can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Lexington - In Search Of....



Bob asked Terry and I to send you some words about our experience on Lexington in the Pacific to post to the blog, here goes... "There is a giant tropical Towery (sp?) tree deep in the forests of the island of Erromango in the Vanuatu archipelago. At least that is what I am led to believe , for I have only seen a bit of its canopy from a distance. Early one morning last week Mick and Helen (of Owl), Terry, and I set out with our local guide Gilchrist in search of this tree and found that like so much of life it was not the destination of this storied tree that we would treasure but the journey we would have in search of it. Over roads, rural tracks, up hills, and across ridge lines of barren red clay we learned from Gilchrist of the people and places that make Vanuatu a special place in the world. We talked about our own lives and saw through his perspective the far away world that we live in. We spoke of politics, crime, religion, music, education, employment and learned of his dreams of studying computers in New Zealand. At the end of a sometimes physically grueling day of hiking (we estimated 16+ miles) we had glimpsed only a bit of our sought after tree but had seen far deeper into the lives of the natives of Erromango. A week before our trek in search of the elusive forest giant, Terry and I became part of the crew of SVLexington at Musket Cove in Fiji and joined, for a short time, another great endeavor being defined not by its final destination but by the people and experiences that compose it. I can't thank the participants of the 2017 World ARC enough for their kindness, friendliness, and above all their unique stories. It is the participants from so many different countries and life perspectives that make this monumental endeavor so rewarding. Even having been amongst the crews for only a couple of weeks we could see how friendships that will last a lifetime are being forged. Thank-you to Bula Bob for his kindness and medical assistance (I have become more acquainted with my proclivities toward seasickness than I ever thought I would). Thank-you to the entire permanent Lexington crew of Bob, Sam, and Karen for their hospitality and patience while we learned the ropes of a new ship and life on ocean passages. I will always remember the gift exchange ceremony at Port Resolution, the power of Mount Yasur, the people I met, and above all the journey." - Ben Clark 



Previous | Next