October 2001 photos from my trip at Ureparapra with my sailing boat "Sapajou". The small island of Ureparapara is in the north of Vauatu, in the Banks Islands, very near from Guadalcanal.
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| Ureparapara is an old volcano, but it is possible to drop the anchor in the center of the cratere because it is open at the sea. (Probably a great explosion made a way formerly). It is difficult to see the village of "Lesereplag" in the picture because it is hide by the trees, but it is just hehind our boat. 210 people are living there. | Few time after drop the anchor, we were surround by half a dozen of canoe with men and children coming to give an Happy Welcome in there island because the visitors are uncommon. The visitors that come here arrived always by sailing boats. ( may be around twelve by a year.) They ask us if we need some things as vegetables, fruits, lobsters...; of course we said "yes". We exchanged it again hooks, fishing lines, dry cells, etc... |
The chief Nicholson welcomes us very well and was happy to show us his village which is very well kept. He wanted that we take this picture in front of the "house of the friends". We bring with us many gifts for him and for the village. We visited the village and the around. At night, we were invite to diner with the chief at his home. |
Chief Nicholson
The chief explained to us that his village was very alone and enclave in the ocean. And he will be happy to show it to the world, on Pacific Wreck Database. But they have no computer, no electricity, no phone (The phone was cut because no money), no radio, absolutely nothing. I said to him, that may be, I should help him, if he can show me an old Americain wreck in the Island of UREPARAPARA. The chief said that only one wreck was on the island, but outside, on a beach in the S/W of the island. According to chief Nicholson, we were the first to see this wreck. I hope you can help the chief Nicholson and the natives of this island who are very nice people. The ship which supply the island come 1 or 2 times in the year because the island is far from Port Vila or Luganville.Two Aircraft Wrecks
Chief Nicholson took us to the USN wreck, and said he knows another wreck on a reef near a japanese plane. We also found others unknown things, older that the WWII, but it is an other story and an other mystery to discover.
End of WWII
When the WWII was finished, the american soldiers gave many tools and gifts useful for the natives, to thanks peoples for their help. The natives are grateful still now.
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| The exhaust-pipe was in stainless and had a good sight. | We can read on a part of the exhaust-pipe the number "636" | The natives related to
us that the plane tried to land on this coral beach |
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| The plane has been attacked previously by a Japanese ship. Two U.S. observers looked the attack and the landing, from the neighbouring island of Vanua Lava. They send immediately a seaplane to rescue the passengers. The pilot died in the landing because the plane knock a big rock at the end of the landing. The others two men were alive. The natives tell me that the name of the pilote was some thing as "MACKAONE". (I am not sure of the spelling). | The first parts of the wreck were found under the coconut trees in the grass. Many boys of the nearest village of Lehali were with us. They followed us by feet or by canoe when we passed in front of their village. | Far away, near of a smoke house used for coprah, the natives show others parts of the plane and this exhaust-pipe. |
