Boat-hiking in Vanuatu: Larabeck back again!
2nd of September, 2025.
Two girls pick me up real fast. The driver is from Fiji and the other girl from Vanuatu, and they are work colleagues. At first, they say they are not going all the way to Port Vila, but when they figure out their final destination, they are actually passing by the waterfront, which is perfect for me.
Michael comes and picks me up in his dinghy, but not before I meet Joao again. I tell him about the fact that I was already talking with another captain already in Fiji, so I have to take that into consideration before making a commitment with him, and I have the feeling that he didn’t take that very well. But that could’ve also been because he had already got some bad news about his mum’s health, as I would find out later on. He messages me saying that he would have to fly back to Portugal to see her, as she was admitted to a hospital, therefore, we couldn’t travel together anymore.
The first thing we do when I’m back to Larabeck is to give Michael a haircut. We’ve been talking about this for ages, since he found one of the blade moderators from my hair clippers, and I told him I cut my own hair. At first, we are outside (I thought it would be easier, not having to clean all the hair… I was wrong!) and it’s funny when people are passing in their dinghies, and I can only imagine what they are thinking; but as the wind is critical, we move inside. It takes sometime but I think it actually turns out pretty good. I only need some more practice.
Then we get to work! Yeah, baby!
I’m glad that I can help Michael at least a little bit but I wish I’ve done more. As he’s doing some electrical things for the boat, I start cleaning the rust from the stainless-steel parts all around the boat. I start in front and walk my way to the back. It’s not difficult but it’s a lot of work, and one must be careful when using the product because can easily stain clothing, and it’s not the best for your skin, so I’m using some massive gloves, which naturally slow down the process. I manage to go half way through the boat only. While working, Michael is playing some good and some funnily weird songs from his Spotify playlist. But I also play some songs by Lulu Santos, one of the two loves of my life.
We go for dinner and I make a regretful order. I can be so silly sometimes. But then again, perhaps there was a secret reason behind that. I really don’t know why I felt like ordering a burger instead of a vegetarian pizza. Was I in need of Iron? Michael has fish and chips and we both have a beer. After all, we have a really good time, even though there’s a drizzle the whole time, since we left the boat.
And I think that the reason for that is just that Michael is such a cool guy and I like him a lot. He’s calm and quiet in some way, but we always chat a lot about many different things. His wife Sharon loves sailing and they sail together as much as they can, but she also works as a music professor in a University in the U.S.A. So whenever she has a break / holidays, she joins him around the world and then they sail. We talk about their relationship, and in how they really trust each other as a couple. They share everything, including passwords for their personal emails and their phones, so there’s no secrets among them.
For tonight I can use the front cabin of the boat but from tomorrow on I will be sleeping in the couch, as Michael’s new crew member will arrive from Australia.
3rd of September, 2025.
After breakfast I start cleaning the boat. It takes longer than I expected, so I have very little time to continue my work with the rust outside. But Michael says it’s OK and I’ve worked enough already. Our new crew is arriving around 15.00 hours, so Michael goes and pick her up. I take a quick shower middle time. Michael already has giving me a towel. He’s so considerate.
Francizca (just like one of my aunties back in Brazil) is from Switzerland but was living and working in Australia for one year, and New Zealand for another year before that. She’s a bit younger than me and she’s a Physicist, which is pretty cool. Also, in that way she and Michael have a lot to talk about, him being an engineer and all. Just like me, Francizca hasn’t sail before, apart from one or two races in which she has been, which is kind of funny / contradictory. I would never go in a race before learning how to sail (well, I actually think I wouldn’t go in a race ever anyway…), and I can’t imagine why a captain would take someone without experience to a race. She’s vegan, what makes sailing together for a longer time a bit tricky, if the rest of the crew and the captain are not. But Michael is OK with that, he knew it, and perhaps that just shows me that when you have the right captain, someone really nice and all that, it doesn’t matter that I’m vegetarian.
We go for dinner soon after Michael briefs Francizca about the boat. We struggle a lit bit to find a suitable restaurant and ended up eating in an actually very nice one. I mean, not a fancy one but a restaurant that I liked a lot. It’s called The Boat House. I finally have my vegetarian pizza. I actually struggle to choose between two very good options. Pizza is very nice! We all have pizza, but Francizca has hers without cheese.
4th of September, 2025.
First thing we do in the morning it’s the food inventory. It’s so much fun! Well, at least for a food lover like me. Every time I’m in the presence of lots of food like that, there’s this feeling which takes over me, that I want / should use them all soon. It’s funny but also a bit overwhelming to see / have so much food laying around. But we still need to go grocery shopping. Not that I think we really need anything but there’s some other stuff we can get for Francizca.
When we pass by the restaurant, I spot Tony in one of the tables and run to say “hi” to him. He seems so pleased to see me, that it makes me feel really nice. Potty and her husband Michael are also at the table, plus Tony’s loyal first mate Layla. My captain Michael and Francizca decide to come and say “hi” too so everybody gets to introduce themselves.
