Sights of Ovalau

Levuka was the Capital of Fiji from 1874 to 1882. Not too much
has happened here still then.

This morning we awake in front of Levuka. This is a community on Ovalau island which boasts that it was once the Capital of Fiji. A search of the finer details shows that while this is true it was only for an 8 year period between 1874 and 1882. Levuka is now a Unesco World Heritage site recognizing its industrial heritage and unique South Pacific Architecture.

The sign says 'Welcome to Lekuva -- 1874"
It really is like entering Levuka in 1874.

I think our impressions of Levuka may be coloured as we will recall our stay here as an 'anchor testing site.' The boisterous trade winds which are a feature this time of year have been in force for the last week or two and Levuka in not an ideal anchorage in these circumstances. We have had not a stitch of problem but we have gone to sleep each night with the depth alarm on the instruments carefully set, the anchor alarm on the computer set to a fine radius and the anchor alarm on iNavx on the iPad running as well. No drama.

Visiting on the walk to work at the the Tuna processing plant.
Shift starts at 15:00 and and at 00:30. 

Keepin up with the paperwork.

My next home...

Today we plan to move on from here to visit Makoga Island on our way to Savusavu. There has been much discussion aboard Sophrosyne these past few days planning our itinerary for the next 6 weeks or so. We are planning to visit some of the more remote Fijian Islands including the much touted Lau Group.

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.

Today's Lesson -- Outboards Don't Float

It could happen to anyone... Well we have entered that group of folks who have dropped their outboards into the salt chuck.

They tell me they were able to use some of  the diesel from our
lame fuel tank to flush out the sunken outboard. As Chuggy says,
"everything works out"

And Patty tells me it ran for a good 20 seconds after it hit the water.

Today's departure was delayed somewhat by a wee mishap as the sun was going down last evening. Pat and Bev were returning from their sunset cruise when our outboard mysteriously popped off the back of the dinghy.

With Maureen reading from Wikipedia we were able to get the outboard back onto the mothership and gave it a good freshwater wash and some WD40 into the cylinders. Since that is about the limit of our mechanical ability, and with the distinct possibility of doing more damage than good, and since it was supposed to be happy hour at the Boatshed, we e-mailed our good and reliable friends at Baobab who were down here at 8:00 to take the outboard up to their shop and complete a service (glad now that I had not done the servicing proactively...).

I am happy to report that the engine is running again now and all that is let to do is track down another cowling for a Merc 9.9.

We a re now just waiting for our 'untie' from the central cyclone mooring and we will be on our way to Musket Cove. The weather is fine and we are all looking forward to a couple of fun days in the Mamanca Islands.

The Glamorous Sailor's Life

Cleaning up under the spot where our forward
fuel tank used to be. The aluminium tank had developed
pinhole leaks and will need to be replaced... fun.

Twelve hours after our friends Gord and Jane departed, and 12 hours before Patrick and Bev arrive we are hard at work cleaning up underneath the spot where one of our fuel tanks used to be!

We have been having problems over the past week or two with this tank getting water into the Racor fuel filter and as we were having the engine serviced today we thought "while we are at it..." It will be great to have this fixed so that we can be confident that the fuel will be clean and without contaminants going forward.

This photo is after we got it about 1/2 clean. Doug scraped out the worst of it and then Maureen climbed in and finished it off. Actually it is clean enough now that we are thinking we will have our dinner down there.

Tomorrow brings our Patty and his girlfriend Bev for a visit. We are very excited to have them join us and we are looking forward to showing them the spots we have discovered over the past few months. Today was a very rainy day here so we are hoping that the sun pokes out tomorrow! Chris on the other hand is exactly 12 time zones away right now teaching in Ghana. We hope that he is doing well and we will raise a glass of Fiji Bitter in his honour and wish him the very best in his adventure.

Vinaka vaka levu

Vinaka vaka levu means "Thank you, very much!" The extra emphasis of 'vaka levu' are our newest Fijian words. Sereana wrote them out for us yesterday morning in the Plantation Island Medical Centre. We were quite impressed with Sereana and the wonderful medical service she provided, but more for the warmth, kindness and good cheer that she brings to her work -- this after 48 years of nursing!

Maureen and I left our guests on the boat yesterday and took the dinghy ashore to see what we could learn about an infection that had been pestering my elbow for the last 2 or 3 days. When we arrived Sereana was sitting in her chair at the medical centre and assessed my situation quickly. "Doug" she said, "I am going to have to punish you -- you should have started antibiotics right away and now I am going to have to give you a shot in the bum!" She managed our query with gentle efficiency carefully recording the details of our conversation in a ledger and providing both a shot, and a follow-up prescription. Through it all she joked and shared local stories and educated us on how to look after ourselves on the boat. We are thankful!

Millie checks out the visitors at Lo's Tea House from atop her
perch of Fiji Gold. Vinaka Millie!

But on to the real action of the day -- which is not much at all! We are coming to the end of a month of cruising with Gord and Jane Shoquist and have found ourselves back at one of our favorite spots -- Musket Cove Marina. Since arriving back in Fiji we have been touring the Yasawa Island group. In the middle of the Yasawa's is an area called 'Blue Lagoon' which apparently has some connection with a movie of the same name. We certainly enjoyed the beaches and snorkeling and spent two or three days visiting the 4 or 5 islands that protect the lagoon.

