July 15, 2024
SO CLOSE !!!
We are so close to finally being able to embark the ship and sail away on our maiden voyage. The rudders should be fully replaced and functional by the end of this week, allowing them to flood the drydock in Belfast and float our lovely patiently waiting Ship. Then we just have to pass the various coast guard and agency drills and inspections and we are good to embark and sail away. Right now that date is targeted at July 27th to 30th (update*). Below is a video showing the intricacies of machining these rudder connections.
* Thanks so much to faithful readers - who caught my date mistake above June corrected now to July! (Thanks Joan - love how vested you are in my journey!!)
Next we were at Eden on the River , for a little nature walk and a swim in the cool refreshing water. This place was great with giant rocks to slide down, inter-tubes for floating and rope bridges to climb. All set in this gorgeous park with tons of flowers & fauna.
We crammed a lot of touring into this day! We did a giant loop around whole island and though it is not a large, the roads are not great. Our driver and guide were very informative and friendly and we had lots of laughs and lively conversation in the van. Would recommend Yumi tours, especially Phillip! We started in Port Vila and went counter clockwise around the coastal area.
Champagne Beach , on the island of Santo, Solomon Islands has to be on the list of top 10 beaches in the World! Oddly, we had it all to ourselves on Monday, November 24th! Below are drone shots by another resident that show the spectacular blue water and powdery white sand!