We had a good trip sailing from Port Vila to Port Moresby, averaging about 7 knots for the 1500nm passage. Now we're taking a break and doing some repairs and maintenance to get ready for the next part of our journey to Kupang. The check-in process was super easy. We just dropped anchor outside the marina and the officials came to us. They filled out most of the forms for us and didn't ask us any silly questions like "did anyone catch the plague on board?" or "how many stowaways are you hiding?". They were friendly and professional, and even gave us some tips on where to go and what to see in port Moresby. Which is "nothing or you'll get your head smashed in and robbed".
Port Moresby is probably a bit like Chicago of the south pacific and I was a little concerned about coming here. I've just seen a headline;
We explore the violent underbelly of Port Moresby, one of the most dangerous cities in the world".
I'm pleased I didn't see earlier. Oh. It can't be as bad as the marina in the Philippines we were in where 4 people were kidnapped from and bombs would go off on the city.
But the marina complex and neighbourhood is secure and there's 2 big supermarkets right next door. But I'm even more motivated to leave now than I was yesterday.
The highly offensive metaphors about people of the sea like delivery skippers, such as 'spending money like a drunken sailor,' that while they may be based on some truth, there's no need to keep going on about it. These metaphors are now a thing of the past, as we can't afford to take the chance of getting COVID at sea. So, I'm going to have to do my best to keep Rhona under control.
This is a blog about delivering yachts, not staying in ports. So I have some free time until we set sail next week. Maybe I'll find something else to write about besides the wind and sea. They're nice and all, but sometimes its a bit of a struggle to come up with something.
