"Adventure Marcy" Day 7 (people pay to do this?!) Friday 11/9 1:40PM Ginger

Yesterday started like any perfect summer day in Puget Sound. At 5:30AM it was overcast, 75 degrees and there was a refreshing drizzle falling. Light winds, calm seas and the promise of some wind later. After a great spinnaker run we motored all night Wednesday night as the winds died at sunset. So, as I was on watch enjoying the rain the engine room exhaust began to smell strongly of engine exhaust. This is easy to notice as the engine room air blows straight into the cockpit. Further, upon
closer investigation there was also dirty soot coming out with the smelly air. We shut the engine off and a few hours later when it had cooled off Peter then got to work to see what was going on with the engine. Of course we were on port tack sailing up wind so the boat was heeled over and the tools and the problem area on the engine were both way down hill. Peter went to work checking and tightening things and unfortunately found that one of the exhaust manifold studs was broken. That's a mouthful
to repeat on the radio and I'm trying to tell people who actually know what that is so I needed to get it right. It just doesn't fly to say the bolt thingy on the side of the engine broke off. I keep stopping myself from saying it's the exhausted-man-stud on board, but he's OK. The skies cleared the wind filled in and we were making OK progress toward NZ. Mid-morning an NZ Orion search and rescue plane flew over to check on us and the boats that were near us. It was amazing to see them do their
fly-by 300 miles out at sea and Peter had a short chat with the pilot confirming our eta and telling them we had no engine. As the day wore on the winds increased and the seas grew too. It's lumpy again and unfortunately our course is directly up wind. In the evening we took in the jib and set the staysail. In the process Peter was setting the running backstay when the line got stuck throwing him off balance. At that very moment a wave sent him airborne toward the cockpit. I should have known
he would land on his feet but I was reaching for him to keep him on the boat as he was thrown toward me. In the end his elbow is every so slightly sore and I have a black eye. Hopefully it will be better by the time we go out to dinner next Friday for our anniversary. (I'm planning ahead for when I've moved on from the four basic food groups - crackers, bananas, hard boiled eggs and shortbread cookies.) The night was capped off by a mysterious green flare off our port side which I now believe
may have been space debris coming down. This morning was spent bailing the bilge (as usual) and fixing heads. We've found that we have two fine options aboard Marcy right now. The aft head has an "issue" with the seas so it's more of a bidet, not too bad if it's just salt water but...we've closed that seacock. The forward head has a fun little twist that one can multi task with a salt water shower from the port above while one is sitting on the throne. It's very exciting. We've had reports
that the wind should be more easterly tomorrow and we're hoping for that shift. There are gale force winds predicted for the area we're headed to on Monday and we're hoping to get in before it builds to the forecast 40 knots. In the last 24 hours we have sailed 102 miles and made only 56 miles headway toward NZ. Spirits are good aboard and we're looking forward to landfall in a couple of days. We've been checking into the Seafarer's net as well as a net with 4 other boats out here. Misery loves
company and we've all had our share of challenges. One boat has prop shaft problems and has to replace breaking bolts if they motor so they're trying not to. One boat has a leaking center board so they can't use it (really bad problem for up wind sailing) and they have old sails that aren't in the best shape for this kind of sailing. We're holding our own with the other two and it was fun to cross tacks with Sand Dollar (skipper Don is a Dr. from the Seattle area) yesterday a couple of times.

Over half way to "En-Zed-land" 5:30AM 11/7 (Ginger)

The sun is just coming up and we're over half way on this passage. After the first two days of fast sailing we enjoyed a full day of spinnaker sailing yesterday. As evening approached our wind died and we doused the spinnaker and started up the engine for the first time since leaving Fiji. Many of the boats just ahead of us started this passage by motoring for the first two days so we're feeling lucky to have almost caught up with them (we left a day or two behind them) and to be motoring for
the first time now. It was time to give the batteries a little boost anyway. The nights are still a chilly 75 degrees and the days have been beautiful. Though the temp on the deck was 102F yesterday afternoon there was a chill to the breeze that made us think of spring at home. It feels as if the breeze may be picking up a bit from the north so today may be another fantastic spinnaker day. We've been monitoring a net with a few boats from Fiji just ahead of us and today we'll check into Russell
Radio as they'll notify customs when we're within 48 hours of arriving. It feels close now, just 500 miles to go. Peter had a creamy chicken tarragon dinner to celebrate our half way point last night. This is good news as the chicken was home canned and would have been confiscated in NZ. As we just used 12 hours of fuel we've got about 48 more hours we could motor if needed. Sailing is so much more comfortable hopefully we're through the high pressure area of light winds and can sail again.
(The barometer say's we're steady at 1017 mb just like last night but who's looking at that!) We're practicing our Kiwi and hoping not to say anything considered polite at home and extremely rude here! We've learned a few phrases to avoid but now that they're on our minds maybe we'll blurt them out by accident!

