Final Stop in PNG

Vanimo, our last stop in PNG but first stop on mainland PNG. Cruisers pride themselves in retelling horror stories of counties ahead of ourselves. In most cases the truth is blown up, exaggerated & causes fear mongering. Unfortunately the only people who know the truth are the cruisers who have gone before us. As in all walks of life the bad makes the headlines & cruisers are no different. Very rarely do people put pen to paper to report what a fantastic experience they had but are all quick to email sites such as http://www.noonsite.com/ (cruisers lifeline for research on various places) to warn the rest of the sailing community of negative or scary experiences. Yes its good to have the information at hand but it gives an unequal representation on a place. PNG & the Solomons have suffered this fate with many reports on theft & piracy. We rolled the dice, kept reminding ourselves that others must have traveled this route with positive experiences & tried to keep a sense of balance regarding the information we had heard on the grapevine & through research. True, we tried to better our odds by avoiding mainland PNG. Stuck to the islands generally occupied by smaller close knit communities & hopefully less theft but we took the plunge & weren't scared into following the herd through the Torres Straight.
For a number of reasons I was nervous as we approached Vanimo. In order to gain a social visa for Indonesia (60 days instead of the normal 30 & which can also then be renewed) it needs to obtain it prior to arriving in the country. All enquires back in March with consulates from Fiji, UK, USA, & even our agents at Bali Marina were unable to confirm if there was an Indonesian consulate in Vanimo able to provide the visa. We took a gamble - that close to the boarder with Indonesia there must be. Now we were going to find out & it would be a huge problem if we were wrong. I'll also admit to wondering if the locals were going to be friendly, if one person would have to remain on the boat at all times or if we would be up all night on guard. Its hard stop the horror stories penetrating your mind to some extent. How wrong could I be & another lesson in not prejudging a place or its people.
Vanimo, a dusty little town that upon first glance appears to have little to offer but it had a sparkle that made us stay longer than the processing time required for the visas (thankfully there was a consulate. The local people here were fantastic; warm, very welcoming & appeared delighted we had stopped in their town. They don't get many yachts visiting so we were the talk of the town. Walking down the street people approached wanting to say hello & shake our hands. They knew all about us before we had even met them!
Bobby was delighted to discover surf on either sides of the entrance to the habour (reef breaks are not for me!). I would drop him off in the dinghy & the kids from the village would run down the beach into the sea with their "surf boards" to paddle out & join him. He had his own "after school" surf club with his gang of little followers, so of course he was in his element even making up songs for them which they would all sing for me when I came to collect him at "home time"!! These kids were surfing on pieces of wood, some square & others plank like, the lucky ones had theirs cut into a point at the tip but most didn't, some floated & some sank. I even saw one kid on a door! I challenge any of you surfers out there to ride a wave on these boards! It is really something to watch these young children surf on a piece of wood that prior to the wave coming he kept on the reef below him because it wouldn't float. On top of that he is surfing totally naked - no rash guard or shorts for these guys! ; )
A positive conclusion to my time in Melanesia. I am looking forward to experiencing a completely new culture in Indonesia but it sure isn't easy to say goodbye to these lovely people.

Heaven in the Hermits

The Hermit Islands, if you can find them on the map you get a prize! Northwest of Kavieng but still east of mainland PNG, part of the Admiralty Island chain. Huge points to Fiona for not only finding them but also emailing with details of dives in the area. I would have missed out on my encounter with the manta rays if I had not known! As always Fiona you are star.

Pulling in here was spectacular. Already excited after what we had heard from another boat & looking at the Hermit Islands on the chart. Nothing prepared us for reality. Water so clear you could see the chain running to the anchor on the bottom of the ocean floor 50 feet down. The varying colours of blue & turquoise waters were hypnotic. Paradise at its best. Check out the photo gallery to believe it.

There are about 10 islands in the Hermit chain. The main island Luf, is the only one inhabited with a village. The islands are surrounded by a reef with a number of passes allowing boats through. Anchored between the reef & Pemei, an uninhabited island, it was pure paradise. A handful of very serious land travellers have made it here to stay with people in the village & very few cruisers stop here, for the most part it is unspoilt by white people. Travelling across the South Pacific there have been less than a handful of places impossible for tourists to reach. This is a precious jewel in that crown & I hope remains as untouched as humanly possible.

