Six years have gone by since we completed our Circumnavigation of New Zealand. The purchase of Shakina has enabled us to complete a new adventure cruising Fiji and Islands. We plan to commence our journey on May 1st 2024 having spent several months preparing Shakina and securing Cat one inspection to enable us to depart.
Exploring Fiji
Record of trip to Fiji Islands
Shit Gets Real!
Jo and I fueled Shakina yesterday (7300L) and provisioned her with non-perishable supplies for our Fiji tour. We are planning to depart to Opua Friday afternoon vis Kawau Island continuing to Opua on Saturday. We plan a couple of fishing stops to ensure we have fresh snapper on board for our departure. The picture below shows 1000L on Stbd side plumbed up ready to feed into main tanks below.
Departure from Westhaven
We departed as planned from our Westhaven Marina berth at 2pm. Waived off by Jo, Linda and Warren. We logged our trip report and exited the marina bound for Kawau Island in light marine traffic. Charlie took over the helm and we were both excited and relieved to be finally on our way.
For me it has been an intense period of several months preparing all mechanical, hydraulic and electrical/navigation systems for this voyage in Shakina, not to mention achieving cat 1 certification involving all safety equipment required by Maritime NZ before being able to depart our shores. This is a very comprehensive list of checks.
Also required was for me to complete class 1 and class 2 first aid and an advanced survival at sea course. Tough to be back in the classroom again!
After a 31/2 hour slow voyage we arrived at Mansion House Bay, having tested how Shakina handled fully loaded. Boat speed, stability and fuel consumption were all at expected levels. A pleasant surprise! Robin (my brother) carried out temperature checks over engines, transmission and hydraulics. By adding a ball valve to our Port side exhaust cooling water we will ensure low temperature in the fibreglass exhaust as per the starboard engine.
We are off at Sparrows Fart for Opua, where we will stock up on snapper for the dinner table. Charlie presented beautiful lamb racks, gratins and fresh vegetables - that was an awesome opener for our epic journey!
Last Days in Opua
Having travelled from Oke Bay into our superyacht berth on Sunday we discovered we couldn't use shore power as they had no single phase 32A adaptors, so had to run our genset for the first day, with a plan to move to a 40M berth in the Marina tomorrow morning. We checked in with the Marina office and were advised, as we were leaving, that the cafe next door was open in the evening for entertainment and good food. So we duly went along, enjoying the warm ambience with friendly staff, and an absolutely amazing local singer, Haylee Hoani {who could sing the telephone book}, making every cover song her own. She sang a couple of her own songs too which really were beautifully done and showed her writing skills and talents to the max! Food was great and the French Pinot Noir was very drinkable too.
We visited the customs office Monday to get the 'drill' regarding our departure. Mark, was friendly and helpful, especially after he spotted Charlie's technicolour emblazoned shorts which really seemed to crack him up (and me). We returned later with near complete documentation to start the process and booked a tentative Customs Clearance/departure time of Thursday 8am.
We were weather watching most of the day, doing last minute preparation for Cat one inspection and ultimate sign-off by Peter a local inspector at 2:30pm. With that done, we could now notify Maritime NZ of our intentions to depart for Fiji, and tidy up the forms for submission to Customs.
Tuesday saw us hooking into the final preparation tasks on Shakina. Charlie and I took the rib into Paihia to do a little shopping and then shoot across to Russell and the Duke of Marlborough for lunch. once back we set about cleaning the Fizz boat, and polishing the swim platform rails. Poor Robin drew the short straw, having to fit hinges to our pressure release panels to enable them to flip up in heavy seas. Thankfully he has been training for it all summer and was well insulated for the task ahead, that of jumping into the water to remove all the fixings! I would have froze! Following on today we had very minor tasks to do only; a rope here, a screw there, final checks on both gensets and both main engines which really signaled that we are truly ready!
We cruised down to the fuel Jetty for our top up of the tanks some 700Litres. We pumped out the black tank and headed back to our berth. Ralph (our skipper) assisted us to today by ferrying us to the supermarket for our final provisioning and stowing. We were truly a heavy ship now! Following our 'hell shop' we had a safety briefing of all systems and emergency procedures followed by an entire end to end walk through Shakina discussing fire extinguishers use and locations, pumps auto and manual, first aid equipment on board, defib location and a quick run through the first aid ocean going kit. WE ARE READY!
First 24 hours
Thursday 8am
We started early around 6am doing last minute stowage and boat preparation of things like anchor security, Jack lines to stern platform and workshop tidy up. We spotted Ralph walking to the marina security gate so we were off to meet him and then go directly to customs for an 8am clearance. Our customs guy was in the service office ready to clear us right on time. He was great, making my first experience pleasant, he was friendly, thorough and helpful. We were cleared by about 8:20 and made our way directly to Shakina to start the engines and vacate promptly as required.
We threw a few high fives and cast off on the open water crossing, Ralph, our skipper took the helm once out of the Marina and we cruised on out past Russell. Robin went below to check engines were all good and temperatures were fine and returned to the helm to advise me we had an oil leak from a brand-new pressure switch. Gutted, does not begin to explain my feelings about that after spending significant money doing all upgrades and servicing a small thing like this trips us up. Robin and I headed down to see how to resolve the issue. Thankfully I had retained the filter housing plug to enable us to remove the pressure switch and seal up the port. We didn’t have a copper washer to seal the plug so after first trying an ‘o’ ring we resorted to high temperature thread tape. All this had to be done running on our port engine so we had to reduce speed too. Robin contacted Andrew to figure out how to sort the wiring on the sensor to ensure we could operate normally as possible. We were then back to two engines and cruising speed. We will resolve the pressure switch issue later.
After a short while we had a beam-on sea and 20knots of wind, so the stabilisers were working overtime to keep us level. The sea got progressively worse as we headed North becoming parallel with Cape Reinga. We worked to the helm roster that Ralph had prepared until Robin became seasick from being head down in the workshop. He was to be laid out for the next 24 hours. Our roster became 2 hours on and 4 off throughout the night. With radar on and flir night vision camera displaying on our 32” screen which is used for cameras on board, netflicks etc.
Contrary to all advise, Starlink RV roaming only worked fine until we were about 20nm out and promptly stopped working so we were back to Iridium for connectivity with the World, a very poor alternative and expensive for calls! On checking starlink the message said that only ocean-going hardware could provide this service now as they clearly had plugged a loophole. My guess is they have ringfenced all countries to create a new product. Many boaties have proven it works just fine with the standard equipment, certainly for Launches and catamarans however Musk sees it differently. We connected to Mobile priority but that was the wrong option for the crossing. I will look to purchase Ocean package once in Fiji to ensure this is not an issue for our return journey.
By now we were chasing items around the floor in the dining area including the chairs as we got hammered by the Beam-on seas. Which meant we carried these items into the saloon where we laid them down on the carpet. The rule of three points of contact were now understood as we were thrown around by the pitching boat. The stabilisers were not going to cope with this sea it was simply too short a sea. By the mid-afternoon we had everything well sorted for the run through the night. The sleeping wasn’t the best with the engine noise permeating my cabin, but the motion was manageable being low down in the boat. We saw no other vessels, day or night.
