Pastime of Sydney- 2006 Adventures

A memory from Sydney - The first time any Kerrs visited Sagheraghi (apparently pronounced Saggeraggy) was 10 years ago in 1996. David, Wendy and I (Bernadette) set out in the morning with a drink and two breadrolls each for a short (a few km) walk to a beautiful bay and village. Unfortunately for the intrepid adventurers, the walk was several times longer than expected (somewhere around or over 20km), and we didn't return until the evening. Exhausted and hungry, we were salivating at the thought of some fresh bread rolls from the Gizo bakery and a cold bottle of Coca Cola. Too late! No wishes granted there, but nevertheless, the walk was worth it. We passed through a village where the children had not seen many white people, and walked with us the whole way. One of the little boys had one enormous basketball boot on. He was very proud of it. We visited the village at Sagheraghi, paying our respects to the Chief. Wendy and I used his cottage to get changed in to go snorkelling. We've since heard that the Chief died. I remember the beautiful flower gardens in the village - very colourful and well kept. We snorkelled on a sunken boat. I'm sure the Pastime crew will have some more adventures/great experiences in Sagheraghi this time (without the long walk)! The Avalon crew
 

Log reads 2,910NM.

We have travelled over 5,100Km since leaving Sydney. We are also less than 500NM from
the equator and over 1,000Km West of when we rounded the bottom of New Caledonia on
the way to Vanuatu.

We are spending a couple of weeks in the general vicinity of Gizo, before heading
further NorthWest on exploration of the Western Province. Some visiting of old friends
and some exploration of new areas.

We have restocked from the markets and caught up with friends here, including
Bishop Bernard and many others.

We have been moving anchorages, preferring the lee of Logha Island most of the time.
It is away from the hustle and bustle of Gizo and very protected.

Yesterday, we took the yacht to Nusatupe Island. This is an atoll which is 90%
the airstrip for Gizo. We anchored off the Western end- just out of the way of
aircraft which land from this end. We were disappointed by the snorkelling as
the coral has been severely degraded since we were last here. The same is true
of the snorkelling around Logha. It seems that global warming, a major earthquake
and people damaging the reef system have all played a part.

Later that day was much more of a highlight. We called our friend Cletus on the radio.
He manages the Clam Farm on Nusa Tupe and has worked there over 10 years. In all our
times here, we have never got around to visiting the farm.

There are many aspects to the clam farm, which has been running for 20 years and is
funded by "World Fish"- an international organisation. basically, they breed and
cultivate clams which are then sold to the aquarium market. They have also
introduced programs whereby villages "adopt and look after" small clams for a
year or so. When these clams are sold, the villages receive a percentage.

They are also cultivating black pearls and again some of the work will happen at
village level. Other work is being carried out on corals, Beche de Mer.

After touring and learning of the research work from Ian, a visiting
NZ Marine Biologist, we were taken out to the
netted enclosures where the clams grow. Further out on the edge of the reef
were the really BIG clams- over a metre across. There were hundreds, perhaps
even thousands of clams. The fact that this is a Marine Sanctuary also means
that the fish life was exceptional. Wow- what a day! There is even a resident
Dugong, but he/she usually comes out in the evening and we were too early.

Regards,

The CREW

When the time came to leave for Gizo, we managed to stuff the lobsters into the 'fridge
along with the Mahi Mahi. Charlie went to get his swimming pants which he had left
hanging from the life lines the night before. The three pegs were still there but
of the pants- no sign!

Someone had come quietly in the night and removed them. We will never know if it was
Tony, one of the other guys or just someone passing by. If there had been a village
there, it almost certainly would not have happened.

The pants themselves had always amused us as there was a logo (looking like an "A")
followed by the brand "heist". At first glance, the pants had always appeared to be
labelled "Atheist" and we had ribbed Charlie about them several times. Ah well,
someone from the area is now the "atheist" and looking very smart in blue pants.

Charlie has since replaced the swimmers with a rather glamorous floral arrangement
from a shop in Gizo.

The CREW

We left the Marovo on the 5th of June for a small Bay near "VisuVisu" on the Northern
part of the very large New Georgia Island. The weather has generally improved and this
was reflected in the better fishing, with a good sized Mahi-Mahi for the 'fridge.
There were plenty of the small Solomon Islands dolphins leaping and frolicking to
entertain us.

