VANUATU LOG AUGUST 4-SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

As promised, here is my log of events I have experienced in Vanuatu since my arrival on 4 August 2010. Today is 14 September and I'm in Luganville on Espiritu Island in Vanuatu.

I expect to upload photos soon.




VANUATU LOG


4 August 2010- 23 August 2010

It has been a wonderful time. What more can I say?

I arrived at Port Vila, Vanuatu the morning of 4 August 2010. I was extremely tired after the crossing from Fiji.

After arrival I was met by Quarantine officers and directed to an anchorage. I was quickly cleared. Customs was another matter. Although technically they are supposed to board your vessel, they said that they were “too busy” and asked me to come over to their office, with my documents and my weapons. After a long dinghy ride across the harbor I finally cleared in with customs.

I can say that bringing weapons on a boat it a BAD idea! I’m trying to make arrangements to have my weapons shipped back to the States and put in storage! I may have a buyer for my rifle, but as handguns are strictly forbidden in Vanuatu, I could not sell them if I wanted to.

The Immigration office was closed, for some unexplained reason. I was granted permission to go ashore as long as I agreed to clear Immigration the following day.

I went ashore and had a VERY long shower. I began to feel somewhat human again.

I met a really nice guy who took me to his travel agency so I could use the internet and check my e-mail and let everyone know that I’d arrived safely.

I had met a very special lady when I was still in Fiji. As we had a really great time together, albeit too short, I asked her to meet me in Vanuatu and she agreed!

As it turned out, her flight from OZ was due in late the same evening. Fortunately, I was able to meet her at the airport.

Dianne and I had a wonderful time in Vanuatu. Her pictures appear in my BLOG.

Vanuatu is a “magic” place with almost a frontier aura. It is more expensive than Fiji, but the food is 1,000% better. Most items are readily available and the hardware stores are well-stocked.

I did have an episode of food-poisoning, bad mussels, and spent 24 hours in bed. I had shared the same food with Dianne the night before, but after a “Technicolor yawn”(an Australian euphemism for vomiting) I discovered the mussels as the culprit. Then I remembered that the ONE thing Dianne did not share were the mussels.

I have found that the people of Vanuatu (they calls themselves the Ni-Vanuatu) are nice enough, but not nearly as outgoing and friendly as the Fijians. I’ve learned, to my disappointment, that they are not as honest and trustworthy as the Fijians. One must take care not to leave ANYTHING of value unattended. One of my first purchases was a lock to chain my outboard motor to my dinghy.

Dianne and I explored Port Vila and had a great time. We visited Eton Beach and Blue Hole, truly one of the prettiest beaches I’ve ever seen. We also visited Mele Cascades which were amazing. Photos of each appear in my BLOG. We went snorkeling at Hideaway Resort- a bit disappointing, poor snorkeling, no beach- unless you count sharp, broken coral rubble as a “beach”.

The BIG excitement came when Dianne and as I were visiting Iririki Island Resort. We were struck by a 7.5 earthquake with an epicenter a mere 25 miles away. Believe me, it was VERY SCARY. We made it to high ground in case a Tsunami had been generated. Fortunately, only a very small, non-destructive Tsunami was generated. Torrid was fine.

Dianne brought a “care package” from Australia, including a part for my windlass. After much struggle and effort I installed it yesterday, 22 August, 2010. Today I plan to “stress test” the windlass to make sure it will work when I need it.

Torrid is in need of repairs-what’s new? I also need to buy a replacement Jib. Finally, my depth gauge is not working- what’s new?

Today, 23 August 2010 I will clean the boat bottom and hope that the problem with my depth finder is just an accumulation of crud on the transducer.

I expect to be in Port Vila for a few more weeks as I need to complete repairs before I venture too far.

I hope to then sail north to Luganville on Espiritu Santo Island. Hopefully, Dianne will join me there for more fun and exploring! Diving is supposed to be great with a “wreck” dive on the USS President Coolidge, an American troop transport sunk by a “friendly mine” in Luganville harbor during WWII.

24 AUGUST, 2010

Yesterday everything I tried to fix, I only made worse. Just one of those days, I guess. You’d think I’d learn after a while and just quit and wait for another day. But, NOOOOOOOOOOOO, not me. I finally quit at 9 pm when I fouled up changing batteries. Changing batteries?????? How bad could I do?
Yacht one of my best friends!

Today I found and raised my stay-sail, so at least I have a main and type of head sail.

