It's Sunday. We always go sailing on Sunday. Ever since Neal and I have had access to a boat, a Sunday sail has been our family tradition. We used to have to bribe the kids with candy to go out with us, then they started to suggest it. Now we just kind of crave a sail if it has been a while. As Charlie Schneider used to say, "it cleans out the cobwebs".
So today we are sailing, but it is a Sunday like no other before! Mt. Yasur is behind us belching smoke and ash. If it were dark we would be able to see the red glow of it's magma belly. Erromango (land of mango) Island is ahead and beckoning us forward. The ocean is a sapphire blue with a temp is 75 degrees. The sky is cornflower blue with wisps of white clouds, the air a delightful 71 degrees. We have 15 knots of breeze on the starboard quarter. Rutea balances between sea and sky as if she needs no advice from me or Neal.
Tomorrow is Neal's birthday.... I must admit I am a bit panicked because I have nothing, I do mean Nothing, for him! We will spend part of the day visiting the Port Navrin school that we are delivering school supplies to and then maybe snorkel the reef. I think I can pull enough stuff together for a dinner to which we can invite Sarah Jean II and Merkava and share our few remaining Fiji Bitter beers. I ask him one more time- what would you like to do for your birthday?
This. This is all I want for my birthday is Neal's reply. Just this beautiful Sunday sail.
Oh yeah.... Neal just caught a Yellow Tail!
R of Rutea
19.07.66 South
169.24.8 East
Vanuatu Archipelago
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At 9/27/2012 9:29 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 19°31.48'S 169°29.79'E
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