To get PredictWind or find out more about it https://www.predictwind.com/?ref=sailingnv
If you enjoyed this video please consider supporting us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/SailingNV or with a one-off donation via https://ko-fi.com/sailingnv or paypal https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/sailingnv
Or visit our Amazon storefront to see products we've been using
https://www.amazon.com/shop/sailingnv
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome back to Sailing NV
Where we find ourselves in Vanuatu, is an island country of volcanic origin hidden deep in the South Pacific Ocean.
Come with us on our journey as we meander through this archipelago, discovering new cultures, local traditions and breathtaking scenery.
But don’t expect it to be all smooth sailing
There are plenty of challenges ahead as we continue our dream of converting our Ex Vendée Globe Open 66 into a fast family cruiser to take our family, dog, and multinational crew half way around the world back to our homes and the Mediterranean.
So let’s dive into this mesmerising country starting with the island of Tanna, home to the active volcano Mt Yasur
In our last video we completed our first offshore passage since our big refit in Fiji and dropped our anchor in Port Resolution on the eastern side of Tanna, the second most southern island of Vanuatu. After several days and nights at sea, it’s a special feeling to arrive in a totally new environment
When visiting countries by sailing boat you must arrive at official clearance ports, which are places where there are clearance officers available to clear you in. You hoist the yellow quarantine flag upon arrival as a sign that you’ve just arrived into the country.
The official clearance port in Tanna is Lenekal which is on the western side of the island, but we’d heard the anchorage was a bit rolly plus it’s a lot further from the volcano. So instead we obtained permission in advance to arrive in Port Resolution on the eastern side which is a much more protected bay and also right next to the volcano.
And the clearance officers had to make the long bumpy journey across from Lenekal to clear us in
As you might remember from our previous videos, 2 nasty cyclones passed through this part of the Pacific earlier this year, nearly missing us in Fiji, and instead making landfall in Vanuatu. Kevin in particular badly affected Tanna.
We were lucky that our arrival coincided with many other yachts, which made the clearance procedure easier as there was more reason for the officials to make the trip
This is a popular choice for cruisers because it’s a nice big protected bay plus due to it’s proximity with the volcano.
One of the most special things about this anchorage was that we were surrounded by hot springs, which we couldn’t wait to explore
Hot water was bursting out of the rocks and even on the beach where the locals were doing their washing
They were so hot, we had to be careful not to burn ourselves.
Here we visit a village close to the beach, where you can see the traditional style of building, using palm leaves woven together for both the walls and the roof.
This tree is also what they use for the fascinating tradition of land diving. Where met jump from a wooden tower with only vines from this tree tied around their ankles!
The traditional natural building materials are more resistant to cyclones than the more recent constructions with tin, as they allow the air to pass more easily allowing the pressure inside tend outside to equalise so they don’t explode like the tin houses.
Next we visit another village higher up on the hill. Despite being simple, all the villages we visited, were well looked after and clean but this was one our favourite because of the amazing view. And it was here overlooking the bay that we found the village men gathered under this majestic tree
A nice guy from this village offered to take us on a cliff top walk around the side of our anchorage to see a place with steam coming out of the ground.
This anchorage will remain in our minds as a place of peace and tranquility. And even tho we only saw a small part of this island, we realised after visiting other islands in Vanuatu, that this one that this was one was particularly special, and one we wish we’d spent more time in. Life here seemed untainted by some of the evils that come with life surrounded by monetary objects
Stay tuned for next week’s episode where we get too close for comfort to Vanuatu’s most active volcano…
You can find out more about the boat, us and our recent refit on our website www.sailingnv.com or follow us on
Facebook https://m.facebook.com/sailingyachtnv and
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sailingnv/
#sailingnv #vanuatu #sailing #portresolution #tannaisland #volcano #mtyasur #boatlife #Open60 #raceboat #cruising #sailingvlog #sailingfamily
35 Comments