Stars Above and Below - Mele Island, Vanuatu
Harmonie
Don and Anne Myers
Sat 26 Sep 2009 02:12
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17:41.572S 168:15.914E
Finally. Our last bit of travel south in
Vanuatu. After dinner on the night of September 14th, we left Lamen Bay on
Epi Island under a completely clear sky full of stars. Brilliant. As
we motored south over mostly flat water along the west coast of Epi, we could
see the red glow of two active volcanoes behind us - one on tiny Paama
Island and one on Ambrym (said to be the inspiration for Bali Hai of "South
Pacific" musical fame). Unreal. We had the stars above us, the red
glow of the volcanoes behind us and fluorescing plankton beneath
us. Fluorescing plankton is another one of those unsung heroes of the
sea. Plankton is at the bottom end of the ocean food chain, so
not only is it a major food source for ocean creatures, but the fluorescing
variety can transform a boring night watch into something more magical.
Such a cool phenomenon - the boat causes the water to move, which in
turn causes the plankton to release energy in the form of fluorescent
light. The result is a sparkly trail of twinkling lights on the
surface of the water alongside and behind the boat. Seeing the fluorescing
plankton on a good night is magical, but seeing it on the rare occasions
when my head is hanging over the rail is often the only good thing about an
upset stomach in the dark. No upset stomach on this night though.
There was no wind to speak of and no waves. If it weren't for the drone of
the engine, there probably wouldn't have been a sound aside from the gentle
swish of water sliding by the hull. A gorgeous night. And completely
uneventful. It's good to have that kind of night sail every now and
then.
Just after sunrise, we arrived in Havannah Harbor,
about 23 miles northwest of Port Vila. We anchored there just long enough
to catch up on some sleep and eat breakfast, and then we were off again to Mele
Island, which is just outside the Port Vila Harbor. There, we anchored for
the night with plans to move on to Port Vila and civilization in the
morning.
Picture 1 - Sunrise over the small island of
Nguna, just to the north of Efate Island
Picture 2 - Mele Island. Located a short taxi
ride away from Port Vila, this island houses a resort and provides perfect
protection from the southeast trade winds for boats looking for an overnight
anchorage on their way to or from Port Vila.
More on our re-entry into civilization
later.
Anne
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