It was a classic case of the Mondays when Skipper John woke up to find one of the heads onboard blocked, which was followed by a morning managing to take apart the entirety of the plumbing system onboard with the excellent help of crew Warren. Warren has been a life-saver on this trip, as his knack for fixing pumps, leaks, and all manner of mechanical woes has been a saving grace onboard.

Once that excitement was all sorted, we set sail for our first destination of the day: a school on Uliveo Island. Both the crew previously onboard that sailed from Tonga, and those onboard now had flown in loads of books, school supplies, toys, and games to distribute to the local villages here in Vanuatu. We loaded up the dinghy with our bounty, and headed ashore.

Steve meeting the locals on a trip to shore

On the island, the crew was greeted by a local named Andre, whose uncle was the chief of the village on the far side of Uliveo. He led them all around the island, and along the way they stopped at the primary school. Warren set to work inflating the soccer balls we brought along and Nat and Joe joined the kids for a game. Kelly-Anne brought along paints and brushes, which found a happy new home with a few of the local children.

Warren helping inflate some soccer balls at the primary school

Back onboard, Ben was left on lunch duty, and was cooking up a feast using the fresh tuna we’d been generously gifted by our neighbors at our last anchorage at Awei. They’d had lots of success fishing on their sail from New Caledonia, and had found themselves with more fish than they could eat, not a bad problem to have! We gladly accepted their surplus, enjoying fresh poke and tuna steaks. Nat had left Ben with her secret poke recipe, and he delivered beyond expectations. After a hearty meal, we set sail for our next destination: Epi. We made our way upwind for a couple hours, with a few knot tying lessons along the way from Steve and Ben, and anchored around 1900 in Diamond Bay, on the Southwest side of the island. After anchoring, we were treated to a stunning meal by Team Bravo, complete with homemade crepes with fresh fruits!

After arriving to our anchorage at night, we were delighted to wake up in the morning to find ourselves in a stunning bay sitting underneath massive volcanoes and greenery. I think we could have spent a few days exploring, however we had big plans for the day and had to keep moving!

Tuesday morning, we set off for Operation Cook Reef! The circular reef is 3 miles long, and located about 4 miles offshore from Emae Island, and we thought it looked like an excellent dive opportunity on our way back to Efate. The logistics of launching the dinghy while keeping Salt Lines on standby were well worth it, and added a bit of excitement to the trip. The dive team returned with glowing reports of vibrant coral and marine life—rays, puffer fish, and a kaleidoscope of underwater creatures. It was absolutely worth the stop!

Getting the dinghy ready to launch at Cook Reef!

From Cook Reef, we set course for the final 35 miles to Efate, enjoying a swift sail south, cruising at 8-9 knots the whole way. Joe, Nat and Ben took turns at the helm, keeping us on a steady course as the miles ticked away. Ben mastered his cast, managing to hook the mizzen sail and we enjoyed a stunning sunset, complete with a green flash!

Ben proudly showing off the catch of the day

We reached Port Havannah after dark, and put Joe and Steve on lookout for lobster pots and after only a couple close calls we dropped the anchor and all sat down for another delicious dinner. The chefs have really been out-doing themselves this trip, which I am highly grateful for. Kelly-Anne, Ben, Anne, and Nat stayed up for their nightly game of Bananagrams while the rest of us went to bed, eager for a good night’s sleep at anchor. We’re looking forward to seeing what Port Havannah has to offer before heading back to Port Vila!

Cheers! -Liv

Operation Cook Reef

Havannah Nights

We Found Nemo!