Pacific NW

Expeditions

Septmeber 6, 2014
At anchor: Fulunga

We sailed through the narrow coral-lined channel (barely a boat-length wide in some places) a few days ago, and are resting at anchor in Fulunga!  It was a great beam reach and then close-hauled in 12-15 knots of steady E-SE winds all the way from Vanua Balavu, under full sail.  Fulunga is an incredibly awesome island, easily one of the most beautiful and unusual places we’ve ever seen.  Hundreds of volcanic pinnacle islands rise from the turquoise lagoon.  All the shorelines are deeply undercut and the islands are literally airborn!  Pictures can only describe this floating landscape.

We dropped the hook in blissful coral-free sands in 20 feet.  Sea turtles swam through the anchorage.  After a few hours rest we put on Sulus and skirts and headed to shore, to present our Yangona roots to the chief of Fulunga.  Several dugout outrigger canoes were pulled up on the beach.  We began walking the path to the village.  I got the distinct feeling that we had stepped back in time.  Tiny bats flew around us as we walked through a dark grove of massive Mango trees, making peculiar clicking noises as they passed within inches of our faces.  We walked quietly along the footpath as the wind sifted through the palms and pines (yes-they grow side-by-side here!)  After 20 or 30 minutes we came to the village.

We arrived with perfect timing at the beginning of a huge celebration–the “illumination of the village”.  Every house had just been outfitted with a solar panel, and this night was the first time that the lights turned on!  We were led to the village community house where everyone in the village was gathering, and presented our sevu-sevu (the kava roots).  Kelsey and I were immediately welcomed into the village and introduced to our “host family” Joe and Tara, and their grandson Peter (a very popular name in Fiji).

The next 5 or 6 hours were like something out of a National Geographic video.  The chief of 85 years presided over the Kava ceremony, in flower leis and giant white afro.  The Kava pounding began and I was whisked into the circle of men, where we drank bowl after bowl after bowl of kava, from a coconut husk.  When the husk is passed, it is either full to the  brim “high tide” or has just an inch or so in the bottom “low tide”.  There were many high tides and soon my mouth and lips were numb.  Everyone was cracking jokes and laughing, and the women began singing the most incredible melodies while the men accompanied on ukelele and guitars.  Everyone began passing around cigarettes.  There were only a few real cigarettes–the rest were strips of tobacco rolled up into long skinny lengths of newspaper.  Kelsey went outside with the women and children for a parade, which happens only at the New Year, but today was the “New Year” because of the lights–the end of one era and into another.  The women beat the drums (empty Jerry cans) and the corrugated metal roofing as they danced and sang their way through the village, and children ran around setting off firecrackers and sparklers.

After several hours of Kava drinking, Kelsey and I were led to a carpet on the ground and were presented with a huge, delicious meal of fish, dalo, cassava, clams, greens, etc…

I must admit that I was at first a bit sad to hear of the lights.  I still remember the days before electricity came to Pine Island and the bitter loss of daily traditions that came with the power.  This was the biggest project that the village had ever done, however, and they live with practically nothing.  It’s not like they’ll be getting iPhones any time in the next few decades…  We all sat around and waited for the three bare florescent bulbs in the room to turn on, when it got dark.  One by one the kids flipped the switches, and looks of amazement and bewilderment swept across the room, as everyone stared up at the ceiling.  We stayed a few more hours, but Kelsey and I were pretty tired because we had just sailed through the previous night to get here and were low on sleep.

We’ll be here in Fulunga for the next few weeks or so, living the village life and exploring the extensive lagoon and miles of beaches.  There are several “mountains” on the island and we hear that many of them have caves filled with skeletons and skulls.  There is a small stunted variety of palm tree on the island which will make for easy coconut harvesting, and the villagers are looking forward to teaching us how to sail an outrigger canoe!

-P

September 3, 2014
17 21′ S
179 01′ W
SOG: 6.1 kts

We’re under sail again, straddling the Eastern & Western hemispheres and making way for Fulunga, 125 miles distant.  Fulunga is in the most remote corner of Fiji and we’ve heard amazing reports from the few who have visited before.  It was hard to leave the Bay of Islands in Vanua Balavu behind.  The leathery bats flying over the mast every evening looked like mini Draculas.  Our friend Biu baked a pan of delicious rolls over the open fire for us, using flaming coconut husks atop a piece of sheet metal for the dutch oven effect.

It feels good to be under sail again, at ease with the Monitor making all the miles, and the solar panels powering our watermaker.  Fiji is going through a big drought and we hear that Fulunga is entirely out of water, so we hope to make a surplus for the villagers.  The trade winds are settling down for the season and we’ll hopefully be on this easy beam reach through the night, unless the winds go light.

