It was great to meet again many of the cruisers with whom we have spent time in Fiji but there becomes a time when we want to get home and back to a "normal" life. We had been watching the weather for a window to sail down the coast but with South Easterlies predicted we were reticent to head out. However Tony was itching to get back to his neglected clients and we made the decision on Saturday to head to Auckland.
It makes me wonder how we can travel around the Pacific and always have head winds. But that is the way it is. Even though North-Westerly winds were predicted, we still sailed South in to head winds. It was an extremely brisk sail with large rolly waves. We were pleased to arrive at Tutakaka that night and have a good sleep. Then the next morning we headed out to an Easterly wind of 25-30knots for our sail to Kawau Island. This was again a fairly rough sail but we were greeted by a pod of dolphins and thousands of sea birds. We arrived at Bon Accord Harbour, Kawau Island at about 3PM, had a quiet drink and early sleep. These long sails are very tiring.
At present we are just north of Ragitoto Light, having a quiet beam reach sail for a change. We shall berth at Westhaven and then start the big clean up. The boat is absolutely covered in salt crystals.
It has been another successful cruise but we are pleased to be home.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The long trip home
We went in to Lautoka on Monday and returned our Internet Vodem. We were surprised to see that all the Indian women and little girls were dressed in the most beautiful Saris and glittery shoes. The clothes were all colours of the rainbow. The people were all preparing for the festival of Diwali, which is the festival of lights, similar to New Year for the Indian people. We were lucky enough to hitch a lift in to town with a very pleasant Indian man, who actually invited us to his home for the festival the next day, and he explained the meaning to us. Unfortunately we were not able to take him up on his offer because we ended up leaving before that.
We finally had the go ahead from Commander to leave Fiji on Wednesday 29 October. So even though Tuesday was a public holiday we decided to pay the overtime rates and clear customs on that day. While Tony took the taxi to Lautoka to clear, I was madly sorting out the last few jobs, which needed to be done before we left. He returned to the boat at about 11AM and we set sail for Momi Bay where we intended to stay the night and leave the next morning. However when we arrived there at about 2PM we found that an on shore breeze had set in, which would not have made for a comfortable night's anchorage. Therefore, after a very brief discussion we chose to leave immediately and head out of Navula Passage and south to New Zealand. We are very pleased that we made that decision because boats that did end up leaving later got caught in bad weather close to NZ.
Our trip, although uncomfortable and very tiring was actually quite reasonable. Of course, it did not come without challenges. We each did three-hour watches from 7PM until 7AM. Tony took the 7-10PM and the 1-4AM watches and I took the 10-1AM and 4-7AM. This seemed to work for us except we then had, what I called, the 10 o’clock syndrome. This occurred every night except one. Something always went wrong at that time just after Tony had gone to bed. Usually we had an increase in wind speed and direction, but sometimes it happened to be the instruments that went crazy for no apparent reason. A couple of times the auto helm decided to run amok. Then the sails would back and all hell would be let loose. However we would eventually sort out the problems and things would settle down. But it did not make relaxing easy.
We were able to keep up to date with the positions of other yachts in the area by listening in to Des’ radio sked, morning and night. Over 6 ½ days off shore we did not see any other yacht, ship or plane until the last night when we all were starting to converge for the sail in to the Bay of Islands. That night we saw the lights of three other yachts. It was very hard to sleep that last night because we were excited about coming home. Also the wind and waves had started to increase ahead of the oncoming low-pressure system. We were very pleased to see the welcome sight of the Cavalli Islands and next to clear the Nine Pin. We then knew we were home.
On the radio we heard that there were 15 boats at Opua waiting to clear Customs and that there was no room at the wharf. It seemed like a good move to slow down, sort out the boat and have a well-earned hot shower. What luxury! Tony finished his shower just as we pulled up at the quarantine wharf.
We did not have to wait long before we were boarded by first Customs and next bio-security. No problems there except that they took any items which could be grown, e.g. chickpeas etc. Not a lot and we were soon on our way to the Marina for a well-earned rest.
While sailing in to the bay we received a phone call from our good friends Wendy and Warren who informed us that they would meet us at the pier with fresh bread, tomatoes and bananas. That was a real treat and they assisted us with our lines and making the boat fast on the marina. They stayed for about two hours and then left us to rest. It was really great to be welcomed home and such a surprise.
The last few days have been a blur with us sorting out bits and pieces and doing heaps of laundry etc. We have also enjoyed dinner at the Opua Cruising Club each night. The meals are reasonably priced, $10-12 each and the company is great.
We finally had the go ahead from Commander to leave Fiji on Wednesday 29 October. So even though Tuesday was a public holiday we decided to pay the overtime rates and clear customs on that day. While Tony took the taxi to Lautoka to clear, I was madly sorting out the last few jobs, which needed to be done before we left. He returned to the boat at about 11AM and we set sail for Momi Bay where we intended to stay the night and leave the next morning. However when we arrived there at about 2PM we found that an on shore breeze had set in, which would not have made for a comfortable night's anchorage. Therefore, after a very brief discussion we chose to leave immediately and head out of Navula Passage and south to New Zealand. We are very pleased that we made that decision because boats that did end up leaving later got caught in bad weather close to NZ.
Our trip, although uncomfortable and very tiring was actually quite reasonable. Of course, it did not come without challenges. We each did three-hour watches from 7PM until 7AM. Tony took the 7-10PM and the 1-4AM watches and I took the 10-1AM and 4-7AM. This seemed to work for us except we then had, what I called, the 10 o’clock syndrome. This occurred every night except one. Something always went wrong at that time just after Tony had gone to bed. Usually we had an increase in wind speed and direction, but sometimes it happened to be the instruments that went crazy for no apparent reason. A couple of times the auto helm decided to run amok. Then the sails would back and all hell would be let loose. However we would eventually sort out the problems and things would settle down. But it did not make relaxing easy.
We were able to keep up to date with the positions of other yachts in the area by listening in to Des’ radio sked, morning and night. Over 6 ½ days off shore we did not see any other yacht, ship or plane until the last night when we all were starting to converge for the sail in to the Bay of Islands. That night we saw the lights of three other yachts. It was very hard to sleep that last night because we were excited about coming home. Also the wind and waves had started to increase ahead of the oncoming low-pressure system. We were very pleased to see the welcome sight of the Cavalli Islands and next to clear the Nine Pin. We then knew we were home.
On the radio we heard that there were 15 boats at Opua waiting to clear Customs and that there was no room at the wharf. It seemed like a good move to slow down, sort out the boat and have a well-earned hot shower. What luxury! Tony finished his shower just as we pulled up at the quarantine wharf.
We did not have to wait long before we were boarded by first Customs and next bio-security. No problems there except that they took any items which could be grown, e.g. chickpeas etc. Not a lot and we were soon on our way to the Marina for a well-earned rest.
While sailing in to the bay we received a phone call from our good friends Wendy and Warren who informed us that they would meet us at the pier with fresh bread, tomatoes and bananas. That was a real treat and they assisted us with our lines and making the boat fast on the marina. They stayed for about two hours and then left us to rest. It was really great to be welcomed home and such a surprise.
The last few days have been a blur with us sorting out bits and pieces and doing heaps of laundry etc. We have also enjoyed dinner at the Opua Cruising Club each night. The meals are reasonably priced, $10-12 each and the company is great.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
It is too hot
"It is Too Hot!
This is a saying that we are banned from using on Windspirit but is certainly true this time. Inside the boat with all fans running, hatches open and wind scoops in place it is 30C. It is even hotter outside. We are trying to keep out of the sun as it is a scorcher. If visiting Fiji, we would not recommend doing so at this time of the year. We just want to leave but every day we get an email from Commander saying "Delay your trip". This is followed by all the reasons. It seems that NZ is still getting bad winter or at least the Pacific Ocean between Fiji and NZ is getting it. At this stage it looks like we may get away on Sunday or Monday. But we will have to keep watch.