Perhaps our favorite trip was a walk across Nanuya Lailai Island to visit Lo's Tea House. The walk takes us over the top of the island and down through a wee village where we happened upon a family just sitting down for lunch on their veranda. A little shy to be walking through their 'living room' we were greeted with a broad "Bula bula" and the characteristic warm smiles of Fiji. They urged us on to the shoreline and into Lo's. As we walked down one of the same gals quickly ran ahead and opened up the teahouse as we were certain to be their only visitors this day. It was fun.

Since our stop at Blue Lagoon we have been working our way toward Vuda Marina to complete our travel loop. Back in Musket Cove we have been enjoying the abundant freshwater showers and cold beer of the Musket Cove Yacht Club. When we turned the corner to head toward the mooring balls Maureen looked at me and said "look at all the boats". Whereas we have had this spot to ourselves throughout March and April there are now perhaps a dozen boats taking up residence waiting for the surf to settle in and the fine reliable weather to take hold. It is different now -- but fun and social too.

Off to France

We have had a fun and interesting beginning of April down here. Our longtime sailing friends Gord and Jane Shoquist arrived to join us for a couple of weeks and we have taken advantage of the extra hands on deck to travel to Wallis & Futuna which are two tiny islands that are actually part of France.

We left Fiji on a Friday afternoon and sailed the 410 miles to Futuna over the first weekend that Gord and Jane were here. Our thinking was that maybe they would forget that part of the trip by the time they left Fiji.

Getting ready to leave Fiji with our friends Gord and Jane Shouist

This trip takes us northeast of Fiji and so the wind is a bit forward of beam. We motorsailed much of the way and and arrived in Futuna on Monday morning.

Since this was our first international customs and immigration clearance as the new owners of Sophrosyne we were a bit anxious about all the paperwork we may encounter. The duane agent (customs) and gendarme (immigration) were very kind, helpful and efficient and our arrival was straightforward and without incident.

It was interesting to see how different this 'first next' Pacific Island was from Fiji -- it is funny the things we noticed. For example, everyone on the island seems to drive a new Toyota Hilux 4x4 truck (in Fiji everyone -- including us -- walks or takes the bus). The one road around the island is made of concrete and although it is a bit worse for wear it is the nicest road I have seen for several months. And then there were the baguettes and Camembert in the Supermarche. Say whatever you want about Wallis & Futuna -- it cannot be denied that we are a very long way from Paris!

On our second day Gord and I went ashore to find to diesel fuel for the boat. This process had actually started the day before with Maureen making a number of inquiries on our behalf. First stop was the gas station to inquire about the cost of 'gazoil.' The next step was to find the South Pacific francs that we needed to purchase the gazoil. On this score we were in luck because this was the one day every 4 months that bank officials arrive from Wallis island to open the Futuna bank branch. We were on hand right a 8:00 when the bank opened and were amazed to find 50 or 60 people already waiting in line. At first it seemed like we were going to make slow progress because we were outside in the hot hot sun waiting for our turn in line (or so we thought). About 8:15 the bank opened and everyone piled inside to sort through their past 4 months worth of banking details. I think the gal behind the counter took some pity on me and started asking a couple of questions in French. After a few halting replies she asked me again, in English this time, "where is your wife." As soon as she realized that Maureen was not there and that I was 'useless' she took my $200 Fijian dollars and my passport and started the international money transaction. Now we get to the part of the story about banking fees and international money exchange rates... Oh well, no need to relive that pain here, in the end I did get my money and Gord and I and our six 20 litre jerry cans were back at the pump waiting to get our gazoil. (In case you are wondering, or find yourself in a similar situation some day, you may find it helpful to know that the French word for 20 litre jerry cans is -- "jerry can." The pump jockey was very helpful and had an amazing system of collecting various combinations of cash, coupons, notes for fuel purchased on credit. As we began our fill, it became comically obvious that our ambitions of filling six jerry cans were going to be sadly lacking. By the time we had 1 1/2 jerry cans -- all of the south pacific francs were gone gone gone...

Among the many talents that Gordie brings to the boat it turns out
that he is happy and skilled with a fishing rod in his hands. Here he shows off his 40 pound Mahi-mahi.
(Editor's Note, Jane should get equal credit for this catch since it was her who beat the fish lifeless
with a hammer once Gordie got it aboard..)

No matter, the sail back to Fiji was a lovely trip with 15 knot trailing winds in which we made great haste traveling an easy and gentle 7 or 8 knots per hour in glorious warm weather without the need for an engine at any point.

We did have some excitement with a 35 knot squall on our last evening at sea but we managed well and appreciated that the pelting rain was actually quite warm and refreshing (Editor's Note -- next you see Maureen you may ask her for Her version of events during the squall...)

We are in Savusavu now, again enjoying the warmth and kindness of Fiji. For those who may have followed this blog and noticed that I am effusive in my praise of Fiji -- Savusavu is better!

Pinch me.

The Smells and Sounds of Home

Imagine our suprise to see this Tofino Air Beaver coming in to land at
Mana Island. (It it Turtle Air actually but otherwise nearly identical
to our old friend.

So, we were hanging around at our newest favorite stop off of Mana Island and I could hear the very familiar sounds of a beaver coming in to land. It is amazing how the sound (and then the smell) reminds me of home. When we went to have a look, the white and green look just like Tofino Air. I imagine this was the Sechelt to Mana Island sched...?

An hour later, in comes an Otter, no doubt direct from the Fraser River?

Cool!

And then in comes the Otter. No doubt having taken off from
the Fraser River. I don't remember an inflight entertainment system
on the Harbour Air flights...?