Position           17:33.03 S 168:16.96 E

Date                1540 Thursday 2 July 2015

Distance run    From Revelieu Bay, Epi 56.1nm over the ground, 56.1nm through the water

The wind over the last four weeks has been mainly from the South East and blowing 20 to 25 knots with the occasional day of either lower winds or different direction.  Seeing our GRIB files from WetterWelt showing a day of easterly winds of 20 knots gusting to 30 knots meant that Thursday was a day not to be missed for our run south to Havannah Harbour

GRIB file for 1100 showing the WetterWelt route plan and our estimated position

The wind strengthen after dawn to give the forecast conditions which as we were still sailing without a genoa and relying on the staysail suited us well.  With deep reefs in most things we managed an average of 6.5 knots which was more than enough given the 2 metre swell and generally confused wave pattern.  Lunch was postponed until we hit the sheltered conditions within Havannah Harbour.

We stayed a couple of days in Havannah Harbour mostly in pouring rain.  Gues why they have tropical rain forest here?  In breaks in the rain we did manage to get ashore for a walk and to meet some of the local ni-Vanuatuans.  There are larger villages on the islands opposite on the north west side of the harbour than on the mainland although the village gardens appear to be on the mainland together with a collection of motor vehicles parked next to the boat landing beach.

Chart of Efate with Havannah Harbour in the top left

The chart shows clearly why this easily defended deep water anchorage was used by US Forces in the Second World War to assemble the fleet before the Battle of the Coral Sea.  The chart shows in purple our route into and out of Port Vila and in and out of Havannah Harbour.

A welcome sight.  The north west entrance into Havannah Harbour

Who says that a wheelbarrow has no place on a boat? Local people returning from working in their gardens

Whoops! A casualty of Cyclone Pam – work out how to salvage that one off the reef