Our first stop in Vanuatu was Port Resolution on Tanna Island where we stayed just over four days. We knew we could check in to Vanuatu here by crossing the island using local land transportation to the town of Lenekal. But, our primary reason for stopping was to visit the rim of Mount Yasser and see firsthand the eruptions at night time. Its a spectacular sight that should not be missed. The red line on the map above shows our route through Vanuatu during August and September of 2004. The blue line is the route we took to Havannah Pass on the south side of New Caledonia after leaving Vanuatu.
There were as many as 22 boats gathered at Port Resolution during the four days we were there. It was indicative of the annual migration west at the height of the South Pacific cruising season. This is really the only safe harbor at Tanna. So, for anyone arriving by yacht and interested in seeing the eruptions of Mount Tanna, this is the place to be. Final Straw is just to the right of the prominent palm tree sticking up in the middle of the harbor.
On the evening of August 1st, we boarded a couple of pickup trucks and a small group of us rode the two hours down narrow, bumpy dirt roads to Mount Yasser. The trucks parked about 50 yards down from the top and we walked the rest of the way on foot. It was incredibly spectacular and dangerous to be able to walk right to the rim of an active volcano. Here in Vanuatu, they tell you there's no where else in the world where you can get this close. It's really a bit scary. You would hear a very loud boom and then molten lava flies high above you followed by thick black smoke. Its an absolutely unforgettable and awesome sight. The night we went, the fog soon rolled in and it began to rain lightly. So, we headed back to the trucks and rode home soaking wet still amazed by what we had just witnessed. When we finally made it back to the boat, bed never felt so good!
The next morning we climbed back into the trucks and rode for 4 hours to Lenekel, the main town on Tanna. Lenakel is where we checked into the country. Its not much of a town. But, the ride was most interesting. We left at )730 and arrived back at about 1700 hours, a long day. But, we now had cruising permits for Vanuatu along with quarantine documents and immigration rights to stay for up to two months. The photo above shows the marketplace at Lenekal. The mandarin oranges were very sweet and juicy.
The road from Port Resolution to Lenekal goes right across the lava field on the back side of Mount Yasser. Its full of thick dust from the eruption of the volcano. We read that Mount Yasser has been erupting like this for the past 800 years!
After four days, we decided it was time to move on to Efate Island and the capital city of Port Vila. So, on the afternoon of August 3rd, we left for the 130 mile overnight trip in the company of Mobisle and a British boat, Kirsten Jane. It was a beautiful night with winds in the 15-20 knot range from behind and a full moon that rose at 8:00 pm and didn't set until 8:00 am. We passed Mount Yasser off our port beam and watched the volcano from yet another view. Then we passed the island of Erromango on our starboard beam. KIRSTEN JANE radioed us that they'd caught two large yellow fin tuna (each 40 pounds) in the pass between Tanna and Erromango and would share it with us. So, it looked like sushi for dinner tomorrow!
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