Yesterday I went to get us a banana from the fruit bowl and found they had all been pecked. The bowl is in the side cabin and we had not noticed that the bulbul birds had been sneaking in the window there and helping themselves. I put the insect screen in to the window to stop them entering and later Tony went down in to the main saloon to find a bird had flown in the front hatch to get more food. They really are cheeky little devils. It is far to hot to leave the screens in place all the time.
This morning we woke early and before breakfast decided to head out in the dinghy to the sandbar for a snorkel. It was low tide at 7AM. We had a wonderful time as none of the other tourists had risen so early. The number and variety of fish is astounding. We even saw a stingray swimming around but he soon disappeared. The colours of the coral are so beautiful. We had the place to ourselves for over an hour before the tourist boats arrived and by that time we were tired and hungry. So we motored back to Windspirit for eggs on toast.
We had a very pleasant evening the other night as we decided to shout ourselves dinner out at the Restaurant at Musket Cove. After dinner we took what was left of our wine and sat in the lounge and listened to the band. We may do that again tonight after dinner on the boat.
Tomorrow we plan on leaving here and heading back to Saweni Bay which is close to Lautoka. We are running out of fresh fruit and veg's and so want to go to the market on Saturday. Then when we decide to leave Fiji it will be only a short trip to clear customs and head south.
This will probably be the last blog we will do until our return to NZ. We need to return our internet modem to Telecom Fiji for our refund.
This is a saying that we are banned from using on Windspirit but is certainly true this time. Inside the boat with all fans running, hatches open and wind scoops in place it is 30C. It is even hotter outside. We are trying to keep out of the sun as it is a scorcher. If visiting Fiji, we would not recommend doing so at this time of the year. We just want to leave but every day we get an email from Commander saying "Delay your trip". This is followed by all the reasons. It seems that NZ is still getting bad winter or at least the Pacific Ocean between Fiji and NZ is getting it. At this stage it looks like we may get away on Sunday or Monday. But we will have to keep watch.
Bulbul Bird
Yesterday I went to get us a banana from the fruit bowl and found they had all been pecked. The bowl is in the side cabin and we had not noticed that the bulbul birds had been sneaking in the window there and helping themselves. I put the insect screen in to the window to stop them entering and later Tony went down in to the main saloon to find a bird had flown in the front hatch to get more food. They really are cheeky little devils. It is far to hot to leave the screens in place all the time.This morning we woke early and before breakfast decided to head out in the dinghy to the sandbar for a snorkel. It was low tide at 7AM. We had a wonderful time as none of the other tourists had risen so early. The number and variety of fish is astounding. We even saw a stingray swimming around but he soon disappeared. The colours of the coral are so beautiful. We had the place to ourselves for over an hour before the tourist boats arrived and by that time we were tired and hungry. So we motored back to Windspirit for eggs on toast.
We had a very pleasant evening the other night as we decided to shout ourselves dinner out at the Restaurant at Musket Cove. After dinner we took what was left of our wine and sat in the lounge and listened to the band. We may do that again tonight after dinner on the boat.
Tomorrow we plan on leaving here and heading back to Saweni Bay which is close to Lautoka. We are running out of fresh fruit and veg's and so want to go to the market on Saturday. Then when we decide to leave Fiji it will be only a short trip to clear customs and head south.
This will probably be the last blog we will do until our return to NZ. We need to return our internet modem to Telecom Fiji for our refund.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Waiting Game
Over the last few days we have steadily been going through the boat and checking on storage and organising things for the trip home. All the crockery is safely stored and pots and pans stacked so that they don't crash about. We have attached the trysail to the mast so that it can be easily raised in storm conditions (which we don't want). Now it is just a matter of waiting and checking weather updates for a suitable day to leave. The idea is that we look for a large anticyclone over western Australia which will slowly move towards New Zealand and bring good weather and fair winds. We looked at the seven day forecast yesterday and if we had left then we would have received 35-40 knot SW winds just north of NZ. That, we do not want. So now we will keep checking and hope we make the right call when the time comes. Among other internet options we are using the guidance of an American company, Commander, who do weather routing for cruisers world wide.
Yesterday was an inside day as we had several torrential downpours. So now the boat is well washed down and the tanks are full. We did several jobs and then spent the afternoon playing scrabble. As our family will know, it is very difficult to get Tony to play games but he is now enjoying this game. He almost beat me yesterday too. Hopefully the weather will be good today and we can spend some time ashore going for a walk and swim.
Yesterday was an inside day as we had several torrential downpours. So now the boat is well washed down and the tanks are full. We did several jobs and then spent the afternoon playing scrabble. As our family will know, it is very difficult to get Tony to play games but he is now enjoying this game. He almost beat me yesterday too. Hopefully the weather will be good today and we can spend some time ashore going for a walk and swim.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Blue Lagoon to Musket Cove
On Friday morning we woke to a glorious day, clear sky and gentle breeze. We left by the Western entrance sailing south. Our plan was to stop the night at Natuvalo Bay on Naviti but we were having such a great sail and it was still early in the day so headed south to Yalobi Bay on Waya. All went well until we arrived, went to anchor, and could not get shelter from the northwest swell. By this time we were fed up with rolly anchorages. So turned on the donkey and motored north again to Ceva bay on the south coast of Naviti. By this time it was quite late in the day. Normally we would not travel after 3PM because it is hard to see the reefs but we had been there before and had computer tracks which we could follow. We arrived at about 5PM to a calm, smooth anchorage and had a great night's sleep. The next morning our plan was to leave early and head back to Saweni Bay but we received a visitor from a neighbouring yacht who asked for assistance with his autohelm. Tony was sucked in and so we didn't leave until about 11AM. We had nearly thirty miles to travel. After all the windy days what should turn up but a windless day even though a strong wind warning had been issued. We had to motor all the way. Had our fishing line out too but no luck there.
Had a bit of a surprise on the way in to Saweni because the motor did a hiccup and dropped revs. Got a bit of a scare but Tony changed the filters etc once we got to anchor and it runs like a dream again. Must have got some muck in the wrong place but fixed now. Despite being very careful with putting diesel conditioner in the tanks every time we fill up we seem to have a little bit of residue diesel bug. The tanks are over twenty years old now and probably need a clean out. We will do that when we get back to NZ. Also we were running low on fuel which would have accentuated the problem.
We have anchored in Saweni Bay several times but this time we didn't quite pick the right spot because at about 7.30PM the wind turned and when we checked the depth we had only 300mm under the keel. With another two hours to go before low water we were quite concerned. Tony pulled in about 10 metres of chain. We were then had about 500 mm under us. We were reluctant to move because it was dark and we could have made it worse for ourselves. By 10 PM we were just touching the coral but only gently and then all was well again. Guess we have a few scratches on the bottom of the keel now. We made sure that we moved before low water the next morning.
We stayed in Saweni Bay until Monday morning, then motored to Vuda again so that we could do a few things like a rig check and buy fuel. We couldn't believe that it cost over $1200 for fuel (diesel is F$2.28 + 5% credit card fee, NZ$1=F$1.03 after charges). We were getting a bit low on tucker and wanted to stock up on the essentials and went in to Lautoka on Tuesday morning. As soon as we arrived back we set off for Musket Cove, where we are now. We have been doing maintenance and packing up things etc. for the big trip home.
Yesterday we discovered that the water pump for the generator was leaking as a seal had blown and so Tony replaced it at once. Fortunately he carries a spare pump. We can manage without the generator but it uses a lot less fuel to charge the batteries than does the main engine.
