Vanihe Bay, Ambae Island, 22 August 2009

We left Oyster bay 6 o’clock in the morning at high tide. Ones out at sea we made a 48 miles passage close hold in quite strong winds from SE for a change up to 30 knots. We were quite comfortable with the little main sail and half the Genoa. We were not alone; yachts from the rally headed the same way than us.

Ones behind Ambae Island the wind dropt. I unfurled the Genoa and heard twice a cling clang. The fixing of my profile didn’t hold and I lost the plates I used to reinforce the roller. We anchored in Vanihe Bay at 4 o’clock in the afternoon; Lolowei Bay was crowded with the yachts from the rally.

Next morning, looking to take out the staysail from the locker under the bed in the front cabin, we had a nice surprise, it’s full of saltwater.
We had to empty the entire forward cabin and put everything out to dry. We spent all day to get every thing back to normal.

My anchor locker has an access from the forward cabin and the door is not water tide, just water resistant. We collected this water in the storm we went thru.

Oyster Island, 13 August 2009.

Oyster Island is a very sheltered place on the East side of Espiritu Santo, 16 miles from Luganville. The southern entrance is very well marked. There are 4 pairs of posts. Ones you past the first set on starboard you’ll find an anchorage in 10m of water.

The three other set of posts can be passed preferably at high tide. We came in at a neap low tide of 0.3m and passed with 2m below water line. After that it’s clear. Me made our way north for another half mile, passed the resort and anchored in 9m of water on a sandy bottom.

15 other boars were in the bay. It’s was a rally coming from Fiji. The ICA organizes every year a trip from NZ to Tonga Fiji Vanuatu New Caledonia back to NZ.

The resort is owned and managed by a Kiwi Staff. The resort is welcoming to cruisers; Internet via Wi-fi was free but not reliable. We found the services and restaurant prices very expensive. Garbage bin small 300VUV, no water, beer at happy hour 350VUV. Transportation to town 2500VUV /person on way, etc… Coming from Asia, prices are a hammer.

We went with the dingy up the river to the blue hole. As you come up the river it gets more narrow, greens covers the water, you think we are at the end, no no, keep on going, and suddenly you end in a blue pool, the water is crystal clear. The scenery is beautiful.

The rally organized a water music festival. Women stand in the water and splash the surface such a way that it gives music. It’s quite a wet way to play music but very efficient.

We also spent some time trying to fix the profile of the roller furling. Unfortunately it didn’t last long.

Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, 11 August 2009.

For the clearance you have to go ashore to meet the officials. Nobody in on VHF watch.

West of the anchorage is a small harbor; it belongs to the diving center. We asked permission to tie up the dingy on their dock.

From there you walk up to the main street, and take a right. The road will split in two in a Y.
At the intersection on the right is the immigration. If you take the right branch of the Y and walk done to the Warf, Custom are just at the right after the entrance.

For the quarantine, take the left branch of the Y and walk past the T intersection. They are 300m on the left side of the road. They asked us if we have garbage, if so it mite be good to bring it with you.

After the clearance, you must go and see Custom to get the inter island permit. By the immigration you get initially one month, but you can ask strait away for more (up to 4 month), you will feel more comfortable visiting the different places.

Luganville is well furbished, and they have a nice market. Places sell meet and seafood.

Passage Honiara to Luganville, August 2009

We left Honiara August 1st and made our way Eastward passing North of San Cristobal to have the advantage of the land breezes, also to get a better angle in the wind. Along San Cristobal we had Easterly winds, and as we past the Island the wind shifted SE for a change. The best course we were doing was south.

August 6th around 10 o’clock in the morning, as we were sailing thru squalls with two reefs in the main and half the genoas rolled in, we got hit by 50 knots of wind one of a sudden, this was not forecasted.

As I was looking to put the life jacket on to go out to take the third reef in the main, the autopilot failed and I had to take over. By the time we hived to, the main sail exploded. Ones the yacht stabilized, I could go out to take the third reef in the main. We hived to until 6 o’clock next day, waiting the sea to calm down. We drifted 72 miles westwards.

Pui got the fright of her life, I was happy that she staid inside the yacht talking to Buddha to be merciful to us. Then winds turned SSE and we could make it to Luganville. Later it came out that the profile from the roller furling got twisted at the base.

We arrived in Luganville August 10th by mid day at the quarantine buoy, position 15°30.92 S; 167°11.00 E.

We made the passage in 9 days 4 hours.
Distance 871 Nm
We motored 88 hours (3.6 days)

Honiara, Botanical Garden, July 2009

Together with our Friend Pierre, we went to the botanical garden. It’s behind the prison, you can not miss it.

