Hello All,
It has been pretty uneventful the last few days here. Today I got the bike out with the new pedal my mom sent me. I rode to Nadi, which is about 15 miles from here. I made the round trip in 3 hours and was I tired when I got back. I havent rode the bike since I broke the pedal in Pago Pago.
I will write more after I do more lol. We will be busy painting and cleaning on tuesday.
Ok I will talk to you later.
PEACE
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Haul out
Hello All,
I have made arrangements with the marina today to have the boat hauled out of the water and put on new bottom paint. It has been almost 2 years since i have done it and its due. Where we are at offers the facilities and the paint to do such a job. The boat hasent been on the hard since I have launched it in 2007 so its due.The staff here has been most accommodating and at a very fair price so I will do the work here and enjoy New Zealand a little more with out having to do all of the work there.
Tomorrow night Jon and I plan to go out on the town and check out the night life so I will let you know how that goes.I spent most of the day shopping for paint and arranging this job so not a real exciting day in Fiji but we are getting the job done.
More to come later.
PEACE
I have made arrangements with the marina today to have the boat hauled out of the water and put on new bottom paint. It has been almost 2 years since i have done it and its due. Where we are at offers the facilities and the paint to do such a job. The boat hasent been on the hard since I have launched it in 2007 so its due.The staff here has been most accommodating and at a very fair price so I will do the work here and enjoy New Zealand a little more with out having to do all of the work there.
Tomorrow night Jon and I plan to go out on the town and check out the night life so I will let you know how that goes.I spent most of the day shopping for paint and arranging this job so not a real exciting day in Fiji but we are getting the job done.
More to come later.
PEACE
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Vuda Point Marina
Hello All,
We left Waya Island at 0700 yesterday and had a beautiful crossing. The wind was calm and the sun was out. We arrived here at 1330 so we made good time. We had to motor but that was ok because we were nose to the wind anyway. We got tied up here at the marina and then took a walk around. This is a very nice place with lots of services for boats. We ran into a polish couple that we had met in Pago Pago so we spent a few hours on there boat visiting. They have made the trip through Japan and Alaska so it was really cool to talk to them about there trip.
We will head to town today to check in and explore some so I better get going.
PEACE
We left Waya Island at 0700 yesterday and had a beautiful crossing. The wind was calm and the sun was out. We arrived here at 1330 so we made good time. We had to motor but that was ok because we were nose to the wind anyway. We got tied up here at the marina and then took a walk around. This is a very nice place with lots of services for boats. We ran into a polish couple that we had met in Pago Pago so we spent a few hours on there boat visiting. They have made the trip through Japan and Alaska so it was really cool to talk to them about there trip.
We will head to town today to check in and explore some so I better get going.
PEACE
Monday, October 25, 2010
Lautoka Bound
Hello All,
We went and visited with the chief this morning and had a short but nice visit. We walked all through the village and met some really nice locals. After a few hours on the beach we went to a few reefs close by and did some snorkeling. It wasn't the best I have seen but it was okay. We came back to the boat after an hour and I just cleaned the boat up getting it ready to head to Lautoka in the morning. It is only 28 miles from here and is pretty clear of dangers so it should be a good trip. I will be there until the boat is ready to go south hopefully in a few weeks.
I will write more when we get in and let you know what's going on.
PEACE
We went and visited with the chief this morning and had a short but nice visit. We walked all through the village and met some really nice locals. After a few hours on the beach we went to a few reefs close by and did some snorkeling. It wasn't the best I have seen but it was okay. We came back to the boat after an hour and I just cleaned the boat up getting it ready to head to Lautoka in the morning. It is only 28 miles from here and is pretty clear of dangers so it should be a good trip. I will be there until the boat is ready to go south hopefully in a few weeks.
I will write more when we get in and let you know what's going on.
PEACE
Waya Island
Hello All,
At 0800 yesterday we left the Somo somo village anchorage to head to the most southern Island of the Yasawa chain. We had to go nose into 30 knot winds and 6 foot seas to make it around the corner to head down the eastern side of the Island. It took us hours to go 3 miles. It wasn't much fun but we finally got headed the right direction. I would have gone down the western side which is protected from the wind but the whole area is uncharted and I had way points from another cruising boat for the eastern side. You would have to see a chart to know why I am so careful. The Fiji Islands are littered with shallow spots and reefs. The reefs are easy to see because of the waves breaking but the shallow areas are hard to see with out good light and they could be anywhere. You can only spot them at about a half mile distance so you have to be on your toes at all times. We motored the 27 miles to Waya Island. We had good wind for sailing but it is to hard to stop the boat in case we need to miss a shallow or a reef. We made the trip with no problems and got anchored in the southern bay of the Island. We got here about 1430 so we made good time. We just relaxed after arriving but we will go see the chief this morning. There is suppose to be good hiking trails here and good snorkeling. We will head for the main Island maybe tomorrow. I want to get the boat ready to go south and I am told there are good marine shops and support in Lautoka.