As part of our preparations for the trip home I have made bread today and Tony cut it up and I made and froze sandwiches I am trying to make easy food for us. I made some pastry yesterday and today will make a bacon and egg pie and cut it into meal size pieces and freeze them. I will also make a pizza and cook some NZ chicken thighs which I managed to buy at the supermarket. I would have prefered to buy chicken breasts but didn't want to buy Fiji meats. I will pre cook them as well. Then we wont starve on the trip home.
We have a few more jobs to do, like put on the trysail and the perspex shutters on the dodger windows etc.
Then we will just wait for the weather window and hope that we pick it right. From the sound of other yachties it might be next Monday or Tuesday. But who knows. There are a lot of people just waiting here for the same reason at us.
Have had a swim both afternoons. Can't work all the time. Also, it is too hot. We meet some very pleasant Canadians in the pool yesterday. He was 82 and his wife, 80. Until two years ago they were still doing Ocean cruising but decided that they were now too old. They are having a boating holiday with their son and wife and their two sons. They have been here for three weeks. What a great couple. They are an inspiration to us all. We will have dinner with them tonight at the Island Bar where barbeques are set up for the cruisers. We can buy meat and veg packs at the little shop. As we are now running out of meat that is a great option for us and the men do the cooking.
Had a bit of a surprise on the way in to Saweni because the motor did a hiccup and dropped revs. Got a bit of a scare but Tony changed the filters etc once we got to anchor and it runs like a dream again. Must have got some muck in the wrong place but fixed now. Despite being very careful with putting diesel conditioner in the tanks every time we fill up we seem to have a little bit of residue diesel bug. The tanks are over twenty years old now and probably need a clean out. We will do that when we get back to NZ. Also we were running low on fuel which would have accentuated the problem.
We have anchored in Saweni Bay several times but this time we didn't quite pick the right spot because at about 7.30PM the wind turned and when we checked the depth we had only 300mm under the keel. With another two hours to go before low water we were quite concerned. Tony pulled in about 10 metres of chain. We were then had about 500 mm under us. We were reluctant to move because it was dark and we could have made it worse for ourselves. By 10 PM we were just touching the coral but only gently and then all was well again. Guess we have a few scratches on the bottom of the keel now. We made sure that we moved before low water the next morning.
We stayed in Saweni Bay until Monday morning, then motored to Vuda again so that we could do a few things like a rig check and buy fuel. We couldn't believe that it cost over $1200 for fuel (diesel is F$2.28 + 5% credit card fee, NZ$1=F$1.03 after charges). We were getting a bit low on tucker and wanted to stock up on the essentials and went in to Lautoka on Tuesday morning. As soon as we arrived back we set off for Musket Cove, where we are now. We have been doing maintenance and packing up things etc. for the big trip home.
Yesterday we discovered that the water pump for the generator was leaking as a seal had blown and so Tony replaced it at once. Fortunately he carries a spare pump. We can manage without the generator but it uses a lot less fuel to charge the batteries than does the main engine.
As part of our preparations for the trip home I have made bread today and Tony cut it up and I made and froze sandwiches I am trying to make easy food for us. I made some pastry yesterday and today will make a bacon and egg pie and cut it into meal size pieces and freeze them. I will also make a pizza and cook some NZ chicken thighs which I managed to buy at the supermarket. I would have prefered to buy chicken breasts but didn't want to buy Fiji meats. I will pre cook them as well. Then we wont starve on the trip home.
We have a few more jobs to do, like put on the trysail and the perspex shutters on the dodger windows etc.
Then we will just wait for the weather window and hope that we pick it right. From the sound of other yachties it might be next Monday or Tuesday. But who knows. There are a lot of people just waiting here for the same reason at us.
Have had a swim both afternoons. Can't work all the time. Also, it is too hot. We meet some very pleasant Canadians in the pool yesterday. He was 82 and his wife, 80. Until two years ago they were still doing Ocean cruising but decided that they were now too old. They are having a boating holiday with their son and wife and their two sons. They have been here for three weeks. What a great couple. They are an inspiration to us all. We will have dinner with them tonight at the Island Bar where barbeques are set up for the cruisers. We can buy meat and veg packs at the little shop. As we are now running out of meat that is a great option for us and the men do the cooking.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The limestone caves of Sawa-I-Lau
After we had managed to extract ourselves from the village we motored over in the dinghy to the caves. These are set inside an enormous island of limestone. There is controversy over which clan of islanders own this treasure trove and also jealousy among the people. While we were there two boatloads of tourists arrived with over 40 people, at $10 per head. Also the Fijians sell handcraft on the beach. So the clan who claim ownership are bringing in a lot of earnings compared to other villagers. The controversy has been going on for over ten years and is now apparently t be resolved by court action. As in most places, it is the ones with the most money who can afford the best lawyers. So it will be interesting to hear the outcome.
We had to climb up quite a number of steps to get to the cave entrance from the beach and at the top was this sign. I guess some people have hard heads.
As in most caves of this origin we had to then climb down more slippery and dark steps in to the cave, ducking our heads to avoid overhanging rocks. At the bottom is a huge pool, which is about 18 metres deep and clear sea water. It is affected by the tides and is only open, we think, at low tide. We were lucky because for about the first 10 minutes we had the cave to ourselves and had a lovely swim. We had taken our dive torch and were able to investigate all the nooks and crannies. We had been told that there was an entrance under the water to another cavern but were not able to find this. We were sorry that we did not have a waterproof cover for our camera because we would have liked to take photos.
Later the tour people arrived en mass with masks and snorkels and we heard many different languages. They had tour guides with them and so we were able to follow as they were shown the underwater entrance to the other cavern. As a very nervous person I was reluctant to dive under, especially as we had not taken our snorkeling gear but Tony was very keen. As it turned out, although the entrance is very narrow, only a body's width, it was virtually only necessary to duck your head under and count to about two and we were in another giant cavern. This one had only a small area where a minimal amount of light can enter, so we were very pleased to have our dive torch. It is hard to say how high the ceiling was but probably about 50-60 feet. We were very pleased that although the other tourists were noisy and disturbed our peace, we would not have found the other cavern if they had not arrived. The tour leaders, both Fijians, climbed up the rock walls several times, and dived and bombed in to the deep clear waters. They must have very sticky feet because some of the other people tried to climb and found the walls really slippery and had to give up. It was a lot of fun.
By this time is was about 11AM and time for us to move on. We are running out of time in Fiji and need to start preparing for the trip back to NZ. We had a beautiful sail back to Blue Lagoon, our stopping off anchorage for the night. When we arrived we found that friends of ours, JoAnne and Michael, from the yacht Destiny, were there. They have had a series of problems with their yacht this year and have had very little sailing time. So we were thrilled that they had managed to make it to the Yasawa's. They invited us and two other couples for drinks that night. We had a great time and were sorry to go back to our boat. But needed some well earned sleep before heading south again the next day.
We had to climb up quite a number of steps to get to the cave entrance from the beach and at the top was this sign. I guess some people have hard heads.
