Crossing to Vanuatu
CARANGO AMEL 54 #035
PETER and VICKY FORBES
Wed 13 Jul 2016 08:24
Up anchor from Musket Cove - we loved that place it was beautiful and great fun. Everyone said “BULA” and we said “Vinaka” Bula is hi, hello, good day and everything friendly and Vinaka is - thank you. Vanuatu is full of “Ramosaan” - Hello hello.  It was marvellous to have a skilled yachtsman on board and an ex Naval Officer no less His wife took a firm charge and proved an excellent helmsman.The crossing was dull to start with no appreciable wind so we motor sailed and then as forecast the wind picked up and became helpfully southerly and we had a very fine sail on a broad reach for the last 48 hours - creaming along at 7/8/9 knots to arrive at dawn at the Vanuatu island of Tanna. Where Andrew and I went ashore to see if the natives were friendly.  All seemed well so we all went ashore to see the mighty VOLCANO SAFETY BRIEFING - H & S was abandoned as soon as we left the briefing area and we were allowed to run wild right up to the lip of the precipitous volcano with some of the younger members practically hanging out over the rim to get ‘better’ photographs.  Talk about awesome - one of the most spectacular sights any of us had ever seen. At ‘level’ 2, which prevailed during our visit, the volcano Mount Yasur erupts and throws hundreds of tons of molten lava into the sky ever 5 minutes or so. Most of this molten lava falls back into the Volcano but some flies towards the crowd and even lands in the car park where we all assembled for safety! After heavy rain, we were told, the top of the volcano can be sealed and remain inactive for up to a week. Ash and pumice are all around the surrounding land and ash lands on the yachts moored in the anchorage of Port Relolution. The noise is awesome. |