New Caledonia,

Yachtie’s guide to New Caledonia, Vanuatu

Cruising New Caledonia and Vanuatu. By Alan Lucas. Pub lished by agreement with Uni versal Copyright Co, and dis tributed by Horwitz Grahame Books Pty Ltd, and Gordon & Gotch (A/asia) Ltd. 5A16.95.

Isbn 0 7255 1067 6.

Alan Lucas has written two excellent and well-known books of sailing directions for the east coast of Australia. Both were based on the most careful surveys over a period of years. I myself am at present cruising the coast of New South Wales with the tiller in one hand and his book in the other.

Cruising New Caledonia and Vanuatu is less excellent, but

nevertheless an invaluable book for any yachtsman visiting the area he describes. It is less excellent only because Mr Lucas’ survey was less com plete, as he himself admits in the introduction to the book.

But even if the book gives a less complete cover, it cannot be called superficial as every port and anchorage visited gets the full Lucas treatment the humorous pithy style, and meticulous attention to detail, which his admirers expect.

New Caledonia is more fully described than Vanuatu. My only criticism of the Vanuatu section is that the visitor enter ing from the east is not warned

enough of the dangers of Havannah Passage.

The always pessimistic Ad miralty Pilot for the area warns of the violence of the tide rips sometimes found there, with a strong ebb battling a fresh easterly and Komekame Reef which looks a long way south of the mid-channel has claimed several yachts in recent years. The best time to enter is of course at the end of the ebb when the reefs are most easily seen, and the breakers should clearly indicate the eastern edge of the reef extending east northeast from Goro light tower.

Mr Lucas did not stop at many islands in Vanuatu and is unfairly harsh about the anchorages in general. Admit tedly, there are few hurricane holes, but the west coast of Epi provides some beautiful and normally calm overnight anchorages, as does the north coast of Emae.

He did not visit and does not describe the beautiful cruising ground around Aore and the south coast of Espiritu Santo, where there are many com pletely sheltered anchorages with white sand beaches ashore.

And it would be a pity to leave Vanuatu bound northwards without anchoring overnight in Hayter Bay, Tegua Island, about which even the Admir alty pessimists are enthusiastic.

Fresh water, fruit, coconuts, crabs and fried flying fox for breakfast.

To sum up: this book is cheap at the price for the armchair cruising man, and its New Caledonia section is most in formative for anyone intending actually to sail the area although Catholic sailors might be surprised to hear that the Marist Brothers was a cover name in 1840 for the London Missionary Society. I didn’t think that even the most schem ing Protestant missionary would stoop as low as that!

But please, Mr Lucas, do go back to Vanuatu and spend a little longer there next time.

The Australian Warwick Purser who is the country’s director of tourism might even subsidise your visit, yachtie dollars being

as good as any others.

Mike

Bailes.