To Vanua Balavu

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Thu 9 Jul 2015 22:37
Overnight to Vanua Balavu
 
 
 
 
 
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Half past two saw us underway from our anchorage at Naselesele Point at the top of Taveuni for the sixty one mile journey to Vanua Balavu, Bay of Islands, in the northern Lau Group.
 
 
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Although the journey would take us twelve hours at ‘normal’ speed we had to leave in daylight giving us enough time to wiggle through between Taveuni and Qamea reaching deep water before dark. A very slow overnighter to time our arrival at the pass for nine in the morning.
 
 
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Just before we reached deep water a busy little lady waved, she delivers all sorts to several islands and manages to get in where bigger girls would fail.
 
 
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To our right we could just see breaking waves crashing over the reef.
 
 
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At dusk we began to leave Taveuni behind.
 
 
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A pretty sunset.
 
 
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Overnight dog-leg.
 
 
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Dawn a lumpy horizon as we do some more wiggling between unlit islands.
 
 
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Plenty to keep us occupied.
 
 
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Our first look at Vanua Baluva, the pass will take us almost up to the ‘hard stuff’ with a sharp right. We had a while a sailing on the spot until nine o’clock, that would put the sun in the right place for us to see any coral heads that might want to jump out and unnerve Beez. You have to allow a couple of hours to get through the pass and into the lagoon.
 
 
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The time came to line up the leading marks and trundle through Curly’s waypoints.
 
 
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Shallows to our left and a thoughtfully placed marker on some coral.
 
 
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Nearly to the first corner.
 
 
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Around the corner we found ourselves in ninety feet deep, open water.
 
 
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Scott-Free, pass behind her, now enjoying the lagoon.
 
 
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Our track and safely at anchor.
 
 
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Dalaconi Village behind us, we’ll present kava after lunch and Bear has launched Baby Beez.
 
 
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Our view for the evening,
 
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL A VERY PLEASANT JOURNEY
                    A GENTLE NIGHTS MOTORING