Spear fishing, overnight passage, cutoms and exploring the town of Levuka, Ovalau island

Another great snorkel adventure at Korolevu pass in the Great Astrolobe reef. I successfully speared a nice parrot fish in the pass without getting eaten by a shark! Ninety percent of shark attacks occur during spear fishing endeavors so I was pleased to get the fish in the boat and not even see any sharks. After a lunch of curry vegetables, rice and fish we prepared for our ninety nine mile overnight passage to Levuka on Ovalau Island. Levuka's claim to fame is a four year period between 1874 to 1880 when it was briefly the Fijian capital. One hundred and twenty seven years later they still tout the slogan "Fiji's old Capital" at every turn. The towns' main street runs along a waterfront promenade and is lined with historical buildings that are now small shops and a particularly striking Catholic church. We arrived Saturday morning and just in time to catch the end of the Saturday market held along the waterfront promenade. A limited selection, bust since we are trying to eat what's locally available we loaded up with Taro root and Taro leaves (cooked they taste similar to spinach)lemons, egg plant, cucumbers, green peppers and the tropical version of grapefruit. After dropping off the produce we returned to shore for lunch at a locals restaurant overlooking the bay. Having made the overnight passage and getting next to zero sleep we were pretty well beat, but managed to stay awake until seven PM and got a great twelve hours of sleep.

Today we woke up at our regular seven AM to listen to the cruisers radio net called "Rag of the Air" on the single side band radio (HAM radio). I was feeling pretty refreshed after all that sleep so I tackled some boat projects and Kathy gave the galley a good once over. Since today is Sunday nearly everything in town is closed so we went for a hike in search of the local swimming hole. Despite asking for directions at every turn we failed to locate the swimming hole, but did enjoy a nice walk into the lush jungle valley above town. Once back in town we watched part of a local soccer match then stopped by the Ovalau club (a members only local bar) for a beer where we were babbled at by what appeared to be the town drunks who were well on there way. Just before we got to the club one of the apparent members who was seriously intoxicated fell in the river then got out a started a fight with a local man. In response to the fisticuffs all the other "members" spilled out of the club to break up the fight. Of course it was then that we decided to head in for a beer, but soon after we were sorry we were there.

Back at the wharf we were stopped by the customs officer. He kindly reminded us we are required to check in with Levuka customs as it is an official port of entry. Anyway the nonsensical rules say we are required to check in if we should choose to stop. No problem we are happy to oblige, but, since we arrived on a Saturday we intended to follow the customary procedure of checking in during normal business hours (i.e. Monday) to avoid weekend overtime fees for an otherwise fee free process. We even checked with the customs office shortly after our arrival and a nice Fijian customs officer OK'd our plan. So, this particular ethnic Indian customs officer said he needed to see my papers... just to check them after I explained I'd check in on the next business day. Being agreeable I returned to the yacht to retrieve my paper work, although his request stank of an attempt at extortion. After reviewing my papers he reminded me it was Sunday and overtime fees would apply and yes I would need to check in NOW. I told him I thought it unfair as to the overtime charge of F$75 I'd be required to pay and that I would like to check in on the next working day as is customary. He pressed on so I went ahead and started filling out the forms in triplicate (no carbon paper) which took about 30 minutes. After completing all the forms I asked if he still intended to charge me, the intent of the check in process, etc, etc of which we discussed and then explained, among other things, that I'd rather spend the money in the local economy in lieu of paying the Fijian government. Anyway, our conversation was productive as he waived the fee and we both parted ways feeling good about the situation.

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Snorkeling Astrolobe reef pass and Kadavu Village

We are now anchored in Toba ni Korolevu bay off the village of Kadavu on the island of Kadavu. Both Ono Island and Kadavu Island are surrounded by the Astrolobe reef the thrid biggest reef in the world. Diving or snorkeling any of the five reef passes delivers a most spectacular array of brilliant corals both soft and hard and prolific fishes.

