When we dropped the hook on Saturday in the Lenakel Bay of Tanna Island the sea was almost dead flat. It was glassy with few small wavelets. I could see our anchor chain at 11 m down on the sea bottom

We could not make inbound clearance because it was Saturday.

On Sunday however, the wind increased from SSE – SE and it got a bit rolly even on MaRe. The American monohull rolled already heavily.

Despite the rolling, at MaRe’s bow I could do my fitness training.

During the day, I worked on some long emails, and did a few small things. Writing on my mobile got a more and more difficult because the rolling increased. It became rolling for us on our catamaran because wind and wave direction where almost 90 deg to each other.

During the day, especially during the night the wind increased so much that the superwind turbine not only covered the power needed for fridges, lights, and internet, but net charged the service batteries.

On Mondays morning it really was rolly. Waves as high as meter were normal. Some where even a bit higher.

Around 0900 we got the expected VHF call from Biosecurity & Immigration Center. They asked us to come ashore for clearance procedure. “Don’t they see the waves?” I thought by myself m

OK. They are running the show.

Most difficult preparation was the tender. From the passage from Fiji to Vanuatu, the outboard motor was still on it’s support in the cockpit. Getting the tender in the water in today’s waves is already a challenge. Attaching the outboard motor is no fun anymore and only possible because I developed my technique to use the STB davit as a crane.

I was lucky and got the outboard motor quickly on the transom of the tender and released the ‘crane’ line.

With all documents safely in watertight bags, we drove over towards the shore. The closer I came, the more I understood that this is ‘Mission Impossible’.

Although they showed us where to go at the beach, I did not want to go there. I considered it as too risky and turned around and went back to MaRe. A fast as possible we pulled the tender out of the water and waves.

Via VHF we communicated with the officers at land and agreed for clearance when the waves are down.

For tomorrow the wind is supposed to get get down and turn to ESE. I just hope the waves turn fast enough and the big reef in front of us protects us from the waves.

For the still long rest of the day. Tobi tried to get his PC charging, and I worked on emails. Among the emails, where the once to get permission into Guam and Saipan. I wonder if I get permission with my Cuban stamp on my passport although I have a US B1/B2 visa.

Confined in the MaRe. On Saturday confined by law, today confined by the waves.

What will be tomorrow?