Blue Moon in Vanuatu

Yachting

Stories and Picfues by Sally Andrews

Gone are the days when sailors had to hoist signals to say “Report me to the Lloyds” or use slingshots to shoot off messages in canisters to the bridge of nearby ships and run the risk of getting run down!

Skippers in the 21st Century can report their position via e-mail to friends and family. All they need is a high frequency radio, a little black box and 'a computer on board or an Internet cafe when they make port.

Pacific veterans Rob and Jo Woollacott aboard Blue Moon even have a web page which Jo’s brother updates regularly.

Naturally I checked it out.

Kiwi Rob and his Canadian wife Jo left New Zealand several years ago, sailing to Tonga, then Fiji, New Caledonia and Australia. In 1999, they sailed back into the South Pacific - heading to New Caledonia first, before heading to the Republic of Vanuatu, which really blew them away! We traded travelers tales in Vila.

Day sailing from Port Olry in north Santo to the island of Gaua in the Banks Islands in company with a pod of dolphins and three other yachts, they hooked a three foot wahoo that Jo claims “stood on it’s tail

and bit me in the shoulder!” They landed the devil and shared it with Chief Johnny at Lakona Bay who paddled out to greet the new arrivals.

The women here are famous for their “water musi”. Jo describes it: A row of

twelve women stood at water’s edge, scooping and chopping at water to make a rhythmic percussion “song” that is difficult to describe.

They got soaked in the process with all the splashing. Shrieks of laughter made the purpose quite clear ...

We all brought gifts of food, soap and clothing for the women and for “trade”, as it is known in these islands, where money is almost useless because there are no shops in which to spend it.

Rob and Jo were walking around afterwards when a group of young boys

“dressed in a costume of pandanus leaves ... (bounced) through the village like little dancing bushes”. Completely covered from head to toe and carrying a stick and a string of oranges, this Lukluk Mangke was a playful version of ‘Big Hurters’, who

Blue Moon ... a comfortable ketch uniquely detailed

Rob and Jo, trading tales and sharing sundowners

appear on special occasions and ‘hurt’ people. I’ve read about these characters but hope I never come face to face with one.

These “monkeys” beat women and children, and sometimes tourists, with their switches.

Ouch!

An uncomfortable swell forced Blue Moon and yacht Alchemist to move on and a seemingly supernatural force directed them into Matanda Bay on the northwest comer of Gaua Island. This is not a normal stopping spot for yachts and, luckily, several locals in canoes guided them through the pass.

Chief Richard showed both couples around the village and gave them gifts from his garden. Only two yachts had visited his bay last year, says Jo, and no copra boats which meant a three hour walk to Lusalava for supplies. To help other yachts find their way into the bay, the two skippers set up leads, using painted sticks, so others could safely find the reef pass.

The center of Gaua, Mt. Caret, is an active volcano surrounded by crescent shaped Lake Letas - a reflecting lake. Two years ago, when Fellowship visited the

island, Chief Johnstar told us: “Oh, we knew you were coming. We saw your ship in the lake when it was far out to sea.”

Apparently, Lake Letas has this extraordinary ability.

It also has freshwater

crayfish and

megapode birds who lay jumbo eggs in the warm sulphur-laden mud banks.

From Blue Moon’s web page: “When Chief Richard said we could walk to the reflecting lake, we thought it sounded interesting, although

hiking to Mt. Caret was said to be strenuous. He said it would take three hours if we walked slowly, two hours if we walked quickly. Judging by past walks with locals, one of which Rob thought he would

fall asleep if we went any slower, we thought it would be a breeze. So we all set off one morning, to a cracking pace that was only one step off a run. Eight hours later we were four pretty tired puppies after making the round trip with only a half hour lunch stop.

“Looking back at the island from the sea, we could not believe we’d actually walked all that way. Sore muscles aside, it was an interesting walk through vine-covered jungle, with Chief Richard hacking his way along an overgrown track explaining all the plants that are used for medicine, and those were not to be touched. When we came across nutmeg trees, he showed us how the mace would colour our nails. He had no idea that this was an inedible spice! Later back on

the boat, 1 showed him how to grind dried nutmegs, which he found interesting.

Whether this will now become a flavoring in their diet is yet to be seen.”

After the hike, Chief Richard resolved to make the crew of Blue Moon and Alchemist ‘custom brothers’. A touching ceremony ensued, in which his wife, his youngest daughter and four yachtsmen held two traditional leaves while the chief made a small speech welcoming the yachtsmen into his home. “He became very emotional, and we all felt honoured to receive such genuine friendship from his family.” A pot of tea accompanied by Alchemist scones. Blue Moon banana bread and a replay of the videoe’d ceremony ended in laughter and hand shakes. “It was very hard for us to pull up anchor and leave Matanda Bay.”

Blue Moon’s Internet web page

<www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/5

088> has details of other adventures in Vanuatu, where Rob and Jo witnesses grade taking ceremonies and sand drawings in Ambrym and Pentecost, took local villagers sailing for the first time in Loltong Harbour, saw the Yasur volcano and Toka dance at Tanna.

After celebrating the dawning of the new millennium on Sydney Harbour this summer, Blue Moon will sail back to the Pacific next season.

Chief lohnstar at lakona Bay ... the welcoming committee!

Blue Moon surfs along in Noumea's Southern Lagoon