Navigating from Ono island down to Kadavu island was quite technical with many many reefs and isolated coral heads to avoid. The charts for the area are pretty accurate, but the 1877 survey missed a few things, yes 1877. The total trip was around fifteen nm and the first ten I spent aloft on the first set of spreaders about twnety feet above the water to enhance my ability to navigate by eye.

The water colors indicate the depth with dark blue deep water and lighter shades of blue or light brown, purple or yellow indicating shallower water. Despite our best efforts we still passed closer than we would have like to a few chunks of coral. Kathy steered and kept an eye on the computer charts and I called down small course corrections from my perch in the rigging. One benefit of my elevated perch was spotting a huge sea turtle just below the surface.

We stopped about half way at Naigoro pass and anchored for a lunch break and some snorkeling around the boat and also in the pass. The pass was superb. I attempted to spear a fish for dinner, but was out maneuvered by the parrot fish I was targeting. Maybe a good thing as we saw a decent size white tip shark which probably would have eaten any fish I speared!

Mativa dive resort is near our anchorage, so we stopped in to enquire about joining the guests for dinner. Unfortunately, they could gear up for us on such short notice so we'll be going in for dinner this evening. None the less we spent a few hours chatting with the eight guests (less than 1/3 capacity). The guest raved about their dive yesterday where they dove with a dozen fifteen foot wide Manta rays.

It's a great time to visit Fiji with tourism well below normal levels due to media hype about the coup last December. The coup was bloodless and in no way would affect a vacation to Fiji except for great deals and the fact that you'll have the place to yourself. I'd give Mativa Dive resort on Kadavu a recommendation for those looking for a two star resort offering accommodation in authentic grass huts or "bures" with a central open walled dining room, bar and veranda.

We visited the Kadavu village chief to present our "Sevu Sevu" All the villagers we met on the trail to the village were really nice and once to the village we found the chief busy mowing his lawn. We presented our gift of Kava and were granted permission to visit the local waterfalls, anchor in the bay and explore the village. We picked up a mandatory guide to take us to the waterfall and enjoyed a spectacular experience swimming in the nice cool water and chatting with our guide. On the way back we arranged to purchase some vegetables from a farmer. He offered to delivering our order to the boat including a demonstration on cooking Taro root and leaves. Like most events this one is on island time and will happen sometime in the next few days.

We took the dinghy to the local shop about a 20 minute walk from the village to explore their offerings. The shop is one hundred percent shoplifter proof as you step into a wire booth and then look through the bars and point out your selections to the shop keeper. Not too much of interest aside from some fresh eggs, potatoes and a Pepsi for a treat.

Planning to spend the next few days snorkeling and I might also inquire about a dive certification from the Mativa dive resort as the prices are really reasonable for a PADI Advanced certification.

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Spear fishing, Kava session, church, lunch and photo shoot.

Greeted at 9:30 the next morning with calls of "Tevita, Tevita" for "David" in Fijian, Simione (SEE-MEE) and Kimee (KEE-MEE) paddled up to La Vie in a old plywood skiff. We were invited to go snorkeling as they spear fished. We took La Vie's dinghy just outside the bay and anchored in about twenty feet of water. The day was a cool eighty and it was funny to see these two big Fijian guys shiver in the ten knots of wind chill, one even had on a full wet suit. It's their winter so I can understand, but at the same time I'm sweating and looking forward to jumping in the eighty two degree water. We were rewarded with a spectacular array of table corals, interspersed with stag horn, lunar, honeycomb and mosaic corals to name a few. All were very healthy and supported a huge array of fish. Our Fijian friends speared about ten parrot fish and amazingly didn't attract any sharks in the process. They gave us a fish which we prepared for lunch in a tasty combination of coconut cream and curry. The curry and many other spices were purchased at the Suva market for a mere pittance and we are now carrying over a pound of curry powder! To accompany the many new spices we have a newly purchased Indian cookbook and look forward to extending our cooking repertoire.