Running with two swell directions
Day two saw us back to our planned 2 hours on 6 hours off with Robin feeling somewhat better. First day saw us cover close to 200nm. Wind was still as forecast mostly around the 20 knot mark but still on our stern. The sea had become messy with a swell running up from the south west and the second smaller swell from the SE. By 2:30pm we were 240nm into our journey. The daytime running was great with mostly all of us on deck and able to move around more easily with visibility of what the sea was doing. Charlie had been looking after lunch and our evening meals so we were dining like kings. how he managed to do this with the boat motion was amazing! we usually had some form of a human chain to get the food from the galley and up to the helm seating area. team work was the key. Never losing a meal
With the internet down cell phones were not much use however we did make contact by phone to ensure those at home knew we were safe and progressing well. Daily texts kept Jo informed that we were fine. It is hard to adapt to these restrictions when we live our lives free to access anyone, anytime anywhere.
The first few days were tedious looking for the half way mark which came up on day three around midnight. with the aid of a following sea and wind we were making 8.5 - 9 knots having calculated fuel burn rates we added another 60 rpm. The engines were running sweet despite every piece of metal in the engine room above 50 degrees. This made we wonder how all the componentry could handle these high temperatures. The other reason we raised our engine revs was to get more Raw water flow through the exhaust pots. they had hot spots at the top due to lack of cooling water. Robin and I had been doing regular engine room checks through the day and night for early detection of any issues. We used our temperature gun with a laser pointer to check temperatures on critical equipment. I was always concerned that the preparation may have overlooked key servicing to this now 10 year old vessel. Time would reveal there was one area I hadn't serviced.
Downhill to the finish line
We had estimated the arrival at the reef passage around 4:30pm on day five continuing to make around the 200nm per day. The biggest frustration for me was the constant struggle to move freely around the boat. My hands were sore from gripping onto handrails and anything else that could support me. I felt a couple of bruises to my hip from banging into fixtures when struck by the odd large wave colliding with the hull sides. We had by now experienced several 3M plus waves that would roll us to 45deg. Shakina never felt like she would become unstable despite the height of this boat. We had kept our weight low by stowing all heavy items as low as possible in the boat including emptying our deck fuel bladders as early as possible in the journey. It was now apparent that we could probably make Fiji on the fixed tankage however we knew we would always want the security of reserve fuel in the event of any weather change forcing us to change course.
Final Run into Denarau
As we approached Fiji, I had another go at connecting Starlink as I had for the last two days, and it finally burst into life. Well, that was it, everyone had their head down phoning home and searching emails and internet. It was a good feeling to be reconnected with the World!
It was great to surface as the sun rose on the last day. We were finally able to increase speed slightly as we endeavored to arrive in time to enter the Marina before 5pm. We made the reef passage around 3:30pm which was an improvement on our estimate as we were now cruising at 10knots with fuel to burn. We arrived at the Marina entrance at around 5:30pm, too late for Customs and Biosecurity, so we anchored up outside for the evening. It was an amazing feeling to be able to sit flat on the water and walk freely around the boat again. We all had a great sleep despite the heat and we were due to cruise in at 8:30am. I radioed in at 8:10am to get clearance to enter the port but with no answer I decided to cruise in on the previous days' instruction. On starting up the engines to make our way in I noticed the steering was not responding to inputs of the wheel so rather than investigate, decided to come in using the engines to steer. Thankfully there was very light winds making the berthing simple and we were finally officially in Fiji. The clearance team arrived around 9am and went through the arrival form filling process with all on board and the biosecurity team followed with food questions and checks in our fridges and freezers. We were only challenged on two bottles of expresso martinis but on close inspection we were correct to class as wine due to alcohol content. We were though three bottles over our limit as there was not much drinking going on during the trip.
Once cleared in Robin started the process of removing the salt from the top down trying not to damage the wax coating carried out in NZ. After several hours the boat was looking pristine again and we could touch surfaces again without feeling salt. Robin and Ralph had booked to return that evening so the crew quickly reduced to Charlie and I. Washing was done and boat ornaments were placed back on surfaces making it look like our home again. We spent our time turning the boat back into a cruiser stowing all items such as bladders, Jack lines (safety ropes around the vessel for attachment to safely walk out on deck and down to the boarding platform). On Thursday I employed a local crew to polish the boat ready for several months' cruising. Two guys did this in a day in extreme heat, so I was very grateful that I didn't have to do that!
The next job was to find a local technician to diagnose our steering issue. There were no leaks anywhere and so no obvious place to start. We had Yacht Help contact a specialist in Suva who drove here to see what could be done. He thought a servo cylinder may be the issue so a decision was made to redo all the seals in the three rams to rule them out. this was done promptly and he returned Saturday to fit however we soon discovered that this was not the issue. The auto helm pump was working which only left the engine driven pumps so we removed the first on to discovered the drive couplings and shafts were knackered, same on the port engine. This was a much bigger issue to resolve. After contacting the Man service agent in Auckland and others, including my brother Robin, we all agreed an electric driven pump would get us going again and we would address the motor driven pumps later. Charlie and I decided it was time to explore instead of waiting around so we vacated Sunday morning for Malolo Island.
Malolo Island - Musket Cove
It was an awesome feeling to vacate the Marina to get out and see the fabulous Islands while we await a resolution for our steering issues. We headed south towards Malolo using the engines to steer. Our track was a wiggly line instead of the usual straight line on our GPS screen. We made our way into Musket Cove and got ourselves anchored up amongst a bunch of yachts, one we recognised as that of Kiwi couple Mitch and Kate on Sass. Once settled we jumped in for our first swim in 29 deg. water! It was sooo nice, made easy by dropping the swim platform to come and go with ease. I set about fixing our hinged air relief sections that Robin set up to satisfy our skipper for voyage safety ( the last launch he bought across from Aussie was a Maritimo who had their swim platform ripped off in large seas). We found that their was no upward lift on our swim platform so the panels never popped up once. These are now secured by heavy screws from the underside. Later that afternoon we dropped our main tender in the water for the first time, soon after taking a cruise into Musket cove to see if we could book in for dinner or simply enjoy a cocktail or two. Once there we bumped into some kiwi sailor's at the jetty who had just come in on their tender. They advised us that a local musician from Canada would be playing soon at the outdoor bar. Charlie and I made our way to the bar to sample a Pina colada and a couple from Cambridge recognised Charlie and we got chatting. The musician turned up soon after and began entertaining us with popular music demonstrating his considerable talents. There are so many Kiwi's here in Fiji doing the same thing as us! Is anybody working anymore?? Apparently the Aussie cruisers will arrive soon so the numbers of boats will continue to grow. The Superyachts were arriving daily as well with 4 in Denarau already, Lady Christine, owned by a Scottish Lord Laidlaw and his wife. At 223' long she was a beautiful yacht with awesome proportions and a Helicopter on board to make commuting much more civilised.
For us, It felt like our holiday had just begun, Idyllic beaches, beautiful reefs, flat water clear blue skies and ridiculously warm water to swim in.