We parted ways with Curious yesterday morning. They are headed north where we were and then they will end up back in Lautoka in a week. We will look forward to seeing them there so we can hang out before departing south.
We have had a great time in the Yasawa Group but I am ready to start thinking about New Zealand. The passage could be fun or it could be rough. Being from Alaska I should be able to wrap my head around that but after being in the tropics for all these months makes it's hard to think about.
That's all for now, I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
At 0800 yesterday we left the Somo somo village anchorage to head to the most southern Island of the Yasawa chain. We had to go nose into 30 knot winds and 6 foot seas to make it around the corner to head down the eastern side of the Island. It took us hours to go 3 miles. It wasn't much fun but we finally got headed the right direction. I would have gone down the western side which is protected from the wind but the whole area is uncharted and I had way points from another cruising boat for the eastern side. You would have to see a chart to know why I am so careful. The Fiji Islands are littered with shallow spots and reefs. The reefs are easy to see because of the waves breaking but the shallow areas are hard to see with out good light and they could be anywhere. You can only spot them at about a half mile distance so you have to be on your toes at all times. We motored the 27 miles to Waya Island. We had good wind for sailing but it is to hard to stop the boat in case we need to miss a shallow or a reef. We made the trip with no problems and got anchored in the southern bay of the Island. We got here about 1430 so we made good time. We just relaxed after arriving but we will go see the chief this morning. There is suppose to be good hiking trails here and good snorkeling. We will head for the main Island maybe tomorrow. I want to get the boat ready to go south and I am told there are good marine shops and support in Lautoka.
We parted ways with Curious yesterday morning. They are headed north where we were and then they will end up back in Lautoka in a week. We will look forward to seeing them there so we can hang out before departing south.
We have had a great time in the Yasawa Group but I am ready to start thinking about New Zealand. The passage could be fun or it could be rough. Being from Alaska I should be able to wrap my head around that but after being in the tropics for all these months makes it's hard to think about.
That's all for now, I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Moving Along
Hello All,
We had a good day yesterday despite the weather. It was mostly cloudy all day and the wind was blowing pretty good here at the anchorage. Jon took off to the village to trade some shells for some spare shirts he had and I was invited to go snorkeling with the Curious team. The coral and the fish were amazing, we had a great time. After returning to Curious Jon showed back up, he had lunch with the locals and hung out there in the village a few hours. I had a little lunch on Curious then Jon and I headed to the beach to go find the plane wreck on the other side of the Island. It was only a 20 minute walk to get over there. When we arrived we met and older couple that live over there. They are in there 70s and very friendly to visitors. Steve told me about this couple before we headed over and told us if we could spare anything to take it to them. I grabbed one of my few cans left of Alaska Salmon and presented it to them. They were so pleased. They pointed out about where the wreck was at and then told us when we return they will show us a picture of the plane when it was new. The water was a little murky but we found it in about 10 feet of water. It is a P 39 from WW2. I guess the pilot walked away but the plane was a total loss. It was mostly all there considering how long its been in the water. When we returned the couple showed us the pictures and they also showed us there home. It was a very traditional Fijian home made of sticks and palm leaves. They gave us some fruit and we said goodbye.
Last night we had dinner on Curious again. Steve, as usual, fixed a fabulous dinner and we finally got back to the boat about 10 pm.
We will be leaving for the next anchorage this morning so I am going to get to work. The sun is out and its time to move on.
PEACE
We had a good day yesterday despite the weather. It was mostly cloudy all day and the wind was blowing pretty good here at the anchorage. Jon took off to the village to trade some shells for some spare shirts he had and I was invited to go snorkeling with the Curious team. The coral and the fish were amazing, we had a great time. After returning to Curious Jon showed back up, he had lunch with the locals and hung out there in the village a few hours. I had a little lunch on Curious then Jon and I headed to the beach to go find the plane wreck on the other side of the Island. It was only a 20 minute walk to get over there. When we arrived we met and older couple that live over there. They are in there 70s and very friendly to visitors. Steve told me about this couple before we headed over and told us if we could spare anything to take it to them. I grabbed one of my few cans left of Alaska Salmon and presented it to them. They were so pleased. They pointed out about where the wreck was at and then told us when we return they will show us a picture of the plane when it was new. The water was a little murky but we found it in about 10 feet of water. It is a P 39 from WW2. I guess the pilot walked away but the plane was a total loss. It was mostly all there considering how long its been in the water. When we returned the couple showed us the pictures and they also showed us there home. It was a very traditional Fijian home made of sticks and palm leaves. They gave us some fruit and we said goodbye.
Last night we had dinner on Curious again. Steve, as usual, fixed a fabulous dinner and we finally got back to the boat about 10 pm.
We will be leaving for the next anchorage this morning so I am going to get to work. The sun is out and its time to move on.