The same young men asked if they could come out to the boat and drink Kava that evening. I agreed and decided to pick them up at seven thirty. They brought a few friends so we had four guests and a half kilo of freshly ground Kava root. We got out La Vie's biggest "Kava" bowl" a large salad bowl and they commenced to mix the first of four very large bowls of Kava. My prior experience was that Kava was nothing more than a social drink that made your lips or tongue tinge. I can definitely say I was wrong about this. For the first bowl I was the Kava server whom decided the pace of the drinking. Upon advice from the chiefs symbolic messenger you would be given the command of "ombo" or 'pour the Kava'. As the server you would then clap your hands five times to signal the Kava was about to be distributed then the first cup would hypothetically go to the chief or in lieu of the chief the symbolic "Messenger", then subsequently to the eldest persons first and the Kava server last. The Kava server would ask Low tide or High tide? The recipient would respond and then say "Bula" clap their hands once and down the Kava in one drink. The cup would be passed back and sometimes everyone claps three times, it wasn't always consistant. This continues until the Kava is gone and the second and third bowls are emptied as well. By the third bowl I was definitely feeling the effects. Pretty much just a happy feeling with big smiles and a general feeling of sedation. Kava being a mild narcotic I guess this is about right.

Around eleven thirty, well past my bed time they said "Tevita another bowl of Kava?", I politely declined and delivered them back to shore. The next morning I couldn't really wake up and felt pretty much sedated most of the day. So the Kava "hangover" was spent ashore. At ten thirty we attending church and enjoyed a cerimony in one hundred percent Fijian with some amazing singing and harmonization. After church, to a villagers home for a wonderful tasty lunch of fried fish, boiled cassava, taro leaves with coconut cream, deep fired cassava and some other unidentified vegetables. After lunch I was asked to take photos of the entire village. I proceeded to take two hundred and thirty six photographs. Each and every member of the village was photographed numerous times and I've promised to send a big package with the printed photographs sometime in June. It was a great treat as the Fijians are very modest and humble so the opportunity to create a win win photography session was awesome. I look forward to posting these pictures on the blog.

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Sevu Sevu, Kava and Dinner at Nabouwala bay, Ono Island Fiji

Interested in experiencing the much toted traditional Fijian culture and customs, we looked for an out of the way village for our first encounter with indigenous Fijians. What we found was Nabouwala bay briefly mentioned in a very out of date 1985 cruising guide that said the villagers were really friendly...it seemed perfect.

Arriving at Nabouwala bay and Village of Ono Island in the early afternoon we took some time to plan our visit to the village to ensure we committed no social morays. Traditional Fijian customs require very modest attire and that a gift be presented to the Chief of the village upon arrival. Modest attire for men is long pants and a shirt and for women an ankle length skirt and top that covers the shoulders. The gift is typically about one pound of Kava root specially wrapped for presentation.

Donning our best clothes we unwisely chose to head for shore at LOW tide and since a river enters this bay its bottom gently slopes toward shore over several hundred yards and the bottom is gooey mud in places. We struggled to keep clean and dry in as we pulled the dinghy through the shallows and mud. I might add that the sun was blazing, humidity high and I was sweating just a bit in my best clothes and inadvertently shot mud on Kathy's shirt when my flip flops did a flip in the thick mud.

Once ashore we were warmly greeted by a group of men with "Bula! Bula! all around. The frequently used term "Bula" is more or less Fijian for hello. One young man stepped forward to lead us to the Chiefs' home for introductions and the "sevusevu" or chiefs gift. The gift presented to the Chief is called a "sevusevu" and in return for the "sevusevu" the Chief ensures you will want for nothing during your stay. The Chief also grants permission to requests such as: May we anchor in the bay? Visit the village? Walk on the beach? Visit adjoining islands? etc.

Fijians views on property boundaries are very broad and extend to everything from a coconut tree a mile from the nearest home to fishing rights well offshore. Literally everything is owned and respectful visitor always asks for permission first.

