We had a quick but bumpy passage from New Caledonia, pushing headwinds the whole way, despite weather forecasts assuring us differently. Although Port Vila harbour has leads and lights that would have made navigating in after dark we did not know what would be the state of the harbour after Pam; would there wreckage and new hazards? Would buoys and markers be in place? We decided that Mele Bay, an anchorage just around the corner from town with just a fringing reef around a small island and it’s slowly shoaling shoreline would make for a safer place to throw the hook. There were a couple other boats in the bay when we arrived, making finding the anchorage a little easier as by the time we approached the bay it was past dark. Thankfully it was calm and after a thorough de-salting, a long shower and a hot meal we had was a well earned rest.

We motored around to Port Vila on Sunday and checked in with officials yesterday morning, having the rest of the day to walk around town and get organized. Our first impressions are great ones, and I am happy to report that the town is in much better condition following Pam than we expected. I am looking forward to sharing more first impressions when we get internet sorted later this week.

Love,

H&S