It says, "MIND YOUR HEAD DO NOT DAMAGE ROCKS
As in most caves of this origin we had to then climb down more slippery and dark steps in to the cave, ducking our heads to avoid overhanging rocks. At the bottom is a huge pool, which is about 18 metres deep and clear sea water. It is affected by the tides and is only open, we think, at low tide. We were lucky because for about the first 10 minutes we had the cave to ourselves and had a lovely swim. We had taken our dive torch and were able to investigate all the nooks and crannies. We had been told that there was an entrance under the water to another cavern but were not able to find this. We were sorry that we did not have a waterproof cover for our camera because we would have liked to take photos.The entrance to the first cave
Later the tour people arrived en mass with masks and snorkels and we heard many different languages. They had tour guides with them and so we were able to follow as they were shown the underwater entrance to the other cavern. As a very nervous person I was reluctant to dive under, especially as we had not taken our snorkeling gear but Tony was very keen. As it turned out, although the entrance is very narrow, only a body's width, it was virtually only necessary to duck your head under and count to about two and we were in another giant cavern. This one had only a small area where a minimal amount of light can enter, so we were very pleased to have our dive torch. It is hard to say how high the ceiling was but probably about 50-60 feet. We were very pleased that although the other tourists were noisy and disturbed our peace, we would not have found the other cavern if they had not arrived. The tour leaders, both Fijians, climbed up the rock walls several times, and dived and bombed in to the deep clear waters. They must have very sticky feet because some of the other people tried to climb and found the walls really slippery and had to give up. It was a lot of fun.By this time is was about 11AM and time for us to move on. We are running out of time in Fiji and need to start preparing for the trip back to NZ. We had a beautiful sail back to Blue Lagoon, our stopping off anchorage for the night. When we arrived we found that friends of ours, JoAnne and Michael, from the yacht Destiny, were there. They have had a series of problems with their yacht this year and have had very little sailing time. So we were thrilled that they had managed to make it to the Yasawa's. They invited us and two other couples for drinks that night. We had a great time and were sorry to go back to our boat. But needed some well earned sleep before heading south again the next day.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Blue Lagoon to Sawa-I-Lau
The Northern Pass of Blue Lagoon
Our ideas of buzzing around Blue Lagoon in the dinghy were thwarted after an aborted, wet, dangerous and wild trip because it was so windy and the seas were rough. We were definitely safer and more comfortable on the yacht.
The completed house
While wandering around the village we managed to get some snaps of other houses including the Chief's house which apart from a small bedding area was completely empty.Some of the village homes
The chiefs house
It was while walking that we met Setimile who is the village kindergarten teacher. We traded a few bits and pieces and she asked us to return the following morning to meet her children. After yet another sleepless night we returned to the village and visited the kindergarten. The children performed a Meke for us (singing and dancing). These 3-5 year olds were delightful. But there is so little money in the villages for any toys etc and so much empasis is placed on rote learning and visual recall. We had a lot of fun as the children delighted in having their photo taken and then rushing round to see themselves on the screen. We promised to print the photos and send them to the kindergarten.
As the forecast was for lighter winds and our next stop was known to be uncomfortable in strong winds, we headed to the northern most island of Yasawa. Our destination was Sawa-I-Lau which is famous for the huge limestone caves.Nabukeru Village Sawa-I-Lau
We visited the village of Nabukeru to present Sevusevu and after this met a very pleasant lady, Vaseti who welcomed us in to her home. She was making a huge flax mat for the house. These need replacing every year and are made in the lady's spare time. Vaseti was being helped by her mother-in-law, Louisa.Vaseti, Mary & Louisa
Making the mat
With great amusement they showed me how the weaving is done and the process for dying the colours in to the fibre. The preparation of the flax is very involved and time consuming. Once again we were asked to take photos and print them on our computer. It seems well known that all (ha ha) yachts have these gadgets. We said we would do them that night and bring them back in the morning before visiting the caves. We were told that 8AM would be a good time to return only to find that breakfast had been prepared for us to have with the family. The village paster was there too. Our breakfast consisted of tea and boiled taro and we felt very privileged to be part of it.
Sunset at Sawa-I-Lau
Friday, October 3, 2008
Vuda to Blue Lagoon
After what seemed like a quick flight, (had a good book to read) we arrived at Nadi and were soon in the taxi and on our way back to the boat. No problems there, in fact the boat seemed a lot cleaner than it usually did on our return. The reason for that was that there had been a torrential rain fall the day before our return. That was great for us, although Tony did give Windspirit another good wash. On Friday we headed up to Lautoka and restocked our dwindling food supply, especially fresh fruit and vegetables and then on Saturday morning we left Vuda and had a short trip up to Saweni Bay where we had a few chores in store for us before heading to the Yasawa Islands, about thirty miles to the west of Viti Levu.
All plans had to be put on hold because the weather forecast was for a trough to pass over the group and so we were not able to leave Saweni until the morning of the 29 September when the weather moderated. We had a pleasant motor sail to Cuvu Bay at the southern end of Naviti Island. Although not totally sheltered from the South East trade winds, we spent a comfortable night tucked in close to the beach. We even managed to take a pleasant swim and snorkel on the reef. On swimming back to the boat we had to swim through what looked like fine white threads. Unfortunately, where they touched the skin, we had small stings. Not that they were very painful, but uncomfortable. By night time the sensation had gone away. Perhaps they were some form of jelly fish.
The next morning, Tuesday, the weather forecast was for strong South Easterlies and we felt that it would not be wise to stay on a lee shore. Therefore, we up anchored and headed north, inside the outer reef, through the Nailavalava Passage and in to beautiful Vunayawa Bay at the north end of Naviti, where we hoped to stay for a while to explore. However, that was not to be as the wind did a spin and ended up from the North East, in to the bay. However the seas were coming from the other direction still and we ended up having a sleepless and very uncomfortable night. It was so rolly that it was impossible to do anything, including cooking. We went to bed early but then had to keep checking the anchor. Oh the joys of sailing!. We stayed two nights without even going ashore and as soon as the weather moderated we headed to Blue Lagoon, location of the two movies of the same name. What a beautiful spot. No wonder that movies were made here. We anchored north of the area where the Blue Lagoon Cruises have their allocated private beach and settled down for some rest.
We had been having problems with the anchor winch that was only four years old and well maintained. It had cut out a few times and then restarted but now it has only half power. So Tony has been spending some time stripping and cleaning the terminals etc. Until we use it again we are not sure if that has done the trick or if he needs to take more drastic action.
Yesterday we went ashore and had a really long walk, the first for ages around Nanuya-Sewa Island. We started by walking around the northern end of the bay and then did some cross-country, steep walking until we found a path along the ridge of the island. The views were amazing.
The Eastern side of Nanuya-Sewa Island.
We could see for miles and also could see all the reefs. Pity they are not so clear when in the boat. It is quite frightening to be close to the reefs and they are very hard if you touch. We try to stay well away from them. On our walk we passed a communications tower. Knowing we did not have cell phone service we had not tried to clear our emails. But seeing this tower we decided to try when we got back to the boat. We have been using Mobile Connect, a telecom service, since arriving in Fiji, and were amazed to find that even in this remote spot we have full internet service. It is hard to stay remote in Fiji.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, that meant that Tony could catch up on his work emails too and so he has spent almost all of today working. That was not exactly planned for this time away but he must not neglect his clients if he can help it. However, he has now caught up on all his work and can rest with a clear conscience. The timing was right though because we have had really strong winds since yesterday afternoon and would not have wanted to leave the boat on anchor without us being here. We are thrilled with our Rocna anchor which we bought not long before leaving NZ and have not had any problems with dragging anchors. Touch Wood!
Yesterday afternoon the local supply ship arrived with it's cargo. We were amazed to see that there were thirteen 44 gallon drums of diesel aboard and they were dumped in to the sea to float for the long boats to collect, tie up and drag to shore. It was a very difficult task for the workers because it was very windy and it took over an hour to bring the last one to shore, given the offshore strong wind. When the ship arrived and held station just off the shore many long boats arrived and people clambered aboard obviously finding their goods. The ship was packed in an unbelievably untidy way. Bags and boxes were just dumped on top of one another. It is amazing that the people managed to find their own gear, if they did!
Like bees to a honey pot
Tomorrow we want to get out in the dinghy for a decent look around and hopefully do some snorkelling. We have been told that it is not only beautiful above the water, but also below.