I also discovered an old sail buried in the depths of my foc’sl ( forecastle-that is the farthest inside pointy end of a sailboat). I’m hoping that upon inspection tomorrow that it will turn out to be an old, long forgotten jib. We’ll see.

Still, no joy on fixing my depth-finder. It looks like I’ll have to hire someone to do some electrical repairs.



30 AUGUST 2010- MONDAY

In the cruising life there is good and good enough. Living and cruising on a limited fixed income, I have learned to subscribe to the “good enough” approach to living and cruising.

There is merit to the argument of many cruisers who have adopted the attitude that only “factory specific” repairs are acceptable. I envy these people because they obviously have a LOT more money than me. They can afford to send off for the “right” parts, regardless of the cost and air freight. I, on the other hand, must subscribe to the “good enough” approach to yacht maintenance and repair. If a repair comes to my attention, as they do daily, I must weigh the cost of a “proper” repair versus what I can realistically afford----and still be able to eat. Practicality has become the order of the day.

I have become, of necessity, a jack of all trades but sadly, a master of none. Persistence, is a virtue. I have become a VERY persistent person. When problems arise I try to think them through and come up with an economical solution. I have found that simply thnking about a problem for a day or two will generally lead me to a solution, not necessarily a “factory specific” solution, but a solution that will work and will suffice.

Another yachtie gave me his copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I identified with the author right away. He had his own approach to solving problems which matched my own. He is a “Do it yourselfer” who firmly believes in the concept that you must watch out for yourself and not blindly surrender your repair needs to so called “experts”.

Today I went all over Port Vila and found the equipment I needed to make several repairs on Torrid. My “High Water” alarm is fixed. My wind driven auto-pilot is fixed and ready for reinstallation. My anchor is ready for resetting and my fuel on-loading is progressing.

“Rome was not built in a day”. You cannot anticipate EVERY repair need before you set off on a cruising voyage. At best, you can hope for the best, plan for the worst and hope that somehow you’ll wind up somewhere in the middle.

Tomorrow brings a few more repairs and fueling. I hope my generator gets fixed by my “expert” soon. It is important to also recognize your limitations!

31 AUGUST 2010, 1345 HOURS

The skies are pregnant with rain, though little has actually fallen----so far.

I have discovered, to my delight, that my sail I discovered in my foc’sl appears to be a jib which seems to be a good shape.

My fuel tanks are full and my only “hold” in Port Vila is for my portable generator. I will probably have to come back to Vila after Santo. I’ll need to do so anyway in order to check out of the country and recover my damned guns!

I’m still undecided about my destination after Vanuatu. New Caledonia beckons. If
I go to New Cal I’ll probably have to go to New Zealand or back to Fiji for the cyclone season. My other choice is to head north and eventually reach Thailand.

Australia is also an option, but the Australian entry requirements for yachties is somewhat “pissy” i.e., Australia is not “Yachtie friendly”, especially for non-Australian boats.

Port Vila is a remarkable study in contrasts. On the one hand the people are simple and dress rather poorly. Although they do not seem outwardly intelligent, nevertheless you will see them using the ubiquitous cell-phone (referred to as a “Mobi” or Mobile Phone here). Today I saw a young man with an i-Pod. He was barefoot, had his shirt on inside out, was wearing obviously very old shorts but was happily listening to his music. More power to him! He seemed happy.

The Ni-Vanuatu are not nearly as outwardly friendly as the Fijians, but with a little smile and perhaps a nice word or two I seem to be able to “break the ice” and get them to open up to me.

As I see it, the people of Vanuatu, at least on Port Vila, the capital and largest “city”, are barely past “first contact” with the Western World and are having reasonable and predictable problems with their adjustment, if not acceptance, to the influence of the outside World.

Vanuatu seems a land of vast opportunity! It is rich with fertile soil as well as mineral wealth. It has barely been touched. Yes, there are nice cattle ranches and some mineral resources are being extracted, but, for the most part, Vanuatu is well below its “Western World” level of productivity. God help them if the Chinese “discover” Vanuatu.

5 SEPTEMBER 2010 1630 HOURS

I have stayed in Port Vila an extra two days as the weather has been somewhat rough. I’ve found, through hard learned experience, that it is far better to wait for a decent “weather window” than risk getting beat up at sea. It is one thing to sit out a day or two of nasty weather while comfortably at anchor versus getting pounded out at sea.

Last night my dinghy motor quit suddenly as I was headed to shore. Fortunately, it was an easy row back to Torrid. I spent the night pondering what the problem must be.