Greeting the Chief we entered his home and were seated cross legged on the grass mat floor. The "sevusevu" ceremony, much of which was spoken in Fijian, remains a mystery and took five minutes or so and then we were invited to attend a school fund raiser and dinner later that evening. In the interim our appointed guide took us on a tour of the village of sixty or so inhabitants and then for a nice walk up the river to a bubbling hot spring. Back at the village we were invited to drink some Kava with the group of young men we first encountered ashore. Kava is made of dried ground Yaqona root,a type of pepper plant, and mixed with cool water in the fashion you would make tea in a steeping bag. The concoction seemed to be very benign, but apparently it's a mild narcotic of which the only distinct effect was a slight numbing of lips and tongue.

The tide was now rising and the dinghy was well away from the high tide mark so we headed back to the boat for quick nap prior to our evening engagement.

Heading back to shore at now high tide about 1/2 hour after sunset we were greeted by our guide and led to the community house. Inside the community house was a small circle of men surround a 30" wide Kava bowl. The men greeted us with friendly "Bulas" and we were seated in the place of honor next to the chief. The Kava drinking began as the mixture was served up in half coconut shell. The chief first, then important elders, then honored guest. When presented with the Kava you are first to say "Bula" clap your hands once, then take the coconut shell and drink the Kava in one gulp while bowing your head at the same time. Not exactly easy. Once you have the chalky dirty tasting drink down your gullet, you then hand the cup back and clap your hands three times. The cup is then refilled and passed to the next person of importance in the group. This is a great activity to pursue if you're interested in experiencing all contagious diseases present in the village! Still feeling fine at the moment, but half expecting to come down with something in the next few days.

After a few rounds of Kava we were led to the Chiefs house for dinner by one of his many daughters. The village has no electricity so we walked a grass path under rustling palms and a brilliantly lit star filled sky. The Chiefs home is one room about 10' wide by 14' long with crude doors on three sides and a few window openings (no glass) with basic shutter doors. The building is wood framed with no interior finish, just 2x4 walls and open rafters above. The room is lighted by the glow of the fire and supplemented perhaps for our benefit by a kerosene lamp. In one corner is the cooking area raised about 6" above the main floor and comprised of coral gravel. Numerous pots, pans surround the open fire and two concrete blocks support metal pipes that stretch across the fire on which the cooking pots are supported. Their is no chimney or opening in the roof to exhaust the smoke so the home is quite smoky and the walls are jet black with soot of many meals. On a wall near the raised cooking hearth is a rough hewn board serving as a shelf for oils, spices and food stuffs. The remainder of the room is covered with grass mats and sleeping mats, blankets and pillows are piled in one corner furthest from the cooking fire. As we are seated in the middle of the room cross legged on the floor as seven children ranging in age from 2 to 14 look on with a palatable curiosity. The food is served and is comprised of three whole fish cooked in coconut cream, taro leaves boiled in coconut cream, taro root and other unidentified vegetables. The food was delicious although it was a bit strange to have all these children and the chiefs wife stare at us as we ate. Various other villagers stopped by to chat including the Methodist minister. The meal ended with a nice lemon tea made simply with hot water and a few lemon leaves. After our meal we returned to the community building to rejoin the Chief for another Kava session. Then back to the boat before we were stranded on the beach by the outgoing tide.

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Astrolobe reef and Fishing

Astrolobe reef lies about thirty nautical miles south of Suva and is comprised of a seven mile by 10 mile oval shaped reef containing about 10 small islands. Leaving Suva at six thirty in the morning we spotted some dolphins and altered course to be escorted for a few miles by a pod of fifty or so gregarious creatures. Got some great pictures. We arrived at Namara Island anchorage around two in the afternoon. The water was a beautiful shade of blue over the white sand bottom. A thirty minute snorkel revealed the water was not quite as clear as desired, but none the less I saw an amazing array of fish species from tiny neon blue fish less than an inch long to a five foot plus white tip shark and two different sea anemones one with an accompanying clown fish. The shark was a bit of a scare as I was looking into a hole in a rock at an immature lobster and saw the beast not so far away. Kathy was ready to return to the boat and I assured her that this was nothing and at some point on a future snorkel with better visibility we be sure to see as many as fifteen sharks at once. Surprisingly, she was reassured by this somewhat illogical explanation and we continued on and enjoyed the snorkel. Today we moved on to Ono island and into Nabouwalu Bay.

