Last Monday a goodish weather window opened up and we checked out from Port Vila. We expected and got light ESE breezes - and a blessedly low swell! We were able to keep sailing most of the way at an average of 5.5 - 6 knots, with the breeze at about 60 degrees to the bow. As we moved south, the ambient temperature dropped noticeably, but as well the cloud which has plagued Vanuatu this year thinned and disappeared, and we entered Havannah Canal just at slack high tide - perfect as the outgoing tide there can reach 4 knots and can be very rough with overfalls and eddies. As we crossed the 100 metre line we had a strike from a big wahoo, which took about a quarter hour to land. We cleaned and filleted him, and had him chilled by the time we were within the lagoon itself. It was after lunch by then and we decided to overnight at Anse du Pilote, then headed up to Port Moselle after a deep sleep. Anse du Pilote is a perfectly calm but very easy-to-enter anchorage - open water entry and no dangers, good holding in sand and mud, safe in just about any wind direction.
We have been catching up with friends - some whom we have met and others like "Norsa" whom we know from radio skeds and mutual friends. It's fine and warm here, with only a light cloud cover from time to time. Port Moselle have installed a fast new internet WiFi network and it is so good to be able to upload stuff, get weather quickly and Skype friends.
Check the gallery for pics, and we'll write again tomorrow.
Cheers from us.