I settled on the old nemesis of my four-stroke engine: the carburator. I’ve had so many problems before that I had the foresight to e purchased a spare. Happily, that solved the problem, but in so doing I noticed that my fuel flow from the gas tank was very weak. After about an hour I was able to fix that problem as well.

As a boat mechanic I make a hell of a good retired Lawyer! What I have come to learn and appreciate that, as a solo sailor, you must come to solve new problems almost every day. By thinking a problem through, often overnight, I’ve come to appreciate the “Zen” of yacht repairs and maintenance. Through thought and reasoning one can often come up with the logical solution to a problem without having to call for help. As often as not, “help” is not available. You are truly on your own.

Tomorrow I expect to leave Port Vila on my way to Luganville on Espiritu Santo
Island. I have to decide whether I wish to stay overnight at Port Havannah harbor or continue on to Luganville. Havannah is a short day-trip whereas Luganville is probably a two day passage. We’ll see how things go tomorrow.

Port Vila is nice…………..but. It is definitely a tourist town for Aussies and Kiwis. It has the flavor of an exotic port of call, but it is definitely prepared for the numerous tourists. Usually, once a week, a cruise liner will come to Vila and the town will be swarmed with “day-trippers” who arrive at 0800 and must be back aboard by 1630.

I’ve made friends with several of the local ex-pat Aussies, Kiwis and Brits who have chosen to drop “off the radar” of modern life and are quite content to spend the remainder of their lives sipping on Tusker (the local beer) and swapping tall tales with their mates.

In sum, Port Vila is very nice if a bit expensive. It is not a bad place to consider weighing one’s final anchor.

6 SEPTEMBER 2010, 1330 HOURS

This morning I motored to Havannah Harbor (yes, that is the way it is spelled in Vanuatu). The purpose of the trip was to test out my repairs and give TORRID a ”shake down” before my 2 day passage to Luganville on Espiritu Santo Island.
My biggest worry was my Auto Pilot. “OTTO” kept giving me a “Low BATT” notice and would not perform. As I had used up a lot of my battery power in Vila and did not have my generator back yet I figured that once the batteries were recharged thru my engine use that the problem would be solved.

That APPEARS to have solved the problem as OTTO started working fine once the batteries were charged up beyond 85%.

I’m now anchored in a little bay North of Port Havannah. As it is extremely windy I do not plan to go ashore. The village is downwind of TORRID and should my outboard motor fail on me again, there is no way I could row against this wind.

My windlass is slipping again but I think it can be easily mended-----again!

Being alone on a boat in a foreign country and away from any semblance of the “civilized” World has given me the opportunity of considering and counting my blessings. I have been on my boat for well over a year and have sailed to some fascinating places and met many, many interesting people. When I think of those luxuries I gave up to undertake this trip, I still have no regrets. So what if I cannot go to the grocery store at 2:00 a.m. to buy some Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream? At least I’m not going to get killed by a drunk driver or mugged by some punks on crystal methamphetamine.

Last night I watched a Movie on DVD that was filmed in Brooklyn. What amazed me was how many millions and millions of people can stand to live their “anthill existence” lives in such an environment. Perhaps it is because they have never had a better experience or that they simply believe that they cannot possibly escape their hum-drum lives that they turn to drugs, crime and sex so frequently and needlessly. Escape, by one means or another is a unique human trait. I have taken my “escape” by means of sailing away to new and interesting places.

I am no angel. I must confess to using drugs (alcohol and marijuana) as well as sex as escape vehicles in my past. Crime was never a problem; I KNEW that I was too stupid to get away with anything, so I never committed a crime in my life. At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

I heard an interesting anecdote supposedly coined by a native of the highly active volcano Island of Tanna in Vanuatu: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery and today is a gift.”

Those were very moving words indeed!

Tomorrow, if the weather improves I shall be off to Luganville. Let’s hope OTTO stays on the job.


7 SEPTEMBER 2010 1100 HOURS

I’ve decided to remain anchored for the day today as I needed to do some routine maintenance chores. I changed the oil, oil and fuel filters and checked out the jib and mainsails for proper installation and readiness for deployment. I also needed to fix my windlass before the wind picked up. I had noticed last evening that the chain gypsy was slipping---again.

The nice thing about boat repairs is that after you’ve done a certain chore it becomes easier and easier to do it again. The bad thing about boat repairs is that you usually have to do them again------and again.