Waya, the southern most island of the Yasawas
All plans had to be put on hold because the weather forecast was for a trough to pass over the group and so we were not able to leave Saweni until the morning of the 29 September when the weather moderated. We had a pleasant motor sail to Cuvu Bay at the southern end of Naviti Island. Although not totally sheltered from the South East trade winds, we spent a comfortable night tucked in close to the beach. We even managed to take a pleasant swim and snorkel on the reef. On swimming back to the boat we had to swim through what looked like fine white threads. Unfortunately, where they touched the skin, we had small stings. Not that they were very painful, but uncomfortable. By night time the sensation had gone away. Perhaps they were some form of jelly fish.Small Islet on the East of Naviti
The next morning, Tuesday, the weather forecast was for strong South Easterlies and we felt that it would not be wise to stay on a lee shore. Therefore, we up anchored and headed north, inside the outer reef, through the Nailavalava Passage and in to beautiful Vunayawa Bay at the north end of Naviti, where we hoped to stay for a while to explore. However, that was not to be as the wind did a spin and ended up from the North East, in to the bay. However the seas were coming from the other direction still and we ended up having a sleepless and very uncomfortable night. It was so rolly that it was impossible to do anything, including cooking. We went to bed early but then had to keep checking the anchor. Oh the joys of sailing!. We stayed two nights without even going ashore and as soon as the weather moderated we headed to Blue Lagoon, location of the two movies of the same name. What a beautiful spot. No wonder that movies were made here. We anchored north of the area where the Blue Lagoon Cruises have their allocated private beach and settled down for some rest.The Riff Raff we need to share our anchorage with.
Our walk along the shore at Blue Lagoon
We had been having problems with the anchor winch that was only four years old and well maintained. It had cut out a few times and then restarted but now it has only half power. So Tony has been spending some time stripping and cleaning the terminals etc. Until we use it again we are not sure if that has done the trick or if he needs to take more drastic action.A view from the top showing the narrow passages
Yesterday we went ashore and had a really long walk, the first for ages around Nanuya-Sewa Island. We started by walking around the northern end of the bay and then did some cross-country, steep walking until we found a path along the ridge of the island. The views were amazing.
A view from the top again- inside Blue Lagoon
The Eastern side of Nanuya-Sewa Island.
We could see for miles and also could see all the reefs. Pity they are not so clear when in the boat. It is quite frightening to be close to the reefs and they are very hard if you touch. We try to stay well away from them. On our walk we passed a communications tower. Knowing we did not have cell phone service we had not tried to clear our emails. But seeing this tower we decided to try when we got back to the boat. We have been using Mobile Connect, a telecom service, since arriving in Fiji, and were amazed to find that even in this remote spot we have full internet service. It is hard to stay remote in Fiji.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, that meant that Tony could catch up on his work emails too and so he has spent almost all of today working. That was not exactly planned for this time away but he must not neglect his clients if he can help it. However, he has now caught up on all his work and can rest with a clear conscience. The timing was right though because we have had really strong winds since yesterday afternoon and would not have wanted to leave the boat on anchor without us being here. We are thrilled with our Rocna anchor which we bought not long before leaving NZ and have not had any problems with dragging anchors. Touch Wood!
Yesterday afternoon the local supply ship arrived with it's cargo. We were amazed to see that there were thirteen 44 gallon drums of diesel aboard and they were dumped in to the sea to float for the long boats to collect, tie up and drag to shore. It was a very difficult task for the workers because it was very windy and it took over an hour to bring the last one to shore, given the offshore strong wind. When the ship arrived and held station just off the shore many long boats arrived and people clambered aboard obviously finding their goods. The ship was packed in an unbelievably untidy way. Bags and boxes were just dumped on top of one another. It is amazing that the people managed to find their own gear, if they did!
The Supply ship with diesel tanks ready to be floated ashore
Like bees to a honey potTomorrow we want to get out in the dinghy for a decent look around and hopefully do some snorkelling. We have been told that it is not only beautiful above the water, but also below.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Dad's 90th Birthday
Alleyn McCarthy b. 24/09/1918
A Yummy Black Forest Birthday Cake
From Left. Isabella, Naomi, Dad,Rowena, June (Nana) and Mary
It was very sad to see Mary's Dad looking so old and lacking in heart. He is very tired now and does not have the energy to do anything except sit in his chair. But we all had a lovely lunch which was organised by Rowena. It was great that Naomi managed to get the afternoon off work so that she could come with us. Dad was in better spirits after we had all made a big fuss of him and June had a lot of fun too. She just loves Isabella. We hated leaving them as we can not guess how long Dad will be with us. We go back to Fiji today and will not be back to see them until sometime in Nov. June is managing very well and caring for Dad really well. She has a very hard row to hoe now but does it all graciously.
Stephen, Rochella and the boys are visiting them this weekend and so they will have some other visitors. Stephen had to cancel the trip he had planned for yesterday because we had a case in the high court which could not be changed. However it may word out better that they visit seperately.
We flew up from Wellington this morning and are now in the lounge awaiting our flight to Fiji at 1PM.
Stephen, Rochella and the boys are visiting them this weekend and so they will have some other visitors. Stephen had to cancel the trip he had planned for yesterday because we had a case in the high court which could not be changed. However it may word out better that they visit seperately.
We flew up from Wellington this morning and are now in the lounge awaiting our flight to Fiji at 1PM.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Back to the garden of the sleeping Giant
Rowena
Beautiful Bella Playing with the stones.
On Wednesday Tony had to head back to NZ for work. We took the boat back to Vuda Point and Mary, Rowena and Naomi stayed for a further three days, flying out of Fiji on Saturday, Rowena and Isabella to Wellington and Mary to Auckland. We spent those days lazily doing some laundry etc, swimming in the pool at 1st Landing, shopping in Nadi and visiting the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. While at Nadi we visited the Hindi Temple. A number of years ago Rowena had spent some time in Northern India and so she was very interested in the temple. We were lucky because the priest there took a real liking to Isabella, playing with her for ages and explaining the paintings and his beliefs with Rowena. Everone there loved Rowena's dreadlocks. Aparently very religious people have them in India and so they assumed that Rowena was one of them. We then did some shopping before catching the bus back to Vuda. Poor Isabella was exhausted after that expedition. On Friday we made a picnic lunch and took it to the gardens. It was a great day because it was a little overcast and not too hot. Isabella had a great time wandering around and picking up stones and leaves. She picked up a long seed pod and chewed it and was very angry when we took it away from her. It wasn't until we were driving back to Vuda in the taxi that Abdul explained to us that the pods were tamerind and perfectly safe to eat. There are several trees at vuda and so Rowena and I tried chewing the pods. They were delicious, tasting of across between raisins and dates. No wonder Bellla loved them.
We packed up and left the boat at 7.30 on Saturday morning. Then Tony picked me up from the airport in Auckland. We stayed there until Tuesday afternoon and caught the plane to Wellington so that we could be there Dad's birthday.
We packed up and left the boat at 7.30 on Saturday morning. Then Tony picked me up from the airport in Auckland. We stayed there until Tuesday afternoon and caught the plane to Wellington so that we could be there Dad's birthday.
Bella Visits Fiji
Rusila, Staff member at Musket Cove with the small celebrity
Isabella enjoying the freedom of Musket Cove
Walking about the deck in safety
Bath and cooling down time
Bella in the lifejacket ready for her dinghy ride
Well, as can been seen from the photos, Isabella settled in to living the cruising life. She has been on the boat many times before and so the transition was fairly easy, although she did struggle with sleeping in the heat. Tony had to install a fan above her bunk to cool her down. Fortunately he had a spare fan and it did not take long to install. Poor Rowena did not have the benefit of such a luxury in her cabin, but she did sleep the furthest from Isabella's bed and so that when she cried in the night, it was her Grandma or Oupa who got up.