My fishing luck has been despicable thus far especially considering how hard I've been fishing. Changing lures quite frequently, checking the line for weeds and adjusting the boat speed as well. All this "work" having produced maybe just a few strikes after at least 36 hours with lines in the water. So to improve the fishing odds we decided to go outside Astrolobe reef taking a more circuitous route to Ono island to hopefully pass through more productive fishing grounds. Just a mile or so shy of our destination the big Penn 114 offshore reel with over six tenths of a mile of line wound on the drum screams like I've never heard a reel scream before in all my fishing days. The reel has tons of drag set so much that it's nearly impossible to strip out line with out cutting your fingers. So this reel is really screaming when I decide to put the boat in reverse to slow our 6 knot progress and perhaps slow the separation with what ever beast is on the other end of the line. Kathy meanwhile is pulling in the other hand line trailing behind the boat and moving the dingy up to the bow. The reel is still screaming and I've yet to take the rod out of the holder... just marveling at the sounds the reel is making and wondering what angry sea creature is down there pulling so hard. Several minutes go by and I'm now holding the rod and my arms are starting to burn before I even begin the battle. Kathy brings out the fish fighting belt that I thought I'd never need and I proceed to get a few turns of line back on the reel before the fish makes another run. Kathy is maneuvering the boat to keep the fish from going under and I'm reeling away. At one point I turn the rod over to Kathy to give me a much needed break. Anyway, we get this monstrous Wahoo along side and it is huge. I'm saying five to six feet long. I have this gimpy gaff in one hand and think to myself there is no way this thing is coming aboard with out some sort of huge gaff or spear to first dispatch it from this world. With a tinge of regret I pull the hook free with the gaff and the Wahoo slowly swims away. I think I made the correct choice as what would I do so much fish. The pictures would be great, but it would be a big waste with no where to store so much food with the refrigerator already full. Not all was lost as Kathy did get some pictures with the fish along side the boat.

Next up a peek into traditional Fijian custom of "Sevu Sevu" or bearing gifts to the chief of the village.

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Chris ventures forth

After 60 days aboard La Vie and by mutual agreement Chris will pursue his travels ashore.

A big thank you to Chris for his contributions to the successful voyage north from New Zealand.

Safe travels Chris!

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Suva

Not to start out complaining, but we are melting twenty four hours a day in the high humidity and intense sun found at eighteen degrees south. Glad to be here in the winter as summer must be unbearable. Having spent so much time freezing in New Zealand and finally acclimating to the temperate/sub-tropical climate it's a bit of a shock to enter the tropics again.

The capital city of Suva seems mostly unaffected by any tourism trade (perhaps due to the recent coup) and in the last few days we've only seen maybe 10 other tourists types of European decent. Obtaining a cruising permit to see the out lying islands was only made difficult in locating the correct builing. Once in side we were issued a 4 month permit and full access to the islands (excepting the Lau group) by very friendly and helpful government workers.

The food and shopping are an amazing paradoxical convergence of high quality and low prices. Kathy did some serious shopping today and bought a dress and top for the equivalent of $5 US Dollars (USD) or $2.50 ea and a nice pair of shoes for $5 USD. A good lunch or dinner of Indian food and a drink will set you back $2.5-$3 USD and the food is incredible. Prices and selection at the absolutely enormous farmers market are mind boggling and the produce, fruits, fish and handy crafts of great quality. A cab ride across town cost about $1.50 USD of which other wise would be a 20 minute walk. The Fijians are really friendly and helpful and any smile will be returned not only in kind, but most frequently with even a bigger smile. We are offer greeted in passing with the Fijian greeting of "Bula" or Hello! The down sides are few for the adventurous and flexible traveler.

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Quick update

Anchored in Suva Harbor and awaiting clearance.

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Headed to Suva, Fiji.

Suva, Fiji will be the first port of call. We have about 16 hours to go so we should arrive in Suva harbor tomorrow afternoon. The clearance process requires meeting with lots of officials both on the boat and shore side and I'll be surprised if we can complete the process in one afternoon alone so it may stretch in to Friday. We sighted our first bit of land in 1000+nm and amazingly could see the top of the island of Kadavu even at 45nm out as the summit is 813m (2642')which lies to the south of Fiji's largest island of Viti Levu.