Early this morning a ni-Vanuatu (native of Vanuatu) paddled his canoe out to my boat and gave me two huge papayas (called paw-paw) and two pamplemousse (French for grapefruit). I offered to give him some hooks and cigarettes which he politely declined. I finally got him to accept a “T” shirt. As he was a very huge fellow, I had to look for one of mine which would fit him. I may be an XL myself, but he was a XXL at least.

Tomorrow I’ll leave for Espiritu Santo. I’ll probably have to sail overnight but I want to get settled in to Luganville well before the 12th of September.


9 SEPTEMBER 2010, 1230 HOURS

The past few days have been interesting.

After departing Havannah Harbor for the two day trip north to Espiritu Santo my Auto Pilot decided to go on the blink again. This time I could not coax it back to life and wound up having to steer by hand for over eighteen hours!
Did I mention how much I dislike steering?
It also meant getting other things done extremely difficult.
The day was beautiful and the sailing WAS great. What’s the old saying: “The worst day of sailing is better than the best day of work”?
After dark was when things became VERY interesting. Periodically I’d have to leave the helm to consult my Chartplotter which is conveniently mounted down below at my navigation station. I’d jump down below, get the information I needed then scramble back topside in the hope that I would do so before Torrid would jibe.
Other than the auto pilot problem most of the trip was uneventful.
After steering for so long I finally became exhausted and found myself nodding off-at the wheel! Fortunately the wind and seas had died down and I decided to “Hove- to” and get some sleep. This meant that I had to bring my sails down-in the dark- and essentially let my boat drift while I slept. I was a good six miles from the nearest land and Torrid was drifting away from land before I finally nodded off.
I got a few hours of restless sleep and arose at 0430.
I decided to stop at Malua Bay on the island of Malekula, just south of Espiritu Santo. I’m going to try to fix auto, work on a couple of sticky winches and concentrate on getting some good rest tonight.
Malua Bay is quite pretty and offers a good anchorage and sandy bottom for good anchor holding.
I was met by some young boys in their outrigger canoes. They gave me some oranges and I gave them some fishhooks. One of the village elders also paddled out and I offered him some cigarettes. He politely declined. It dawned on me: He is a Seventh Day Adventist-----------and they abstain from everything, well almost everything.
I should be in Luganville by this time tomorrow. Hopefully I can rent a mooring ball at the Aore Beach Resort. Apparently it is THE place for yachties to hang out.
Oh well, back to work

10 SEPTEMBER 2010, 1230 HOURS

I had an uneventful l(that’s a good thing) crossing over to Espiritu Santo and Luganville.

I could not help but think of all the young men who came here during WWII. Luganville was a major staging area for military activities and preparations for the invasions of numerous Japanese held islands in the Pacific.
Had my uncle Phillip been here? He was killed on a carrier by a Kamikaze. What were his thoughts arriving in such a location. He, was so very, very far away from the small town in Minnesota where he, along with my father, Aunt Marge and Uncle Jesse were raised.
Were the thoughts of all of the military personnel, men and women, the same? Did they think they would never see their homes and loved ones again? My Uncle Phillip never did.
Recently an election for Prime Minister was held in Australia. I mention this because Australia, like the United States, is a Democracy whose citizens elect their choice of representatives. Unlike America, Australia has compulsory voting for all of its eligible citizens. If they fail to vote they are fined by the Government! How well would that go over in the USA?
When I think of all of the men and women who fought, died, were injured or simply gave their service to the USA to defend our freedom and way of life and Government I am proud to state that I have voted in every election since I turned 18. Conversely, I am ashamed to admit that most Americans do not bother to vote and some even brag about it!
A thirty-five percent turnout for a Presidential election is about the norm. This means that sixty-five percent of my fellow Americans did NOT vote. They need to be reminded of the old saying: “Bad politicians are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.
Rest in peace, Uncle Phillip. I cannot conjure sufficient words to thank you. The same is true of the countless others amongst you who served our nation.
Today, after my chores are done, I’ll go ashore to Luganville and let everyone know I’ve arrived safely. Afterward I’ll explore the town. I cannot help but wonder if I’ll be walking in the footsteps of my Uncle Phillip. I know that I’ll be walking in the footsteps of thousands like him.
Oh yes, “Otto” is still on the fritz.