Anchored so far from the village, we were canoe free, a blissful change. A local boat would stop by after their fishing expeditions to the reef to trade lobster & fish for cigarettes. The entire village are Seventh Day Evangelists & therefore do not eat any shell fish. Their loss is our gain. The lobsters are so plentiful they catch them during the day & we eat them at night! Bobby is the king of cooking lobster, I love eating them, it’s just deshelling them that’s not my cup of tea!
Emelia & Barraveigh played killer Frisbee on the beach, Jennifer & I attempted yoga in the sand (her flexibility is somewhat better than mine!), I kayaked around Pemei a few times to find the perfect secluded beach & settled down for the afternoon with a good book enjoying some alone time, Bobby invented a shade awning for his hammock on the bow & many cocktails were enjoyed watching the sunset. Snorkelling everyday on different parts of the reef including a swim with the manta rays & the boys perfected their spear fishing catching fish & lobster. All in all a paradise lifestyle! If heaven exists then this has to be it. It is truly amazing.

The heat here was so intense. As we near the equator it is seriously heating up. The fridge struggled to keep cold in temperatures of 100 degrees plus. It was 88 degrees by 8am & that was inside the boat where there is a little shade. The other casualties were ourselves, waking in the middle of the night to move cabins in an attempt to find a cool spot to lie down. At night a stray limb, giving extra unwanted heat sent each of us crazy (& not in a good way!). In an effort to stay sane I camped out in the v berth loving the breeze coming through the hatches but unfortunately my secret was discovered by Bobby who would come in half way through the night & the bed swap would begin again!! ; ) All in all a small sacrifice for idyllic surroundings.
The plan was to stay for three days before moving onto Ninigo. 7 days later we were still in the Hermits deciding it would be totally impossible to leave. It is now the last stop in PNG before checking out in Vanimo & entering Indonesia. The penultimate stop in what has been over a year in Pacific paradise. We needed the extra time here to detox from all the beauty experienced so far.

Kavieng

Tensions were high onboard Barravigh as we came into the waters around Kavieng, New Ireland. Very little sleep after a rough night at sea & a tight pass thought a archipelago of islands & reefs. I quickly discovered our navigation software was totally out, showing us high & dry on land or run aground on reefs.

First let me explain the jobs onboard as we arrive somewhere new. Captain Bobby is at the wheel & I’m below deck looking at the navigation software on the laptop. Linked to the GPS it also shows the boats current position. I give Bobby a compass bearing to our previously marked waypoint & then let him know if he needs to go more to the left or right. If the software isn’t lining up with reality then I’m also using the radar to check distances from land. Unfortunately it only shows land above water so reefs are still a huge unknown. Add all that stress to 3-4 days sailing, the last 12 hours being total hell & poor Bobby who got no sleep. If that wasn’t enough just as we approached the really tricky part, passing between a reef on the east & a reef on the west with little room in between, a squall hit giving very bad visibility. Sailing through an area with reefs is best timed when the sun is high in the sky & you hope for clear sunny day. It makes spotting the reefs below & judging depth easier. This is another of my jobs. I stand on the bow & point a safe path through the reef for Bobby to steer. Let me tell you this isn’t easy. There aren’t little markers in the water telling you how deep different coral heads are & when Bobby starts shouting “20 feet…15 feet” I’m looking around thinking all I can see is coral & going left doesn’t look any better than going right, combine this with no visibility of the bottom & well forget it. “Look for the markers” I’m hearing you first world sailors shout. If there is a marker in these counties it is often just a stick poking out the water & that’s if you are really lucky! Bobby’s policy in unknown waters, go really slowly. My policy, go really slowly & keep your fingers crossed! ; ) Emelia took pity on us & took the lead as the squall hit. Having four people on board they get more sleep, their eyes & minds were sharper than ours! We made it in safely, dropped the anchor & as always look back at the route & think it wasn’t as bad as it looked coming in. The unknown is always scary!

