Great news for cruisers wanting a place to stay on the West coast of Tanna! Just 5 miles North of Lenakel, the capital, the Tanna Evergreen Bungalows has installed 2 yacht moorings in White Grass Cove this June 2006. Sam & Merian, the managers, wanted to welcome yachts to their family resort and decided to finance 2 yacht moorings in front of their resort. Knowing the bad reputation of Lenakel harbour due to a very uncomfortable swell during SE winds, this is good news. In NE winds, Port Resolution is quite rolly also. Local cargo boat anchor in Black Sands but that area is far away from anywhere! Coming from Port Vila it is also easier to get on the West coast than the East Coast.

From White Grass Cove, it takes only 15 min by car to go to Lenakel to clear in/out. Bar, restaurant, laundry, internet access are services offered. All-inclusive tours can be booked: Mt Yasur volcano, the blue cave pool, waterfall, custom village and more can be arranged here. Also, since the local bank doesn’t give cash advance on credit cards, they will give you cash advances and let you pay by cc.

While the anchorage is more protected than Lenakel, you may roll a bit if the swell comes from the S, SW to NW. There are only 2 moorings at this time but a third one may be installed later if many cruisers visit. There is no place to anchor as the cove is fairly small and the bottom about 60-70 ft deep (that’s why moorings were placed). Note that the Black Sand Beach anchorage is only 4 miles North of here if all moorings are taken. Moorings are complimentary for patrons.

One note of caution is that dinghy landing is not very easy at this time due to tidal differences. There is a flat coral plateau in front of the resort that uncovers at low tide. A small boat channel is being planned in the very near future to solve that difficulty. It is always possible to beach the dinghy about 500m away at mid to high tide.

Directions to enter the Cove:

Coming from Lenakel in the South or from the North, you just stay at a safe distance offshore until about S19d26’406-E169d12’979. From there you go to S19d26’485-E169d13’217 situated midway between the coastal reef on your port and an isolated blind breaker reef to starboard. Moorings are situated at S19d26’589-E169d13’277. The isolated blind breaker was marked on North and South edges by Red hard plastic buoys. Pickup lines of moorings have yellow foam floats.

Enjoy Tanna!

Luc & Jackie on s/v Sloepmouche – June 06′