August 29, 2014
17 11′ S
179 01′ W
At Anchor: Bay of Islands (Vanua Balavu)

We’ve been riding at anchor in an incredible maze of volcanic islands.  The land is rugged and impossible to walk on, so we are enjoying exploration by dinghy.  We did find one sandy Tombolo but got a creepy vibe from the place, like it was haunted…  There are so many hidden passages that it’s easy to get lost!  The rock is similar to the rocks in my parent’s backyard pond in MN–jagged and porous.  It’s like being in a giant pond universe…  The bats come out at sunset, and we have the whole maze to ourselves…  Underwater–soft corals, clownfish, and the most unusual blue fish.  Yesterday we swam with a pod of miniature squid that changed color as they hovered in the water.

Kelsey’s belly is getting big and the baby is thumping away every day!  Enjoying the solitude and being just the two of us, before we are three 🙂  Relaxing and working on various boat projects.  Life is good!!

-P

August 21, 2014
16 52′ S
179 45′ W
SOG: 5.0 kts

We’re motor-sailing in calm seas and light S-SE winds, toward the Lau Group!  The Lau is the most isolated part of Fiji and was just “opened” to cruisers last year.  We can’t wait!  We met back up with our friends Sophie & Michael, and both our boats are making the overnight passage tonight.  We should arrive at the pass to the lagoon right at sunrise, for a safe entry.

Autopilot on and smooth enough to walk around the boat no problem.  Beats bashing into the trades!  We’re lucky to have this weather window.

Bula!  We are still in beautiful Viani Bay, and are about to get a great weather window to sail to the Lau group–the most isolated islands in Fiji.  Today I went for another dive with some friends on the White Wall & through the caves, and we’re going out to another site tomorrow.  Miraculously, a dive shop on Taveuni Island had a new mask that fit me!  Yesterday we took friend’s sailboat over to Taveuni and hiked the rainforest on the wet SE side of the island.  We went swimming in the plunge pools at the bases of some great waterfalls.  The forest was mostly fern trees and a massive version of the bracken-ferns we have in Alaska.  The stems were as thick as my arm and they grow over 20 feet tall!

We’re very excited for the Lau group, and are carefully plotting our course, as it is basically uncharted waters.  We use GPS coordinates that other cruisers have used without incident, punch them into our GPS, and connect the dots.  No messing around or taking chances in Fiji–there are reefs everywhere!

August 15, 2014
At Anchor: Viani Bay

Apex picked us up with the dive boat this morning, and today I dove the Great White Wall on the Rainbow Reef!!  There was a moment of despair as I put my mask on right before the dive, and one of the lenses popped out!  Turns out that yesterday’s dive shattered the plastic casing all around the edges of my mask.  Fortunately, the boat had a spare mask, but I am out of luck for snorkeling in Fiji now unless I can effect a repair with Sikaflex or Permagasket…

We descended 90 feet down along a sheer ledge that dropped into the abyss.  It was like rock climbing a vertical cliff with no ropes!  Massive coral fans reached out from the cliff wall, and thousands of fish swam vertically along the face.  We came to an area thick with soft white corals that are unique in the world only to this particular spot!  They gave the entire cliff the appearance of glowing in the dark.

Next we swam through a network of underwater caves, tunnels, and passages, some just 10 feet wide.  Inside the tunnles intricate corals and sea fans grew from the walls and ceilings, every color of the rainbow.  We spotted huge eels, sharks, tiny psychedelic nudibranchs, glowing clownfish peeking out from their anemone homes, a metallic ball-looking algae called “sailor’s eyeball”, and so many more of the most amazing fish and life forms the list could fill ten pages…It was species overload!!

After decompressing for an hour or so, we made our second dive on “The Ledge” which was a massive underwater coral “bommie”.  I will never forget the rainbow swarms of tiny fish of every shape and size, schooling and swirling in multi-colored comets and living streaks of pure magic.  It was the most remarkable event.  I stretched out my arms and flew with them.  The sun filtered down through the water and reflected off the technicolor coral and the fish parade grew thicker and denser, a shower of confetti.  Like being an ant in a bonsai garden during a ticker-tape parade…

August 14, 2014
16 45′ S
179 54′ E
At Anchor: Viani Bay

BULA!  Friendly Fiji has rolled out the red carpet for s/y “Privateer”!  We are having an awesome time and realize that you need several years here to do this place any justice.  After stocking up on Kava root in Savusavu we set out for Fawn Harbor, where we were quickly taken in by the local family there.  We spent days there with young Wayne (13) and his family, Indian dinner at Nana’s house, fish fry at his parent’s house, “pici-niki” on the island (totally sweet), fishing from the dinghy, harvesting sea grapes on the outer reef, and of course the daily trips to the HOT SPRING!!!  The springs rank in our top 10 file, entered via a walk through dense bamboo forest and several stream crossings.  Each morning Wayne paddled his sinking kayak out to the boat for breakfast, and we just let each day flow from there.