PEACE
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Naviti Island
Hello All,
We left our anchorage this morning at 0900. The sun was shining and the visibility was good. We navigated basically by eye because my charts don't show this area very well. When we got out into open water the wind was blowing up to 30 knots and it was a little rough. I motored the whole way down just because under sail its to hard to stop the boat if we came across a hidden reef. We made the 11 mile crossing in 2.5 hours. Our new anchorage is on the north side of Naviti Island. When we got close we saw that Steve and Trish on Curious were here so we were happy to meet up with them once again. They were on the beach at the time we arrived but soon after they came back to the boat and said hello and invited us over for dinner tonight. It was really nice to see them again. We haven't been in the same anchorage since Moorea, Tahiti. There is a small village close by and after getting settled in we went to see the chief and present sevu sevu. We chatted with a few of the locals and then took a walk down the beach. This is another beautiful place to visit. On the other side of the Island there is an old WW2 plane that crashed and you can snorkel on it. Curious was over there today and said it was very cool and a must see.
We had a fabulous dinner with them tonight. They have a back packing couple that they met 2 days ago on one of the other Islands and they are bringing them along while they explore the Yasawa Group. The couple fixed us all dinner tonight, sushi, fish, rice and lots of other stuff, it was very good. We got all caught up on where we have been and what we have been doing.
We will be here a few days, lots to see and do so for now I will let you go.
PEACE
We left our anchorage this morning at 0900. The sun was shining and the visibility was good. We navigated basically by eye because my charts don't show this area very well. When we got out into open water the wind was blowing up to 30 knots and it was a little rough. I motored the whole way down just because under sail its to hard to stop the boat if we came across a hidden reef. We made the 11 mile crossing in 2.5 hours. Our new anchorage is on the north side of Naviti Island. When we got close we saw that Steve and Trish on Curious were here so we were happy to meet up with them once again. They were on the beach at the time we arrived but soon after they came back to the boat and said hello and invited us over for dinner tonight. It was really nice to see them again. We haven't been in the same anchorage since Moorea, Tahiti. There is a small village close by and after getting settled in we went to see the chief and present sevu sevu. We chatted with a few of the locals and then took a walk down the beach. This is another beautiful place to visit. On the other side of the Island there is an old WW2 plane that crashed and you can snorkel on it. Curious was over there today and said it was very cool and a must see.
We had a fabulous dinner with them tonight. They have a back packing couple that they met 2 days ago on one of the other Islands and they are bringing them along while they explore the Yasawa Group. The couple fixed us all dinner tonight, sushi, fish, rice and lots of other stuff, it was very good. We got all caught up on where we have been and what we have been doing.
We will be here a few days, lots to see and do so for now I will let you go.
PEACE
Friday, October 22, 2010
Resorts Everywhere
Hello All,
We arrived at Nanuya-Sewa Island this after noon. The 9 mile trip went pretty well. It was windy and it was partly sunny so it was harder to navigate by eye. We got anchored and went to the beach. There is a little resort here so we had a burger and a beer while we were there. It is amazing how much tourism there is around here. It feels like we are in the middle of know where but we are definitely not. We are just going to stay one night here and move on to the next Island tomorrow.
All is well here so I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
We arrived at Nanuya-Sewa Island this after noon. The 9 mile trip went pretty well. It was windy and it was partly sunny so it was harder to navigate by eye. We got anchored and went to the beach. There is a little resort here so we had a burger and a beer while we were there. It is amazing how much tourism there is around here. It feels like we are in the middle of know where but we are definitely not. We are just going to stay one night here and move on to the next Island tomorrow.
All is well here so I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Made it to Yasawa, Isl. Fiji / A Beautiful place to be
October 20, 2010
Hello All,
We made it to Yasawa Islands this morning. All went well and had a good crossing here. The Islands are beautiful and it looks like a good place to explore. Right after we arrived we went to see the chief of the village and got his blessing to visit and hang out here a few days. We haven't done much yet but tomorrow is a new day so I will keep you informed.
Talk to you soon.
PEACE
October 21, 2010
Hello All,
We had a very good day here at the Nabukeru village anchorage. We did some awesome snorkeling, some of the best coral I have seen on this trip, it was so awesome. We also met some folks on another cruising boat that I met in Hiva Oa, Marquesas some months ago and had a good visit with them. They are from Belgium and have been cruising around for some time. They let me get some way points from them so I could navigate around here in the group. The charts are very incomplete so that really helped to get us to navigate down to Lautoka. After that Jon and I took a dingy ride to one of the bays close by and the scenery was breath taking.
Tonight we went into the village and saw a dancing show the locals put on. It was sponsored by one of the cruise ships that come in here so it wasn't long after sitting down and enjoying the show that one of the cruise ship guys came and asked us to leave. He said it was private for the boat and we were not invited, I told him the locals told us to show up and check it out. I won't get into it but he was rude and we were not to happy. We went and had Kava with the locals after that and got to visit some. Tomorrow we will move south to another anchorage 9 miles south of here and work our way down to Lautoka.
I will keep in touch and let you know how it's going.
That's all for now.
PEACE
Hello All,
We made it to Yasawa Islands this morning. All went well and had a good crossing here. The Islands are beautiful and it looks like a good place to explore. Right after we arrived we went to see the chief of the village and got his blessing to visit and hang out here a few days. We haven't done much yet but tomorrow is a new day so I will keep you informed.
