It is time to take the Vaka Hop’e out of the water for some TLC and some rest. I’m leaving the Solomon Islands in October, but there’s a massive shift within YWAM Solomons in September, and everything needs to be finished by then. To help us take the boat up, Matthew from Australia has come […]
The end of a chapter
We’re about to take the Vaka Hop’e out of the water after 6 months of service. I have felt depressed over the last couple of weeks and I think my mood reflects the mood of the Vaka Hop’e. For the past few weeks, she has been sitting in the water, nobody sailing her or taking […]
Massiv milestein!
I skrivende stund sitter eg på land mens Vaka Hop’e er ute på tokt … uten meg! Billy har tatt Vaka Hop’e ut på ein 5-6 dagers tur til Gizo sammen med et mannskap på 3 andre fra Salomonøyene. Eg har offisielt gitt videre båten, og det føles heilt uvirkelig. For et par uker siden […]
Sailing to Honiara
After one month in and around Munda, it was time to set sail for Honiara. The reason being that the main base of YWAM is there, and we wanted to celebrate and invite people into the vision of the Vaka Hop’e. Mark and Mary with their 4 children had just returned from a furlough in […]
Vaka Hop’e Press Release
Vaka Hop’e arrived in Munda on the 17th of May after sailing for 3 months over 2900 nautical miles from the Philippines. The delivery was done by five YWAM (Youth With A Mission) volunteers, where two were from the Solomon Islands. Sammy Tafoa Gapu (Makira/Malaita) sailed with the Vaka Hop’e all the way from the […]
Vi greide det!
Etter 103 dager til sjøs og 2850 nautiske mil nådde vi endelig målet for reisen – Munda i Salomonøyene. Vi kom frem på selveste 17. mai og det norske flagget var heist i masten, like under flagget til Salomonøyene. Alle fire som satte ut fra Filippinene kom fram like heile, og vi hadde faktisk vokst […]
Lost at sea
It feels so good to enter the safe harbor at Taro after battling howling wind and massive waves in pitch darkness for the last few hours. I am shaking with adrenalin and from the cold of the rain and the wind. But we’re so happy to be here! Not only have we arrived in the […]
We caught a giant sailfish!
We had a detour to Kimbe in West New Britain to meet with a boat builder who has shown a big interest in our voyage. It was so cool to meet someone passionate about building boats and with tons of experience. While in Kimbe, we discovered the area is famous for fishing and the shops […]
Finding fuel on a remote island
The winds have turned against us, and with it the currents too. I wrote about our sail out of Madang in Winds are changing, where we were fighting the conditions at the cost of our fuel reserve. Using our last drops of fuel, we barely make it to Unea Island, not sure if we would […]
Winds are changing
This voyage was always a race against time. The right weather window to sail to the Solomon Islands ends in May, that’s what they say. The northwest monsoon gives way for the southeast monsoon in the southern hemisphere sometime between April and May. March to April is the transition period where light winds are prevalent. […]