This is not a vacation... it's an adventure! (Ginger) 22 deg 02 min S 175 deg 08 min E

So, finally, over a year into this trip we have come to an understanding. I will stop looking for Mai Tai's on every beach and will know that when the cabin is swarmed by hungry sand flies it's all part of the adventure! This is my new mantra as I swallow another stugeron pill for sea sickness. When we left the marina we were anchored next to some friends we met in Samoa. They went across the island by bus and we watched their boat and had the use of their dinghy. We decided after working like
crazy to finish boat jobs that it was the perfect time to get groceries and check out of the country. Many boats that had been poised to leave Fiji for the last month took off for NZ Friday and we decided to follow Saturday. Michele and Carol got back from Suva at 3P Saturday and by 3:30 we were underway and checking into the Seafarer's Net. We motored through the pass in the reef just after sun set and as dark approached we raised the sail on our course for NZ. We've been close hauled ever since.
Our first day we went 150 miles in 10 - 15 knot winds. By yesterday afternoon the wind had picked up to 20 knots and we had a second reef in the main sail. At sunset last night Peter reefed the jib and we rocketed along in 25+ knot winds all night. We went 100 miles from 3:30P to 3:30A and it looks as if we'll turn in a 180 mile day today. The weather still looks good. We have some lighter winds in the forecast and are hearing reports from boats just 100 miles ahead that they're in them with
calmer seas. When we finally slow down the less jerky motion will be welcome. The wind is expected to come from the North North East tomorrow or the next day and we should be able to head straight for Opua. There was one small (but important!) island we needed to miss and we passed it 30 miles to the east a couple of hours ago so we've got open ocean for a while and we're enjoying the ride. The nights have been cool and we're already wearing fleece and poly pro at night but we've still got tropical
sun during the day and cabin temp about 90 degrees. The flying fish are out and the sun is on the waves and now that we're getting our sea legs again we're reminded why we're out here.

PREPARING MARCY FOR THE PASSAGE TO NZ

We’re preparing Marcy for the passage to New Zealand.

First on the list, we stopped at Vuda Point Marina for a quick haul and bottom paint job.

We tried to keep up with cleaning the bottom, but it was a losing battle.



We figured new paint would make the passage go faster.

The marina digs holes in the ground for yachts to spend the cyclone season out of the water. It also makes for easy painting – you don’t have to reach as high with the roller.



We were pleased to find a little building with showers just a few paces away from Marcy



While we had plenty of fresh water, we pressure washed the deck and repainted the marks on the anchor chain.



The painters, Baobab Marine, were easy to work with and did a great job.



While the paint dried, we explored the area. Sugar cane is brought to the refinery by a narrow gauge railway that runs right by the marina. This car derailed one morning.





As pleasant as the haulout was (we’ve never had a swimming pool, café with free internet, and two restaurants available at previous haulouts) we still breathed a sigh of relief as Marcy was relaunched.



Back on the water, we headed for the nearest quiet bay to prepare the boat for what might be a rough passage. We checked the rig, added a line for the third reef in the main, and hanked the storm staysail to the stay. To avoid worn spots we swapped the self steering lines and jib sheets “end for end”, and repaired small chafe holes in the mainsail. As we worked, the VHF radio constantly crackled with yacht conversations. This part of Fiji is a jumping off location for yachts of many nationalities that are heading to NZ or AUS to avoid the cyclone season. Many are nervous about this notorious passage, and the talk is all about the weather, which boat has left and was forced to turn back, what the best time to leave might be, and on and on. The tension is palpable.



We had filled fuel at Savusavu so that was one job already done.




