Into Vanuatu
Port Vila, June 1, 2017
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| Arriving Port Vila at sunrise. |
Patience has its rewards. For five weeks, we waited for a weather window to leave New Zealand, and suddenly it was there. On the tail of a low, we rode the southerlies for 1,100 NM. Fair winds and following seas for 4 days!
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| Running away from the storms |
We hadn't made a passage in so long I had forgotten the drills. I have found that my focus has changed over the years.
Are we getting old or just simplifying our life? Provisioning is not so important anymore: we find our staples of rice, beans, pasta and flour anywhere. Fresh produce can be found anywhere, especially since we insist on eating locally-grown foods. As for meat, we don’t really eat any (unless it’s fresh and locally-grown). Eggs and fish are plentiful anywhere we cruise. So, unlike our previous passages when all the lockers were overfilled with stuff: crackers, snacks, staples, this time the lockers are almost empty. It’s weird how, over 7 years of cruising, we have down-sized our pantry and gone almost vegan. As for booze, since we now drink only occasionally, the wine cellar is virtually empty. Life is simpler that way.
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| Fishing is a main activity on board. This short bill spearfish is an exception... released |
Rather, JP has concentrated on making the boat ever simpler to run, more efficient, and asking less of me.
Anchoring - JP had wanted to modify the anchoring system for years. Finally, he did it. With the previous configuration, the bow rollers being way inside the bows and high on the foredeck, dropping anchor in any kind of strong wind was a challenge. By the time JP would let out enough chain, the cat would be across the wind and I would have to race in order to clip the bridle before the chain would graze against the bow… scraped the paint many times that way.
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| Fabricating 2 steel extensions - Lower launching point, more forward, and a smooth-grooved acetal roller. |
The modification consists in a massive extension of the bow roller, bringing the launching point lower and more forward, with an acetal roller lathed in a smooth depression rather than a chain-gripping groove. The chain no longer grazes the bow as the cat turns across the wind, giving me more time to clip the bridle on. Also, the smooth groove of the acetal roller allows the anchor shaft to roll itself in the right position for storage, instead of the chain being stuck in the groove. Makes sense? My life has suddenly improved, and the anchoring can now be single-handled.
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| Nasty, nasty exhaust stains... and hard to clean |
Exhaust - If you buy a motor boat, make sure that the exhaust is below water. Sure, it’s a bit noisier, but no soot or smoke. I was so tired of having to clean the hulls aft of the exhaust every time we used the boat that I had mutinied. JP had mercy on me and built an extension to the exhaust, directing the fumes outward. There is still some black smoke stain after we run, but not nearly as much as before. And, to minimize my cleaning duty around the exhaust, JP painted a big black teardrop.
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| Not sure what to make of the tear drop, but definitely less smoke to clean |
These are little things that make my life easier, which means it makes JP happier too!
Another big deal during this haul-out season was servicing our John Deere 6081 engines, including doing a valve adjustment. We just found out during this last passage that this adjustment gave us a 20% increase in performance. Now, at 1025 RPM, running at 10 Kts, we burn 4 GPH instead of 5. A significant savings!
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| Some people look for the pot of gold... rainbow was chasing us and we didn't want to be anywhere close to the wind and rain at the end of that rainbow! |
It only took us 4 days and 13 hours to run from Opua (NZ) to Port Vila (Vanuatu), an 1,112 NM trip. After a bit of a rough start in cross seas (2m from the east, 1m from the west) that lasted almost 24 hours, the following 3 days were just a dream, following seas all the way.
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| Sunset off Tanna Island. Perhaps the volcano smoke gave the sun this hazy red tinge? |
We fished, ran before storm clouds and rainbows, drank blood-orange sunset and were surprised by glorious sunrises.
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| The market: peanuts! |
We are spending the season in Vanuatu, JP resting his brain and hands…. except for trying to catch more fish!
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| Baskets of yams and sweet potatoes |
As for me, I spent the day lazing around the local market. It runs 24/7, amazingly.
The fridge is stocked up, and we’re ready for some new adventures.
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| Even in the rain.... |
We’re off to Pentecost Island…
Till then.
dominomarie