Tribute Under Sail

Larry, a single-hander aboard 52' Tribute, was following us through the pass into Wallis Island when he lost his engine. Though somewhat daunted, he was able to remove his genoa, hoist the staysail on the forestay and raise his main, all while being subjected to 20 kt winds. He then took off like a rocket, sailed away from the lee shore and sailed the convoluted path to the anchorage.

Almost Atoll

he Iles Wallis are surrounded by a barrier reef. This is a view from Ile Uvea southeast towards Ile Faioa and the reef.

Maintenance Needed

As we approached the atoll, we strained in our binoculars to see the range described as a "grey wall" - that sits about 2 miles away on the hill of Ile Uvea . We never did see the range from the pass, so we hiked up to where it should be and even then we had a difficult time finding it!

Cathedral in Mata Utu

Mata Utu is the main village among the islands of Wallis and this pretty Catholic cathedral graced an area facing the sea.

King's Palace

This is the site of the seat of government in Wallis; the islands being administered by the Catholic bishop, the king and a government assembly. They rule, even though France infuses great sums of money into Wallis and "administers" the Uveans.

How The Normal People Live

Traditional Wallisian homes are hip roofed and with pleasant rounded side walls. We saw a few homes of similar shape at Niuatoputapu, Tonga.

Worship Gahi-Style

The anchorage at Wallis is at the village of Gahi (pronounced Nyahi in the local language), where the unique church allows the tradewinds to blow through.

Wow, Wallis

Philip and Larry took this sign as a sign they should be goofy.