Fiji Week 8

Sunday June 27, Dan went on a hike today with a couple of other boats, they we gone about 6 hours. I stayed on the boat, did some cleaning and had some nice quiet time!

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Sundowners on Barracuda with Kate and Graham, Alison and Andy (s/v Venture Lady), Ally and Mike (s/v Cachalot) and Lisa and Mark (s/v En Passant), she is from the US, he’s from Ireland.

Monday June 28, departed Viani Bay for the island of Taveuni, where we anchored off the Paradise Resort. Along with 3 other boats, we hired a van for a trip into town to pick up some produce. A few stops were made, one to spot where the International Date Line crosses the island, the second to a natural stone waterfall slide. Later there’s was a group dinner at the resort.

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Tuesday June 29, the fleet is off, 9 boats, including us, are sailing to the remote island of Fulanga in the Southern Lau Group. Our estimated time of arrival is tomorrow afternoon. It’s a 93 mile trek. We will have no internet for a few weeks.

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Wednesday June 30,

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Destination Fulanga, alternate spellings, Fulaga or Vulaga. We arrived just before slack tide then motored through the pass. Our group of boats is anchored just south of the sandbar. At 4pm, low tide, arriving by dinghies, we all had sundowners on that sandbar.

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Thursday July 1, each morning at 8am on VHF channel 8, the net, We have morning announcements, weather and just in general what’s everyone doing today. Rotating through the boats in our group, all are taking turns to start and manage the conversion each day.

The forecast is for rain and wind all day as there is a low pressure trough passing by. Good day to bake banana bread with walnuts. Bananas have been sparse here as the cyclones early the year destroyed them as well as other crops.

An afternoon of cards 313, and a game of Farkle on Barracuda with Kate, Graham, Alison and Andy.

Friday July 2, several boats went to snorkel the entrance pass, Dan did, I drove the dinghy to follow him as it was quite windy.

Afterwards we took a drive in the dinghy to see some of the fabulous limestone mushrooms shaped rock formations.

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Dan and I took a walk along the beach and had lunch sitting on a fallen palm tree hanging over the water. John on s/v Wildflower took a photo of us from his boat.

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Sundowners on the beach starting at 4:30 till just past sunset.

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Saturday July 3, Another drive around the lagoon in the morning.

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Purchased lemon grass from Ty, a local villager, we met on the beach. He was also selling pumpkins and bockchoy.

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Bought bread and traded gasoline for a large bunch of bananas from Soki and Ba.

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It was arranged for the villager to meet us at neutral location, they brought wood carved items all made by them as well as they had some fruit to sell.

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We purchased a bowl made by Mini. The legs of the bowl are sharks.

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Sundowners on s/v Quokka2. Liz on s/v Indigo ll, wrote a song about us all to the tune of “I am Australian”, 32 second video of the chorus.

Bula Rendezvous, with love from Liz on Indigo ll.

Here comes the good ship Windflower, a Scotsman at the helm Loquacious and assertive, he guides the fleet so well His charming wife sheds laughter over gatherings near and far- These two have great connections in every town and bar.

Two Kiwis on Enola have grabbed their dream and sailed.To Fiji in the tropics, where sun and warmth prevailed. They set a pace that’s hard to beat at sea and on the land. Their kindness always ready to lend a helping hand.

On Quokka 2 are Aussies, full of music, fun and jokes. They both love red-hot chilies and Fiji’s friendly folks. With flute and ukulele they will serenade us all, their songs and rhymes and ditties will drive us up the wall.

Chorus: We are one, but we are many. And from all the lands on earth we come. We share a dream, and sing with one. voice I am, you are, we are all sailing.

Estran is full of kids who speak more languages than one. When older folks go rambling, those kids just love to run. They’ll ride the horses, they’ll eat the crab, they’ll swim until they’re done. But cornflakes just don’t cut it now, they much prefer a bun.

Now Trance is from the USA, a monohull so fine. With plans to sail around the world, she’s had to stretch her time. For COVID closes borders and imposed new constraints…Another nasal swab test and another patient wait.

On Indigo are two old salts, birdwatchers to the core. They might be deaf and cautious but they’re keen to see much more. From sand to rocks, from trees to ferns, from reefs to fish galore. They’ll label everything they see, to understand it more.

Chorus

Barracuda hails from Scotland’s north, from heather-covered moors. She’s sailed the North Atlantic waves to Caribbean shores. Then on to Pol-y-ne-sia where COVID caused a pause. Until the Blue Lanes drew her in to Fiji’s sunny shore.

The team on Venture Lady are sailing around the world. They’d like to cruise New Zealand, but it’s gone to COVID hell. The rules say spend a fortune to secure a summer spell. Or else you must continue west, your story still to tell.

And so we come to Rondo, another family boat. The kids on board so active they keep the dream afloat: To hunt and gather in the wild, that is their challenge now, to harvest what is growing here without causing a row.

Chorus