The bay was very well protected and some young men who were fishing inside, welcomed
us and showed us a good spot to anchor. This was confirmed by the scanning sonar. A
river flowed into the bay (without crocodiles) and Charlie was soon in and swimming.
The strong flow of water from the river kept the yacht perfectly oriented, despite
the wind.

This bay has temporary accommodation for people from a couple of SDA vilalges- each
with over 1,000 people- a few Km up and down the coast. People come here, stay
overnight and then go early to their gardens several Km up the river.

The people we met wanted tobacco- which we refuse to carry- so we ordered some
lobsters and agreed a price. They do not eatr shellfish but are only too happy to
catch them for others. As they said, "Stuka lobster" which is SI pidgin for "very
many". We gave them torch batteries and our request for three large lobsters.

Later, another fellow called Tony came by. He was a wheeler dealer and managed to
get magazines, empty bottles and some other bits and pieces. e told him that lobsters
were already committed and he set off to see the lobster getters.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the lobster getters came back with Tony as their spokesperson.
Charlie lent them our snorkelling gear which we were a little worried by when darkness
fell and there were no signs of activity anywhere. Perhaps we had lost our snorkelling
gear?

An hour later, the people returned with our snorkelling gear and five lobsters.
One huge one and four medium sized, so we gave them a bonus. They came onboard and
we chattered about all sorts of things. We boiled up a bottle of water as they wanted
to make tea. We thought this would signal their departure, but this did not occur and
the water cooled. People just like to talk!

Finally, they left and we went to sleep. Next day, we were going to Gizo and would be
in time for the Independence Day celebrations on June the 7th.

Regards,

The CREW

We sailed up the side of the Kolo Lagoon on the East side of Vangunu Island. This lagoon
is similar to the Marovo lagoon. These huge lagoons are full of small islands and reefs
with some shallow water and well over 150metres deep in other parts. There is an inner
ring on narrow islands protecting the lagoons and an outer ring (also of narrow islands)
outside those. In all, VERY beautiful scenery.

We entered the Marovo Lagoon through the deep Tongoro Passage. The sailing was quite
good- in light winds- until a few miles before the passage when we were whited out by
a torrential downpour and strong Northerly winds, which impeded progress somewhat. We
waited until the rain cleared before entering the lagoon. Once inside, we searched in
vain for a narrow entrance in the reef which was supposed to provide access to a
protected anchorage. The GPS position given by the Cruising Guide and the written
description were of little help. Finally, Dave took to the rubber ducky while Penny
kept the yacht at a safe distance. After an hour of searching, it was clear that there
was no opening in the reef, so we elected to go somewhere else. Clearly the Cruising
Guide was somewhat inaccurate.

Within the lagoon, we found that the chart is reasonably accurate but you do not dare
go over anything that is indicated to be less than about 10-20 metres deep. At one
point we tried where there was supposed to be over 4 metres depth and had to pull out
when the depth got to 2.3 metres.

So, we penetrated further into the lagoon than we had planned, but this was an
excellent result as we anchored off a small island with sandy beach and plenty of
good coral around. The water was crystal clear and we had plenty of wind for the
wind generator.

We took the rubber ducky to explore and snorkel on adjoining islands.

The Marovo Lagoon proved to be every bit as good as the eloquent descriptions of it.
The rapacious logging of earlier years (and consequent pollution and runoff into
the lagoon) seems to have abated and so perhaps the World Heritage assessments will
prove more positive as time passes. We could happily spend several more weeks in
the Marovo and maybe this will be possible later. This lagoon areas is huge; just the
East side is about 170Km long, so there is plenty to explore.

Regards,

The CREW

The Russell Islands are made up of 99 islands and islets. Some very large and some
very small. It is a beautiful spot, though difficult to find good anchorages as the
bottom is very deep and then comes up to shallow reef right at the shoreline.

The Copra Plantations are all inoperative. Some, because the workers have been on
strike for two years while others are abandoned. Some of the former workers are
still working abandoned plantations and making much more money than when they
received salaries. Not surprising when the money is staying here and not going out
of the country.

We sailed past beautiful lagoons in the North part of the islands and took
many photographs. There were some good anchorages in a couple of Bays fed by rivers,
but as these were crocodile territory, we avoided them.

We did find a good spot to anchor at the head of a bay, in just 3 metres of water
with good snorkelling quite close. We were a little nervous as there were sometimes
coral "Bommies" just 30cm beneath the keel. Still, all was well and we were more
relaxed swimming away from the crocodile haunts.