Rowena and Isabella arrived on Sunday evening and were delivered to the boat by Abdul, our regular taxi driver. The next morning we all got up early and caught the 7.30 bus in to Lautoka so that we could stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables. Rowena loved the market and shopping even though it was extremely hot. She and Tony took turns at carrying Isabella in the baby back pack. We had decided to catch a taxi back to Vuda, but while walking past the bus station, we found there was a bus just leaving and so we saved several dollars and caught the bus back to the boat. After settling Isabella down for a nap, we left the marina and set off for Musket Cove. We did not want to travel too far with Isabella but planned a holiday at Musket Cove. We had a mooring booked very close to the yacht club and that one was more sheltered than most of the others. The sea can build up there quite quickly and so it was great to be in good shelter and only a short dinghy ride ashore.
Isabella quickly built up her own fan club. Whenever she went to shore she was picked up and cuddled and sometimes taken away for a while, by the staff at the marina. Before long people would say, "Oh, you are Isabella". She was certainly well cared for, even by the male staff. Fijians just love babies and make such a fuss of them.
We spent lots of time in the pool and Bella had a lot of fun. Tony and I tried to take turns of looking after her so that Rowena could have a lot of fun too.
We hired bikes and rode them around the island, went for walks, shopping and coffee breaks. One afternoon Rowena and Tony hired kayaks and went for a tiki tour while Bella and I went for a long swim and then a walk.
One day while we were in the pool, there was a huge downpour. The water in the pool was warm but not the rain. We had to stay in the pool until the rain stopped and we could then get out and dried.
Rowena and Isabella arrived on Sunday evening and were delivered to the boat by Abdul, our regular taxi driver. The next morning we all got up early and caught the 7.30 bus in to Lautoka so that we could stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables. Rowena loved the market and shopping even though it was extremely hot. She and Tony took turns at carrying Isabella in the baby back pack. We had decided to catch a taxi back to Vuda, but while walking past the bus station, we found there was a bus just leaving and so we saved several dollars and caught the bus back to the boat. After settling Isabella down for a nap, we left the marina and set off for Musket Cove. We did not want to travel too far with Isabella but planned a holiday at Musket Cove. We had a mooring booked very close to the yacht club and that one was more sheltered than most of the others. The sea can build up there quite quickly and so it was great to be in good shelter and only a short dinghy ride ashore.
Isabella quickly built up her own fan club. Whenever she went to shore she was picked up and cuddled and sometimes taken away for a while, by the staff at the marina. Before long people would say, "Oh, you are Isabella". She was certainly well cared for, even by the male staff. Fijians just love babies and make such a fuss of them.
We spent lots of time in the pool and Bella had a lot of fun. Tony and I tried to take turns of looking after her so that Rowena could have a lot of fun too.
We hired bikes and rode them around the island, went for walks, shopping and coffee breaks. One afternoon Rowena and Tony hired kayaks and went for a tiki tour while Bella and I went for a long swim and then a walk.
One day while we were in the pool, there was a huge downpour. The water in the pool was warm but not the rain. We had to stay in the pool until the rain stopped and we could then get out and dried.
Belated photos
Caleb listening to the ipod
Ethan and Tony having special time together
Pool time at the Radisson
Now that we have a decent internet connection I can finally post these photos taken while Stephen and Rochelle and the boys were visiting Fiji
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The Port of Denerau has changed a lot since we were there four years ago with the addition of a big shopping mall. But apart from that, the area has the normal signs of neglect. It is very expensive for berthing. Little maintenance is done and no rubbish facilities, despite a $5 per day rubbish disposal fee. There is a security service operating but in my mind, fishing off the wharf is not a security chore. It is very noisy and this makes sleeping on board very hard. We made the most of our time there, doing some shopping, eating out at a couple of the restaurants and also viewing the local free cultural show which is on three nights a week in the town centre. It was very enjoyable as there was dancing from around the Pacific. The hula dancing was incredible. Wow! Those women can really shake their hips and it was amusing watching the faces on the males in the audience. There was also fire and knife dancing. They had a good repertoire and involved the audience. The children had a great time.
We left Denerau on Friday morning and sailed back to Saweni Bay for a few quiet days and some boat maintenance. We had a pleasant sail down to the bay but when we furled the mainsail before entering the bay we heard something drop to the deck, which happened to be a long screw. One does not like finding screws lying around because then one has to find where it came from. After a lot of searching, we found another boat part tucked in to the mast. How lucky is that? They had both come from the top of the mast and were part of the swivel for the mainsail. We thought we would need to send Tony aloft but after some consideration, we realised that we just needed to drop the sail and screw the part into the fitting above the sail from deck height. We did this on anchor in calm weather. Tony made sure that he did it very tight.
Tony spent the time here installing the AIS system which we want to have in place for our return journey to NZ. This is a gadget which recognises big ships and lets you know the name of a ship, its course, speed and direction, how far they are from you and whether they are a danger to your course. It interfaces to the newer model Navman chart plotter and needed wires threading etc. Well I can report that it definitely works because I saw a big tanker coming in to Lautoka and we checked out all its details. It is quite frightening when off shore to see a ship on the horizon and not know where it is heading. The radar does help of course but doesn’t give all the details. Tony has also spent time catching up on all his work emails. They take a lot of time because the internet service is so slow. He uses a system called UUPlus which get the emails through a lot quicker.
One continual problem with anchoring near the land is the amount of dirt and ash which is in the air and lands on the boat. At the moment our boat is covered in black ash from the smoke stack of the sugar mill at Lautoka as well as all the fires which are deliberately lit to burn off all the weeds and rubbish in the sugar cane fields. We wonder how much these fires are damaging the ozone layer. Some days the whole area is covered in smoke and at night we can always see the red glow of several fires.
Yesterday we had a bit of excitement when a front passed over us. The wind suddenly accelerated to 25-30 knots and the wind turned to an onshore breeze with the waves increasing in height. Two boats in the anchorage dragged their anchors and after several goes at re-anchoring and close encounters with other boats they headed out to sea. We shut all the hatches, tied everything down on deck, checked anchor chain and strop and then kept watch for the three hours or so until it passed. We have only 1.7 metres of water under our keel and are quite close to the beach and so it would have needed quick work to get the motor going if we had dragged. But our trusty Rocna anchor held firmly. After a brief period of heavy rain, our first in about six weeks, the wind did a 180’ shift and we were again facing in to the bay. The waves took a while longer to settle but by night all was calm again. At Saweni Bay there are protective reefs from each side of the bay so you have to be fairly close to the shore to be inside the reefs.
Today we will head in to Vuda Point to receive our special guests, our daughter, Rowena and her daughter, Isabella. They fly in from NZ to Nadi at 2PM. Tomorrow we need to go to Lautoka to stock up of fruit and vegs before heading out to the islands.
We left Denerau on Friday morning and sailed back to Saweni Bay for a few quiet days and some boat maintenance. We had a pleasant sail down to the bay but when we furled the mainsail before entering the bay we heard something drop to the deck, which happened to be a long screw. One does not like finding screws lying around because then one has to find where it came from. After a lot of searching, we found another boat part tucked in to the mast. How lucky is that? They had both come from the top of the mast and were part of the swivel for the mainsail. We thought we would need to send Tony aloft but after some consideration, we realised that we just needed to drop the sail and screw the part into the fitting above the sail from deck height. We did this on anchor in calm weather. Tony made sure that he did it very tight.
Tony spent the time here installing the AIS system which we want to have in place for our return journey to NZ. This is a gadget which recognises big ships and lets you know the name of a ship, its course, speed and direction, how far they are from you and whether they are a danger to your course. It interfaces to the newer model Navman chart plotter and needed wires threading etc. Well I can report that it definitely works because I saw a big tanker coming in to Lautoka and we checked out all its details. It is quite frightening when off shore to see a ship on the horizon and not know where it is heading. The radar does help of course but doesn’t give all the details. Tony has also spent time catching up on all his work emails. They take a lot of time because the internet service is so slow. He uses a system called UUPlus which get the emails through a lot quicker.