Denarau for repairs
We headed back to denarau for repairs, part two and three, on the steering system and to complete a service on the engines, all this prior to welcoming Jo and Ange to the vessel. Technician arrived with electric pump but wrong fittings so he had to drive back to Suva to make up correct fittings then return to the vessel. I made sure everything I could do was done and a plan on how to mount was executed. in the meantime there was a storm in Suva closing the road, what else could go wrong. To be fair the technician persevered and drove around the long way. commitment was good but crisis management at every step!
Once at Denarau we set about getting the new pump installed and operational. The working space was extremely tight and required both of us working from alternate sides lying across the engine bearers. I lost a bucket of sweat and drank copious amounts of water to compensate and to simply keep going in the still, cramped space. Step by step we positioned and eventually fixed the pump to the tiny platform hard up against the bulkhead negotiating a heap of hydraulic hoses and cables.
In the meantime a local engine technician arrived to do the oil and filter change on the main engines. I showed him how to operate the oil pump out system and shared as much knowledge as possible. That process went reasonably well until a reducing bush on the oil housing was snapped in half when tightening up. Seems torque wrenches are not required they just use long power bars for a 1/2' bsp plug! No problem, we will get a new one machined at a local engineering shop and charge you plenty as well as loosing another day! It seemed that very little got done right first time, very frustrating for someone who likes to plan and execute with care. But hey, we are in a country where resources are limited and MacGyver type solutions are how things get done.
Steering pump installed it was back to hose connections and then bleeding the system. Aided by 'walky talkies' I began cranking the steering back and forth for what seemed like forever without success. Techy figured out why we were not succeeding and began adjusting the slave cylinder and in a short space of time we had steering in both directions, with ease! It was such a relief to finally have full steering back again. All of a sudden I didn't care about the massive bill coming my way soon, the problem was solved and a more permanent solution would be carried out in NZ on my return.
New Arrivals
It was almost 3pm and as I exited the engine room door I spotted Jo and Ange wheeling bags and carrying items along the pier. I could recognise Jo anywhere and immediately headed towards her at pace, with a big smile on my face. I had been really looking forward to seeing Jo again and felt like our Fiji holiday would soon begin! We had a warm embrace and a beautiful welcome kiss, even though I was hot and sweaty from a determined mornings effort to complete the outstanding engines servicing and steering rework. It had been almost 3 weeks since I had left Westhaven Marina. We had resolved most issues and planned to stay in the Marina at Denarau for one night only.
Ange was walking with her laptop open in front of her so I wasn't sure what that was all about. Jo can fill in the details here. So, when me and Ange couldn't find C Pier we decided to phone Charlie, and at the moment Ange realised her phone was left in the taxi. Marina security let us in to C Pier (by the way, you know its hot when even he was bucketing sweat). Ange had 'find my phone' on her laptop so we decided to track it - it was on the move. We knew the person who had it worked in Denarau as they jumped in the cab straight after us. Charlie and Ange after reporting it 'lost' to the police found a cab and decided to try find the person who had it. Only problem was they ended up in a market with lots of people and the laptop phone tracker was always ten minutes behind. Every time they went to the location of the phone it changed again. If only the person would stay in one spot long enough they probably could have found it. After deciding it was a lost cause the taxi driver sent a text to Ange's phone with a very polite message to return it which he then received a call immediately saying they would the next day. So after 2 1/5hrs and a very nice tip for the cab driver Charlie and Ange arrived back at the Marina exhausted but satisfied at least to know they may get the phone back tomorrow. We enjoyed a nice relaxing dinner at Charlies favourite restaurant (reckons they do the best pina colada's) and an early night as us girls had been up since 3.30 that morning to catch our flight. It fair to say we were pretty tired.
Off to Malolo Island
The next day Jo decided to go for a run early in the morning before it got to hot and when she got back to Denarau she discovered a ceremony of some sort was taking place by the flag pole. Their was a representative from the NZ and Australian Army along with other dignitaries. Not wanting to miss a photo opportunity to capture whatever was happening she came on board, grabbed the phone and quickly headed off. Turns out it was International Woman's Maritime Day where it shines a spotlight on all woman's contribution to the maritime industry and advocates for their participation across the sector (see photos below). So John, Me and Charlie all watched the placing of the reefs and bugle playing before we headed back for breakfast on the boat.
Once we finished breakfast John was busy preparing the boat for our trip out to Malolo Island. Ange was busy cleaning the inside of the boat so me and Charlie decided to do a grocery shop. Charlie wanted to use the same cab driver as yesterday as he was grateful for his help. Apparently this guy works from 6.00am to 9.00pm, however seeing as Charlie was very generous with his tip yesterday he went to a mates place and had a 'big session' on Kava (Fijian alcoholic drink). As a result his 9.30am pick up for the supermarket turned out to be 45 minutes later. So Fiji time is actually 'a thing'.
John discovered another issue....
In the morning we were due to leave I discovered the house battery charger wasnt working and the gensets wouldn't start. I knew that the only changes made electrically was by our Hydraulics repair person who was not an electrician. I had a sparky booked in from the previous day so I ranf Yacht Help and advised them I still needed him to sort this issue.
After multiple checks by a talented kiwi marine electrician he came back to the board that had been altered and I explained what changes were made by the hydraulics guy. We agreed a couple of changes to labels to reflect the new use of a larger breaker and while I was using the labeling machine our sparky saw that the main feed to the buz-bar had dropped out and was resting on the neutral wire ready to arc up at any time and cause all sorts of issues of massive proportions.
Apparently the Hydraulics person had undone the screws in order to relocate the breakers and when he realised he was unable to change out the breakers, simply forgot to retighten the terminals. Lesson for me, don't allow unskilled persons to delve into areas they know very little about! All sorted in less than an hour so finally I was confident we could leave with all systems go.
Once all previsions were onboard Charlie and Ange headed off to meet the taxi driver and the person who had the phone. With a huge relief they were both their and the phone was handed over. Everyone was happy but mostly John was as he now has his steering back, the electrics were back to normal, so we were off to Malolo.
The trip from Denarau was about 1.25 hours and with a gorgeous day ahead with no wind it was pretty smooth going. We anchored up just across from Plantation Island resort which is a very popular resort for families and to the southern end of the Island is Musket Cove which has a small marina and a jetty where you could go ashore and tie up. As we find out later, not all resorts are happy for boaties to come ashore. Once Shakina settled nicely it was into our togs and in the water (29 degrees). Charlie and Ange were happy to lie on our paddleboards soaking up the sun and relaxing in the water. Myself and John did a bit of snorkeling on the reef nearby. After dinner we relaxed, read books and turned in for the night. However we didn't realise that Plantation Island has a bar on the beach that plays 80's music blearing out to sea. Not that we are against 80's music, in fact we love it but when your trying to sleep it's not so great. So we had a battle going on as to whether to leave the port holes open to let air in and suffer the music or shut the port holes and use whatever means possible (cold wet flannels over the face) to keep cool. The temperature at night doesn't change from daytime temperatures. Charlie and Ange resorted to getting up and spending time outside on the bow for a few hours to cool off. We could run the aircon but it would mean starting the genset which is a bit noisy so we opted not too.
