Day 183: Tanna, Vanuatu – 08/07/10

Mike sleeps badly, worrying about the generator, and as soon as the morning broadcast is over he calls Bill from Crazy Horse to see if he can come over just to listen to the horrible noise it is making when it is switched on. 

We spend some time looking around the boat for suitable gifts for the traditional welcome ceremony from the village.  Part of this welcome is the formal exchange of gifts and when Susan and David come over to say hello I give them a bag of assorted bits, and then another one to Jutta and Jochem as they drop by.  There is no dinghy dock here and as we still can’t beach our dinghy we have to rely on other crews to ferry us around.  Another job when we get to Mackay – get a new lifting fitting made.

Bill coming over to listen to the generator turns into Bill coming over to squeeze into the engine room to have a tinker.  Matt comes over too and we sit and chat for a while before he too is forced into the engine room to see if he can feel for any loose parts of generator hanging around underneath as his hands are smaller.  Eventually both Matt and Bill squish themselves down in the black hole with Mike running backwards and forwards printing schematics of the thing off for Bill to look at.

Photo:  Room for any more?  Matt and Bill in the black hole

Unfortunately after two hours they are not really any further forward and we make our decision to leave early tomorrow to get to Port Vila on Efate where we can get internet access to contact the Northern Lights agent in Mackay.

Mike continues to poke around and Bill, Matt and I dash over for the ceremony at midday.  We are led from the beach to a clearing where a welcome dance is performed, this time by men and women, all wearing considerably more clothes than yesterday’s performers.

Photo:  Taking a break from the dancing

We are then led to the yacht club, pied piper style, following the villagers who are singing as they go.  While we wait for everyone to get assembled, we are entertained with more music and dancing.

Photo:  Village dancers keep the crowd entertained

Then the traditional ceremony begins.  All the yacht skippers line up behind our chief, Andrew from WCC, with their gifts.  The chief says a prayer and speeches are given by both sides.  The local primary school sing us a song in English about their island, then the villagers come forward and leave their gifts in a pile for us.

Photo:  The last gift is laid

Then it’s our turn.  We all step forward holding our bags of items and lay them on the ground.  After more speeches and prayers it is over.  Each boat receives a woven basket of fruit, a woven bag and a Ken Dodd feather tickle stick thing (not quite sure what the significance of this is but someone takes mine from me and sticks it in my hat making sure that I now look even more stupid).

The villagers all look eagerly at their pile of gifts, but no move is made to rummage.  Instead, they look on as village officials empty the bags on the ground, sort the items and arrange them in little piles to be given out to all the different families.

Photos:  Dividing the gifts is given careful consideration

As I see the items that other boats have donated I mentally kick myself as it gives me ideas on other things I could have donated.  The villagers are grateful for anything.  Bits of old rope and pipework, tools, clothing, bedding, fishing hooks – they all come in handy.  I am really annoyed with myself for not giving more thought to it earlier.

Again the children are delighted to be photographed and pose happily, really excited to be shown the photo afterwards.

Photos:  The children of Port Resolution, Tanna

After the reception is over, I go in search of proof that others look as silly as I do.  Proof abounds!

Photos:  Stephen, Matt, Maggie and Paul all looking as daft as me

I get a lift back to the boat with Bill and Matt, and as we approach Jeannius, Mike sticks his head out from the black hole where he has still been tinkering – without success.

We go for a little lie down, each armed with a small bowl of ice cream to help dispel the general feeling of frustration with the generator.  Ice cream can help most things!

Mike goes back to the yacht club at around 5 pm to help them sort out the laptop that has been donated by WCC.  While I am alone, I have a long shower and really lather up my hair to try to get rid of the volcanic ash then at 6.30 pm I go back with Joe and Jared for the village feast.

A huge table is laid with loads of local dishes, and we are given woven plates filled with banana leaves.  I can’t identify some of the vegetables, but most appear to be root ones – potatoes, taro and tapioca (not the pudding we were forced to eat at school, but the root of the plant which is somewhat like potato).  There is chicken, fish and roast pork.  The food is very simply prepared and we eat with our hands what the villagers eat every day.  Desert is huge slices of papaya and pamplemouse.

Photo:  Hair three shades lighter without the volcanic ash, I pose with Jutta and Maggie

After lots of chatting to the other crews, we head back to Jeannius to prepare for leaving tomorrow for the island of Efate.

 

 

Our position is:  19 deg 31 min S, 169 deg 29 min E

Distance so far:  9181 nautical miles