2017 Mission 4

Good from any angle - himere out front of the Waterfront Bar & Grill

Australian war ship anchors well out and begins providing assistance to the Ambae volcano evacuees up north

Back at the waterfront

Last farewell Melanesian Hotel

Mercifully calm seas and wind from the east

Leaving Luganville3

There is no polite way to eat a mango - but they are worth it

Finally washing day for rob

Receiving thanks from the maritime police

Island trader only its mother could love loading people and belongings

Chimere at Lolawai with patrol boat in background

Leaving Luganville

This cruise ship seems to be following us

Lazy morning moored off Aore island

Re-watering at Luganville wharf

Baz finds serenity

Port olry treehouse bungalows

Port olry beach

Deb & Martin meet tree-bungalow manager Angelique and daughter Port Olry

Rob Saying goodbye to the Five Amigos in Port Olry

Dont always trust the chart plotter

Barry and five amigos

Co-owner Barry arrives to join Chimere at Sola for the sail south to port vil

Matt Jeremy Graeme & Barry fly out of Sola

The 5 NiVan Amigos

Wellan does last minute extraction on the foredeck

Some father son bonding

Team Mission 4 - the after shot

Last patient- wellan operates on foredeck Vureus bay Vanualava

Waterfall bay - Hard to leave

Medical class for whole village

All the village with their toothbrushes and soap at Dives Bay

Waiting to load the dinghy at Dives Bay to go back to Chimere

Sailing towards Ureparapara

3kg salmon caught en route

Village at Dives Bay

Jay hard at work

Cathy being superwoman

Two storey house under construction

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IceAge 1&2 come to Ureparapara

Saying goodbye at Ureparapara

More from the Ureparapara clinic5

More from the Ureparapara clinic4

More from the Ureparapara clinic3

More from the Ureparapara clinic2

More from the Ureparapara clinic1

Greeting the day after some time below feeling a bit poorly

Jay relaxes on fish-watch

Matt with last nights leftover pizza-yum

Martin - it was an early start again

In the distance Ureparapara is a regular cloud catcher

Take me back to Ureparapara

Wind from behind it's a straight course to Ureparapara

Pakon at the helm

All sails up bound for Ureparapara

Oral Health Survey participants

Fixing two of three leaking pipes at the Sola hospital

Light in pharmacy at hospital

Matt (senior) worked on the hospital lights

Fixing the pipe leak at the Sola hospital

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First we had to poke a broomstick up the live pipe so as to repair tap

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Supermarket Sola

Buy digicel phone credit at a Sola store

Japheth Bob and Jay all set for work tomorrow

Midwife Liane in the delivery room

Arriving at Sola

Deb at the wheel

Man Mango Madness

Very pleased to receive stoles made by Yvonne from north ringwood uc

How many can you fit in a dinghy

BBQ on beach last night

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Survey underway at Namasari

Stairs fixed by msm in both 2009 and 2013

Lakona Bay sunset

Successful trawling on the way to Sola

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Its hard work being captain - well deserved nap

Tuna for dinner tonight

Tolav village nakamal

Matt x 2 discover where the problem is

Welcome pamplemouse break

Good dentists are hard to find in Tolav so Jeremy checks his own teeth

Namasari clinic

Let there be power

Bob picking pamplemouse

Sailing into Lakona Bay late afternoon

Nurse Cathy finds a patient aboard

Nurse Cathy finds a patient aboard

Leaving Merelava

Had to bypass tiny Merig island as it was too rough to call in to drop off med supplies

Arriving at Gaua

NE Gaua Namasari village

Last night at Lakona Bay West Gaua

Father Levi Sandy and wife Lynette

A great worker for his community

And a friend from our 2013 visit

Annette Vincent enjoying the perfect sail around north coast of Gaua

Every ship needs one of these

After a big day at the clinic

Jay set up ready in Tasmat village

Richard doing triage

Deb just loves the babies

Parkon and Bob at Tasmat

Jeremy and Graham working at Tasmat

Tasmat children

Mere lava anchorage

Matt doing his best for team MSM against some very experienced locals

Taking the plunge

Nasawa village Maewo island.

Most of the team at Nasawa Maewo island

And There is no easy way to find a mango - Annette has go

The med team at guest house where we will stay overnight in Naravorovoro

Keith our host at guest house

Naravorovoro bay

Nasawa hospital

Rob and children

Jay doing optometry

Miserable wet day working at Lolowai Hospital today

Rain right down on the hills

Graeme at work scrubbing hull

Keeping the medical team dry near Lolawai Ambae Island

Martin Rob Jeremy unloading at Lolowai

Setting up clinic

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Arrival at Lolawai Ambae

It's a cure for seasickness -Yeh right

Its a cure for seasickness - Yeah right

most are sensibility still in their bunks with the anchor up at 5.45am

15 on board for the first hop to Lolawai on Ambae

Saying goodbye to Luganville - at least for the next 2 weeks

takes violin lessons from Matt

Gordy a young man we met on the beach

Fish head soup will probably make it onto the menu in time

Waving goodbye to our new Dutch friends

Yes we found more chocolate

Something fishy down there

Chip & crack are surrounded

Breaking into Mission 4s food stash

Robert!! You pull me ankles if my tummy slips ya

The Prop brake saga

Very still sunrise over the back rail -Luganville

Deep Boel & Mallika Kokke

One final check before I go

Ship's dentist Barry does extraction for Dutch yachtswoman2

Hey guys just had an idea

Were leaving on a jet plane

its a big boat all on your lonesome - now where did Mark stow the jam

Ship's dentist Barry does extraction for Dutch yachtswoman

If you are gonna have a car wash then the only sort is the educated sort.

National Oral Health Survey set up shop at the municipal offices next to the Luganville market

Unloading the 27 boxes of medical stuff1

Time to think on other things

delivering very heavy Ministry of health boxes

After breaking the prop shaft on his boat Trinity Castle

Ken Short awaits parts on the Luganville slipway

Im sure I saw this boat in the film Life of Pi but there was no tiger in sight so it can't be the one

Unloading the 27 boxes of medical stuff3

Unloading the 27 boxes of medical stuff2

Tidiness is the Mark of a man

Skipper Jon assists Mark prepare Thai Green Curry

local market Luganville

Bob Barry and Annette set up there

Mark and Bob lift a load of dental Survey equipment into the dinghy in Luganville

Barry Stewart - Annette Vincent arriving in Luganville

A small piece of Vanuatu in the sky

Tut Doctor Barry back for more in Mission 4

The muffin man goes back to Vanuatu Mission 4

A donation to Medical Sailing Ministries will directly support local Vanuatu people (Ni-Vans) in learning and spreading a positive oral health message; as well as delivering appropriate forms of dental treatment. Medical Sailing Ministries aims to assist medical and dental teams to reach all corners of the country, comprising as it does, over 80 islands spread more than 800km north to south. We would greatly appreciate any donation you might be able to make, either by cheque, or bank transfer.

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(Note: Donations to MSM are now ATO tax deductible)