The next day Jo decided she wanted to swim so we set off at 7.30am in Shakina Junior (our tender) and go ashore to Plantation. Unfortunately we were met at the jetty to be told the area is reserved for resort guests only. Fair enough we thought, so we decided to go to the entrance to Musket Cove and Jo could swim back to Shakina (600 meters). One slight hiccup. I followed my old track that me and Charlie had done days earlier. Only problem was that was at high tide and we this morning were travelling at low tide, hence Junior promptly stopped on a coral reef. Thankfully we were only travelling slow(3knots) and just on the edge of it so I lifted up the prop and motored slowly off. Phew ...no damage done. Jo jumped over board and proceeded with her swim whilst I followed. After that it was breakfast and pretty much same again as the day before, snorkeling, paddleboarding and swimming.
Charlie and Ange leave for Tadrai Resort
Today was the day Charlie and Ange leave us to go to Tadrai Resort for 3 nights. Also last year Jo and I stayed at a resort called Likuliku and accidently took their bure keys home with us. We thought it would be fun to stop off on the way and drop the keys back to them along with a rugby ball, soccer ball and a bar of chocolate (Ange brough a heap of chocolate onboard to give to the resort team which was nice).
Jo and I got up early again. Jo doing her early morning swim (this time 900 mtrs) and me following alongside on the paddleboard. Where we are anchored it's near the channel where all the resort boats take their guests out to the sandbar at low tide. They only know one speed and it's not slow so you have to make sure you can be seen and take all necessary precautions not to get in their way.
Later on we prepared the boat again for our journey to Mana Island and decided to tow Junior as we would need the tender to take Charlie and Ange ashore (or so we thought). It was another beautiful day and the 'bombies' (Coral Reefs) were very clear to see. We also the GPS overlaid with the satellite view so we could see where the boat was tracking and ensuring we avoided getting too close to the reefs. This was a new destination for us to it was good to be making tracks on our GPS so that we could use in the future. I made use of Jo's new sporty polaroid (albeit slightly pink) sunglasses as the 'bombies' were so much easier to see. Once we got clear of Malolo the sea changed and 'roughed up' a bit.
We anchored outside of the Likuliku resort and one of the resort workers came alongside us in their boat. We thought it was nice of them to welcome us, however we were met with a very formal letter saying that we were not permitted to be anchored here and need to leave. As mentioned previously we were their to return bure keys which were nicely attached to an engraved stone. We also gifted them rugby and soccer balls. We promptly went ashore, dropped everything including a bar of chocolate as it's really expensive in Fiji into reception and left. I guess that's fair enough as they have to protect the solitude of the resort and the last thing guests would want is boaties turning up making too much noise.
Once we got around the corner and across from the Tadrai Resort we realised due to the conditions of the sea their was no way we could get Charlie and Ange ashore on junior. Their were too many rocks to navigate and with the sea running straight into the beach I felt it was way to risky. Thankfully the resort staff knew Charlie and Ange were arriving on Shakina so they motored out and we followed them back around the corner of the island into a bit more calmer water. It was still a very quick transition from boat to boat as we were trying to keep their boat away from Shakina as not to do any damage. No time for hugs goodbye.
Jo and I decided that due to the conditions we should just head back to Malolo Island and anchor back out from Plantation Island Resort. This time further back to avoid the music. Jo and I had a bit of laugh reminiscing about the other night when we were all so tired we went to bed at 6.30 and woke up to the music again blaring out from plantation. I was sure it would stop soon as it must of been about midnight. When I looked at the time it was only 9.30pm.
Having time to ourselves we decided to go ashore at Musket Cove and enjoy their hospitality. We were their previously with Charlie and Ange and really enjoyed the meal and of course their Pina Colada's. They gladly welcome boaties with a nice jetty to tie up to so very easy to go ashore.
Saying Goodbye to Johns Bosun
Charlie had been on this journey with me since coming aboard at Westhaven Marina on Friday 26th April. I will be forever grateful for his enthusiasm to go on this epic voyage across the Pacific which would scare the crap out of most people. Not only that he was our primary chef for lunch and dinner but he was keen to learn how to operate the system and carry out checks using our check sheets we had prepared and even our heat gun for monitoring temperatures on vital equipment. Although, after getting out in the open ocean, Robin and I took control of engine room inspections. We each played to our strengths for the rest of the crossing.
Charlie has been assistant navigator and bosun as we travelled about in Fiji and was also a great sounding board for me when I was preoccupied with trouble shooting. It has become clear that it is one thing to be ready to cross the ocean but another to have all other 'living aboard' systems in peak condition, things that are easily taken for granted. for the future I will always take a two pronged approach to maintenance. Some things that should last multiple thousands of hours failed spectacularly after 1400 hours! It was tough to accept I hadn't done my job as well as should have. I have learnt a lot and once I return with Shakina to NZ it will get an end to end go through replacing anything even close to its life expectancy. BOATS!
The big test will be if Charlie is keen to do the reverse passage in a few months' time. I would understand if he chooses to be otherwise occupied.
The resort crew brought Charlie and Ange back on Shakina at Malolo Island on Thursday 23rd May, four days since leaving us to go spend sometime at a resort. They were only originally booked for 3 days but had so much fun they decided to stay another night. We prepared the boat once again and set off to Denerau where we would anchor just outside of the marina.
Charlie, Jo and I took the rubbish, recycling and some fuel tanks for refilling for Junior whilst Ange did some cleaning. Once we were all back at Denerau Marina Jo and I had a quick bite to eat and a nice glass of Rosie before saying goodbye. Charlie and Ange flight didn't leave till 9.00pm and we had to get back to the boat before it got too dark.
Anchoring Problem outside Vuda Marina
The next day after saying goodbye to Charlie and Ange we decided to go visit Vuda Marina as John had thought of maybe berthing the boat there. It was another gorgeous day and we were excited to be exploring somewhere different again. This time the journey was only 1/2 hour so a pretty quick trip. After that we were off to visit Waya which is a beautiful island where you can swim with Mantra Ray's and snorkel.
We got to Vuda about 11.30 and anchored in a spot that showed safe anchoring.
We avoided the pipeline hazard mark and noticed huge ships mourning's with apparently massive chains which of course we avoided (or so we thought).
We left on Junior and headed into the channel entrance to the Marina. Firstly it was quite narrow which immediately I thought it would be too risky to take Shakina in so worth a visit to check it out. We heard their was a great restaurant and cafe so keen to enjoy a meal. Once we tied up at the jetty we found a cafe and enjoyed a smoothie. As we were keen to head to Waya we decided to have lunch on the boat whilst travelling to Waya.
Back on Shakina, we proceeded to lift the anchor. Unfortunately it wasn't budging. My initial thought was that we had wrapped the anchor around a rock so tried turning the boat thinking it would eventually unravel and free itself - no such luck. After trying multiple times, with nothing happening and Jo freaking out with the noise of the chain tightening thinking it was going to break we decided we needed a diver to go down and free it up for us. Off we go back to Vuda Marine. I have to say they were amazing right from the start. The office team phoned up for a diver and said we would have one in 20 minutes ready to go. The fee was only a $100 an hour which considering the cost elsewhere was very inexpensive.
