Changing Seasons

Well, we are almost ready to head off again on the next leg of our wee journey. We have been at Vuda Point for almost a week now getting a few things sorted. Vuda Point is a bit like our 'home away from home' now -- the spot we come back to when visitors come and go. We are getting to like it here because we know most of the staff and cruisers and everyone always has time for a smile.

We can start to see how the season's are changing as new boats are arriving and others are finishing their offseason retrofits and getting into the water. The season's are changing too. Maureen woke up this morning and reached for her 'Icebreaker' to cut the chill of the cold Fijian morning air. (Don't worry, it's not that cold). Maureen's weather app says it was 23 degrees (feels like 30). But even I have to admit that is down quite a bit from February where Maureen was reporting (with a smile) it's 29 degrees (feels like 40). Don't get me started on the 'feels like' category. The only thing I know is that our next boat should have an air-conditioned lazarette which is where I have spent must of the last week.

Sophrosyne has a 'walk in lazarette' where we store most of our serious cruising gear, like 5 of the 7 anchors not currently is use. This week all of that was on the deck as we worked through most of an accumulated list of repairs/updates.

We now have a fully functioning AIS transponder with a built-in multiplexer so that boats around us are overlain onto our charts. Significantly with the new setup we can broadcast our position so that they can see us too -- AIS stands for Automatic Identification System. This setup also includes a new DGPS so that we no longer rely on the the iPad for navigation. At the same time we added an autopilot control instrument, re-installed the wind generator and re-wired the SSB antenna tuner -- all set to go!

We have been waiting the last day or two for a VHF splitter cable and once that's in we can head out. Maureen has taken the bus into town this morning in the hope that our cable has arrived which is why I have a few minutes to sit at the computer and write.

Time with Patty and Bev

Some might be wondering aloud if they have missed a blog post or two because we haven't shared much about our grand visit with Patrick and Bev? I had a very nice surprise this morning when I looked at the photo cache that Bev left for us and I think that the best way to share that chapter is through her photos. Thanks Bev!

Patrick and Bev sailing back down from Navandra Island. We
have had a lovely 2 weeks visiting and enjoying their company.

Day One -- Patrick is looking online for a 'funtivity' to fill the 11:00 - 12:00
slot that remains vacant. Watching these guys plan we realized just
how much we have adapted to 'Fiji-time'

Day Three -- now fully certified scuba divers the question is 'what next?'

Let's think about that for a minute...

Sunset in the Pacific

Nice visits and stories to tell

Now we are on pace

Thanks for the great visit guys!
It was fun.