We met "Casper", the wise chief of a nearby village. He told us quite a bit about
how he was leading his village and we were impressed. Indeed, other villagers we
spoke with were impressed by him ('though they did not all favor his prohibition
on drinking and smoking for health reasons).

Finally, the time came to leave the Russell Islands and head for the Marovo Lagoon
(described by Mitchener as the eighth wonder of the world).

Our plan was to go to Peava, on the East Coast of Nggatokae Island. One of our
Cruising Guides suggested that "...a fast yacht could make this passage during
daylight hours..." and we managed to do this quite easily. The sailing was very
pleasant and we caught a large shark but no fish. AS usual, extricating the lure
from the shark was a difficult process.

The entrance into Peava was a 10 metre wide and 3.2metre deep gap in the reef blasted
by explosives in times past. Just as well we did not reach it after dark! Peava is in
a beautiful enclosed lagoon with a backdrop of steep mountain and jungle behind. A
little like Visale on Guadalcanal. The lagoon was 20metres deep everywhere with a
fine sandy bottom- excellent for anchoring.

A few people paddled out to see us but we did not go ashore as this was but an
overnight stop.

The Crew.

On Wednesday 28th of June, we waved goodbye to the Police who had kept an eye on Pastime and also to the friendly folk on the boat next to us. We had no wind (which was blocked off by Guadalcanal) and had to motor all the way to a beautiful Bay called "Visale" near the top of Guadalcanal. Here we met a nephew of Fr Geve (A Solomon Islands politician) who was murdered by Harold Keke. James identified his body and had also had to testify in court. We had been in the Solomons when this tragedy occurred and it was unnerving to hear it again from someone so close to the situation. We visited the teacher training school, another school and other parts of this beautiful place. It also has a huge church, which used to be packed to overflowing according to James. Behind Visale are high, very steep mountains. It would take a huge effort to climb them. 13,000 Japanese troops were evacuated from a similar hill/mountain nearby and a number fell to their deaths trying to descend the steep slopes. We saw the remains of a WWII Zero fighter on the reef (but we've seen others in much better condition elsewhere) and snorkelled in the rather unclear water. James came out to the boat to chat some more, but first he had to locate his canoe which had been taken by five boys who paddled out and spent most of the time hanging off the side of our rubber ducky. The next morning, after a good sleep-in, we set off in light winds for the Russell Islands. Once we were out of the shadow of Guadalcanal, we had winds of 30-40kts (again!) and handling the boat was a little tough. We arrived at our destination quite quickly but the suggested (from a cruising guide) anchorage was way too dangerous in the howling wind. We could see rocks sticking out of the water all over the place. This could only be described as a calm water anchorage and it was anything but calm. So, we set off for "Faila Island", some 10 miles away, with just the headsail, again in gale force winds. We got to a suitable Bay, but again the suggested anchoring spot was way too exposed. We searched the whole bay and after two failed anchoring attempts, finally found a suitable spot. Locals visited us from an abandoned plantation and we traded for some coconuts. Since the plantation workers have been processing their own small quantities of Copra, they have been making more money than as salaried employees. It had taken us almost three hours to get anchored and we resolved to move to another bay next day. This we did after a pleasant snorkel. It was easy to anchor in the new Bay and we passed two shipwrecks on the way in. Upon arrival, Penny and Charlie went snorkelling while David started this blog. A short while later, we were visited by the son of the chief from a nearby village. Charlie was soon out of the water when he learned about the resident crocodiles and that a couple of people have been eaten in the past few years. Charlie then asked Penny to come to the boat so that he could tell her something special (he did not want to alarm her). Of course, Penny wanted to know his secret before getting out of the water. Once she learned of the danger, she was also quickly out! Ah well, no swim for Dave. Some of the locals have been out and we now have local oranges, Ngali nuts and other delicious food to supplement what we bought in Honiara. Now, we need to decide where to head next. Should we stay here with no swimming or move to another bay or head off to the Marovo Lagoon. Decisions, decisions. The CREW