Talk to you soon.
PEACE
October 21, 2010
Hello All,
We had a very good day here at the Nabukeru village anchorage. We did some awesome snorkeling, some of the best coral I have seen on this trip, it was so awesome. We also met some folks on another cruising boat that I met in Hiva Oa, Marquesas some months ago and had a good visit with them. They are from Belgium and have been cruising around for some time. They let me get some way points from them so I could navigate around here in the group. The charts are very incomplete so that really helped to get us to navigate down to Lautoka. After that Jon and I took a dingy ride to one of the bays close by and the scenery was breath taking.
Tonight we went into the village and saw a dancing show the locals put on. It was sponsored by one of the cruise ships that come in here so it wasn't long after sitting down and enjoying the show that one of the cruise ship guys came and asked us to leave. He said it was private for the boat and we were not invited, I told him the locals told us to show up and check it out. I won't get into it but he was rude and we were not to happy. We went and had Kava with the locals after that and got to visit some. Tomorrow we will move south to another anchorage 9 miles south of here and work our way down to Lautoka.
I will keep in touch and let you know how it's going.
That's all for now.
PEACE
Monday, October 18, 2010
Sevu sevu Ceremony
Hello All,
We are anchored here on the south west side of Vanua Levu. The village of Nabouwalu lies here and is where we have been hanging out visiting the locals the last 2 days. We will leave for the Yasawa group tonight so we can arrive at the islands in the day light. We have had a very good time here and every one has been so friendly to us. Tom, the guy we brought from Savu savu has family here so he was very happy to see them again. He told us he hasn't been to this village in 2 years. He left this morning on a bus back to his village near Savu savu.
I wanted to explain a Fijian custom that has been in there culture for centuries. It is called Sevu sevu. A visiting person whether it be a fellow Fijian or someone like me presents Kava to the village chief. Kava is the root of a plant that is pounded to powder and mixed with water to drink. It is put in a big bowl called a Tanoa. Some are very big and it is placed in the middle of the room where family and friends can gather around it. They pass around a small cup, usually made of a half a coconut and every one shares the kava drink. The taste is indescribable but it is quiet good. After presenting the chief Kava he gives you his blessing and permission to visit the village. After the ceremony he also lets you know that you are welcome anytime to see him or anyone else in the village.He basically makes you part of the family. Every village that we go into we will have to find the chief and give him some Kava. I bought some before we left so we could do this when visiting. It is considered rude and disrespectful to visit a village with ut doing this ceremony and you may be asked to leave.
We gathered around the Tanoa 2 nights in a row and visited with the chief and his whole family. They all showed up to meet us and to say hello. I will quote the chief by saying "This is the Fijian way"
Well now you know what we have been up to the last few days. I will write more when we get to the other side.
PEACE
We are anchored here on the south west side of Vanua Levu. The village of Nabouwalu lies here and is where we have been hanging out visiting the locals the last 2 days. We will leave for the Yasawa group tonight so we can arrive at the islands in the day light. We have had a very good time here and every one has been so friendly to us. Tom, the guy we brought from Savu savu has family here so he was very happy to see them again. He told us he hasn't been to this village in 2 years. He left this morning on a bus back to his village near Savu savu.
I wanted to explain a Fijian custom that has been in there culture for centuries. It is called Sevu sevu. A visiting person whether it be a fellow Fijian or someone like me presents Kava to the village chief. Kava is the root of a plant that is pounded to powder and mixed with water to drink. It is put in a big bowl called a Tanoa. Some are very big and it is placed in the middle of the room where family and friends can gather around it. They pass around a small cup, usually made of a half a coconut and every one shares the kava drink. The taste is indescribable but it is quiet good. After presenting the chief Kava he gives you his blessing and permission to visit the village. After the ceremony he also lets you know that you are welcome anytime to see him or anyone else in the village.He basically makes you part of the family. Every village that we go into we will have to find the chief and give him some Kava. I bought some before we left so we could do this when visiting. It is considered rude and disrespectful to visit a village with ut doing this ceremony and you may be asked to leave.
We gathered around the Tanoa 2 nights in a row and visited with the chief and his whole family. They all showed up to meet us and to say hello. I will quote the chief by saying "This is the Fijian way"
Well now you know what we have been up to the last few days. I will write more when we get to the other side.
PEACE
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Village Guests / Leaving Savu savu
October 14, 2010
Hello All,
We had quiet a treat yesterday, Steve which is one of the locals that we have been hanging out with invited us to his village. It was about an hours drive from here. There is a bus that goes there but we missed the morning one so we got a cab ride there. We got to meet a lot of his family and had a picnic on the beach. The weather did not cooperate very well as it poured down rain while we were there. We also had a light lunch at his aunt and uncles house. We were stuffed when we left. After that we said our goodbyes and caught the afternoon bus back to town. When we returned we hung out with a friend of Steve's at his home and visited till 10 pm last night. His wife made an awesome dinner so we were full once again.