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Becalmed at times

Becalmed and motoring at times and slowly sailing at others. Only 135nm to Fiji.

Yesterday we stopped the boat and had a good swim followed up with very necessary showers. The sea temperature is now up to eighty one degrees and the air temperature about the same. Mostly sunny skies and the first tinges of sun tans are beginning to emerge.

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5AM and out of wind

272nm to go and the engine is running. Hopefully, we find some more wind sometime in the 60 or so remaining hours to go.

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Rain squalls and gusty winds today

Rain squalls packing gusty winds are quite frequent today giving the watch person a good pressure wash from time to time as the interior occupants get a through agitation from the crazy wave action. We're keeping the cabin closed up to keep out Mother Nature and King Neptune and consequently the temperature is now up to a muggy eighty plus degrees.

Visions of future snorkel expeditions dance in our heads as we try our best to get some rest between watches. Sea temperatures are quickly approaching my personal favorite of eighty one degrees, although it's still a wee chilly seventy six. Sometime late this evening our winds are predicted to disappear and remain nonexistent for the duration of our passage. We have three hundred fifty six miles remaining to Fiji and need to squeeze as many more miles out of the wind as possible to maintain a comfortable reserve of fuel as it seems extensive motoring may be required to reach our destination of Lautoka, Fiji.

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A good sail

Our weather worries are now behind us as the Low pressure system has not intensified and is predicted to take a track further east away from us. We have some brisk winds as a result of Low, but nothing out of the ordinary for a passage from NZ. The last twenty four hours we've had steady eighteen to twenty four knots of wind with the record gust of thirty three knots making for some fast sailing in four to six foot seas with boat speeds often in the mid sevens range and our max speed of 8.5 knots. Not too shabby since we are sailing with a double reefed main sail and a small jib. This sail combination is easily handeled and forgiving in the bigger gusts. "Sir Jimmy" the mechanical wind/water powered self-steering device has been driving pretty much the entire trip and does a great job is the winds are steady. The beauty of this device is that it doesn't use any electricity and we can remain energy independent (i.e. we don't need to run the engine to charge batteries). The ride is pretty vigorous with the seas and wind just aft of the beam and requires holding on as you move about the cabin.

We are sailing in fairly close proximity (<100nm) to three other boats all having departed Opua, NZ on the same day. The other were headed to Fiji while we later modified our course from Tonga to Fiji en route and consequently sailed many extra miles in our effort to avoid the predicted adverse weather. Since we are a bit faster than the other boats we've caught up with them and now lead the way to Fiji.

Daily at 0830 and 1700 we check in with the other boats on our "Radio Net". The boats are Shoestring (South Africa), Zafarse and Moorea (USA) sharing weather info and exchanging our GPS positions so that we might track each others progress. Daily we also listen in to other nets at 0700, 0900 and 1845 for weather info and to chat with other boats underway all of which creates a great "Safety Net" in the event any of the boats has problems while underway.

Kathy and Chris are doing great keeping their assigned watches. Our watch schedule is three hour shifts from 6PM to 6AM and four hour shifts from 6AM to 6PM making for seven watches per day so with three people the schedule shifts on watch period per day providing equal opportunities to see sunrises and sunsets and share the tougher early morning watches. We keep an active look out at all times aboard La Vie and hourly enter our position, weather observations, course steered and distance made good as well as comments into our ships log book. Between adjusting the sails, checking our position and keeping an active watch for other boats we stay pretty busy on watch and the three or four hour shifts seem pretty short once you add in some star gazing at night and fishing during the day.

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Weather improving May 6, 2007

The weather outlook is improving. The computer models now show the Low moving more to the east of our our intended route and as an added bonus the Low is not expected to deepen as much as initially forecast. This translates into lower wind velocities for us as the low approaches and passes and the choice to sail a more direct route to Fiji.

