Saturday 5th August 2017
Off Devils Point, Efate Island, Vanuatu
Clinic yesterday morning, although we gave the medical team a break as we didn’t start the generator until 6.10. The dentists surveyed 20 people but only pulled 4 tut. They said their teeth were generally in better condition on Ambrym, maybe less western influence.
Some of the medical staff left on a 1pm plane and some on a 3pm flight, it was a sad farewell after a couple of the most enjoyable while intense weeks together. The airstrip was walkable from the clinic although some went with their bags on the back of a ute. Nicola’s dad arrived on the earlier plane; they are joining us for the return journey to Vila.
Craig Cove is a very dusty dry place, they have water problems, as there has been little rain of late, water is carried in from a spring some distance away. The air is polluted and the ground is dusty from the volcanoes. It is interesting and a bit different from the other islands we have been to. Where we brought the dinghy in there was a pen with pigs in it, right on the beach. Women and children were among the rocks on the waterfront doing their washing. When we first anchored we could see all these colourful things on the rocks, turns out it was their clothes drying.
By 3.30 the clinic was all packed up and Chimere was ready to set sail. We pointed toward the island of Efate, into a 15 knot breeze about 40 degrees to port with a mild sea running. A beautiful mild night with a near full moon giving us plenty of light. A cruise ship passed us about two hours ago. We have nine aboard for the the trip back, our four sailing crew, Nicola and her dad Peter, Bob, Dick the optometrist and Sam the dentist.
It is now 7am and we are just off Devils Point with a couple hours to go. It has been a very pleasant night, although Perkins has done a fair bit of work. Turns out it has been my phone not getting internet, so I am off to TVL once we get Chimere settled in to Port Vila. Hopefully we will get some photos through today. [Check out both Mission 2 and Vanuatu Life galleries]
Fair winds, smooth seas and Port Vila bound
Phil Wicks
Nice photos