Yesterday Pam woke up early and tiptoed around her slumbering fellow crew to make her customary early morning cuppa. She put the kettle on and returned a few minutes later and to her horror found the water stone cold. The second thermacouple had gone caput – no cuppa tea.
We decided no use abandoning our plans for the day so we sailed to the top of Havannah Harbour and then took to the dinghy for the final shallow section. The grass is not always greener on the other side, the coral was far better at Ai Anchorage where we spent the previous night. Ah well, one doesn’t know until one takes a look.
So we sailed back part of the way down Havannah Anchorage and picked another anchorage recommended in Tusker’s Cruising Guide to Vanuatu, this time near Sevisi Village. We all went ashore to see village life, Cathy and Jim took a lengthy and rather hot hike up the road to the main village where they found a small shop and several kava bars. They declined the kava (or so they say) and returned to find Pam near where the dinghy was pulled up on the shore. While they were away Pam had got chatting to Augustine who lived nearby and told him about our stove crisis and our desire to buy fish. By the time Jim and Cathy returned Augustine had lit a campfire and almost had the kettle boiled. Pam had rowed out and collected the thermos flasks so that we could make the much delayed cuppa tea. To cap it all Augustine had somehow conjured up some sardines for our dinner.
Back aboard Cathy took on the task of creating a one pot dinner in the oven with 30 sardines, sweet potato and egg plant. Quite a challenge. Unfortunately Jim and Cathy couldn’t handle the quantity of small bones in the sardine bake.
Early the next morning the previous night’s fishermen returned in a dugout canoe offering us a nice sized crab and some slightly larger fish. We purchased them on the basis that the fishermen arranged for Augustine to cook them. We had no way of boiling a crab or frying fish – by this time we were sure that the only way to eat these small bony fish was fried. The arrangement worked like a dream, after snorkeling we went ashore and found the fish already fried and the crab boiled. After a pleasant chat we returned to Intention for a truly gourmet lunch.
Then we set the reacher drifter jib with Cathy at the helm for a gentle early afternoon sail back to Ai Anchorage. Although it would have been easy for Jim to turn the auto pilot on Cathy enjoyed the opportunity to gain more experience.
This is getting a bit repetitive, so you will not be at all surprised to hear that we had a late afternoon snorkel. We will spare you more descriptions of the excellent hard corals and variety of tropical fish.
One last incident deserves a mention. A visit to a nearby freshwater stream for a quick rinse down produced some ribbing when Cathie’s newly acquired knotting skills failed the dinghy securing test and had to be corrected by Jim. Even greater hilarity ensued on our return as we observed the dinghy disappearing into the sunset requiring a bit of fast swimming on Jim’s part to retrieve it.
Now it is post dinner and Pam is writing this blog while Cathy and Jim make the cabin shipshape for what Jim predicts will be a rough sail back to Vila tomorrow to see if we can get the stove fixed.
Jim – I am getting plenty of excellent swimming exercise trying to keep keep up with Cathie maintaining a safety snorkel buddy system. We’ve been extensively exploring the reef just a few 100 meters/yards north of INTENTION seeing the many different types of brain, fan, & thorn coral as well as an extraordinary variety of multi colored tropical reef fish. I’ve seen species of fish and coral I’ve not seen before so it is always a new adventure.
I’ve been enjoying the evening stars, moon and planet after the soft light of a fading sunset. The full moon has been particularly magnificent having just happened TWICE THIS last MONTH. There is no city lights were we are anchored so the Milky Way is brilliantly displayed spread across the night sky.
The crew and I getting along well even if I do have to take a terrible kidding about having to swim out and retrieve the drifting dingy. They are learning a lot and even anticipating needed actions. It is definitely very entertaining having them aboard.
Love to all
Jim, Cathie, & Pam