Fiji time is a thing - 45 minutes later we had our diver but we really weren't bothered about the wait. It was only 2.00pm so we had plenty of daylight to aid visibility for the diver. We followed them out to Shakina and noticed the wind had picked up and the sea swell was gradually getting rougher, not ideal conditions for the diver. The biggest issue was trying to figure out what he wanted me to do, take the slack up on the chain, reduce the slack, keep the boat in the same heading etc. We had a quick debrief and the divers idea was if he tugged the divers flag firmly twice I had to lift the chain. Using the remote I spent a great deal of time hanging over the side of the boat checking for the divers bubbles and looking for any signs of movement. Only problem was conditions were getting worse and his rope wasn't long enough to get to the surface. We had no idea what he wanted us to do. Finally he got to the surface and explained that the anchor had got caught under one of the ships mourning's massive chains. Can you believe it? Such rotten luck that we had all this space to safe anchor and we land directly on this thing. One meter either side and we would have been fine.
The diver explained that it was tightly wrapped and he couldn't move it so opted to try and tie a rope around the chain and use their small boat to drag it off the anchor. Whilst he was telling us this he was holding on to the anchor chain with the swell washing all over him. He had also ran out of air so thankfully we had a bottle onboard which Jo raced down and handed it over to him at the back of the boat. Once he got his dive bottle back on we got the longest possible rope we could find and handed to the diver.
It seemed like he was down their forever and both Jo and I thought he should probably give up and we could try again tomorrow in hopefully calmer waters. Jo who was on anchor lifting and dropping duties had resigned to the fact it wasn't going to be a success so had positioned herself on the other side of the boat out of the wind and sun. Next minute the diver popped up and shouted "go go go". Jo quickly got to her feet, ran to the other side and and literally fell on the lifting anchor cleet not daring to move her hand. The chain kept coming and we were both relieved to see it finally in the pocket. We both 'high fived' each other and had never been so relieved to see the anchor.
The diver and his mate helped secure Shakina to a mourning and then came around the back of the boat to hand over the air bottle. He was exhausted and we gladly gave the guys water and juice plus rugby balls and chocolate as they both had children. We introduced ourselves and the divers name was Nadi and his mate on the boat was called John (true story). Nadi chatted while resting on the back of the boat and proceeded to tell us he was working in knee deep mud with very little visibility. So little in fact that when a huge rope suddenly appeared from the mourning chain he said he 'shit himself' thinking it was a snake of some kind.
We asked Nadi how he did it as he didn't go with the rope option and he told us how he managed to drag the anchor front then sideways off the chain, far away enough for us to pull it up. This guy was a legend and we will always be internally grateful for his perseverance and amazing attitude. When we went back to the Marina office to pay they said he was one of their best divers - lucky for us. We wanted to give both Nadi and John some extra dollars for helping but they were quickly on to other jobs. As we are here for a few months we will look out for them next time and hopefully have an opportunity to do that (if i can convince Jo to go back).
On leaving the marina office the lady at the counter said '"why not stay on and have some food and drinks". "We have a band playing". Their was no way I could convince Jo, she was done!!! So it was back to anchoring outside of Denerau for calmer waters and a nice bottle of Pinot.
New Arrivals - Shaun & Alex
After our eventful day yesterday and feeling exhausted I was thinking I would probably get a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, I forgot to put the sleep rope on which takes the load of the chain to stop it from making a noise, so hence a sleepless night. Not a good start to the day. I was already struggling to sleep due to the fall I had down the stairs at Malolo Island (did I forget to mention that earlier?). The cause was oil residue from the repairs and having wet feet after a swim I landed heavily and felt like I’ve cracked a rib. I’ll have to try and manage that with pain relief as there’s not much you can do but rest – not going to happen.
We had breakfast and whilst Jo was busy cleaning the Master Cabin I was replacing the switch board light with a new LED strip light and spent a bit of time in the engine room cleaning and a doing a bit of maintenance. After getting our chores done, we stopped for a coffee and were just about to sit down when a huge wake came through. Normally this isn’t a problem except we’d left the dishes to dry on the bench as well as last night’s beautifully engraved wine glasses which then fell to the floor and shattered with glass going everywhere. Another lesson learned not to take anything for granted even at anchor.
About 12.00 ish we headed off to meet Alex and Shaun who are longtime friends of ours. Alex runs an event company in NZ and had been hosting an event down at Marriott Momi Bay before they had a night at The Hilton, Denarau. We jumped on Junior and headed off to Denarau Marina. It was nice to catch up and enjoy a few beers and lunch out of the sun.
Alex proceeded to tell us about some of the amazing generosity from guests at the event to help support a local school so I’ll let her tell the story.
Alex:
I had a conference group from NZ come over to Fiji and we had a 3 night conference at the Marriott Momi Bay. Before arriving my client went out to all his staff and said would you like to make a donation and with all funds received we will buy stationery items for the local school. I also had contacts at an Auckland High School and they had some 2nd hand sports gear and sporting equipment. The funds received from staff were overwhelming and we brought nearly $1500 of stationery items. Staff also brought more items in their own suitcases – things like soccer boots their own kids had grown out of and sneakers etc. For the small cost of $70 for an extra bag we brought an additional 8 suitcases/ boxes of donations. Plus the presenters at conference left all their products they had used for sessions for the schools as well – cereal, cleaning products and boxes of chocolate!
The hotel had arranged for 2 teachers and 4 students to come to the hotel so the client could present the donations. There was so much gear that we had to send it back to the school in a van of its own. Ms Losana from the school nearly cried when she saw the donations as she was so overwhelmed.
Wai District School is a small remote school with 91 students. These students travel daily from the neighbouring 3 villages of Lomawai, Kubuna and Navutu. Their parents are mostly farmers and fishermen and a few hotel workers.
From a personal point of view even I felt overwhelmed – seeing how much this meant to them and what a difference the donations would make. The stationery items alone would probably fund the school for the entire year. What seems like such little things to us are making such a huge impact for them.
Once we had lunch Alex had a great idea to take her and Shaun back to their hotel on junior as we could anchor out at the beach in the front of their hotel. Both John and I were a little hesitant as this was a shallow and unchartered area. We used the satellite view on navionics and could see a small channel, as we got closer, we could see marker buoys marking the channel too. Usually, you are not welcome on hotel beach fronts either, which is why we were a little reluctant. Once at the shoreline Jo hopped out to steady the boat for Shaun and Alex to jump out. The ground was muddy under foot and junior got a bit stuck but we managed to get them off without any problems and headed back out to Shakina. It was an incoming tide so no risk of getting stuck for long. The plan was to grab our togs and return to the beach but the wind had picked up, it was getting late into the afternoon and I was feeling tired after little sleep the night before, so as much as we would have loved to have cooled off in their resort pool we decided to stay onboard and rest up.
That night Jo helped me with the Blog as I’d been a bit busy to update it then we both headed for bed.
The following day, after breakfast, Jo updated our blog while I did a couple of chores and set about preparing the ropes, fenders etc ready to berth at 12.00pm at Denarau Marina. Now without Charlie, I needed to school Jo up our plan to enter the Marina. I contacted the marina on channel 14 to request a berth number and once that was confirmed I could proceed and set the fenders on the portside to come alongside the pier. After everything was set we did a ‘walk around’ to explain what I needed Jo to do and when. There was no wind to speak of so we had a calm passage in and an easy berthing.
