We had a delightful anchorage in Lelepa island, crystal clear water, white sand beach, snorkeling the reefs. We would have loved to stay longer, but decided to take advantage of the light winds for rounding Devils Point. We were glad we did - it was a dream ride - a complete contrast to our last experience of this notorious headland. Yesterday in Port Vila we spotted some familiar boats from Gulf Harbour. Dreamtime, Red Herring II, Rireana. We are now in Mele Bay for a few days. Swimming, snorkeling and relaxing. Caught up with Marc and Constance last night and had dinner at Paradise Cove. A fabulous setting and a wonderful meal! The 71ft yacht they used to have and sold in Gulf Harbour was called Chasse Spleen. They still talk about their 7 years of cruising with a wistful look in their eyes, though they have been land based for two years now.
Over the last month we have really appreciated the various upgrades we attended to during the summer in NZ. Many items were repaired, maintained and improved of course, but three things have made a huge difference to our cruising experience. The first is the water maker. Being able to make our own fresh water has enabled us to go to remote places without having to worry about the quality of local water supplies. We can even wash our dishes and ourselves in fresh water instead of salt water now. Yay! The second thing that has made a real difference is the solar panels. Our need for solar power was highlighted when we had no motor on the way back to NZ, but now that we have solar, we are really noticing a difference to our everyday cruising. We no longer need to run the motor to keep the batteries topped up. The solar power keeps up with running all the usual electrics on board, including the extra electric fridge we installed (which has also been exceptionally useful). The third upgrade that has made a difference to our cruising, is not an upgrade to the boat, but an upgrade to Heather! Last year, Heather struggled to spot marker buoys, small canoes, and various landmarks. Karl would point out reefs and potential hazards long before they came into Heathers field of vision. In February, Heather had a cataract operation which has removed the misty blob in front of her left eye and now she can spot tiny objects from miles away! It is a refreshing change to be able to see where you are going.
The day is warming up again, so time for another swim!