One continual problem with anchoring near the land is the amount of dirt and ash which is in the air and lands on the boat. At the moment our boat is covered in black ash from the smoke stack of the sugar mill at Lautoka as well as all the fires which are deliberately lit to burn off all the weeds and rubbish in the sugar cane fields. We wonder how much these fires are damaging the ozone layer. Some days the whole area is covered in smoke and at night we can always see the red glow of several fires.
Yesterday we had a bit of excitement when a front passed over us. The wind suddenly accelerated to 25-30 knots and the wind turned to an onshore breeze with the waves increasing in height. Two boats in the anchorage dragged their anchors and after several goes at re-anchoring and close encounters with other boats they headed out to sea. We shut all the hatches, tied everything down on deck, checked anchor chain and strop and then kept watch for the three hours or so until it passed. We have only 1.7 metres of water under our keel and are quite close to the beach and so it would have needed quick work to get the motor going if we had dragged. But our trusty Rocna anchor held firmly. After a brief period of heavy rain, our first in about six weeks, the wind did a 180’ shift and we were again facing in to the bay. The waves took a while longer to settle but by night all was calm again. At Saweni Bay there are protective reefs from each side of the bay so you have to be fairly close to the shore to be inside the reefs.
Today we will head in to Vuda Point to receive our special guests, our daughter, Rowena and her daughter, Isabella. They fly in from NZ to Nadi at 2PM. Tomorrow we need to go to Lautoka to stock up of fruit and vegs before heading out to the islands.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Denerau
This Blog has taken a very long time to get posted because we have had lousey internet service. But at least it is done now.
Well it is easy to work out when the Windspirit Mob are having fun. That is when the blogs don't get written very often.
Before returning to Fiji, Mary flew to Wellington for two nights to visit her Dad and June, his wife. They are really struggling now. Dad turns ninety in September and June will be eighty one in November. But they continue to live in their own home, which is great. We worry about them but would hate to see them lose their independence. Dad has had a couple of blackouts this year resulting in falls which left him with a lot of pain and more importantly they have also knocked his confidence. It is always hard to leave them behind and head north again.
We returned to Fiji on Friday 22 August and it was so good to see Abdul, our friendly taxi driver, waiting at the Airport for us. We were really laden with luggage this time. We had brought our pushchair up, so that it could be available to use for the grandchildren when they visit. Also there were the usual boat spares that were bought and of course, wine, eleven bottles between us. Alcohol is incredibly expensive in Fiji. At the supermarket, a bottle of Gin which one can buy in NZ for about $40 was over $110 Fijian. An average bottle of wine which could be bought in the supermarket in NZ for $10-12 is about $25-30 here. Restaurant prices have an additional premium on this as you would expect.
Windspirit was sitting safely at Vuda but was as usual very dirty from dust and ash. We spent the weekend resting and then doing numerous jobs on the boat, including the normal boat scrub. Tony used the new stainless steel drills which he had bought in Auckland to drill holes in the bow fitting for the pin which is going to be made to hold the anchor snug when we are sailing. We had found that the new 33kg (73lb) Rocna anchor moves and bangs when we hit waves, even though it is well tied down. This pin will prevent that happening. It took Tony a lot of thinking, planning and measuring before he did the drilling. But it looks fine now that it is finished.
We had also bought some new rope which Mary spent a lot of time splicing and fitting it to the dinghy. Our old painter had lasted several years but was looking the worse for wear. This time we made up a bridle arrangement so that it is more secure, rather than just one line. When one does a lot of splicing, the job seems easy but when it is done just occasionally, the rope book, with diagrams is extremely useful. The other jobs which were done while at the marina were the replacement of the faulty capacitor for the genset (it works like a charm now) and gluing new foam on the lazerette hatch covers, which were leaking slightly.
Early on Monday morning we left Vuda and motored to Saweni Bay again. Then once were were sure that the anchor had set, we left the dinghy at the beach and walked to the main road where we wanted to catch a bus to Lautoka. Our fresh fruit and veg's stores were low. We were lucky to be offered a ride by the Postal Delivery Van driver. He dropped us at the main road where we caught the 80 cent bus to Lautoka. We had a successful time at the market and with our bags loaded up, caught a bus which was heading for Nadi. We left the bus at the Saweni Bay turn off but were not so lucky this time and had to walk in the searing heat, the 45 minute walk back to the beach. By the time we got back to the boat we were exhausted but well stocked with food.
We stayed in the comfortable and quiet anchorage at Saweni for several days, the only excitement was when we looked up and noticed that a yacht, which had been in front of us, was now beside us and rapidly drifting towards the reef. We called them on the radio but got no reply and so Tony blasted them with our electric horn. That soon got a response and they let out more anchor chain. The only annoyance for us was that now we had a yacht closer to us than we would have liked. Also they had a noisy wind generator and a very noisy diesel generator and so our quiet anchorage became a loud one. However them's the breaks.
Tony spent several hours reworking the circuit board for the spare auto helm to make it operate with the new hydraulic control system. After some more testing, it does work now but over-steers and we now do search patterns when that is operating. So back to the drawing board for Tony. It will eventually work, we know, and it is only the spare one. But after our experience of sailing from NZ we want to have spares of spares.
On Thursday we had a great sail from Saweni Bay to Denerau, the port of Nadi. The boat just loved the conditions and so did we. Stephen, Rochelle, Caleb and Ethan were due to arrive from NZ at 4PM but their plane was cancelled and they had to go on standby for the 8PM flight. That is pretty hard, sitting at the airport with two children under two and just waiting. They were lucky to get on the flight and had two very tired children but at least they arrived at 11PM. It took them all a couple of days to catch up on sleep though. They are staying at the Radisson Resort on Denerau.
Wow! What a beautiful place, with several pools, restaurants and right on the beach front. They have a two bedroomed apartment there and are staying until Thursday morning. We have been having a wonderful time with them, playing with the boys, babysitting and swimming in the pools. We are so lucky to be able to spend so much time with our grandchildren but by the time they leave we will look forward to a few quiet days before Rowena and Isabella arrive on Sunday to stay with us for two weeks.
Well it is easy to work out when the Windspirit Mob are having fun. That is when the blogs don't get written very often.
Before returning to Fiji, Mary flew to Wellington for two nights to visit her Dad and June, his wife. They are really struggling now. Dad turns ninety in September and June will be eighty one in November. But they continue to live in their own home, which is great. We worry about them but would hate to see them lose their independence. Dad has had a couple of blackouts this year resulting in falls which left him with a lot of pain and more importantly they have also knocked his confidence. It is always hard to leave them behind and head north again.
We returned to Fiji on Friday 22 August and it was so good to see Abdul, our friendly taxi driver, waiting at the Airport for us. We were really laden with luggage this time. We had brought our pushchair up, so that it could be available to use for the grandchildren when they visit. Also there were the usual boat spares that were bought and of course, wine, eleven bottles between us. Alcohol is incredibly expensive in Fiji. At the supermarket, a bottle of Gin which one can buy in NZ for about $40 was over $110 Fijian. An average bottle of wine which could be bought in the supermarket in NZ for $10-12 is about $25-30 here. Restaurant prices have an additional premium on this as you would expect.