We saw Alex and Shaun coming down the dock so we grabbed their bags and welcomed them onboard. Shaun and I started washing down Shakina. Poor Shuan, he just comes onboard and then I put him to work. Thankfully he’s in his happy space as he’s been boating for years and was trying to get as much water on himself as he could to keep cool as it was so very hot.
Jo headed off to get her nails done and managed to do some clothes shopping, then once she was back onboard and Shakina was fully washed we sat down outside for a beer and bubbles. Alex and Jo spotted some very ‘well to do’ people coming down the dock and realised they must be the owners of a very nice-looking super yacht at the end of our pier. Never one to miss an opportunity, they studied the ‘goings on’. It was just like a scene out of below deck (TV programme) and if you haven’t watched it, it’s about a crew that look after various guests on super yachts. Jo and Alex watched as the crew in their whites welcomed the owners onboard, probably with champagne. We decided Alex and Shaun should get the same welcome so we tried to reenact the scene - not quite as polished and Jo and I’s attire was definitely not up to super yacht standard – room for improvement.
We decided to go out for dinner at Sails which is at the end of the pier and has a great view overlooking the marina then it was off to bed, hoping to be leaving the marina tomorrow.
Not Leaving The Marina Tomorrow
Whilst at the Marina I decided to get some technicians to investigate a potential problem with the anchor winch. Due to the load it had on at Vadu Marina and not feeling confident it wouldn’t fault, this was our opportunity to take it apart and do some repairs that would hopefully see us through till the end of our time in Fiji. Once back in NZ I can then organize to get it fully replaced.
The morning started with me working with the technician to help dismantle the winch. Jo decided to go for a run and when she got back, she was absolutely dripping wet. I figured it was a harder than usual run, but it turns out Jo took a detour to the Westin resort and spent 20 minutes enjoying the adults only pool. Thankfully security didn’t ask any question’s, but they must have thought it was a bit unusual to see someone having swam in their workout gear – naughty!!!
Mid-morning I left the technician and decided it was time for a well-earned haircut. Jo and Alex decided to do some supermarket shopping as well as trying to find some bedside fans which we much needed due to no airflow at night in the cabins. The cabby dropped me off at the barber and the girls proceeded to Nadi on a mission to buy fans. I planned to be picked back up once the girls finished their shopping duties but it seemed that there wasn’t much hair to cut so after a short time I walked back to the Marina as it was only a 20 minute walk.
The girls finally arrived back and were a bit cagey about the fans and when they popped them on the table I could see why. The most heinous plastic fans I’ve ever seen and in the worst colour possible – 3 pink and 1 lime green (see the photo). I told them there is no way they are going on the bedside tables.
Once the technician was underway and not requiring my help Alex decided that seeing as she had checked out of the Hilton but still had a Hilton card we decided to try our luck and use their adults only pool and cool off for the afternoon. Rookie mistake, Jo packed beach towels which would have been so obvious that we weren’t guests but thankfully Alex spied them before we got there. So off we went in our togs ready for our swim. I have to say after two days of not swimming it was bliss just to finally be able to relax and soak up the sun and warm water with a very nice cocktail.
Once we decided we were done for the afternoon we headed back to the Marina. Our technican was sure he could have the winch fixed for tomorrow morning. Good news!!! So with that Jo prepared a home cooked dinner and we settled in with a nice glass of wine. Shaun introduced us to some of his favourite country music. Jury is still out, but I have to say not bad. We invited our next door boatie and his wife over (he wasn’t happy we turned the music down as Blues Brothers was his favourite) so hence another bottle of red wine and a later than usual night but excited to be hopefully leaving the Marina tomorrow.
Ps. I put turned the fan on, early hours in the morning 😊.
Waya & Somosomo Adventures
After a slow start to the day the technician arrived and after putting the winch back together it was all go for Waya. We did some more last-minute provision shopping and headed out of the Marina.
The weather unfortunately had turned so we had just over a meter swell coming from two directions, so Shakina was getting pushed around a bit. It didn’t help that the generator had tripped and the new electric pump steering wasn’t working. I reset the fuse and we were away again.
We decided to head to the top of Waya and find shelter as the wind was gusting 25 knots so not pleasant conditions. We arrived about 4.00pm. The current was quite strong so we tied the life ring to the back of the boat for Alex and Jo to hold on to whilst swimming. The sea temperature was still a balmy 29 degrees so whilst it was overcast and windy it didn’t put the girls off getting in the water.
We settled in for the night with the wind whistling around us and the boat spinning.
Unfortunately, poor Jo had a very uncomfortable night due to Shakina rolling constantly and was sick. Still feeling under the weather, she stayed in bed whilst we decided to seek calmer water. We travelled another 2 hours for the top end of Somosomo and found a nice quite bay overlooking a Fijian village.
After Shaun kicked his toe under the door delivering me a coffee (he nearly fainted) it was out with the medical kit and some strong pills. Fortunately, he saved the coffee but we don’t think his toenail is going to make it. So, with Jo not feeling 100% Shaun, Alex and I went to the village to find out what the protocol is for coming ashore. I had some Kava root to give to the Chief as well as a soccer & rugby ball for the children. We organised to come ashore at 1.30pm and Jo after doing some work in the morning felt well enough to join us for the visit.
There was another boat anchored in the bay so we invited them to join us ashore for the Kava root gifting ceremony. We were met by Bomua, a lovely lady with a gorgeous boy and girl and some of the younger children. Once we secured Junior we threw the two balls to the young children at the beach who were only too happy to receive them. However, one child was absolutely distraught at missing out and put on the loudest ‘crocodile tears’ we’ve ever heard, hence we felt a bit bad at seeing him so upset. None of the other children were keen to let go of the balls so it was up to the mother to console him.
We were led through the village and on the way met some of the other village people and a local dog who took a fancy to Alex. Mind you Alex did spend some time giving him lots of attention and from that moment on he was not leaving her side (she named him lucky). We noticed that a lot of the dogs were very skinny, but I suppose they don’t use a lot of energy as they’re not working dogs and just lay around in the sun. Also very placid (must be the heat).
We were invited inside the Chiefs house with an interpreter (most likely his wife) and after some hand shaking and introductions, the Chief proceeded to welcome us to the village in his local language (he didn’t speak English) and explained that we were now allowed to wonder anywhere on the island. After leaving the Chief we were introduced to the woman in the village who had laid out on mats all their produce, shells, necklaces, sarongs ready for selling. As Jo didn’t bring any money, she borrowed a fiver off Alex to buy a book marker only to be called back and told the fiver wasn’t worth anything as it was old money and not legal tender. We had a laugh that we were caught trying to handover counterfeit money to a Fijian village. It had only been in Alex’s bottom drawer for about 10 years.
The village has around 200 people (70 families) with four different religions, and it was interesting the Chiefs wife mentioned that they all live very harmoniously. It’s a shame the world doesn’t take notice and see that you can co-exist no matter your beliefs. They make their income by having ‘pop up’ markets of handcrafted goods for the tourists and selling fish they catch to other villages in exchange for produce and fuel. They live a very humble life and their house is defined by their status in the village. For example, Sarah’s house who was ‘head of sales and marketing’ had a house that had a very large floor plan made of concrete. The Chief’s house had a woven mat floor where we all sat and two single beds.
