Pastime of Sydney- 2006 Adventures

Message from the crew - Pastime and the crew are safe and well, anchored 11 NM south of Honiara in Tenaru Bay. In a change from the original plan, the crew must visit Honiara for customs and immigration. They plan to 'sign in' tomorrow (Monday). Happily, the situation is much calmer at the moment, and Honiara is currently safe. Will is farewelling the crew to fly home on Tuesday. He'll just scrape in to the country (officially) before leaving, and then have five days in Sydney before departing for Borneo for three months. What a life! The blog will be updated in about a week.

We spent a relaxing couple of days in Graciosa Bay. We anchored off a very pleasant sandy beach with a freshwater stream running into the ocean. So, you could have a 28deg "Sauna" in the salty water and then move a couple of metres to 20deg fresh water. VERY relaxing. Indeed, Graciosa Bay was very pretty and one of the best anchorages we have had. We met up with some Malaitans working a logging concession. Like the Ni-Vanuatu people, they are passionately interested in soccer and the SI DID beat Australia in one of the qualifying games where Aus ended up on top. They were hoping we had TV on our boat. We explained that humble Pastime does not run to TV! Charlie said a "family Mass" for one of the Malaitans (Godfrey) who is sad there are no Catholic facilities in this Province. He was very appreciative & it was rather special sharing with him. With some excitement, we saw a small ship coming into the Bay. It was the "National Geographic" on an expedition and carrying tourists. We radioed them and learned that they had Customs and Immigration staff on board. Our hopes were dashed when they said they did not have the correct forms for yachting people. Before leaving Santa Cruz, we went the 20NM to the NE side of Santa Cruz and spent a very pleasant 24hrs in "Kala Bay" which is an abbreviation of Carlisle Bay. We inspected the local school, handed out balloons to the kids and magazines (courtesy of the Holmwoods) to some of the adults who read them with delight. We also provided business advice to the Chief's son who wants to start some Village Stay activities. When we left the village to return to Pastime, a bunch of kids came too. First prize went to three boys in a canoe who beat us in the rubby ducky at full throttle! So, three Solomon Islanders equals 3.3 horsepower of outboard. All of us went swimming (ah yes, the water is 28.2deg Celsius) and soon all the kids were in too! No matter that the canoes were sinking as the kids leaped out. All in all, great fun for all and it was with the usual sadness that we departed next day for the island of Santa Ana, off the SE corner of Makira Island. This passage started out with rain squalls and deteriorated that night with strong winds from every direction of the compass, interspersed with no wind for periods of a couple of hours at a time. Next day was dismal with an almost continuous torrential downpour ALL day and some of the night! At least the canopy drain filled our water tanks to overflowing. The final morning started with 30->35kt winds and us racing along way too fast at around 9kts with a 2 metre sea on a 4 metre swell. We took down the main sail and were still fast enough but more comfortable. We had to sail 33NM extra due to current and did the 250NM in just under two days. It was very demanding with sail changes and continuous wind direction and strength variations. Here we are anchored at beautiful Santa Ana Island. First settled in 1380BC it is a great place to be. Kids have been swimming out to us to "see DVDs"! Our Cruise Directors (Charlie and Will) diverted their attention by playing noughts and crosses & Bingo with them for a couple of hours! There were about 16 children crowded into the cockpit and it was all great fun with lots of noise. Finally, we had to send them away so we could have some peace and quiet. Well, time do do some swimming and snorkelling. See you (someone has to do it), The Pastime Crew