At the supermarket Bon Marche I feel overwhelmed. I love shopping for food and it’s been so long since I could actually do some grocery shopping, last time being when I was living in Thailand. Anyway, they go do their own thing and I go looking for a few things I need, and that is sunscreen, deodorant, toothpaste and soap. I decide to buy only the first two because there’s a chance that during my volunteer work I can get toothpaste and soap there; and that’s either because they have hanging around or because some guests left behind. I’m taking my time, you know, and just looking around, having fun checking items and prices, when Michael comes along. He tries to give me some money, as a good friend and caring man he is. He tells me some kind words about my journey and myself, and that’s being the reason why he wants to help me. I try to refuse at first, but then I remember my promise to Karina. As I have only these two items in my hand, and the amount that Michael is trying to give me is too high (for my standards), I tell him I can accept only half of it. It’s either half or nothing. So we come into terms.
We have some more fun shopping, looking for tofu, and then we are done. There’s so much food! Laugh. I think we all thought that it would be just some small shopping, but it turned out to be huge. My plan is to leave my items for last and then pay them with my card, but as I’m helping Michael to pack (I’m really good at packing), Francizca passes everything together. Damn it! What to do? It’s damn heavy but we manage to make back to the boat alive. Laugh.
We have some leftovers pasta for lunch, then we go back ashore for fresh veggies and fruits. Well, that’s me and Francizca, as Michael goes get some gas for the stove and some other stuff. We get many veggies and some fruits, including bread fruit. It’s so much fun! Then we start a journey looking for tofu. As we ask for information in a Duty Free shop, the most lovely expats help us. They have Chinese ascendancy, and they are speaking Chinese, but as I ask the guy where they are from, he tells me Australia but his family has been in Vanuatu for three generations. Don’t ask me. Anyway, I’m overwhelmed by their kindness on trying to help. And the guy is super cute!
We walk quite a bit but finally we get some tofu.
Curry and rice for dinner. Middle time Michael and I have some Rum and Soda. Francizca doesn’t drink alcohol. Michael play some of his funny songs, from his funny playlist. And then I dance. Laugh.
5th of September, 2025.
Happy Birthday, Francizca!
Michael serves us some sparkling drinks (almost like celebrating with Champagne), and he plays a song about happy birthday.
We have bread and eggs for breakfast. Yay! I’m having some Vietnamese coffee for the past two days, as I’m using the condensed milk which was giving to me in Fiji. Laugh. It’s very good and a bit nostalgic.
We will do a short sailing of about 4 hours towards Port Havana. Actually, we are passing it to go to a snorkeling place and then coming back there so they can drop me of.
Then, something incredible happens! When we are leaving the Marina, Michael asks me to drive the boat as he’s showing Francizca how to anchor out. He’s so amazing to let me do that. I mean, there’s loads of boats all around, yachts and ships, and he is so graceful to trust me enough to let me do that. It makes me feel pretty good about myself. And I actually like it pretty much! Way more than driving. I can’t compare.
Some pretty cool photos on our way out and then, all of sudden, dolphins! I’m not the biggest fan of dolphins, but I got say it’s pretty cool to have them around. There’s plenty of them. Luckily, Michael is fast enough to bring his GoPro and make a video of them. Not so luckily, we are not fast enough to keep the dolphins engaged, so soon enough they leave us.
After anchoring, we take some stuff and with the dinghy we go looking for a snorkeling place. As Michael forgets to bring the dinghy’s anchor, he drops us off in a beach nearby and go back to get it. Middle time, Francizca and I walk a little, and the she finds a coconut. That, eventually, would change my Vanuatu experience a lot. But I will explain it more later.
At the snorkeling spot, Michael encourages me to go into the water and do some snorkeling while still holding in the dinghy. If it wasn’t for the super strong wind, I could’ve simply worn a life-jacket, but the waves and the current is strong now. I love it anyway! I think it’s so much fun! And my favourite part is when Michael gets back to the dinghy and moves it forward while I’m still holding it. Laugh.
We stop by a nearby beach for some time, and then we go back. What a lovely day!
Our anchoring spot is by the bay. There are three other boats also anchored here. I finish opening the coconut (we started earlier using a shell, but now I’m using Francizca’s amazing Swiss knife), and Michael cracks it opened. Yummy! My jaw even starts aching but I don’t want to stop eating it. Laugh.
Yesterday night I made popcorn, and tonight Michael does it. It’s like heaven for me!
6th of September, 2025.
We have breakfast earlier than usual, and by that time we receive visitors. Last night, Francizca commented about someone called George from a catamaran anchoring there. Immediately, I think about a man called George, from Austria, with whom I’ve had a phone call, while I was in Fiji, and we talked about the possibility of sailing together. He actually sounded like a nice guy, but the sailing didn’t work out for different reasons. And now they are here, him and his son Moana. As I messaged him last night, they come over to say “hi” this morning.
Before taking me ashore, Michael gives me 4 granola bars. Yay! As I made myself an ankle bracelet while in Larabeck, and I made half of it with some line from Michael, I promise him I will also make one bracelet for him, and I will find a way for him to get, as our agenda, most likely, will not allow us to meet here in Vanuatu again. I didn’t have the time to make while in Larabeck, but also, I need to find another shell. Funnily enough, the shell of my ankle bracelet I found it on our first day walking together in the beach of Tanna.
On our way ashore, Michael tells me he cares about me as a friend, and I tell him that I care about him as a father. But I had already told him that before. It feels like we will see each other again once more. We even talked before about the chances of sailing together again. We will see what the future brings us.
10 Years Around the World 