This place has been an experience to say the least, know-one that we have met wants to see us go. They are throwing a goodbye party for us on Saturday so this should be interesting.
It is still raining here, it has been all night so unless it clears up i think i will get the boat ready to get under way. We have been going so much it has turned into a big mess.
That is all for now, more to come later.
PEACE
October 16, 2010
Hello All,
The last few days we have been getting the boat ready to get underway. We will be leaving this morning for the west side of the Island to anchor for the night at a village. We have a guest on the boat that will be coming along. Tom, a local that we met when we first got here and showed us his village last week, will be making the 38 mile trip with us. He has never sailed before so we were going to take him along and then drop him off off at our first anchorage. There is a road to the village so he will catch a bus back here when we leave over to the Yasawa Group. He is pretty excited and we are happy to have him along.
I will fill you in on a few details of our stay here in the next blog. I need to get going so I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
Hello All,
We had quiet a treat yesterday, Steve which is one of the locals that we have been hanging out with invited us to his village. It was about an hours drive from here. There is a bus that goes there but we missed the morning one so we got a cab ride there. We got to meet a lot of his family and had a picnic on the beach. The weather did not cooperate very well as it poured down rain while we were there. We also had a light lunch at his aunt and uncles house. We were stuffed when we left. After that we said our goodbyes and caught the afternoon bus back to town. When we returned we hung out with a friend of Steve's at his home and visited till 10 pm last night. His wife made an awesome dinner so we were full once again.
This place has been an experience to say the least, know-one that we have met wants to see us go. They are throwing a goodbye party for us on Saturday so this should be interesting.
It is still raining here, it has been all night so unless it clears up i think i will get the boat ready to get under way. We have been going so much it has turned into a big mess.
That is all for now, more to come later.
PEACE
October 16, 2010
Hello All,
The last few days we have been getting the boat ready to get underway. We will be leaving this morning for the west side of the Island to anchor for the night at a village. We have a guest on the boat that will be coming along. Tom, a local that we met when we first got here and showed us his village last week, will be making the 38 mile trip with us. He has never sailed before so we were going to take him along and then drop him off off at our first anchorage. There is a road to the village so he will catch a bus back here when we leave over to the Yasawa Group. He is pretty excited and we are happy to have him along.
I will fill you in on a few details of our stay here in the next blog. I need to get going so I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Day after Fiji Day / A Bus Tour
10-13-2010
Hello All,
We finally got to see some of the Island today. We took a bus along the south coast of the Island and visited a small village. The trip only took an hour. We were greeted when we got off by a guy we met here in town last weekend. He showed us around the village and introduced us to his wife and showed us his home. We were surprised to see him there and said, what a small world. LOL. After a few hours of exploring we took the bus back to town and it has been pouring down rain ever since we returned. I have been going over the charts and trying to figure out where we want to go next. We will hang around tomorrow and do some laundry and get a grocery list started. I think we will head out by the weekend, I will look at the weather and see what it has in store.
That's all for now so I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
10-12-2010
Hello All,
We had an awesome Fiji Day, a few of our new local friends came out to the boat where we had a few beers and just visited. It was a beautiful day and the whole town was out having picnics on the beach and just hanging out. We never did make it to the feast, we were to busy entertaining our guests.
Last night after having a few beers on the boat we all went up to the local cafe and did karaoke till 9 pm, by then Jon and I had enough fun for one day so we came back to the boat and went to bed.
We didn't do much today. We just got some groceries and have been taking it easy. Tomorrow I think we will catch a bus and see some of the Island.
I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
Hello All,
We finally got to see some of the Island today. We took a bus along the south coast of the Island and visited a small village. The trip only took an hour. We were greeted when we got off by a guy we met here in town last weekend. He showed us around the village and introduced us to his wife and showed us his home. We were surprised to see him there and said, what a small world. LOL. After a few hours of exploring we took the bus back to town and it has been pouring down rain ever since we returned. I have been going over the charts and trying to figure out where we want to go next. We will hang around tomorrow and do some laundry and get a grocery list started. I think we will head out by the weekend, I will look at the weather and see what it has in store.
That's all for now so I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
10-12-2010
Hello All,
We had an awesome Fiji Day, a few of our new local friends came out to the boat where we had a few beers and just visited. It was a beautiful day and the whole town was out having picnics on the beach and just hanging out. We never did make it to the feast, we were to busy entertaining our guests.
Last night after having a few beers on the boat we all went up to the local cafe and did karaoke till 9 pm, by then Jon and I had enough fun for one day so we came back to the boat and went to bed.
We didn't do much today. We just got some groceries and have been taking it easy. Tomorrow I think we will catch a bus and see some of the Island.
I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Fiji Day
Hello All,
The last few days here we have met so many nice people. We have been invited to there homes and today we will be attending a Fijian feast on the Island right by where we are moored. There hospitality has been awesome. They have been so kind. I was amazed that most of the cruisers that come here never take the time to get to know the locals. They have really enjoyed us taking the time to get to know them and in turn they have been so kind.