We were pleased to leave Sola with the dust and very rocky anchorage, not to mention plenty of flies. Our Passage planning software suggested we would get to Santa Cruz in 7hrs less than 2 days, but we tought it would take more like 48hrs, so we left at 10AM. The wind was strong and the waves about 2 metres on a 3 metre swell. Soon, we were reefed down to storm sails and still doing 7kts! We rattled off 145NM the first 24hrs and it became apparent we would arrive at night. Not good, as we had a choice of a very narrow passage or many more miles to a much wider one. We decided to go for the narrow passage and use the GPS, scanning sonar, paper charts and electronic charts. We would "back out" and go the long way if the water was too shallow. Things went well until we were 25NM from Santa Cruz and had an ETA of 2230 for the channel. We were hit by a very big squall with howling winds and torrential rainfall- all from the North (where we were headed). We hove to with David above and P/C/W below. After an hour, we were able to get under way but close hauled in very light winds whereas the 25-3-knot Trade Winds had evaporated! In the end, we motor sailed for many hours and negotiated the narrow channel in moonlight. The scanning sonar was fantastic in side scanning mode to keep us in the deepest part of the channel. The channel is supposed to be 13metres deep but an old chart from 1895 shows depths down to 7 metres and extremely narrow in places. Amazingly, the ancient chart was most accurate of all with the electronic chart again being the worst and showing us cruising over reefs at some points. Then we had to find somewhere to anchor in the dark. Not easy in this 200metre deep Bay with steep sides. Finally, using the sonar, we found a spot and anchored at 0500. We then fell into an exhausted sleep. Some hours later, we cooked up our remaining fish and tidied up over a leisurely breakfast. We were at anchor in the Solomons (so a bottle of champagne went into the fridge). The day was beautiful and this Bay (Gracioza Bay) is absolutely beautiful! It is wonderfully protected and perhaps the calmest anchorage it could be possible to have. Of course, we met many locals before the time came to clear customs, immigration and Quarantine. We sailed over to the small Provincial of Lata and by the time we arrived, there was a crowd of around 100 people waiting on and around the wharf. It soon became apparent that tying to the concrete wharf was fraught with danger as the wind and waves would have pounded us to pieces. We anchored in 26metres (very deep) with the stern close to the reef. Will and Penny stayed on board in case the anchor dragged while Dave and Charlie went ashore. We soon met "John Young", who was "Just Strolling" and offered to show us short cuts, government buildings etc. We shook so many hands and said "Halo" to so many people... Well, we found Customs and Immigration okay, but there have been no officials here for over a year! Penny had received emails from Honiara in February confirming that Lata is still a Port of Entry. Well, seems the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing in the Solomons. So, we cannot clear in and William cannot leave the country next week (for Sydney -> Borneo) because he is not legally here! Ah well, change of plans. David & Charlie went to the Police Station and we handed over passport numbers etc. The Police chief said he'd fax the details to Honiara and tell them we are detained due to bad weather. He sees no problem with doing whatever we want to- even so far as not doing Customs etc in Gizo! ZHowever, we have decided to go to Santa Ana, Makira, Guadalcanal and Honiara where we will officially clear in and despatch Will to Australia. Lata is very cut off, with all recent flight cancelled and only the occasional supply boat. The stores have many empty shelves though a few things such as oil, pegs and soap are available but little else. We met quite a few locals and spent some hours in "Tok Tok". Charlie was delighted to meet a PNG policeman, here on assignment, so they could converse in PNG pidgin. We also met the RAMSI policeman, a Federal policeman from Adelaide, here advising and training the SI police. We ascertained that though there are a couple of crocodiles here, there have been no attacks. So, no-one should mention this to Charlie's mother! A Swiss yachtsman was eaten from his dinghy on the island South of here (while his helpless wife watched on). Now Charlie, what is all the big splashing over on the shore? From here, we will explore the North side of the island and then undertake the 450KM to Santa Ana island off the South of Makira, probably on Sunday. Pastime Crew

