Vanuabalavu

0800 position 17-10S 179-00W. At anchor in Bavatu Harbor

After we got out of the lee of Taveuni yesterday morning the wind came out of the north with a vengeance. We saw as much as twenty five knots, far more than the seven knots forecast. Taveuni is a large and high island and we thought that perhaps some of the velocity was due to the wind accelerating around the ends of the island but it didn't die off as we left the island behind. The gribs got the wind direction right but they really missed the mark on velocity. It was 100% overcast and raining, but we were screaming along at close to ten knots. As the day progressed the wind velocity decreased and the direction backed to the west as forecast and by 1PM we were under power. The front that brought the wind and rain disappeared to the east and the weather became postcard perfect as we approached the pass into the Vanuabalavu lagoon in the Lau Group.

A couple of hours earlier we watched on the AIS as Eos, a 305 foot long, forty five foot wide and twenty one foot deep three masted schooner, entered the same pass. Watching a boat that big negotiate the pass gave us confidence that we'd have no problems. Sure enough, the pass was easy and with the sun still high enough to see the shallow spots we followed the channel around the north end of the island to Bavatu Harbor. We could see Eos' three masts sticking up above the hills of Vanuabalavu as she sat in her anchorage on the other side of the island.

The island of Vanuabalavu appears to be made of uplifted coral similar to Vava'u, but it is much higher and spectacular. 200 foot high sheer cliffs surround Bavatu Harbor except at the small opening into the lagoon on the north side. The cliffs are heavily wooded and full of caves. It is beautiful and remote. There was one other boat at anchor in one of Bavatu's fjords when we arrived. After closer inspection we determined that it was Tony Spooner, a pal of Robs from Newport Beach. Tony, his wife Caroline, and daughter Malia have been in the Laus for a few weeks now on their trimaran Macha. We powered over to them, exchanged greetings, and invited them over for cocktails and dinner after we got settled.

We anchored in sixty feet of water in the southern arm of the harbor completely out of sight of the other boat. The Macha crew dinghied over an hour later and we had a great time socializing and comparing cruising notes with them. It was quite comical when they left Van Diemen to head home. They forgot to leave a light on aboard Macha, and it was pitch black in the complete overcast. No lights ashore, no stars, no moon; they had no idea which direction to go. If they don't show up for our planned hike ashore this morning we'll know that they never made it back to Macha.

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