Today was a busy day running against the clock to move from that bloody anchorage. It has been 2 nights without much sleep as the swells against the tide make that anchorage very rolly.Anyway this morning it was time for Gina and Alex to say goodbye and Andrew dropped them at the Beach Resort just before 7am for them to catch the taxi to the airport. We were hopping for a dryer day but the rain didn’t agree and we had to lend Alex and Gina some wet weather gear to go to the beach in the dinghy. We cannot thank them enough for their positive attitude during their time with us as the weather hasn’t been great during their stay.After they departed we went back ashore with the laundry. The resort did our laundry for us while we went into town to get a few things to restock Imagine.As soon as the laundry was ready we hauled anchor and set sail to a more protected bay around the corner.To get There we had to pass Million Dollar Point. It dosent look like much on the surface but below the water lie millions of dollars worth of goods dumped by the Americans at the end of WWII.
Million Dollar Point
After WWII the British and French colonizers thought the Americans would leave their goods behind, for using their island as a military base.To spite the British and French, the military made the rash decision to drive all of the vehicles, food, clothing, drinks, and other equipment to a wharf on the southern coast of the island. The army then drove all of the vehicles into the sea, used bulldozers to dump the rest of the supplies over the wharf, before also driving the bulldozers into the sea, ensuring that the European countries would not be able to get their hands on the items at all, free or otherwise. As a result of the dumping, the waters were contaminated with fuel, rubber, metal and other waste, leaving the local Vanuatuans shocked at the carnage, though they salvaged what they could once the Americans had finally departed. Today, you can make your way to Million Dollar Point and take a snorkel or scuba dive through the wreckage, should you desire to swim through this odd memorial to political spite.
Grazie mille!! It was such a pleasure meeting you guys and share this experience with you!! We cannot thank you enough for those precious moments!! See you soon and raise a glass of wine for us too on your next evening Wine time!! ⛵️🍷
A bientôt !!
Gina and Alex