Leg 6 Musket Cove - Vanuatu

Take Off
Jörgen Wennberg
Fri 7 Jul 2017 09:50
We had an interesting start on the 2nd half of our circumnavigation… our new crew member gave us 2 days notice that he no longer wished to sail from Fiji to South Africa … Oops!! Wow, oh my... well…. eh…. why?? Gabriel had his personal excuses and it was not possible to negotiate as his decision was taken. So within a few hours he left and took a flight back to Sweden. This left us quite surprised, a bit chocked, deceived, angry and well you should not have a person on board that does not want to be on board. So the same afternoon, we shaked this of us and started to search for a new crew member. Not easy for the leg from Musket Cove to Vanuatu as the start was so soon. However, for the leg from Vanuatu to Mackay we really wanted to be one more person. 

We spent our last day in Musket Cove fixing the last stuff and getting used to the idea that it will be only the 2 of us sailing over to Vanuatu.

On the 8th of July early in the morning I took these photos from the marina and really breathed in every fresh air I could from Fiji, because now we were to leave Fiji for real and not come back for a while. Fiji had become a place with a big heart and where we created a personal attachement to the country, the people and the kindness of these people. It was with both sadness (for leaving) and joy (that we finally were tp leave!) that we left Fiji.

  
  

So now Take Off is really ready to take off!!! We are now ready to start the 2nd half of our circumnavigation and bring her back home to Sweden during a year’s time.

 


The start was pretty undramatic which felt good being off the boat for a year letting us a bit rusty in our routines.

 

 

This crossing was pretty tough as the wind was strong and especially the sea was rough. We had heavy swells from the south-east making the boat very rolly! Louise was seasick during 36 hours and was quite unuseful… so Jörgen had to be the captain, the chef and Daddy. It was a rough sailing over.


A beautiful sunset during the night watch


Inez enjoying Mummy doing the dishes… seriously she would not take a no for an answer and insisted on helping. I have this written down now in case she forgets this in 10 years time, haha….


Jörgen showing where we are heading to.

  

Some of the kids’ activities.

 

The first island in Vanuatu we saw was Futuna. Could have been Table Mountain in Cape Town haha…!


Coming in to Port Resolution on Tanna was a magic experience. We had the glow of the volcano Mt Yasur in front of us in the night and the full moon behind us leading us the way!