Today is Fiji Day, it is there independence from Britain day so there is a lot going on in town. I don't know what we will be doing but I am sure it will be something. LOL We will be here till the end of the week exploring the Island. So far we have only made it to the edge of town so we will work on that.
That is all for now so I will talk to you later.
PEACE
The last few days here we have met so many nice people. We have been invited to there homes and today we will be attending a Fijian feast on the Island right by where we are moored. There hospitality has been awesome. They have been so kind. I was amazed that most of the cruisers that come here never take the time to get to know the locals. They have really enjoyed us taking the time to get to know them and in turn they have been so kind.
Today is Fiji Day, it is there independence from Britain day so there is a lot going on in town. I don't know what we will be doing but I am sure it will be something. LOL We will be here till the end of the week exploring the Island. So far we have only made it to the edge of town so we will work on that.
That is all for now so I will talk to you later.
PEACE
Friday, October 8, 2010
New Friends in Savu savu
Hello All,
We are having a good time here. We are meeting lots of new people and we haven't even left town yet. We had dinner at the yacht club with a few of the fellow cruisers last night. There was a local band that has played there the last 2 nights so it is very cool to have some live music. We went out to one of the clubs last night,this isn't a big place so you get to know folks pretty easy. The Fijian people have been awesome to us. They are very friendly,like most of the Islands and have different customs to get used to.
We are invited out to a yacht tonight for a good bye drink. The guy is from Australia with some friends helping him get the boat home. They are leaving in the morning for Vanuatu Island. This is a funny story, the guy bought this boat in Pago Pago from a guy we met there. The boat was damaged in the tsunamis last year and this guy, a cruiser him self has been living in Pago Pago a few years now. He bought the boat from the insurance company and fixed it up to sell. We saw the boat when we were there and knew a guy from Australia was buying it but we left before this guy showed up to take it home. We saw the boat in the Ha'apai group but didn't meet the guy till we got here. We all got a good laugh after we told him that we knew the boat and the old owner.
Well I better get going. Places to see and people to meet.
PEACE
We are having a good time here. We are meeting lots of new people and we haven't even left town yet. We had dinner at the yacht club with a few of the fellow cruisers last night. There was a local band that has played there the last 2 nights so it is very cool to have some live music. We went out to one of the clubs last night,this isn't a big place so you get to know folks pretty easy. The Fijian people have been awesome to us. They are very friendly,like most of the Islands and have different customs to get used to.
We are invited out to a yacht tonight for a good bye drink. The guy is from Australia with some friends helping him get the boat home. They are leaving in the morning for Vanuatu Island. This is a funny story, the guy bought this boat in Pago Pago from a guy we met there. The boat was damaged in the tsunamis last year and this guy, a cruiser him self has been living in Pago Pago a few years now. He bought the boat from the insurance company and fixed it up to sell. We saw the boat when we were there and knew a guy from Australia was buying it but we left before this guy showed up to take it home. We saw the boat in the Ha'apai group but didn't meet the guy till we got here. We all got a good laugh after we told him that we knew the boat and the old owner.
Well I better get going. Places to see and people to meet.
PEACE
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Moored in Savu savu
Hello All,
We arrived in Savu savu yesterday at 1100. The anchorage is in the mouth of a river so it is very protected. When we came in we were met by a guy in a skiff and he asked if we needed a mooring. This anchorage is very tight and is full of moorings so it's hard to anchor here and besides its like 5 bucks a night to stay on a mooring, I told him yes so he picked one out and he helped us tie to it. He arranged for customs and all of the officials to come out and brought them out to the boat. Now that is service. The check in was easy and the guys were very friendly. We got the dingy aired up and went into town. This is a small town with one main street and most everything is right here on the water front. We had some lunch at an Indian restaurant and walked around. Jon found an internet cafe so that's where I lost him and I found the Yacht Club Bar. I met a few locals that were there and later on Jon showed up and then a few cruisers also showed up. We ended up having dinner there and didn't get back to the boat till 2230. I think we will be here at least a week, this is a big Island with lots to see and do.
That's all for now.
I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
We arrived in Savu savu yesterday at 1100. The anchorage is in the mouth of a river so it is very protected. When we came in we were met by a guy in a skiff and he asked if we needed a mooring. This anchorage is very tight and is full of moorings so it's hard to anchor here and besides its like 5 bucks a night to stay on a mooring, I told him yes so he picked one out and he helped us tie to it. He arranged for customs and all of the officials to come out and brought them out to the boat. Now that is service. The check in was easy and the guys were very friendly. We got the dingy aired up and went into town. This is a small town with one main street and most everything is right here on the water front. We had some lunch at an Indian restaurant and walked around. Jon found an internet cafe so that's where I lost him and I found the Yacht Club Bar. I met a few locals that were there and later on Jon showed up and then a few cruisers also showed up. We ended up having dinner there and didn't get back to the boat till 2230. I think we will be here at least a week, this is a big Island with lots to see and do.
That's all for now.
I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Who needs sails?