When we were leaving, I was asked to donate 20 Litres of fuel which is highly sort after. I decided on giving them 5 litres but gave them 10 litres instead. I’d also paid $20 for a lobster so overall we all spent $100 in their village.
On our return back, Jo was struggling to get out of the boat in her sarong and promptly dropped her phone in the water. Quick as a flash she was in, grabbed the phone before it got to the bottom and even managed to keep her sunnies on – legend. We were hoping for the best that it was still useable as she has all her work passwords on it and two factor authentications for access to bank accounts and software – fingers crossed.
We then decided to open up one of the four coconuts Alex brought. Nothing quite like fresh coconut juice and coconut flesh. The only problem was it needed a machete (John left his at home under the bed) and so we resorted to the carving knife that unfortunately got damaged in the process.
After some wines (Jo opted out as she still not feeling 100%) Shaun prepared a beautiful lamb dish and we enjoyed the quite night before heading off to bed.
Somosomo Paradise
Another gorgeous day awaited us this morning with the sun breaking through the clouds, exposing the turquoise crystal-clear water. Whilst I prepared a cooked breakfast, Alex and Jo were trying to decide what the banging of the pot meant every ½ hr in the village. They both agreed that the first time was probably a wakeup call for the children to get up ready for school. 2nd time, maybe a call for breakfast. 3rd time they thought maybe so many minutes before the dingy departs for school and the 4th time, get your children on the dingy.
Once we had cleaned up, we all jumped in again for a swim and was greeted by an old local fisherman with one tooth and a broad smile on his kayak. He was after some small hooks so I happily obliged.
We then jumped on junior and decided to take a stroll along the beach. On the way there we were careful to avoid the coral and any rocks that may suddenly appear. Shaun was on the lookout, so busy concentrating on the water below when Jo suddenly spotted a stingray in the water and yelled out. Poor Shaun and Alex ‘crapped themselves’ wondering what the heck was going on – funny.
Once we put the anchor on the beach and Junior was secure, we took a stroll along the beach, admiring the beautiful dark rock, clear waters and just enjoying the view. Once we had walked about 100 meters we found a nice sandy place to swim. Unfortunately, no one took their phone (Jo wasn’t keen after dropping hers in the water the day before) so we didn’t take any photos which was a shame as it was just a stunning day with a stunning view.
We just wallowed in the water for about 1/2hr when Shaun spotted Junior nearly ‘high and dry’ on the beach – oops. We had an incoming tide but the small swell kept pushing Shakina Jnr to the shoreline. Jo and I quickly got out of the water and headed back to see if we could get Junior back in the water. On the way there we met a young lady, Kitty who was collecting some firewood. I asked if she had ever left the village and she said she had been sponsored to go to Australia for work which she did for 7 months but would like to go to NZ. I really hope she does.
Anyway, we had to cut the conversation short and head back to rescue junior. Not an easy feat as it was stuck on the bottom so every time a wave came, we had to just keep pushing and pushing until we finally got the back end of the boat in the water. Phew!!!.
Once we got the boat back to Alex and Shaun, we anchored Junior in a metre of water and jumping back in the water for one last swim before heading back to the boat for lunch. Not much was done for the rest of the day but swimming and chilling out in the afternoon. The fisherman (Joe) came back and showed us the fish he caught which I declined as it was a small catch and his need was far greater than mine! I gave him some mustard hooks to allow him to catch some bait fish and he gladly accepted them with a broad smile and a Vinaka. His English was not so good, probably due to his age and not needing to speak English in years gone by. We also had another visit by a local on a boat with a small child as she wanted to see the boat up close.
We enjoyed another nice meal and had an early night ready to depart for Musket Cove tomorrow.
Back to Malolo Island
The following morning, we had a slow start and soon we observed Joe paddling his yellow kayak in our direction. We were greeted with a loud ‘BULA’ as he headed out to deep water to try his luck for another day. I hope he was able to put all the hooks to good use!
We were no rush as the weather was better than forecast with only a light 10 knots of wind. We took a different track back from the northern end of Somosomo Bay through the islands and found an amazing resort at Paradise Cove which was both sides of our passage. It looked to be a perfect diving and snorkeling spot tucked in between the Islands. It was abundantly clear where the name came from.
We used satellite images on Open CPN to keep us safe in combination with GPS as there were reefs everywhere to navigate. We were also guided by Navionics on my phone, so we had three sources of information to cross reference. I am very respectful of the reefs (afraid) and want to do everything possible to keep a clean record for the entire trip. We have had enough drama on our journey to date! We cruised back past Waya Island with a promise to return another time to explore in more detail. It was going to be a 5-hour journey to Musket Cove at 10-12 knots in a moderate sea.
We arrived at Musket Cove having had lunch on the journey. It was blowing around 15 – 17 knots but at least the water was without a swell. Shaun and I spent some time trying to update the maps on our new Garmin GPS on Junior which was proving to be tricky, so after paying the fee for this region we proceeded to attempt to activate the new charts. The unit had limited memory, so the following day we used an old sim card to save the maps too and we now enjoy full charts for navigation in the tender, thanks to Shaun and his tech skills. It will be a lot safer than visual navigation!
Late afternoon we jumped in the tender and headed into the bar for cocktails then we walked on to dine at Dick’s Place where they had an Asian themed buffet night and it was fabulous, particularly when you consider where we are! Jo of course, made friends with the restaurant cat so in between eating was cutting off bits of meat to feed him. The cats are well looked after by the resort employees as they keep the mice and rats away. Well maybe not tonight for this cat as I think his tummy was well and truly full. We had a great kiwi Pinot Noir to accompany dinner all courtesy of Shaun and Alex so we will return the favour the next evening at their other restaurant.
Farewell to Shaun and Alex
The next morning, we could see the beautiful sandbar about 800 meters from Shakina. This was too good of a photo opportunity for Alex to pass up so Alex, Shaun and I jumped in Junior and headed out. After taking some stunning photos of Alex on the sandbar Shaun and I dropped Alex at Shakina then we carried on to Musket Cove resort to get the cream buns. Unfortunately, you have to be quick as they sell out pretty fast which they did by the time we got there so we all had to settle for was sausage rolls, much to the girl’s disappointment.
Once we had cleaned up and got the boat ‘ship shape’ again for travelling we headed off. Alex and Shaun had to be at Denarau by 12.30pm to catch a taxi to the airport so we made sure we left in plenty of time. The weather was beautiful and we had nice seas for travelling. Junior was following along nicely behind us and we now had lots of previous tracks to follow so it was pretty easy motoring back.
Once back at Denarau we sadly said our goodbyes to Alex and Shaun (did we tell you they brought over our fav ciabatta buns from New World vacuumed packed for us) – legends. Time to get moving again and as we forgot our supermarket bags (we already have far too many onboard for this reason) we motored back to Shakina and thought we had better to a grocery list as well as we won’t be back here again for another 20 days.
With shopping on board, it was time to pull up anchor and head back to Malolo Island. The anchorage is very muddy here so it takes a bit of work to get the anchor back up again. Jo was at the back preparing to tow Junior and once we had lifted anchor we were on our way. This time the sea was up and it was blowing about 25 knots so it was not a comfortable ride back again.
