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Port Maurelle

The morning was a bit of a runaround. I had to pick up some 2-stroke oil as the load we’d bought in Costa Rica has now run out. Helen and I went provisioning for the next 2 weeks. We’ve got to be back in Neiafu within 2 weeks to extend our visa so we plan to chill out in the outer islands until then.

As soon as we had our provisions aboard we up anchored and high tailed it out of the harbour. Becoming somewhat of a repeated experience we passed Leu Cat who were tied to the customs dock. A lot of cruisers seem to have formed a pair who somehow always leave when the other arrives and vice-versa. For us it is Leu Cat. David had emailed us in the morning to let us know they were on their way in. Given the inevitability of meeting them out in the islands we felt we really had to get out rather than wait another day in Neiafu – otherwise me might never leave.

Our first stop was not too far away – a popular spot called Port Maurelle. There is no port here. In fact there are no signs of man bar the yachts and one home under construction tucked away in the trees. There’s a lovely beach here and the waters crystal clear. A fantastic spot to unwind and recover.

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In the afternoon we took the dinghy round to Swallows Cave a mile and a bit away. Swallows Cave is big enough to take the dinghy in. The cave derives it’s name from the swallows living in their forming their nests on the ceiling. Inside the cave it is dark but the afternoon light comes in through the entrance illuminating the floor of the cave visible in the almost invisible water. We’d brought our snorkel gear so we tied the dinghy to a rock and entered the water. Ben and I both swam down to touch the bottom which turned out to be 50ft deep.

Around the corner was another smaller cave. The extra feature in this cave is a small swim through to a chimney. It’s only a few feet underwater to get to so relatively easy to reach. Helen managed to bump her head on the rock on the way out but no lasting damage.

We just chilled the rest of the afternoon and evening. There are quite a few boats here (many of which we know) which I guess is due to the time of year and proximity to the end of the regatta. Nevertheless it still feels tranquil.

This morning we woke to perfectly still waters. Looking down at all the fish swimming at different levels it felt like floating in an aquarium.

I finally established contact with CatCo regarding our charger. It had been returned due to delivery costs exceeding pre-agreed limits. This has now apparently been resolved and the unit should be on it’s way soon. We’ll see. Hopefully it will arrive around the time we return to Neiafu to extend our visas allowing us to properly enjoy our time in the outer islands.

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