Tag: liveaboard

ARRIVING VANUATU AND HOSPITAL VISIT

My first taste of Vanuatu Tusker Beer, its good. Photo Ray Penson

On the way down from Lata I had developed ugly looking ulcers around my mouth and lips.  I was worried about what was causing them, I set off to find the hospital.  It was a long walk to the hospital along the road to the airstrip.  I managed to arrive before the doctor finished for the day.  I told the doctor about my recent malaria and the drugs I was taking.  He responded that the ulcers were a common side effect of the Primaquine tablets I was taking.  The doctor gave me some multivitamin pills and said the ulcers will clear up when I finish the course of treatment.  That was a relief, it wasn’t some flesh-eating tropical disease.

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STRUCK DOWN WITH MALARIA

Truce anchored at Shaw Point. Photo Ray Penson

The speed picked up and I furled the yankee.  We raced ahead through the night with just the staysail and double reefed main.  It was blowing gale force now and we were going too fast.  My illness had returned again.  I was in a bad way, sleeping on the cockpit seats.  I just had to let the boat go, Mickey was doing a great job of steering and I seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness.  At one stage we took a wave into the cockpit, I was washed off the seat into the cockpit well, sloshing around in the water with a bucket and a bunch of ropes.  I just climbed back on the seat and went back to sleep, soaking wet.  Truce could look after herself. 

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COASTING SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND, SOLOMONS

Another sunrise in the Solomon islands. Photo Ray Penson

I noticed I was being followed so stopped to see what was going on.  The gentlemen approached me and introduced himself, he was a policemen.  Would I like to come to the station for a chat?  I had nothing else to do and this seemed interesting so I tagged along.  It transpired that the novelty of a non local white man wandering around has aroused their curiosity – that was all.  We had a good chat.  I was happy to take my time as the room was air conditioned and it was hot outside.  Soon I was on my way again and did a bit of shopping with the last of my cash at a local store before returning to the boat. 

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WINDLESS FROM GIZO TO CONFLICT BAY

Rua Sura Island, the wind picked up as I anchored. Photo Ray Penson

That afternoon we anchored at Rendova Island inside a protected lagoon.  It was still raining heavily and two girls (Sisters) came out to visit in a canoe, they were completely bedraggled and shivering cold.  They brought the most appealing and healthy vegetables I have ever seen.  Despite the cold and rain they were cheerful and happy to trade.  As they had such amazing produce and had endured the weather to get to me I gave them more than I probably should have.  But they were delightful young ladies and cheered me up.  We were both happy with the trade and that’s all that matters.     

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CLEARING INTO THE SOLOMONS

Gizo fresh market, so well organised, what a lovely way to shop for fruit and Veggies. Photo Ray Penson

The Customs office in Gizo is easy to access being in town.  The only picture hanging on the wall is a very old photo of Queen Elizbeth II.  I asked why it was still there as she has passed away.  I was told that no one had said take it down!  So, I suppose it will be there forever until some higher authority makes an executive decision.

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ARRIVED GIZO – EXHAUSTED

Rain Squalls, our companions, day and night. Photo Ray Penson

As I was daydreaming, I suddenly noticed the depth sounder was reading 5 meters!  Immediately I put the engine into neutral and we slowed, as we slowed the depth reduced, I gave a kick astern and we stopped.  The depth now read zero, that means nothing under the keel!  I checked everything, a flashlight over the side, we should be in deep water.  Then I realised my mistake.  I was so tired and my brain so befuddled, I had been reading the wind instrument instead of the depth sounder.  As we reduced speed so the relative wind reduced to zero as we stopped.  Clearly, I had not been thinking straight.  I was very tired.

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THE NINIGO ISLANDS ARE WONDERFUL

Manaus, Fisherman and his children came to visit. Photo Ray Penson

The overnight sail to the Hermits was beautiful, clear skies, millions of stars and a steady light breeze pushing us along nicely over calm seas.  The next morning we entered the lagoon surrounding the Hermits and lost the wind in the lee of the islands.  On went the motor and soon we were safely anchored.  Then the weather turned nasty again with rain squalls and a nasty chop bouncing us around.  The entry in the log book reads “A shitty windy and wet day”.  That was it, no canoes came to visit, no fresh fruit to trade and no shore leave for the Truce crew.

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A VERY CHALLENGING SAIL

The makings of a perfect meal, everything fresh. Photo Ray Penson

The sail from Biak to the Ninigo Islands looked, on paper, to be a perfect sail.  The seasonal winds were predicted to be favourable with a current behind us of 0.6 knots.  I was really looking forward to an easy trip of about six or seven days.  The distance was just less than 500 miles.  The reality turned out to be much different, an exhausting mammoth effort to reach the Ninigo Islands after sixteen days and over a thousand miles of sailing. 

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IS THE BASILAN STRAIT SAFE?

Chatting with local fishermen in the Celebes Sea. Photo Ray Penson

The plan now is to sail via the Basilan Strait, past Zamboanga and into the Celebes sea and then down to Biak in Indonesia where I can do a final reprovision before heading to Papua New Guinea.  This route will give us a far better wind angle and cut the corner saving us a hard slog and many miles. When I informed my cruising friends of my intentions they all threw up their hands in horror and reeled off numerous stories of piracy and kidnapping around southern Mindanao.

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BORNEO – LABUAN TO KUDAT

Usukan Cove, a beautiful spot. Photo Ray Penson

The waiting at Labuan has been so stressful,  If the anchorage had been safe and secure I would be in a completely different state of mind.  Anyway, eager to remove myself from this place I bought a few last-minute fresh food items and without regret sailed out from Labuan.  Both Truce and I happy to be back in clean waters and heading northwards up the coast.

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