Position           17:22.823S 167:11.660E

Date                1745 (UTC +11) Monday 13 October

                        To Wednesday 15 October

Distance run – 20.4nm over the ground, 20.7nm through the water

Time from Peterson Bay outer anchorage – 3hrs 10mins

On Sunday I Monday was a busy old day as we made our trip up to the Matevulu blue hole before we set off south for Ratua Island. I also used a single tank to start the major job of cleaning the hull; that got the front half of the hull, back to the keel but not the keel itself.

Ratua Island Resort is off the south of Aore Island

Our departure was therefore rather late in the day for the 20 miles motoring against the wind and was almost too finely judged due to failing light.  We arrived off the resort with just enough light to see the two mooring buoys provided to protect the coral and then it was very quickly very dark.  On the plus side the half clean hull appeared to give at least a half knot difference.

Ratua Island is a very up market and well-appointed resort that provides two free moorings for visiting yachts

Tuesday was a busy day as I used two further dive tanks to finish cleaning the hull.  Elizabeth went snorkelling on the excellent reef; after 3 hours hull scrapping I watched.  In the evening we celebrated our final night in Vanuatu with dinner at the Resort.

Ratua Island Resort provided an excellent buffet dinner

We were particularly fortunate to be there on a Tuesday, that being the evening when a group of dancers from the Banks Island performed their water dancing

The men provided the drumming music - ashore

The ladies and one young boy performed in the water, beating their hands in varying synchronised patterns.  Great fun and fortunately no request for audience participation

This form of dancing is unique to the Banks Islands, one of the most northerly and remote islands of Vanuatu.