Another slog to windward
03 September 2009 | Surundu Bay, Santo Is
Di & Bernie
We departed Hog Harbour this morning heading for Lolewai bay on Ambae Is., once again upwind. The wind was initially 10 - 15 knots and the seas a bit lumpy with some waves over 2 metres high, but we were sailing along quite well and looked like we might make the bay on the one tack. But by mid morning the wind was gusting over 25 knots and the seas were very choppy. We were flying along, leaping over waves and crashing into the troughs. This was real Sydney to Hobart stuff but the boat and crew were taking a real punishing, so once again we chose the course of the 'prudent mariner' and tacked onto a course that would lead us into Surundu Bay only 10 miles away. We entered through a narrow gap in the coral reef and anchored in amongst coral bommies in beautiful Surundu Bay at 12:30 and spent a relaxing night recounting our Sydney Hobart type bash. The next day we decided to hitch a ride into Luganville, meet up with Dick and Laurel from Capricorn III and reprovision the boat.