Ginger is busy working on the shopping list. Tomorrow morning we go into town to visit customs and the grocery store. Then we will be free to head out to sea.



As we watched the sunset, we realized that Marcy wouldn’t be anchored in a tropical bay again for over six months. We made a mental note to dig out the foulweather gear (stored deep in a locker since the California coast) and went to bed early.

WATERWORLD IN FIJI

As we departed Savusavu some ladies rafted by in great style.



A daysail took us to the island of Makogai. As pretty as this island is, the really spectacular scenery is underwater.





We were given a tour of the marine reserve where tanks are used as a clam nursery. The larger clams can fend for themselves out in the lagoon.



The island was a leper colony closed in the late ‘60’s. The remains of the buildings, including a jail and the “first movie theater in the Pacific” were interesting to explore.





In the water, we found that the clam beds literally had beds! The bed frames from the leper hospital were recycled for the effort to nurture clams.





We learned that the clams actually contribute to the water clarity by their constant siphoning.





The waters were teeming with fish. Peter is behind this school of barracuda.























It is just as well that such interesting scenery was available underwater, because it just got warmer and warmer onboard Marcy. It was a relief to jump overboard!

Vuda Point, Fiji (Ginger)

The boat is out of the water having the bottom painted right now. We arrived in Lautoka on Wednesday night, anchored in breezy N wind conditions with chop bouncing the boat at anchor and checked into Lautoka with customs in the mornining. We were grateful for the north wind as the soot from the sugar cane refinery was blown ashore rather than on the boat as with the prevailing wind direction for that anchorage. After checking in we called the boat yard and painters and they confirmed that they could haul the boat Thursday, paint Friday and have us back in the water by Saturday. Of course, there's an extra fee for launching the boat Saturday that the marina didn't mention so we're staying until Monday to let the paint dry.
We're working on some boat things and glad for the afternoon breeze that's been keeping things cool!

Savusavu to Viti Levu, Fiji Wednesday 10/24 9:00AM (Ginger)

We left Savusavu and motored 50 miles to the giant clam reserve on Makogai Island as there wasn't a breath of wind that day. We spent 4 nights at Makogai enjoying the clear water and snorkeling. Unfortunately I enjoyed the clear water a bit too much the first day there and was thoroughly sun burned after just an hour of snorkeling. Our first dip in the water we saw a lion fish hovering in a giant clam shell. Unfortunately no camera that trip but what a site to see aquarium fish in the wild.
Further snorkeling adventures took us to several coral pinnacles with gorgeous soft and hard coral and fish we were impressed to see. We were told the water was so clear because of the filtering done by the clams. It was fantastic to see huge schools of barracuda, turtles, clown like fish in anemone and giant clams that have been re introduced to their natural environment. This snorkeling was how I imagined all of the snorkeling in the South Pacific. We decided that we've probably seen several
tropical diving movies all filmed in this bay. In fact when we arrived there were a couple of people filming for a BBC/Discovery series that will air in 2009 covering the South Pacific and Hawaii.
As the weather changed to windy and stormy and the fresh veggies were getting depleted we started thinking about our next stop. We decided to haul anchor and head across the channel to a small island just off the coast of the main southwest island Viti Levu. We crossed the channel in steep seas and 20-25 knots of wind. Apparently there was a high wind warning for Fiji but we hadn't received that message as we listened to the radio net that morning. On our way across we had a bit of excitement
as the bolt at the forward end of the jib track broke and the end of the track broke off sending the car with the jib sheet skyward. There is a lot of force on those lines and it's better to fix that here than to have it break on the way to NZ. We anchored without further event and enjoyed the night in a windy and wild anchorage protected by a reef and the corner of the island. The following morning we were up early and ready to continue toward Labasa where we'll check in with customs. The wind
was at our back as we sailed off our anchor. We sailed in perfectly calm water with 15-20 knots of wind inside the reef along the east coast of Viti Levu. This passage was made easier by way points in our chart plotter which we had gotten from a local fixture named "Curly" while in Savusavu. We were able to sail at 7.5 to 8 knots most of the way and his way points took us breathtakingly close to the reef patches. We decided they are not just passage way points but fishing and passage way points.
Some of the points brought us within 60 feet of the reef while we were still in 100 feet of water. We couldn't resist putting a lure in the water and as we were using a dark lure the first squall cloud to darken the sky over Marcy resulted in a fine Wahoo fish. Peter was appropriately cautious this time and the only blood spilled was that of the fish. As he put the line in the water to rinse it and straighten it out he had another fish immediately. We had to jibe as we were going through a pass
and in the 2 minutes it took to jibe a shark had eaten the tail of the fish before we had time to let it go. Peter pulled in what was left of the second fish and expertly filleted both. He's getting very good at the South Seas life. We anchored in a windy but flat anchorage having sailed 45 miles toward our destination. The island of Viti Levu is beautiful, reminding us of Eastern Washington with a few volcanic peaks thrown in. This morning the wind has mostly died and we're sailing on course
again but only at 3 knots. The day is heating up already, it's 9AM and 85F in the cabin, 90+ on deck. We're looking forward to the big city just 40 miles ahead and then off to another quiet anchorage.

