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07/24/2008: "Tough day at the office"

Location: Reef Islands, Banks group, Vanuatu. Job: repair a rubbing point on the dinghy base where three years of dragging it up the sand had thinned the fibreglass. The volvanic island of Ureparapara nestles on the horizon.
Chaotic Harmony left Luganville for the Banks islands and sailed on a beam reach to Guau, VanuaLava, Ra and Motulava. We carried Father Luke and a friend from Santo to Ra where he was stranded because the island group had not had a trade ship in many months and had run out of fuel - and food except for what they could grow. We crossed to Ra and sought anchorage on Motulava awaiting a calm day to sail back to Ra to see the Snake Kustom dance. No such luck as it was windy for three days and on the fourth we decided to go downwind to the Reef Island, Vanuatu's only true coral attols. We spent four glorious days at these unihabited islands, snorkelled with devil rays and a fin whale, explored and beachcombed. We were joined by a French Yacht for a few days and the evening sunset drinks were times to solve the problems of the world.