Port Vila, Efate, 22 September 2009

We left Epy Island for Port Vila the capital on Efate September 17. The 80 miles trip was again beating in the SE trade winds. We ended in Havanna bay, a nice sheltered place and spent 2 days there. The 21th we moved around the corner and ended in Mele Bay.

Next day we made it to port Vila

First we brought the cruising permit to the Customs, than we approached the French Embassy and the New Zealand Hi commission to apply visas for Pui.

We anchored close to the Reriki resort in 10m of water with a lot of chain because the holding is bad.

We had the visit from Greenpeace, the vessel Esperanza anchored outside for couple of days.

I had to organize repairs and have spear parts delivered. Tacktick sent me a new wind transmitter.

After a 5 month battle in email exchanges and damages on the yacht, Raymarine sent me a replacement S1G autopilot.

I went to see my friend Eric on the yacht Musique tohave my sails fixed. He is a sail maker. I met him with his wife Odile and Kids Loïc and Zoé 9 years ago in New Zealand.

They live in Vanuatu, and built a magnificent house around a banian tree.

Eric invited us for a barbecue over the week end together with Valérie Manu and kids Lucas Ange from the yacht Betzi. We spent a nice day in a peace full place.

Eric involved locals to help him to build the house

At the beginning they couldn’t understand him. Usually they cut the trees around the house to avoid them to fall on it rather than build the house around it.

We looked for little boatyard who builds aluminum boats to get a tube to fix the profile of the roller furler.

It’s located close to the power station from Tagabe. With the 11 wind generators up the hill, they provide electricity to Port Vila.

They are able to run the diesel engines with coconut oil. That makes them independent from crude oil, stimulates the local economy, and is environmentally friendly.

On the way to the New Zealand High

Commission to get Pui’s visa, there is a nice walk to do along the Waterfront

The water is crystal clear and color full.

Of course the fresh market is like every were very color full and there are always interesting thing to see, like a set of crab nicely wrapped ready to be dumped in boiling water.

Watch the claws!

One day, early in the morning, we could hear a profound sound of an engine running close to our yacht. As we put the head out, we see in front of us a tanker making his way to the fuel depot at the end of the bay.

It was high tide and with a 1.5m tide he had just 3 m draft at the entrance, I couldn’t believe it. He seems to be used to.

Eric told us that one he had to ballast on one side to hell the cargo to get in.

We fear them in open water, but I admire them when they have to maneuver in confined spaces.