We set out for Sola in light NE winds. This involved tacking up the West side of Vanua Lava. The winds are very often this direction on the lee side of the Vanuatu islands. When we got to the top, we encountered very strong 25-35knot winds and very rough seas. The rubber ducky flipped so we hove-to and the menfolk pulled it onto the foredeck and lashed it tight. We then tacked all the way across the top of the island and then out wide (to avoid the reefs) on the other side. It took us about seven hours and we were pleased to reach the large Bay which is called Port Patterson. Unfortunately, the anchorage was excessively rocky and rolly, being quite exposed to the prevailing swells. The dinghy landing was also very difficult, and youngsters were surfing their dugouts into the beach. Still, we made it safely. David achieved Customs clearout quickly but the policeman/immigration was nowhere to be found. While Penny, Charlie and Will went in search of bread and some other supplies, David quizzed every person he met to determine last known location of the policeman. After an hour's walk, there was still no sign. David found where the policeman lived and then his father. Secure in the knowledge that the policeman was likely to knock off work early, David chatted with the locals, in front of the Policeman's house. Eventually, he turned up and we went to the police station. So far, the process had taken 3.5hrs! Then he found that he was missing his immigration stamp and paperwork! He also discovered we were Aussies and not Americans. He is a total soccer "nut". While a messenger went for the immigration objects, he pulled out his police notebook and told us all about every soccer team playing in the World Cup. He was very excited about that night's game between Aus and Japan. He pulled papers out of envelopes on his desk, and they all related to soccer! Draws, locations, times (converted to Vanuatu time) etc. The messenger returned but with the wrong items. He was sent again to the Policeman's nouse, which gave him more time to tell us about soccer. There is no doubt that if we were not Aussies, we would have not been cleared that day. As it was, the process took for ever, but it did get done. During all of this, Charlie had found a local bar and was having cups of coffee with a local and learning lots about the area, the crocodiles, the agricultural training centre run by his father (the Anglican minister) and other useful info. Charlie was also able to replenish dwindling beer stocks. On the way out from the beach, a wave soaked much of our purchases, including bread rolls (we had had no bread fort over a week). Still, a spell in the oven fixed the buns and we prepared for our departure to the SOlomons the next day- Tuesday 13th of June. Happy Birthday to my sister Rose for today the 13th! All the Best, THE CREW

Hi Everyone, We set out from Losalava (perhaps this means "lots of lava") on Saturday 10th of June. The winds were strong and behind us, so we used only our head sail and (foolishly) towing the rubber ducky rather than stowing it on deck (which blocks the air flow into the front of the yacht). We raced along at 7kts and all was fine until we got near the island of Vanua Lava, where we encountered very rough and "bositerous" seas. One huge wave broke on top of the rubber ducky, filled it with water and plucked out the centre (inflatable) seat which was never seen again. Well, we can live without it. The underwater camera (very expensive) also stopped functioning some weeks ago as has our Olympus SLR digital camera (which has always been kept in a sealed dry bag). Oh well, back to the 35 year old Olympus SLR film camera which has worked well all our married life. We reached the very calm Waterfall Bay very quickly and were greeted by John who is the son of one of the Custom Chiefs. When we went ashore later, they performed a pleasant welcoming ceremony in Chief Kerely's Yacht Club (which is a pleasant leaf house with concrete floor). We exchanged small gifts and the Chief showed us their fantastic waterfall which has thousands of litres a second flowing over twin falls. Of course, Charlie was in and attempting to swim to the falls themselfs within a minute of our arrival! The katabiatic wind coming off the falls is awesome, at around 25KM/hr! We donated a Cosatal Cruising Club of Australia to join the many other flags there and also filled in the guest book. Several of our fellow CCCA members have also visited in the past. the Chief's wife (Elizabeth) and daughters agreed to do all our laundry so far. The methodology is similar to that found by David in India. Flog the clothes on the rocks in the river! They were returned a day later very clean. We also scheduled a Custom dinner for Sunday night- our last local dinner before the Solomon Islands. For five dollars each, we had Cassava, Taro, lobster and cooked freswater prawns. Wow! All the people at Waterfall Bay and the village (3KM away) are Anglican and so people from near and further away attended a Mass celebrated by Charlie on Saturday morning. The people were delighted and told us that the last time a visiting clergyman had performed a service for them was a American Pentecostal man twenty four years previously. While at Waterfall Bay, we also met Chief Jimmy, who lives on the other side of the twin Waterfalls. He is the elected Chief and the day of our arrival he had been elected the Chief of all the land of Vanua Lava. He was a kind and gentle man with much wisdom, so this augurs well for any land disputes on the island. We got an excellent pineapple and other fruit from his children. It was fun watching the kids surf their outriggers across the reef outside their home. Another time, we met former Chief Nixon, who "rents" space on the beach from the Custom owners. He is from Mota Lava. We traded with him for excellent bananas. Overall, our short time at Waterfall Bay was wonderful and we could easily have stayed longer, as did a German boat (called Calypso) which had come from the Marshall Islands and Kiribati. They had waited six days at Sola (Provincial Capital) for Immigration, who was never there (he is also the local Policeman). We knew that the trip to Sola would involve lots of tacking as we had to sail clockwise around the island, but that's another story. Best Regards, PASTIME crew

