Off On A Lark!

Sailing Adventures In The South Pacific

Vessel Name: 'Lark'
Vessel Make/Model: Malo 38
Hailing Port: Port Townsend WA
Crew: Brad Nelson and Linda Attaway
Extra: 'Lark' at Lape Island, Vava'u Tonga
23 September 2023
17 September 2023
01 September 2023
18 August 2023
13 August 2023
12 August 2023
11 August 2023 | Tanzania, Africa
10 August 2023
08 August 2023
06 August 2023 | Moshi/Kilimanjaro Area, Tanzania Africa
27 March 2018 | Port Townsend WA
26 March 2018
24 March 2018
23 March 2018 | Opua NZ Boatyard
Recent Blog Posts
23 September 2023

Motorbike Ride From The Mushroom Farm Down The Mtn. To Chitimba

Check out the album with a few pics of our ride down to catch the Sienta back to Karonga. We had 3 motorbikes, each with a driver, cargo and passengers. Jimmy had an old style TV along with his baggage, Romain and Amelia 2 large backpacks and Brad and I, a knapsack and a combo suitcase/backpack. There [...]

23 September 2023

Nkhata Bay and Livingstonia

The wild ride finally ended in Mzuzu.

17 September 2023

The Beginning Of A Short Sightseeing Holiday

We made a 6 day road trip to see Nakata Bay on Lake Malawi and Livingstonia located in the nearby mountains. It was great to get away and have a change of scenery for a few days!

17 September 2023

Time To Check In

I know I’ve been awfully quiet and it’s about time I made a post.

So Far Behind That I Don’t Know Where To Start

25 September 2014 | Port Vila, Efate - Vanuatu
Linda
We’ve been in Vanuatu almost 4 months now. It’s been a cultural experience that is almost beyond words. They say that the Ni-Van are the happiest people in the world and I wouldn’t question that for even a minute. You’d be hard pressed to not get a big smile or the raised eyebrow greeting from anyone you meet or pass on the street. We love it here.

The last time I blogged was from our first stop in the Banks Islands on Gaua. I think I mentioned helping prepare a flyer for their first Kastom Festival at Lakona Bay to be held in August. We didn’t get to join in but have been told by both yachties and the villagers that it was a great success. We’ve already prepared the flyers for 2015 and highly recommend attend if you’re in the neighborhood. Traditional canoe races, food, dancing, singing, magic, cooking, weaving and water music which is is played only on Gaua. It’s hard to describe, but I’ll do my best. A group of 4 to possibly 20 women stand in waist deep water near the beach (which is stunning black sand). The music is made using varying techniques of slapping and moving the water. All beautifully orchestrated. I can’t wait to be able to post some photos.

As an aside, the volcano on Gaua blew around 2007. Residents of the villages of Dolav and Ontar that we visited, as well as many others were forced to evacuate to another part of the island where they lived until 2009. In that two year period both their homes and gardens were lost to the overgrowth of plants, vines and ash. Traditional construction still prevails using bamboo, natangura and indigenous trees lashed together with vines. The bamboo is scored into flat panels and woven to create a very strong wall. They’re often very creative in their use of materials and occasionally you’ll see the bamboo painted for a different look. I’m not sure where they get the paint!

We departed Gaua saying we’d be back in about 3 weeks and made a day sail to Sola on Vanua Lava which is the government seat for the Banks Islands. Our assignment there was to meet the head of tourism and pass on the flyer for the Lakona Bay Festival and pick up some supplies for Chief Richard’s little store in Ontar. That quick stop lasted about 5 days. The weather turned less than desirable just after we arrived so we sat tight, enjoyed our visits ashore and socialized a bit with a French single-hander who we were moored next to.

As soon as conditions improved we headed on north to the village of Tivitwut to deliver a letter we’d been given by a yacht back in the Marshall Islands.
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A View Of Linda's Commute To And From The Airport
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Leaving Monterey, CA
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