Trip across to Vanuatu
19 August 2011
Lucie
One rule that a lot of yachties have about people visiting is that the visitors can pick the spot or the date but not both. We made a deal with Mamie and Ginette that we would meet them in Port Resolution on Tanna Island. The plan sounded perfect, while we made the 3 day crossing, 500 miles from Fiji to Vanuatu, the girls would go and visit New Caledonia and then fly to Vanuatu and meet with us again. It was all great except that Mother Nature was not part of the deal. After we took them to the airport, we organized the boat for the journey. We had to go back to Nadi to find some vatus, Vanuatu's currency. We had been told that there was no ATMs at either Tanna or Aneityum and that we would be better to change some money before leaving Fiji. In Lautoka, John and the boys went to customs and immigration and were back an hour later accompanied by an official who inspected the boat. This was the first time that we got boarded on departure, not sure what they were looking for, illegal refugees...we left Lautoka in the late afternoon. The grib files and Fiji's weather forecast was calling for light south-easterly wind and some rain. As approaching Navula Pass in the dark without any wind, we decided to stop overnight at Musket Cove. We dropped the anchor just after 7pm. Much rain fell that night but the wind picked up and we left. The wind made it to midday before dying off. No wind! We motored for another day before it picked up again but this time form the southWEST, exactly from where we were going. The seas build up and became very uncomfortable. We were all seasick except for Theo, the iron stomach. We were wishing that the wind would switch around as predicted but it never did. It was Friday early morning and we had made a plan to meet with the girls in the afternoon. We send them an email to advise that we would not make it until Saturday. Tanna, where we were to meet our visitors have a customs, immigration and quarantine officer but they are in Lenakel, the main town is on the west side of the island. Tanna does not have any good anchorages but Port Resolution is by far the best option. Unfortunately it is on the eastern side of the island and we were told that the roads are in very poor shape and that the trip over is 3-4 hours and very expensive. Since it was Friday and we were afraid of being quarantined to the boat for the weekend if we could not get an agent to visit us before the end of business hours. Also the girls maybe not allowed to board the boat until we checked-in. We decided to play it safe and go to Aneityum to clear-in. Aneityum is the most southeast island of Vanuatu and a beautiful secure harbour. We knew that all formalities could be done there that day and then we could continue on to Port Resolution. As we rounded the northern corner of the island, the fishing line sang and a nice yellowfin tuna was on. A good welcome to Vanuatu after one of the worse passages. Not long after, we spotted a humpback whale and her calf. All was forgotten! We anchored Tyee next to a big cruise ship. They often stop there and to our luck all officials were present. Only when a cruise ship is in that the immigration and quarantine agent are there otherwise only the custom agent and then you are asked to make the trip to Lenakel to visit them. We waited for the custom and then went to shore to pay our fees.