Lady Kay - Hair-raising Arrival

Hi
We are here in the bay in Tanna, and very glad to be here. The last day we still had the near Gale force winds, but the seas became rougher and rougher so it was not very nice. However, Lady Kay performed brilliantly, we rocketed along reaching 10kts at times and bounced along on the large waves, in good spirits and not even feeling seasick. Unfortunately we were still not able to get to our destination while it was still light and the approach to the bay (Port Resolution) was very nerve-racking. The seas got even larger as the water got shallower and there are no lights or anything to guide you in until you reach the waypoint where you turn into the bay and can then see the other boats. The one high spot though was that we had some spectacular fireworks from the volcano to enjoy while battling in. (We are going to visit the volcano today, it is the world's most accessible active volcano).
The cliffs got closer and closer as we approached our waypoint and it required steady nerves to keep going. We were rewarded by the sight of boat lights and people flashing torches to guide us in. Once round the corner the sea was relatively flat and we just had to creep in using flashlight and help from other boats. Anchored and opened a bottle of Malborough Sauvignon Blanc. It tasted wonderful!
We had a good night's sleep, first for several days and woke up to this beautiful bay, no signs of civilisation, but smoking vents and smell of sulphur from time to time, and rocky cliffs and pretty sandy beaches. We have a busy day planned, exchanging gifts with chief, trip to village and volcano, ceremonial feast tonight.
Enjoying not sailing for a while. Picture tomorrow
Best wishes
Jackie & Michael
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