Wayne’s cousin CC was visiting from the Big City of Suva, and you could tell the difference between the city slickers and the “bush people” as Wayne referred to himself as.  While Wayne was teaching us how to knock fruit bats from the trees with a bamboo pole (I can eat 2 bats, but Nana can eat 4…) CC was busy washing the dog’s mouth after the pici-niki 🙂 and asking me if a marshmallow grew from a tree or a shrub!  We had a wonderful time with these generous folks, and they showered us with fruit and when we left.  “Come back to Fawn Harbor soon and come home!” they said.  It was with heavy hearts that we sailed from Fawn Harbor.  It made me decide that when we have a home and a foreigner visits the place, we will extend the same level of hospitality that Wayne and his wonderful family bestowed upon us!

Now, we are swinging at anchor in big wide Viani Bay, with it’s world famous barrier reef (one of the top dive destinations in the world!  We took the dinghy out to find the dive resort for a guided dive on the reef, and landed on a palm-clad beach with a resort which we thought might be the place.  Turned out we were wrong, and Carl came down and welcomed us on his private resort.  “Next bay down is the place you’re looking for!”  Carl turned out to be a super nice millionaire from California who took keen interest in our sailing voyage, and invited us for dinner that night!  I won’t go into details, but it was very cool.  We zoomed home under the full moon after a first-class evening.

Today, I went on two dives with the Dolphin Bay outfit.  First place was called “fish factory” and vast swarms of every kind of fish swirled around like debris in a tornado.  Next place was the “coral garden” which was loaded with huge fans and trees of coral, each the size of the boat.  Soft corals waved and pulsed while clown fish and nuzzled through the noodly stalks.  It was a “National Geographic” moment for sure!  I’m going again tomorrow!  Unfortunately, Kelsey had to sit the day out on the beach while getting a free continental breakfast and a massage… for those of you who don’t know, we’ve got a stowaway on board!  He or she (it will be a surprise) has been exercising it’s sea legs and the we can feel the thumping on Kelsey’s growing belly at odd hours of the day and night.  It’s the greatest thing!

That’s about all for now…trading flour for mangoes, snorkeling, exploring, reading good books, making friends with locals & Kiwis, and taking each day as it comes!  Bula Vinaka Fiji!!!

-P

July 29, 2014
At anchor: Savusavu, Fiji

We are in Fiji and loving it!!  The people are super friendly and the mix of Fijians and Indians is fascinating.  Crazy how we can sail just 400 miles over the horizon and meet a completely different people & culture!  We are getting ready to go full native this week, and are stocking up on sulus, trading items, and yangona (kava) which we must present to each village chief.  We’ll be visiting many island areas that are just newly opened last year to contact with the outside world.  Fortunate political timing!

Prices in Fiji are by far the best yet.  We had a delicious South Indian lunch for just $2.50 USD today.  Indians make up 50% of Fiji’s population and it is wonderful to be in contact with the culture.  Makes me miss India!  The landscape here is awesome and we’re looking forward to some of the best snorkeling and Scuba in the world.  Fiji gets “the Cat’s Pajamas” rating in our book, as Kathy B would say.  We can’t wait to explore.

July 29, 2014
16 55’S
179 38′ W
SOG: 6.7 kts

Had our lowest mileage noon-to-noon yesterday: only 107 miles made good!  Winds went light on us through the night, but we ghosted along refusing to succumb to diesel fumes.  We want to try and make it to NZ on less than one tank!

Sighted our first Fijian atoll near sunset, and sailed through an area of squalls as we entered the Nanuku passage.  We took advantage of the driving rain to take “extreme showers” with the boat plunging through the seas at 10 knots in 8 foot seas as we lathered up in Dr. Bronner’s.  It was wonderful!

Finally got our speed back up with the squalls, and we’re charging toward Savusavu.

July 27, 2014
17 20′ S
177 25′ W
SOG: 5.4 kts

We’re halfway from Vava’u to Savusavu now… winds have shifted to the ESE and are holding well at 15 knots.  Uneventful day today–boat is rolling a bit with the wind being directly behind us, but we can’t complain about having the hatches open!  Monitor vane faithfully steering on her battered control lines, and I’m amazed we still have full fuel tanks since leaving the coast of North America.  It’s the only way to go!  We are excited for Fiji & we should start seeing her outlying islands on the horizon sometime tomorrow afternoon…