It’s a nice relaxing and cool place. Unfortunately the place got damaged as political strike was on. The orchids disappeared from the garden and lots of plants got cut by bush knives.

On the way back we had a nice overview from the beaches and in the back ground we could see the yachts anchored.

We were planning to exit Solomon at Santa Cruz Islands, and head to the Banks in Vanuatu. Customs in Honiara told us that there was nobody there to clear us out there and second, the winds were against us. So we decided to make it strait to Luganville Espiritu Santos Vanuatu.
We didn’t see much from the Solomon’s because of the delay we got in Davao waiting for the autopilot.

Honiara Solomon, second half of July.

We arrived in Honiara July 18th and anchored at 9 o’clock on the West side of Point Cruz where the Yacht Club is, stern to the water breaker.

The entrance of the Bay is quite narrow with reefs on each side. A red buoy marks the reef edge on the port side.

It was Saturday as we cleared in. As you exit the Yacht Club, turn left, and follows the street close to the Fuel tanks. At the crossing, turn left and follows the street that turns right at the end. In the curve, you will see a Custom Office. It’s not there, but just opposite in the building with yellow doors.

Take the left one, inside Custom is the second door left, Quarantine are at the next two doors. Bring your garbage they will take care of it.

Custom fees where 101.-SBD and 30.-SBD for over time.
Quarantine fees where 150.-SBD for ship clearance, 70.-SBD for garbage disposal and 36.-SBD for overtime.

We had to wait Monday for the Immigration.

On the way back, on the right side you will see a fast food, then comes a freezer place where you can buy all sorts of meet, and next is a liquor store were you can by duty free alcohol on departure. Ask for the procedure at the counter it takes some time for the paper work. What you ordered will be delivered to the Yacht

If you keep walking strait ahead you’ll join the main road. ATM is at the corner on the right. Opposite the main road are diplomatic representations, we asked for Pui a visa for New Caledonia at the French representation, and we were told that it takes 3 weeks because they have to send the passport to Port Moresby in PNG.

To go to immigration, as you exit the Yacht Club, walk strait up to the main street. Take a right, pass the round about, keep on strait and you will find the office at the right side, opposite is the Post Office. Immigration fees where 100.-SBD.

Honiara is the capital of Solomon Islands. There is no problem for provisioning and outside town in the industrial zone you can find spares. Take the KG VI bus.
Same direction then the industrial zone about 15min walking from the Yacht Club is the market. On the way back you will find the calcium source (ice-cream) Frangipani.

Internet is easy to find. It’s in the big blue building opposite the main road coming up from the Yacht Club. Petrol station is just at the corner. For gas, walk up to the main road, take a left. 100m on the left is a shop who sells kitchens. They fill you the bottle the same day if you bring it in the morning.

Behind the Post Office is a street parallel to the main road. Walk 5 min westwards and you will find Nicky Fast Food place.
To and Lamun are from Thailand and make excellent meals. Pui was very happy to meet them and it was my turn to listen to them talking without understanding any word.

I had some doubt about the efficiency of my SSB radio. We met Mike and Jan on Don Henry. He is a Ham enthusiast and came with is tools to have a look to my setting. As we were undergoing the tests, it came out that the PL259 connector needed to be resoldered to the cable. Now everything works fine, thank you Mike.

We also met Pierre from Quebec on Vesper 3. I love French Canadian language and we enjoyed his company.
It was longtime we didn’t come across other Yachties to share experiences. We had a nice time.

On the way to Salomon Island, July 2009

We cleared out July 9th for the Solomon’s Islands. Weather forecast was predicting light SW so we decided to head to Gizo.

As we were progressing weather changed to strong SE on the West side and weaker on the East side of Solomon Islands.

So we passed North of Bougainville to face the SE and we started to tack with on one side current with us and on the other side the current against.

The result was that we were hardly progressing on the rumbline. Then Strong SE was forecasted on the East side, weaker on the West side, so we managed to pass inside the Islands between Bougainville and Choiseul to have it a little bit more comfortable, Pui would say less uncomfortable.

We had the visit from out friend the dolphins.

Dozens of them were playing at the bow of the yacht. It’s an endless ballet you could watch too for hours.


Then we had light E to SE winds and we motored our way strait to Honiara we canceled the landfall in Gizo.

At night we could enjoy some land breeze to rest the engine. As we arrived in Honiara the wind picked up again.

833 miles done in 9 days with an average speed of 4 knts. We motored 109 hours (4.5 days).