Celebrating the Fourth of July in Musket Cove, Fiji reminded us just how fast the cruising season was passing. We had to move on, but first dress up Moonshadow for Independence Day!
Perhaps the very best part of the cruising life is when you hear someone hail "Moonshadow", then you go on deck to find friends in a dinghy who you haven't seen since that exotic anchorage a year or more ago. That happened on the fourth when Gina and Jose found us in Musket Cove, Fiji. We last saw them in Moorea, and before that in Aliza's cozy bar on the Fakarava atoll, and before that in La Cruz, Mexico. What's better than that? Well, Jose, Gina and some other cruisers put on a tremendous fireworks display on the reef after dark. Wonder where the next reunion will be...?
This is Cloud 9 bar, a barge that attracts younger adults who are interested in things like drinking colorful cocktails and jumping off the second story deck into 80 degree turquoise water.
What are the chances of this? Barb and Deb appeared on deck the first morning sporting matching Skorts and Tanks!
Greg quickly adapted to his yachting role as Moonshadow's Mixologist.
Between his Pusser's Painkillers and legendary Bloody Mary concoction,
we were well taken care of.
We all yelled "WILSON!!!?" several times, but he was just gone. No sign of Tom Hanks either here on Monuriki Island where his movie CAST AWAY was filmed.
You just can not have visitors in Fiji without some great snorkeling. The sea life and coral are abundant and quite healthy here. And there's that 80 degree water.
Another day and another matching outfit!! ?
Besides being a master mixologist, Greg gave John some lessons on the UKE. And he thought he was coming for a vacation!
Our last night at the Manta Ray Resort came too soon, but...
What the HELL??? How many matching outfits can they possibly have?
What the HELL??? How many matching outfits can they possibly have?
When Barb and Greg flew home we quickly reprovisioned for our 490 mile passage to Vanuatu...
...a fast and uneventful trip...except for the four hookups inside an hour. We think these are young Blue Marlin, but have no bill. We let them go.
The Island of Tanna has an active volcano which cruising friends have told us is a must see. First we had to sail Moonshadow to the town of Lenakel, about half way up the western coast of the Island, where we checked into Vanuatu with Customs and Immigration, and visited the bank. Having arrived quite early, we hoisted our anchor and motored back around to Port Resolution on the southeast corner of the island.
This well protected bay was named by Capt. Cook, who really got around back in the day. It is also very close to the active volcano, Mt. Yasur, visible on the Google Earth map above and from our anchorage.
The entrance to the bay is guarded by these tree covered sandstone sentinels.
What we had thought was smoke from islanders burning brush as they do in Fiji was actually steam venting from hot springs.
After all there is a volcano nearby! Steam vents from several places up the hillside next to Moonshadow...
... but the locals don't seem to notice. They're looking for fish to catch with nets from their dugout outrigger canoes.
Joe, here told us he made his by from a breadfruit tree.
Except for the synthetic cord and fabric used to lash the outriggers and the modern nets, these craft are probably not much different that what Capt. Cook would have witnessed.
Speaking of old timers, we found this beautifully preserved gravestone.
It sits just alongside the Port Resolution Yacht Club...
... where our friends Mark and Deanna visited aboard their catamaran Speakeasy last year, leaving behind their Canadian flag.
The natives have very little...
...and everything one could want.
From here a "road" leads to the volcano.
At the base of Mt. Yasur, the locals put on a traditional dance performance.
The trip to the rim of the volcano was a lifetime bucket list item.
Upon arrival at the area where we disembarked a truck to walk the remaining distance, we immediately felt an earthquake and looked up to see rocks the size of Moonshadow’s dining table flung hundreds of feet overhead.
We walked up a steep trail which took us to the upper rim of the volcano.
There was a lower rim from which one would be able to look down almost vertically into the fiery center of molten lava. But later we watched several red glowing rocks land in that area which explained why no one was there.
There was a lower rim from which one would be able to look down almost vertically into the fiery center of molten lava. But later we watched several red glowing rocks land in that area which explained why no one was there.
The setting sun took on an amber hue viewed through the rising ash.
We stayed until after dark which made the explosions look like a fourth of July fireworks display, but with a bit of terror thrown in.
The whole thing reminds John of a story his parents tell of one of the three boys sitting Mom down on the couch during a loud thunder storm and saying...
...tell me again... that part about God!
Back aboard Moonshadow, we took advantage of the good passage weather and returned to Lenakel to check out of Vanuatu in preparation for our passage to New Caledonia.
Barely a divot in the coastline, the anchorage here is possibly the worst we've seen anywhere.
It just doesn't feel safe with a big concrete wharf off our stern and large breaking seas on a reef closer than we'd like...
... but we stayed there until 4:00 AM to plan for a daylight arrival in New Caledonia's reef strewn south lagoon. That meant we got to enjoy a beautiful sunset painting the sea red with the volcano's ash palette.
Our passage to New Caledonia was uneventful. The best kind. And the sunsets down here never disappoint.
It's an hour long entertainment.
And sometimes you get a curtain call.
We quickly adapted to Noumea's French influences, where at a restaurant we mysteriously ordered wine.
The place reminded us of another restaurant we visited back in 2013 in Bonaire. Oddly, we ordered wine there too....
Over dinner we sketched some plans for how to make the most of our short time in New Caledonia. Usually our plans are recorded in the sand (at low tide) but here there are: 185 miles of short hops all through the turquoise waters of the south lagoon to Iles de Pines and back..
...where along the way, we hope to capture some images like this one taken by
Richard Chesher aboard the yacht Moira in the lagoons we'll be visiting...
...and add to our collection of sunset pictures!
1 comment:
Hi J & D
Just read your recent blog. Glad that all is well with the 'cruisers'. Keep up the good sailing / traveling / etc.
All well in the S D precincts. We often think of the 2 of you - particularly when we drive past the Carmel Valley area where you lived. Seems like a long time ago. I guess it is a long time ago - wow!!?? a different world.
All well with Kevin and family. His 'water motor' project is going full steam ahead. The U S Patent office has issued a patent on his invention. He is working with a large industrial company to test their ocean equipment with his unit. Let's see where that goes.
We leave on Sep 12th for a month in Europe. So if we don't respond to you it's probably because we are traveling.
Any plans to visit the S D area?
Your sunset photos are endlessly wonderful. What a display nature puts on.
So once again all best wishes from Robin and myself and stay safe.
Cheers from S D
Aidan and Robin
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