Opua to Port Vila Day 8 - Arrival in Port Vila

Caduceus
Martin and Elizabeth Bevan
Mon 25 May 2015 07:55

Position           17:44.27 S 168:18.59 E

Date                0855 (UTC+11) Monday 25 May 2015

Distance run    144nm over the ground, 139nm through the water

Total distance  1,132nm over the ground, 1130nm through the water

 

Well we got here and with a brilliant last 12 hours sail in good wind from a sensible direction.

 

We fetched up at the quarantine buoy off the Port Vila waterfront, anchored, called the customs and immigration and waited.  Clearance was slowed by the arrival of a French warship which took precedence.  Interestingly they came to anchor at the very spot that the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior had occupied the day before.

 

Despite cruiser rumours about difficulties we had absolutely no problems with biosecurity, customs or immigration and everyone seemed pleased to see us.  At 1300 we were fully cleared and made our way to lie stern to on the Yachting World dock where we had last been in September 2014.

 

Port Vila appears to be its usual busy self.  Whilst there is evidence of damage in the wrecked boats around the harbour and the odd roof covered in tarpaulin the overall impression that here did not suffer as badly as other places.  We met up with friends Jonathan and Donna Robinson with the catamaran Chez Nous.  They sailed from Fiji with a Sea Mercy Fleet of 3 boats that Jonathan, a retired Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilot officer has been coordinating.  They have been through the southern islands of Aneityum, Tanna and Erromango distributing aid and providing medical assistance.  They report widespread destruction and hardship and will be a useful source of information and contacts whilst we prepare for our own mission.

 

Caduceus at rest in Port Vila complete with the new tender

 

On the basis that our boat is called Caduceus we think that we might christen the new tender Talaria – something for you to Google – Petasus has already been taken

 

The Yachting World Marina office took a hit in Cyclone Pam

 

One of the wrecked boats that litter the harbour