11 SEPTEMBER 2010, 0930 HOURS

Yesterday I went ashore and explored Luganville. I have decided to withhold judgment until I’ve given the area a fair exploration. Suffice it to say that Luganville is not very pretty nor does it seem to have the tropical “allure” we expect in a South Pacific Island.
Again, I was taken back to WWII and wondered what this place must have been like with so many servicemen. It looks like the only “fun” thing for them to do would be to drink beer. Forget the chasing women part!
Today I have cleaned up Torrid and will dinghy over to the Coral Quays resort where I’ll be staying for several days with Dianne. She arrives tomorrow from Australia.
The island seems to have lots of interesting places to explore and I hope to take lots of photos and finally be able to update my blog with something besides my boring writing.
My BIG concern is whether I’ll be able to get “OTTO” repaired. I have a strong feeling that I’ll have to ship it back to the States to have it properly serviced. I learned, painfully, that I cannot sail without a reliable auto pilot. I have a strong suspicion that some damage was done when it got wet with fresh water in Fiji. I STILL want to talk with the guy in Hawaii whom I paid to install the system. His choice of placement of the auto pilot computer was not smart. I have learned a valuable lesson about trusting so-called “experts” to work on my boat.

14 SEPTEMBER 2010, 0700 HOURS

It has been an exciting past couple of days. Dianne arrived from Australia and we had a very pleasant sunset snack on the pier across from the resort. The weather was that perfect blend of warmth, cool breezes and tropical setting that we read about so often in travel guides to the South Pacific.
The following day we went to the Millennium Cave. It was touted as a “must do” in the Lonely Planet guide to Vanuatu. I can tell you that it was an extremely difficult and exhausting adventure. I would NOT do it again, but now that it is completed I am stoked that I did it. Dianne was a magnificent trooper! Not one word of complaint.
It was an extremely difficult trek. I had not felt so completely exhausted since I finished my last Marathon in 2001. I have aches and pains where I didn’t even know I had places!
I HIGHLY recommend the adventure, with profound reservations. You must be fit and able-bodied. If you are not, DO NOT ATEMPT THIS TREK! YOU WILL GET INTO SERIOUS TROUBLE.
The first part of the trek involves a long walk to a village where you meet your guide. Our guide was a nice young ni-van named Sala. He did the entire trek wearing flip-flops on his feet. I had a good pair of jogging shoes and Dianne wore reef walkers.
Upon leaving the village you cross a bamboo bridge. The bridge consists of very large and very long bamboo poles laid across a ravine and held in place with upright bamboo poles and tied together with bamboo strips.
The trail then continued up and down several hills and ravines which were very steep. Often we climbed down stairs made of long hardwood poles with hardwood rungs nailed on for hand and foot holds.
Finally, after about 1 ½ hours of climbing and descending we arrived at the Millennium Cave. It is a very long cave carver thru limestone by a little river. The trek thru the cave was over rocks and water. As it was pitch black we were issued flashlights (torches) to help find our way. During the cave walk I frequently had to place my hand on a rock or wall to maintain my balance. I soon learned that the soft slimy stuff that my fingers were squishing into was an accumulation of centuries of bat excrement! Yum! Nevertheless, one needed to maintain one’s balance and just have to accept the fact that your hands can be washed clean later.
The cave was approximately a mile long. That is only a guess. Suffice it to say, it was long.
Upon emerging from the cave we stopped for a quick lunch and some much needed rest.
We then had to walk, crawl, scoot and slither over under and past huge, slippery stones alongside the river. Several times we would come to a deep part of the river where we had to swim for hundreds of yards at a time. The water was cool and refreshing and we were held up by lifejackets.
At the end of each long swim we were met by yet another stretch of huge rocks which required us to scramble over. Several times the rocks were so steep and slippery that I was sure I would fall. Believe me, if you slip and fall, you WILL be seriously injured and on that trek you will be in SERIOUS TROUBLE. Dianne slipped once but fortunately Sala was there to help her and she only suffered a scratch on her knee.
Upon ending the river portion of the trek we were then obliged to scale an extremely steep and treacherous trail. If you fall on that trail you will probably die. It is straight down to the boulders below.
Next came I series of four sets of hardwood ladders which were very long and nearly vertical.
When the trail finally flattened out we had a long hike back to the second village. We stopped there to chat with the villagers and rest a little.
Finally, we hiked a short distance (only about 1 ½ mile) to the village where our driver was waiting to take us back to the hotel.
After a long, long hot shower I began to feel human again. The evening was spent quietly at the hotel reminiscing about the day’s adventure.
Having said all of the above, I’m proud to say that Dianne and I survived the Millennium Cave trek, and I DO mean survived!
Today is an easy day. I’ll check in with the Customs Office in Luganville and have my computer worked on so I can connect with the wireless internet.