We left for Losalava on Thursday 8th June. It was a tough sail tacking up the West side of the island into North-Easterlies. Then, at the top of Gaua, we had to tack into strong Easterlies through a very rough uncharted area containing many reefs. Wally the Wahoo was gone, so we really wanted another fish. We hooked a good sized Mahi Mahi and got it within 15 metres of the boat and then lost it. THIRD time we had lost a fish- in a row. We had never previously lost more than one. Out came the pliers and we managed to partly repair the hooks bent by Godfrey the shark. 20 mins later, we hooked and this time retained, a decent 12Kg Wahoo which we have named "Wilma". We tacked for the last couple of hours with Wilma sliding around in the cockpit. The crew kept feet off the bloodied floor! We came through big seas into Losalava and were met by Geoffrey and his son Kenneth. We quickly got them on board as their dugout was sinking rapidly. It really was not capable of operating in the big sxceedingly well that night. Next stop is Waterfall Bay on the West Coast of Vanua Lava. Unfortunately, we think the winds will be rather strong, but we need to move along as our visas and cruising permit are running out of time. Until next time, The CREW

Due to lack of wind, we motored from Champagne Beach to a small, uninhabited island called Lathi on the North Eastern tip of Santo. Anchoring was a challenge on a small, rocky platform. On the way, a large pod of dolphins came racing across from about a kilometre away. They were flying right out of the water, in pairs, as they raced to us. They then played in the bow wave for some time before disappearing. Some of them managed to get several body lengths out of the water. As we approached the island, we hooked a fish. There was still one night of "Wally" left and while we were hauling it in, the fish got away. Not a common occurrence to lose one but at least we still had dinner. As we had been approaching Champagne Beach, we had hooked Godfrey the shark. He had proved somewhat of a handful. However, with Charlie holding him on the gaff, Dave was able to free the hooks from his jaw. Our dentist would have been impressed with his bite of perfectly matching teeth! We saved the shark and lure, but the lure hooks had been damaged, probably losing us the next fish. The following day, we were up early for the 45NM sail to Lakona Bay on the West side of Santa Maria. We hoped for a return of Trade Winds and these indeed arrived after a couple of hours. We then had a perfect beam reach in 12kts of wind, with the boat surging along at 7kts. As we approached Lakona Bay, we hooked something very large. The pull was equivalent to the 40Kg Tuna of several years ago, so perhaps it is as well that this fish also escaped- those damaged hooks again! We had a fantastic time in Lakona Bay, interacting with the Dalov Villagers. William recorded on a short video clip, the fantastic "Water Music" performed by the women clapping and moving their hands underwater (in the sea). We also visited the local clinic, run by "Charles". This is an AUSAID project. The clinic building is great but a few things are not right. There are no lights so night time is a problem. There is no sink for washing things- Charles lugs a bucket along. There are no fly screens on the windows or doors. There are some old hospital beds, but no mattresses or sheets. The supply of medicines is largely from passing yachts and pretty sparse. Some Government supplies arrive sporadically. We intend to obtain four solar lanterns and ask friends to bring them here next year. There is too much more to describe in this blog. We all had a fantastic time here and it was with reluctance that we finally took our leave. A number of the villages waved goodbye f rom the hill top. The CREW

