.
Today I hope to have my auto pilot reinstalled. I REEEEEEEEEEEEALLY hope it works.
I'll be making preparations to sail to Pentecost Island in a little over a week.
So far I have enjoyed Espiritu Santo except for the fact that is much more expensive than Fiji.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
CHAMPAGNE BEACH AND OYSTER ISLAND RESORT
Today Dianne and I visited Oyster Island Resort. It has an idyllic setting and a very nice yacht anchorage.
Next we went to Champagne Beach which is truly beautiful. It has powdery white sand and absolutely no surge or swell.
As the water was crystal clear Dianne and I decided to do some snorkeling. I came across a "Crown of Thorns" starfish. This is an ugly animal that devours coral and is a scourge in the Pacific. I decided to be a nice guy and try to put the critter up on the beach where it would die. I carefully picked it up with a broken piece of coral and moved it towards shore. When I tried to lift it out of the water it rolled backwards on the coral and stung the hell out of my left wrist.
Sadly, it lived. Happily, so did I albeit in a lot of discomfort.
No good deed goes unpunished.
MILLION DOLLAR POINT
At the end of WWII the Americans began to leave Vanuatu and their huge military installations in Luganville on Espiritu Santo Island. Soon it became apparent that shipping all of the equipment and supplies back to the States would be too expensive.
The solution was to dump jeeps, trucks, weapons, ammunitions and almost everything else into the ocean! The location became known as "Million Dollar Point" although I'm sure several millions of dollars of US equipment were discarded into the Sea.
Today one can easily go snorkeling and see the remnants of this waste.
Why these goods were not given to the people of Vanuatu, excluding the weapons and ammunition of course, escapes me.
Nearby is the site where the USS Calvin Coolidge sank after striking a "friendly" mine. Today it is considered one of the best wreck dives in the World. The Coolidge had been a luxury liner built during the 1930's and converted into a troop ship at the start of the war.
To his credit, the Captain of the Coolidge tried to beach the vessel and all but two persons were able to wade ashore. Two people did die, but hundreds of GIs got safely ashore before the Coolidge slid off the reef into deep water and sank.
There is a memorial nearby dedicated to the Captain of the USS Calvin Coolidge.
The solution was to dump jeeps, trucks, weapons, ammunitions and almost everything else into the ocean! The location became known as "Million Dollar Point" although I'm sure several millions of dollars of US equipment were discarded into the Sea.
Today one can easily go snorkeling and see the remnants of this waste.
Why these goods were not given to the people of Vanuatu, excluding the weapons and ammunition of course, escapes me.
Nearby is the site where the USS Calvin Coolidge sank after striking a "friendly" mine. Today it is considered one of the best wreck dives in the World. The Coolidge had been a luxury liner built during the 1930's and converted into a troop ship at the start of the war.
To his credit, the Captain of the Coolidge tried to beach the vessel and all but two persons were able to wade ashore. Two people did die, but hundreds of GIs got safely ashore before the Coolidge slid off the reef into deep water and sank.
There is a memorial nearby dedicated to the Captain of the USS Calvin Coolidge.
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