Lap Lap, Pamplemousse and Drinking Coconuts

19 June 2012

Directly following the demonstration in a neighboring village of how to make laplap which is wild yam (or other tuber) mashed into paste, cooked in banana leaves under hot fire rocks and spread with coconut cream (way better than poi), we presumed to weigh anchor for the 10 mile sail to Lolowai. We presumed incorrectly. Dragging all scuba gear out of most inaccessible depths of quarter berth for a dive facilitated freeing anchor chain from beneath a chunk of volcanic rock at 12 meters (40 feet), a condition suspected day before, and finally proceeding toward mistake number two.

Realizing distance and forecast wind wouldn't allow a day trip back to Malakula to retrieve a 7 to 10 day registered airmail package that took 4 weeks to arrive in Port Vila and was subsequently picked up by crew of one yacht then transferred to another with whom we were returning south to rendezvous, but wanting to see Lolowai, we went into the inner harbour there, skimming over the rim of a collapsed volcano, spent two hours napping then departed after dark on a falling, low tide without mishap and sailed 18 hours overnight, hard on a 10 to 24 knot wind that should have been more abeam, to Port Sandwich. (Did anyone follow that?)

Contact made, package received, thanks and a computer program given in return. Rather than sleeping we unshipped dinghy and outboard for a trip into shore to trade for produce from the first resident we saw and for a trip up a mangrove lined river nearby. So now, tomorrow, early, to begin the slog back 75 miles, dead downwind in 6 knots forecast (i.e. with engine on and no apparent breeze), to Oyster Island for scheduled customs clearance and duty free fuel day after tomorrow morning. Who thinks cruising on a yacht in the South Pacific is relaxing? Show of hands. Ah!

Jack