Camelot V - Update 17 Vanuatu to Tuvalu July - Aug 2003 Tex, Grete and I were waiting around Vanuatu for nice weather to leave for Tuvalu. At Sea Click pictures to enlarge Mind you it is a nice place to wait, but it was time to get on the move and on to Tuvalu. The weather was fine anchored at Mele Island and Port Vila. But outside the trades were blowing from the east a steady 30 to 35 knots, day after day. Finally the forecast was for a drop to 20 to 25 knots so we raised anchor and went out for look. Out around the point the wind was about 20 knots from the ESE. Although the seas were large from the many days of high winds we decided to continue on to Tuvalu, about 850 miles to the north east. By next morning the wind was from the east again and had regained it's strength. We continued on pounding into 15 to 20 foot seas with an abundance of water over the bow. The remainder of the trip was much the same. The wind never swung back much from the south to give us a nicer ride but continued from the east or ENE varying only in strength from 20 to 40 knots. The Captain The Fifth day out while coming below to wake me for my watch Tex slipped and fell against the galley stove and bruised his back quite severely. The wind let up to 15 to 20 knots for the last day and a half but still from the NE. On July 25 we sailed into the lagoon at Funafuti Atoll. It is always a relief to sail into flat calm water. We dropped sails and motored north to the village and dropped anchor beside a French singlehander, the only other boat in the lagoon. We got cleared in with customs and immigration with no problems and found friendly little pub/regrant to relax at. And to tell ourselves that the trip had really not been that bad. Funafuti Atoll is the main island in the country of Tuvalu and is seven miles long and about one quarter mile wide in the widest place. Most places only a couple hundred yards wide. But being the capital of the country and about four thousand people it is a busy little place. My friends and crew only had a couple days before they had to leave. Leaving me on my own again for about a week until my next crew would arrive. Breakfast at sea Tex At Sea Tuvalu Go to last update. -- Go to next update. Return to Return to Camelot V Sailing Page. -- Return to Dale + Muriel's Home page.