We left Aore on Saturday June 3rd. There was no wind so we motored nearly all the way to Champagne Beach, which is in "Hog Harbour". By the way, henceforth, Paul will become "Charlie" in these blogs. We all call him that, so it's easiest. (He walks the same funny way as Charlie Chaplin). Water temp is currently 27.4. Air temp during the day a hot 33degC. Humidity 88% in the mornings and 75% in the evenings. Champagne Beach is supposed to be Vanuatu's best beach and is certainly extremely picturesque. No surf, but proper white sand & fantastic visibility in the water- also cattle drinking at the end of the beach. Will and Charlie, our explorers, have established that there is a spring or stream full of fresh water there. The cruise ships bring their people here, fortunately not today as that would increase our local population by 3,000. Charlie plans to say Mass on the beach later. He came with a cruise ship years ago and has fond memories of this place. A film crew is filming here for "The Great Outdoors" and they were admiring "Pastime of Sydney" from a distance. We believe we are probably in the film! The snorkelling was reasonable and the water exceptionally clear. It was an exceptionally good anchorage. The lack of wind continued, so today (Monday) we have motored to a small island just off the Eastern tip of Santo and hope there is wind in the morning to take us to Santa Maria. We should not have complained about too much wind as there has been virtually none for five days while we sit in a high pressure system. Perversely, there is not much sun either. We are finding that Vanuatu (at least at the moment) is the land of clouds, with almost no sunny days so far. We are about a week behind our "best efforts" schedule set before we left home, so that's not too bad. The wind will come again one of these days and we expect the Trade Winds to return overnight. Regards, THE CREW

Date Wednesday 31/5/06 We set sail at 0630 for Luganville. There was a brilliant full rainbow to see us off. The wind was straight behind and Flinders (the wind vane) steered us well with the sails "goose winged"- which means on opposite sides of the boat. Things went fine until the wind went to 25->30kts and we needed to reef the sails. Then the brilliant, fast run continued all the way with the boat running at 7 to 8 knots. We only pulled down the sails about 100metres from our destination. The fast trip got us there several hours before our estimated time. We decided to moor (rather than anchor) at the Aore Resort, which is on a sheltered shore opposite the town of Luganville, on Espirito Santo. At Luganville, we visited the markets and extended our cruising permit Northwards. We had a very pleasant time with sundowners at the resort each of the three evenings we were there. We met lots of people including a German/Columbian couple with baby. They are circumnavigating the world in their catamaran. We also had a very pleasant dinner at the resort. We will hopefully soon send a photo of Penny and her "twin tub" washing machine. For two days, we had torrential downpours of about 200mm rain. These enabled us to refill our water (the Waterlog watermaker is again defunct- probably terminally). The rubber ducky was also full of water & Penny also decided that she could stomp on the clothes in one half of the rubber ducky (with detergent), then carry out a rinse cycle in the other section. This worked exceedingly well, with David providing the final two rinses in buckets on the yacht. The large amount of money saved paid for many Pina Coladas! The rain also helped remove more of the black volcanic ash from the boat. I forgot to mention previously that we could hear the volcano's explosions from our anchorage which was 15kM distance. That area is obviously a dramatic one. In 1453, the island of Epi was blown apart by a volcanic explosion (of Kawae) equal to 20 million atomic bombs! The ash and other effects were felt around the world- including at the fall of Constantinople. Best Regards, THE CREW