We were disappointed not to go ashore at Wango Bay. It was an excellent anchorage, with a river in it. The people ashore seems delighted to see us but did not paddle out. This was just a brief overnight stop for us. The next day, we set sail for islands 15 & 16 in the Marau Sound. This area is immediately South of Guadalcanal. Just after we left, the mechanical wind indicator from the top of the mast hit the deck- right next to Charlie- with a large "thunk". Due to metal fatigue, the bracket had fractured. As we moved along, we disturbed many flying fish. One even bounced off the Mainsail! As the flying fish were disturbed, large birds would swoop low and snaffle them from the air. Much more efficient than having to dive into the ocean for dinner! Unfortunately, the wind kept rising and rising until it reached 40kts (gale force). The seas also grew very large. In the end, the boat became uncontrollable as we had too much sail up. The solution was to heave to for a while, but until we got this setup right, we had the starboard side decks almost a foot underwater! Once, we were comfortable, Charlie and WIll reefed down to storm sails. Reefing this way is not something we have done before and we'll use the technique again if necessary. Once we had less sail up, the boat became manageable even in 35-40kts. We surged towards Marau Sound at around 9kts. When we arrived there, we discovered that one of the two leading beacons was missing (a common occurrence in the Solomon ISlands). We later learned that strong winds blew it away! Still, the GPS and charts proved accurate and we were soon anchored in a tiny cove where we used our scanning sonar to scope out exactly where to drop anchor so that there was room for the boat to swing without hitting any reef. We enjoyed a couple of days here, meeting everyone in the two small villages. We heard the detail of when the ethnic tension was at its peak. It sounded quite chilling, with the locals making traditional weapons such as bows and arrows with which to defend themselves. About 1,500 extra people took refuge on their island for a couple of years, severely taxing all the resources. As always in the Solomons, the locals offer their hospitality to those in need without question or request for payment. We took advantage of the calm conditions to hoist David to the top of the mast and replace the wind indicator. There was a big audience in the villages. A plan to hoist a camera to the top was thwarted by the strong winds up there. Charlie said Mass for them on Saturday as half were Catholics and half Anglicans. As in other places, they said this was the first time they had encountered a minister of religion travelling by boat. We left on Sunday 25th June and had a good sail up to Tenaru Bay, some 10NM short of Honiara. On Monday morning we went to Honiara. There, the Police and local fishermen recommended that we anchor near the Police Wharf and run a long line to the breakwater wall. This proved an excellent measure and was far more satisfactory than anchoring near the Yacht Club. We re-provisioned in Honiara and also finally completed our Customs etc. It was strange getting a "Permission to disembark from Ship" authorisation after we had been ashore so much in different places! Everyone is still very unclear as to when or if Customs/Immigration will return to Santa Cruz Island. Still, we did all the right things and the authorities were very happy with us. Total fees were five times cheaper than Vanuatu and less bureaucratic. We had dinner with the Archbishop of Honiara and also with our long-time friend Bishop Bernard who just happened to be in town. All in all, Honiara was much better than we expected. Everything went very smoothly. People seemed happy and the place was "buzzing". We found someone to wash our clothes and also found the food at the yacht club to be excellent. Bishop Bernard had kindly purchased Will's ticket to Australia for us and we farewelled him on Tuesday- about 20hrs after he "officially" entered the country! The CREW

Will and Charlie were the main explorers on Santa Ana. They walked to the other side and saw the Custom House with skulls and bones going back over 500yrs and preserved war canoes. On the way back, they visited the internal lake which is very picturesque. They had a guide, which was just as well because they returned to the boat well after dark. Fortunately, they had real fireflies to guide them as well. The Santa Ana Bay is very beautiful and this was enhanced at both sunrise and sunset by the 15 to 25 canoes out fishing around the reef entrance. In the end, it was time to leave and we set sail for "Wango Bay" on the East side of Makira. This was not the original plan as Will was going to fly back to Australia from Makira. With the Customs/Immigration issues, we now had to make it to Honiara within the same time frame. We had an excellent day sail, running through the 65NM well before sunset. This was despite a late start caused when one of the villagers failed to return some loan DVDs at sunrise. Will and Charlie rushed ashore at the last moment and found a friend to wake up the person responsible. So, we got the DVDs back. They had been for a fund raising event the night before but unfortunately, their DVD player went on the blink. This is the fate of much modern electronics in the tropics. On a more positive note, our digital camera is fixed. The problem was perspiration which soaked the case and got into the buttons at the top of the camera. Washing/drying the case and a light mist of WD40 on the buttons fixed things. The satellite phone we are trialling is also working better and we have all made a number of calls and even spent a few minutes on the Internet. It seems to be getting better the further West we go. A few days ago, we had a dolphin display with a difference. We encountered a pod of the smallest dolphins we have ever seen. They leaped and played like other dolphins but were no more than a quarter the size we are used to. The CREW