Our local weather is also making significant changes with air temperatures dropping only to 72 at night and the water now up to 73 degrees. What this means is that the warm clothes we needed the first few days out of NZ can our now be traded for tee shirts and shorts. The humidity is rising as well and the trade off with the warmer air will be more frequent tropical showers. We went for a swim a few days ago and the water was a comfortable 69 in stark contrast to the 63 waters of NZ on my last swim.

Everyone is doing great on board and getting acclimated to the sea, sleep disturbing watch schedule and more intimately familiar and competent with the operation of the boat. All is well on board with 490nm under our keel and 650nm or so to go to Musket Cove, Fiji.

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Weather forces change in course May 5th, 2007

We changed course early this morning after reviewing the weather forecast for the next few days. A Low pressure system is forming near Fiji and it's forecast to strengthen and head S more or less toward New Zealand. Unfortunately, the path of this Low was pretty much on our desired course so we're now sailing NW to move out of the way of the Low. What this means is that we won't be going to Tonga and instead we'll be sailing to Fiji or possibly Vanuatu.

The good news is that we have the communication systems on board that provide us advance warning of developing weather systems so that we can avoid them. Developing Lows such as this one sometimes turn into Cyclones, but it's pretty unusual this time of year and we are just being extra cautious by changing our course in the event this Low intensifies as it could pack a mean punch. Hopefully it dies out just as quickly as it formed and we can resume a more direct route to Fiji as we are now sailing NW toward Vanuatu.

Mothers of those onboard need not worry as we are playing it extra safe.

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NZ to Tonga day 2

May 3, 2007 NZ to Tonga day 2

Another great day of sailing with an average speed today of 6.4 knots which should give us just over 150nm for the day. Chris and Kathy are doing great and unaffected by any sea sickness. Chris is already reading books a great sign that he is pretty immune to seasickness. I awoke this AM feeling great as well having gained my sea legs after a few hours of sleep. Kathy isn't getting the rest she'd like as of yet, but this should come with time and is unaffected by the sea. Nice weather with mostly clear skies and slightly warmer temps already. We sighted another sailboat today our friends on s/v Moorea who are bound for Minerva reef then on to Fiji. We could make out the shape of a boat at about four miles distant and called them on the radio for a quick chat. The wind is in the process of shifting from NW to SE and has pretty much disappeared during the transition. Unfortunately, we have so little wind that I decided to run the engine for a few hours until the wind fills back in from the new direction. I hate to run the noisy engine, but it's better than hearing the sails slamming as the swells rock the boat and the sails back wind. It also gives us the chance to generate additional electricity for the newly installed water maker and additional computer time. Normally we are 100% alternative energy with our daily energy needs covered by solar panels and the wind generator. This is a great set ups as we can avoid running the engine to generate electricity. The new water makers energy footprint has yet to be determined so I'm reserving it's use for only very sunny days and when operating the engine.

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Sailing for Tonga

We are officially underway for Tonga. We departed NZ around 4pm Wednesday May 2, 2007 and as I write it is now 2am on May 3 and we are enjoying some brisk sailing. Both Chris and Kathy are doing great standing their assigned watches and fortunately, both of them are feeling well and seem to be unaffected as of yet by any sea sickness. I on the other hand always feel a bit ill for the first 12-24 hours of offshore passages and today is no exception.

The wind has steadily increased from 8 knots in the Bay of Islands up to a current 18 knots making for some impressive hourly runs of up to 7.5 nautical miles. A nautical mile as about 1.14 statute miles. We have a full moon and mostly clear skies so we couldn't ask for much more ideal conditions.

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Departing New Zealand at last.

The weather is finally cooperating and our planned departure is now May 2, 2007. The first island to visit is up in the air as we may go direct to Fiji and skip past Tonga in the interest in a smoother passage North. We are all very excited to get underway.

Hoping to send email updates to this blog on a fairly regular basis in the future so check back. As always we will be reporting our positon daily and you can track our progress by following this link or simply click on the link on the right sidebar of this web page that says "My Current Location"

Cruising to Kerikeri & Dolphins

Kathy and Chris