Hello All,
We are just hours away from making landfall on Vanua Levu Island,Fiji. It has been an interesting passage to say the least. When we left Tonga it looked like the winds were going to be light and they were for the first day and a half then it picked up and has not let up at all. We have been making really good time. We "hove to" yesterday so we could make it to Savu savu in the day light. 65 miles off shore we stopped the boat and threw out the sea anchor to slow our drift and did this for 8 hours. It wasn't much fun sitting there bobbing around, but I didn't have much choice. The strangest thing happened to me a little bit ago. It was my watch and I could see we were making to good of time and we were going to get in to early, so I took the jib down and put up the staysail, which is a smaller sail and I was still doing almost 5 knots with the staysail only. So I thought if the boat can go that fast with that small sail then it doesn't need any sail to move. So I pulled the sail down, now there is not one sail up on the boat and guess what, I am doing 3 knots and that's 2.5 over the ground. So I am drifting half a knot and I am moving across the water 2.5 knots. I was beside my self. I am going dead down wind so I figure my dodger the mast and just the boat is making a sail. Someone told me this was a good downwind boat but I didn't expect this. lol.
Besides the wind being good to us, the weather has been overcast and rainy drizzly for days now, I thought I was in the South Pacific. I guess it happens every where at some stage. Well I better get outside and take a look around in the dark.
Talk to you later.
PEACE
We are just hours away from making landfall on Vanua Levu Island,Fiji. It has been an interesting passage to say the least. When we left Tonga it looked like the winds were going to be light and they were for the first day and a half then it picked up and has not let up at all. We have been making really good time. We "hove to" yesterday so we could make it to Savu savu in the day light. 65 miles off shore we stopped the boat and threw out the sea anchor to slow our drift and did this for 8 hours. It wasn't much fun sitting there bobbing around, but I didn't have much choice. The strangest thing happened to me a little bit ago. It was my watch and I could see we were making to good of time and we were going to get in to early, so I took the jib down and put up the staysail, which is a smaller sail and I was still doing almost 5 knots with the staysail only. So I thought if the boat can go that fast with that small sail then it doesn't need any sail to move. So I pulled the sail down, now there is not one sail up on the boat and guess what, I am doing 3 knots and that's 2.5 over the ground. So I am drifting half a knot and I am moving across the water 2.5 knots. I was beside my self. I am going dead down wind so I figure my dodger the mast and just the boat is making a sail. Someone told me this was a good downwind boat but I didn't expect this. lol.
Besides the wind being good to us, the weather has been overcast and rainy drizzly for days now, I thought I was in the South Pacific. I guess it happens every where at some stage. Well I better get outside and take a look around in the dark.
Talk to you later.
PEACE
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
80 miles from Savu Savu
Hello All,
We have been under sail only the last 24 hours. The wind has been excellent but the weather has been kinda lousy. It has been pretty much overcast and raining off and on for 2 days now. We are making good time, in fact to good of time, at our current speed we will be getting into Savu savu at night so we may have to heave to (park the boat off shore) for about 7 hours. We will see what this morning brings for wind. We are about 80 miles out as of right now so we are getting close. We talked to Compass Rose by email the other day and they just left Savu savu for Sava, the main city and said they had a great time there so we are looking forward to getting in. So far it has been a good crossing but its not over yet. lol Today is another day out at sea.
Well that is all for now, I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
We have been under sail only the last 24 hours. The wind has been excellent but the weather has been kinda lousy. It has been pretty much overcast and raining off and on for 2 days now. We are making good time, in fact to good of time, at our current speed we will be getting into Savu savu at night so we may have to heave to (park the boat off shore) for about 7 hours. We will see what this morning brings for wind. We are about 80 miles out as of right now so we are getting close. We talked to Compass Rose by email the other day and they just left Savu savu for Sava, the main city and said they had a great time there so we are looking forward to getting in. So far it has been a good crossing but its not over yet. lol Today is another day out at sea.
Well that is all for now, I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
Monday, October 4, 2010
18 34.97S 177 8.73W
Hello All,
We got to sail off and on yesterday. The wind couldn't figure out which direction to come from and it was very cloudy and rained most of the night. It wasn't much fun but it looks okay this morning so far. We have good wind and good speed, so far so good. We are 16 miles from the pass and 186 miles out of Savusavu. I can think of better crossings but we are getting there.
That's all for now. I will write more later.
PEACE
We got to sail off and on yesterday. The wind couldn't figure out which direction to come from and it was very cloudy and rained most of the night. It wasn't much fun but it looks okay this morning so far. We have good wind and good speed, so far so good. We are 16 miles from the pass and 186 miles out of Savusavu. I can think of better crossings but we are getting there.
That's all for now. I will write more later.