Windspirit was sitting safely at Vuda but was as usual very dirty from dust and ash. We spent the weekend resting and then doing numerous jobs on the boat, including the normal boat scrub. Tony used the new stainless steel drills which he had bought in Auckland to drill holes in the bow fitting for the pin which is going to be made to hold the anchor snug when we are sailing. We had found that the new 33kg (73lb) Rocna anchor moves and bangs when we hit waves, even though it is well tied down. This pin will prevent that happening. It took Tony a lot of thinking, planning and measuring before he did the drilling. But it looks fine now that it is finished.
We had also bought some new rope which Mary spent a lot of time splicing and fitting it to the dinghy. Our old painter had lasted several years but was looking the worse for wear. This time we made up a bridle arrangement so that it is more secure, rather than just one line. When one does a lot of splicing, the job seems easy but when it is done just occasionally, the rope book, with diagrams is extremely useful. The other jobs which were done while at the marina were the replacement of the faulty capacitor for the genset (it works like a charm now) and gluing new foam on the lazerette hatch covers, which were leaking slightly.
Early on Monday morning we left Vuda and motored to Saweni Bay again. Then once were were sure that the anchor had set, we left the dinghy at the beach and walked to the main road where we wanted to catch a bus to Lautoka. Our fresh fruit and veg's stores were low. We were lucky to be offered a ride by the Postal Delivery Van driver. He dropped us at the main road where we caught the 80 cent bus to Lautoka. We had a successful time at the market and with our bags loaded up, caught a bus which was heading for Nadi. We left the bus at the Saweni Bay turn off but were not so lucky this time and had to walk in the searing heat, the 45 minute walk back to the beach. By the time we got back to the boat we were exhausted but well stocked with food.
We stayed in the comfortable and quiet anchorage at Saweni for several days, the only excitement was when we looked up and noticed that a yacht, which had been in front of us, was now beside us and rapidly drifting towards the reef. We called them on the radio but got no reply and so Tony blasted them with our electric horn. That soon got a response and they let out more anchor chain. The only annoyance for us was that now we had a yacht closer to us than we would have liked. Also they had a noisy wind generator and a very noisy diesel generator and so our quiet anchorage became a loud one. However them's the breaks.
Tony spent several hours reworking the circuit board for the spare auto helm to make it operate with the new hydraulic control system. After some more testing, it does work now but over-steers and we now do search patterns when that is operating. So back to the drawing board for Tony. It will eventually work, we know, and it is only the spare one. But after our experience of sailing from NZ we want to have spares of spares.
On Thursday we had a great sail from Saweni Bay to Denerau, the port of Nadi. The boat just loved the conditions and so did we. Stephen, Rochelle, Caleb and Ethan were due to arrive from NZ at 4PM but their plane was cancelled and they had to go on standby for the 8PM flight. That is pretty hard, sitting at the airport with two children under two and just waiting. They were lucky to get on the flight and had two very tired children but at least they arrived at 11PM. It took them all a couple of days to catch up on sleep though. They are staying at the Radisson Resort on Denerau.
Wow! What a beautiful place, with several pools, restaurants and right on the beach front. They have a two bedroomed apartment there and are staying until Thursday morning. We have been having a wonderful time with them, playing with the boys, babysitting and swimming in the pools. We are so lucky to be able to spend so much time with our grandchildren but by the time they leave we will look forward to a few quiet days before Rowena and Isabella arrive on Sunday to stay with us for two weeks.Caleb and Ethan ready for a walk
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Tripping around with NZ Visitors
The time with Naomi and Al flew because we were all having such a wonderful time. The weather was perfect all the time they were with us. They left last Saturday but before they left we had three days at Vuda Point so that they could spend some time visiting sites on land.
On Wednesday Naomi, Al and Mary took the bus in to Lautoka to see the market, shops etc. This very dirty city did not impress Naomi and Al and after a look about and a little bit of shopping we caught a bus back to the main road near Vuda and then hitched a ride in a ute, there being no bus for quite some time.
(Above) Naomi on the bus to Lautoka
(Below) Kava for sale at the Market
S
pices for Sale at the market
The next day they were back at the bus stop at 7.30 for a trip in to Nadi. Mary felt that the town was even seedier than it had been four years ago on our last trip. But we did have a pleasant day, buying a few bits and pieces and vegetables from the market and visiting the Hindi temple, (which was extremely interesting), before returning to the boat and for a well-earned swim at the pool at 1st Landing resort.
The Hindi Temple
On Friday we all decided to visit The Garden of the Sleeping Giant, a glorious, mainly orchard garden near Lautoka, originally created by Raymond Burr, of “Ironside” fame, for those old enough to remember. We had to go by taxi but of course used our tame taxi driver, Abdul. We had taken plenty of water to drink and a packed lunch and were glad of the preparations because we would not have wanted to rush. Naomi and Mary took a huge number of photos because all the flowers were tremendous.
Garden of the Sleeping Giant
We were so thrilled that we had taken the time to go because we had nearly decided not because of the transport difficulties. The gardens were really well set out in a huge valley with beautiful walkways, pools and vistas. They are very well maintained too, which is quite unusual for this country. We returned to the boat tired but happy for the compulsory swim and a drink and that night for half price pizza at the resort.
On Saturday, after Naomi and Al left, we sailed out to Musket Cove for one night and the next morning, as soon as the light was right to see the coral, we headed through the narrow channel, past several small islands and resorts, one of which was Castaway. Then once past Mana Island we headed for Navandra Island just to the south of the Yasawas’.
Navandra Island
This uninhabited island is a favourite for the boaties'. Is is a rolly anchorage but very beautiful, although trying to land the dinghy was a wet and exciting experience. The dinghy was swamped and the beach so steep that we had trouble pulling it up on the shore to drain all the water out. We then had a pleasant walk on the sand over to the other side of the island. The next morning after not a lot of sleep, Tony decided to do a bit of snorkelling while Mary stayed in the dinghy. Although the coral was quite pretty there were not a lot of fish. We then up anchored and had a pleasant sail back to Musket Cove. We trailed a line behind the boat on the way. The sound of the line screaming out was a great sound until we saw the size of the fish jumping and thrashing in the water. We were both quite relieved when it managed to jump free of the hook because we really would not have been able to bring it aboard. It was not a happy fish. Later, we did manage to catch a very nice mackerel which made very good eating for tea that night.
On Tuesday, we had a make and mend day on the boat. Then later in the afternoon we went ashore for a well-earned swim in the pool at the Musket Cove Resort. The water in the lagoon is often not very pleasant to swim in due to the huge amount of floating weed. This is worse on the outgoing tide.
Sandy Cay off Musket Cove
On Wednesday morning we wanted to catch the low tide and visit a sandy cay, which is only visible then. We left the yacht on the mooring and zoomed out to the cay with our snorkelling gear. We anchored the dinghy to the cay and walked out in the shallow water until it was just deep enough to swim. We were amazed at the amount of beautiful coral and the number of multi-coloured tropical fish in the shallow water. It would have been great to have an underwater camera to record the experience. But we don’t.
On Thursday we headed back to Vuda Point, where we left the yacht for a week because we needed to go back to NZ to see the family, enjoy Ethan’s Christening, and for Tony to do his usual stint of monthly meetings. Someone has to earn the cash so that we can do this.
Rochelle, Stephen, Caleb, Ethan and Father Bernie
It was wonderful to see the grandchildren again. Caleb and Ethan have changed so much in the two months since Mary had seen them. The christening went very well and not one baby out of the six baptized, cried. Then we went back to the house for a family and friends' gathering. Unfortunately the plane that the Wellington gang were supposed to arrive on was cancelled at the last moment and so none of them were there. Rowena and Isabella finally did arrive at about 3PM after managing to get on another flight. They were both exhausted when they arrived but quickly picked up after some food and drink. Isabella has also grown a lot and is now walking well and chatting all the time. Some words are recognisable but others are not. It was a tiring but very successful day.
Rowena, Isabella, & Ethan
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