Thu 30 July, 7:27 PM (En route to Luganville, Santo)
Loh Island clinic, conducted yesterday, was the last for the current team and the last for this “season” of work. The first was way back in May, when fresh from our sail across the Tasman we met the first team on the island of Tanna, about 800km south of here.
With the medical team flying out of Loh tomorrow, our work in providing medical transport has come to an end. Our sights are now set on returning to Port Vila and from there to Sydney – hopefully by the end of August or the first week of September.
At the moment we are a bit over half way down the west coast of the island of Espiritu Santo, having set off from Loh just on 24 hours ago. We’ve so far done around 125 miles and by morning should be heading up the Segond Channel on approach to Luganville. It is here that Chris and Jo will leave us and where my brother and joint owner of Chimere, Andrew, will join Terrence, Mike and I for the sail south to Pt Vila.
We plan to be in Pt Vila for 6 August, where we will once again take a berth at the Waterfront. It is here that we will meet up with family and friends who’ve taken up the 7 day Pt Vila holiday package. (There’s also something about a 50th birthday on the 9th, but planning hasn’t extended that far – yet)
In Luganville (also known as Santo) we need to do a few repair jobs, in particular the switch to the anchor winch. We’re also down to our last few drums of water, so any thoughts of washing will need to remain just thoughts for at least another 12 hours.
The weather of the last 24 hours has been “brisk”, “calm”, “lumpy” and many other words beside. Basically it’s a case of us heading south, while the prevailing wind is heading kind of north.
In closing for tonight, I’d really like to thank the crews who have sailed Chimere over the past 3 months, including Graeme who will fly out of Loh with the medical team tomorrow and Bob, who took charge so wonderfully in June while I spent time at home in Melbourne. Details of the crew can be found on the website. Also a special thank you to Simon, the German backpacker we took aboard in Santo. Simon left us in Sola (Vanualava) and was inducted as an MSM team member, complete with shirt, which he managed to dirty in quick time just like the rest of us. All the best for the future Simon.
Well done to the medical volunteers and the local Ni-van team, led by Richard Tatwin. You do a wonderful job, sometimes under extremely testing conditions. To Don and Meg Macraild, for your energy and driving force, again well done.
To those who’ve been following the website, a big thank you. We will continue to post the Ship’s Log, right up until we enter Sydney Harbour. To the supportive families behind the work being carried out, in particular my darling wife Linda and two boys, Matt and James – thank you and lots of love.
To those at Nth Ringwood Uniting Church – thank you for your continued support and to Liz, who’s taken on the task of webmaster while Mike’s onboard – thank you for the job you’re doing.
Look out for the new photos which should be going up on the web in the next few days.
In reading through the above, it sounds like the circus tent has been pulled down and everyone’s leaving town, that’s not the case, but the vital stage of providing medical transport is at an end, and we enter the final stage of the return voyage; which we trust and pray will be as routine as the voyage over here in early May.
Smooth sea, fair breeze and well done to all
Rob
Hi Rob & Chimere,
Medical Team (3&4) arrived safely in Villa. Glad to hear you survived the rough weather coming down to Santo. Richard has relayed his recent dinghy experience!
You all deserve a well-earned rest for a few days.
Smooth seas, fair breeze, and lots of ‘zees’
PS: Will send post of our last day’s events later today.
Email offer of free mooring from Yachting World in Pt Vila
Hello Rob – yes – of course – if available – you will always have a space on our sea-wall for free !!! We at Yachting World are very happy with what you are doing with the Medicos around the islands – and would like to give our support . If a sea-wall is not available – then you will always have a Mooring
in the Harbour. Please call us on VHF Ch 16 on your approach to Quarantine Buoy – Ýachting World “and ask Lemara for our boys to assist you on to our sea-wall Marina. Many thanks – and hope your stay with us will be an enjoyable one.
Best regards – Elsie – YW
After following the log of the Northern ‘tour of duty’ I must say that I’m glad to have been part of the earlier episodes. I did feel that the third one would be more difficult, and it sounds as if this was the case. Glad to hear that you’re all well, that you’re back at the Beachfront (‘Tuskertown’), and the medical teams were so successful. Enjoy a well earned rest before the Vila Party!!
BB
Hi Bob,
great to hear from you and to hear you’ve been following the Mini-series. I must confess, some of the places we took Chimere and landed people and boxes using the dinghy, if I saw it on TV I’d say … “I’d never try that with my boat?!”
But it was good to take aboard local Ni-van guides as we went around, they were a great help, and a lot of fun – although they were probably thinking secretly … “I wouldn’t be doing this with my boat!.
Many thanks
Rob