Kavieng was great. We anchored close to Nusa Island Resort. The waters were clear & as warm as bath water. To you divers & surfers (surf season starts in Nov) who like to get away from the normal holiday destinations & don’t need 5* luxury resorts, put Nusa on your list of places to visit. It’s a great relaxing place with an array of bird wildlife living there. I sat down with a drink & had a cockatoo speaking in pigeon English to me. Treating ourselves to a meal off the boat we were told lobster was off the menu as the guests had eaten it for the past 3 days & would crab be ok! You’ll eat like a king here! Add to that snorkelling at more WW2 plane wrecks, beautiful corals, fantastic local people & a huge array of tiny uninhabited islands. We haven’t seen another cruising boat since leaving Honiara (our buddy boat s/v Emelia excluded!). The route less travelled has been worth taking.

Passages from Heaven

Bet you never thought you’d be reading that! It appears we have earned some good weather & calm seas. I think I deserve it after all the “narliy” (I’m trying out my American slang!) passages I’ve been put through – yes Dad I know they are learning curves but I’m happy to have some straight lines for a while!

This is the doldrums or tropical conversion zone. Words you may have heard & may not have a clue what it means. In a nut shell….no wind! Result…..we burn some bloody expensive diesel & now plan our passages at an average speed of 3 knots rather than 5. Previously we would have considered 5 knots slow but now its speedy!! Attempting to sail in light winds with the sails flogging drives me up the wall. I’ve decided it’s a form of torture. I feel like I should be doing something to stop it but other than praying for some wind there is very little that can be done. Don’t tell Bobby but the only way to stay sane during the night shifts is to play my ipod, low of course so I can hear if any boats are calling on the VHF. In the light winds & calm seas we have finally mastered using the whisker pole in a way that Bobby now deems safe – only took us the entire Pacific crossing to work out! The pole keeps the head sail out & stops it flogging itself against the spreaders, with every hit you worry that it’s ripped a huge hole. Another plus is if the non excitant wind comes from the stern, we can sail wing in wing, ie one sail to the port & the other out to starboard. If any sailors are reading this I apologise now for the basic explanations but I’m thinking of my little sister with whom I once expressed an interest in wanting a CAT (catamaran). She thought I wanted to buy a pussy cat & suggested a dog would be better company! I love you Gilly aka Bridget Jones! ; )

In every other way the passages are a dream. Flat calm seas that allow me to cook meals in the galley without loosing my appetite, stary stary nights where I count endless shooting stars & where planets looming on the horizon get confused for boats. The bright quarter moon shines brightly, its reflection glistening for miles in the sea. The description that came to mind was a slice of lemon in a glass of rum & coke with the stars as bubbles in the coke – maybe the ban on alcohol during passages isn’t such a good idea!

Phospheensaince lights up huge portions of the sea. I have never seen anything like it before. Shining a light on the sea & huge sections would immediately light up. It kept me entertained for many of the hours on night watch! I am yet to get bored of these natural wonders.
Dolphins have begun to appear almost daily. Swimming in the bow of the boat or if we are travelling too slowly, totally ignoring us whilst we beg them to come & play. Talking to dolphins…a sign of madness??

During the day the lack of wind & bright hot sun results in sticky passages. I attempt to hide from the sun & am in & out of the sea trying to cool down. I drag behind the boat holding tightly to the stern ladder. Bobby teases me by humming the Jaws theme tune, a guaranteed way to get me to the water ; ) For the first time ever we sleep in the v berth with the large top hatch open. Normally during a passage you want to be as far from the bow of the boat as possible & we camp out in the rear cabin. With flat seas, hot weather & a hot engine, the v berth is the coolest place to be. Before the evening shifts begin we take turns to watch an episode of 24. Quality, chill out, alone time. An hour where we can switch off & relax by ourselves, even better with a bar of chocolate!

Not sure how long these calm, dry passages are going to last but I’m making the most of them & enjoying (almost!) every second! This is my idea of perfect sailing!