EXPLORING FIJI

In the Fiji Islands group, there is an island (Rabi Is) populated entirely by displaced Micronesians – their original island (Ocean Is) having been destroyed by phosphate mining. They moved onto Rabi in 1945, and still maintain language, traditions and skills from their home island. These people are legendary for their fishing skills and sailing exploits. No outboard motors here. So of course, because of our interests in sailing and traditional boats, Marcy set sail for Katherine Bay on Rabi Island.







The canoes are works of art, made of hand sawed hardwood and held together with monofilament fishing line. There is not a bolt or nail on them. Every evening some of the smaller light paddle canoes are out trolling the bay.



The bigger sailing canoes go out to nearby reefs to fish.









One canoe owner, Atia, brought his boat out for us to inspect in detail.







The Rabi people are expert fishermen. They think nothing of crossing twenty miles of open ocean to the town on a neighboring island to sell their catch. A Fijian in Savusavu told us of a Rabi canoe that showed up at Taveuni Island to sell a huge billfish – so big that it stuck out of the canoe both bow and stern. The fisherman said after hooking on and realizing somehow that it was a huge fish, that he had to put a turn on the fishing line around the stem and jump to the stern to balance the boat, then he was towed around by the fish for two days until it was tired enough to bring it to the surface. After killing the fish, he had to swamp the canoe, maneuver it under the fish, and then bail out the canoe to lift the fish out of the water. He must have been worried about sharks!

Speaking of sharks, we notice that when we ask if sharks are a problem, the local people always answer no, of course not. Later we ask, on seeing a nice launch rotting away on the beach, who’s boat is that? Oh, that belonged to the Australian man who was killed by a tiger shark across the channel….If the conversation goes on long enough, everyone has a story.

Here our friend Semi shows us his shark bite. While spearfishing, his friend shot a small reef shark that then, perhaps understandably, tore around biting things in the water. Including Semi.



We’ve had no problems with sharks, but Peter managed to drop a freshly caught wahoo on his foot. The only blood on Marcy's deck was Peter's!





As if the first aid kit wasn’t getting enough use, Ginger slipped with a knife while cutting the meat out of a coconut…….



The village has a huge church, even by South Pacific standards. Ginger attended on Sunday, and reported that the small congregation was lost in the big room.



It was nice to get off the boat for a while and walk the wonderful traffic free roads. The couple from another yacht in the bay, Jeff and Gayle, joined us.











Soon, we realized that it was time (out of beer!) to head back towards Savusavu for a visit to the grocery store. We stopped on the way at Viani Bay, a gorgeous spot on the route back. Marcy anchored in a quiet cove among bits of floating pumice.



A colorful half English half Fijian man named Jack is the ambassador of the bay and wonderful host for yachts. He offered the use of moorings, guided treks, offered fish, fresh water and fruit, and told stories of his five wives and of the days his grandfather tried to make a go of a sugar cane plantation.



Jack even insisted on towing us with his skiff if he thought we were working too hard paddling our inflatable canoe.



Our stay in Viani bay was so enjoyable; we were asking Jack how much a couple of acres of beachfront would cost.

There is always another bay to explore in paradise – so we reluctantly said our goodbyes, slipped the mooring pendant, and sailed out the pass. The heavy scent of flowers followed us out to sea.