PEACE
Sunday, October 3, 2010
19 14.99S 175 52.08W
Hello All,
I am writing this to you on my morning watch. I figured I would give you an update this morning. We left Ha'apai Group yesterday at 0830. The wind was pretty light at the time so we motored out a ways. We got the yankee sail up and started sailing an hour into the trip. The wind was pretty light but we were moving. I started the engine to help our speed out last night at 1800 so we can make it to the eastern Fiji Islands in the daylight. There are 3 passes you can use to get through and I chose the one in the middle. The Islands are not charted well so we want to be able to see them when we arrive. After we get through it should be a straight shot up to Savu savu.
All is well here, the wind has picked up a little so we are making good speed. This should be a 4 day crossing and so far so good. It is kind of exciting to move on and explore another set of Islands and another country.
That is all for now, I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
I am writing this to you on my morning watch. I figured I would give you an update this morning. We left Ha'apai Group yesterday at 0830. The wind was pretty light at the time so we motored out a ways. We got the yankee sail up and started sailing an hour into the trip. The wind was pretty light but we were moving. I started the engine to help our speed out last night at 1800 so we can make it to the eastern Fiji Islands in the daylight. There are 3 passes you can use to get through and I chose the one in the middle. The Islands are not charted well so we want to be able to see them when we arrive. After we get through it should be a straight shot up to Savu savu.
All is well here, the wind has picked up a little so we are making good speed. This should be a 4 day crossing and so far so good. It is kind of exciting to move on and explore another set of Islands and another country.
That is all for now, I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Leaving the Kingdom of Tonga
Hello All,,
We are getting the boat ready this morning to depart for Savusavu Fiji. We have had such a great time in the Ha'apai Group and met some very nice people. It would be good to stay longer but we want some time in Fiji also before we have to go south.
Yesterday was pretty low key. Jon jumped in the water when he saw some dolphins and tried to swim with them but they were not interested and swam away. In the late after noon we went ashore to visit some cruisers and hung out till dark visiting and telling stories. A couple on a Tri Maran invited us out for a movie last night to see The Wizard of Oz. They set up a big white sheet on deck and had a projector from a DVD. It was like going to the movies in the middle of the ocean. There were 8 of us on board and there was still lots of room. Life is always full of first times but that one takes the cake.
I have been looking at the weather and the wind looks very light. Every passage we have had in the last 2 months has been 25 knots or more going into weather and now we will be going dead down wind. When we need 25 knots the most it isn't there lol, Maybe the weather man is wrong but we will see.
I will keep in touch on the passage and let you know how we are doing.
That's all for now. take care and I will talk to you tomorrow.
PEACE
We are getting the boat ready this morning to depart for Savusavu Fiji. We have had such a great time in the Ha'apai Group and met some very nice people. It would be good to stay longer but we want some time in Fiji also before we have to go south.
Yesterday was pretty low key. Jon jumped in the water when he saw some dolphins and tried to swim with them but they were not interested and swam away. In the late after noon we went ashore to visit some cruisers and hung out till dark visiting and telling stories. A couple on a Tri Maran invited us out for a movie last night to see The Wizard of Oz. They set up a big white sheet on deck and had a projector from a DVD. It was like going to the movies in the middle of the ocean. There were 8 of us on board and there was still lots of room. Life is always full of first times but that one takes the cake.
I have been looking at the weather and the wind looks very light. Every passage we have had in the last 2 months has been 25 knots or more going into weather and now we will be going dead down wind. When we need 25 knots the most it isn't there lol, Maybe the weather man is wrong but we will see.
I will keep in touch on the passage and let you know how we are doing.
That's all for now. take care and I will talk to you tomorrow.
PEACE
Friday, October 1, 2010
Beach Party
Hello All,
Yesterday morning after breakfast Jon and I took a dingy ride to the beach and walked around to the south shore of the Island. The beach with its white sand and picture perfect palm trees was a delight. After it started getting hot we jumped in the water and went snorkeling on the reef close by where we are anchored. The coral was 9 different colors and very dense. It was very nice to see it so vibrant here. We returned to the boat and I read a few cruising guides for our passage to Fiji.
Last night Jon made an awesome pasta dish to take into the beach party. There were about 10 people there from 7 boats anchored in the bay. The owner of the cafe in town brought his boat over with some beverages to sell. We all has a great time and got to meet a lot of nice people, if I could only remember all of there names lol.
We will get the boat ready to go today and head for Fiji tomorrow morning. The wind looks a little light but we will see what happens.
That's all for now so I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
Yesterday morning after breakfast Jon and I took a dingy ride to the beach and walked around to the south shore of the Island. The beach with its white sand and picture perfect palm trees was a delight. After it started getting hot we jumped in the water and went snorkeling on the reef close by where we are anchored. The coral was 9 different colors and very dense. It was very nice to see it so vibrant here. We returned to the boat and I read a few cruising guides for our passage to Fiji.
Last night Jon made an awesome pasta dish to take into the beach party. There were about 10 people there from 7 boats anchored in the bay. The owner of the cafe in town brought his boat over with some beverages to sell. We all has a great time and got to meet a lot of nice people, if I could only remember all of there names lol.
We will get the boat ready to go today and head for Fiji tomorrow morning. The wind looks a little light but we will see what happens.
That's all for now so I will talk to you soon.
PEACE
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