Once we got to Malolo the wind was strong and I was struggling to anchor. Jo was at the back pulling in Junior and was trying to get him tied up to the bollard when he nearly pulled her in the current was so strong. After setting the anchor I put our sleep rope on as it would be a noisy night without that! I had let plenty of chain out to ensure we wouldn’t drift but still spent the next ½ hour checking.
We got settled as it was now 5.00pm and we were ready to just have dinner and relax. Peter and Janine called past to advise there was a band tonight at the bar, but we were quite tired from our days activities and were planning an early night so it was dinner then off to bed.
New Destination - Waya
After Shaun and Alex departure we spent the next day doing chores and getting the boat ready for our next travels. Jo did some work over the next few days and I spent time doing maintenance and chatting with our neighbours.
I found out talking to Peter (onboard Rhum & Coco) there is a reef close by that he reckons is some of the best snorkeling in Fiji. It’s so good there is a huge floating platform called ‘Cloud 9’ where resorts take their guest too and they can relax with drinks and food onboard (has a fully stocked bar and restaurant). We decided to go there to snorkel late afternoon. Unfortunately, between the time the wind had dropped to next to nothing, and our decision to finally go, the wind had picked up again (happens a lot in Fiji). We travelled on Junior and proceeded to go around the bottom end of the reef to the unsheltered open water (slight detour as Jo’s cap came off). As we turned Jo could see the coral water below and it’s fair to say she was ‘freaking out’ a bit as the waves were very choppy and not getting any smaller. She was concerned we would hit the coral and that it was just not comfortable enough for snorkeling. So, with that we headed back to Shakina to try again another day.
The next morning, we had breakfast and I did a course plotting for Waya. The sea was flat with no wind so whilst Jo worked we travelled the 5 hrs to the bottom end of Waya. Once we found our anchorage, we settled next to the local village. The location was stunning (as you can see in the photos). We blew up the paddleboards and paddled over to some of the local woman fishing and asked them if the Chief was nearby so we could do a Sevu Sevu. Unfortunately, he was on Malolo but we found out the ‘Head of the Village’ Jim was here and he would accept the Kava root on the Chiefs behalf. We decided to head back to Shakina and go ashore on ‘Tazzy Cat’ (our smaller Taka Cat tender which Jo named after our cat Tazzy – who she misses a lot) ☹.
We pulled up on Tazzy and was greated by a loud “Bula” from Jim who was waiting for us on the shoreline. After introductions and hand shaking we walked up the beach, had our feet washed at his front door and accepted the invitation inside. Once inside we sat on the mat and Jim proceeded to speak in his native language as part of the gifting ceremony. Once he had finished, he welcomed us (using the English language) and as per usual said that we were now welcome to wonder anywhere on the island which included visiting the school, walking through the village and along the beach, swimming and snorkeling. This also meant from his perspective that he was now able to come onboard Shakina which he would like to do so I guess we have to return the favour. I asked him about the walk to the top of the hill as it would have amazing views so we all agreed a time the next day (9.00am) and he would show us where to get started on the walk. Jim then asked whether we had a torch. Both Jo and I started wondering just how long this walk would take!!!! Turns out he needed batteries for his own torch – funny. I said that I would take a look for the size D batteries he required
Once outside we meet Sam, his 6 month old, Jim’s wife Bessy and another local woman with a cute little baby all snuggled up in the most gorgeous rugs, blankets and mosquito net – fast asleep in this idyllic village with not a care in the world.
After saying goodbye, we jumped back on Tazzy Cat and headed off to explore the gap between the two islands. The water was so clear and deep and as we approached the sand bar (where the two waters met) we jumped off and walked. Not an easy task as we were getting pushed between the two tides which made it difficult to walk but the water was a balmy 29 degrees, and we were happy just to be soaking up the sun and the scenery. Once we finished walking across the sandbar it was an easy decision to just jump in the water, clothes an all.
After cooling off we helped some of the school children pick plastic rubbish up along the beach then headed back to Shakina. Once onboard we chilled with a beer prior to dinner. It get’s dark here about 6.00pm and so whilst we could watch a bit of Netflix we have both have been enjoying the tranquil locations (apart from the Roosters and dogs barking) and taking the time to just read.
Waya - Day Two
We awoke in the small hours to all the dogs kicking off in the village, we had no idea what set them off, but they were going for it with the occasional rooster joining in. The anchorage was as expected, a bit rollie too which kept us awake for some of the night as well. It soon settled down though and we awoke to a new day in paradise.
We had a light breakfast as we were doing our hill climb today. We took our shoes and socks, hats and glasses and a small flask of cold water as the hill wasn’t that far and we thought we could do it in about 1/2hr.
We motored to shore on Tazzy Cat and met Jim (head of the village & Sales & Marketing!!!) who was heading out on the dingy. He was supposed to show us the way to the hill but said Sam will look after us so off we went. Sam met us on the beach, and we chatted for awhile whilst we put on our shoes and socks. One question we were eager to ask was why was a bell ringing last night for about 5 minutes? Turns out no matter where they are in the village everyone must stop what they are doing and say a prayer. No suprises that they are so welcoming due to their religious beliefs. We also found out that there are three separate villages on the island all sending their children from primary to year 8 to their school. In the mornings we can see the school children walking along the shoreline, navigating rocks and the sea and also arriving by boat. What impressed us is the sense of pride they have wearing their uniforms. The head girl had a beautiful gold badge displaying her name and title and when I mentioned it, with a nod and a smile confirmed she was the head girl. They don’t have much but what they do have they obviously respect and treasure. Their houses are clean, washing is folded up neatly into baskets and the children clear the beaches of rubbish. During the school breaks all you can hear is laughter coming from the school. I bet they don’t have a problem with bullying here!!
Sam also mentioned that a lot of the local villagers work at a nearby resort. Sam told us that he’s a Chef but quit when his child was born and won’t return to work until the child turns one. How he support’s his family through that time were not sure but we can only guess that his external family would provide support until he’s back at work. Some of the men go to Hawkes Bay in NZ to pick fruit and we also learnt there is huge rivalry with the NZ rugby teams between cousins. All selecting their favourite team, whether it’s the Chiefs, Hurricanes or in Sams case the Crusaders. We can only imagine the ‘ribbing’ he’s been getting from his cousins this season.
After we’d finished getting ready, we headed up the hill and reached the top in no time (or so Jo thought). I was keen to go further along the ridge and to the highest peak where the trig station was. Jo was a little hesitant to go as the grass was head high with a small track and it appeared not many people went further than the first hill. I also forgot to mention a few days prior that we did a walk at Musket Cove which was only supposed to be 2km but we ended up going up and down hills trying to find the track that would eventually take us to the bottom along the airport road. It was exhausting work, and we eventually gave up on that idea after an hour with no water. Jo had the feeling this was going to be very similar.
With little convincing for Jo we were off again wading our way through long grass and tree roots that catch your feet threatening to trip us up. On our way we’d stop at a clearing every now and again and admire the view, also taking just a sip of water to make sure it lasts. It was difficult to navigate and sometimes we weren’t sure whether we were on the right track or not but after 1 ¼ hours of trudging uphill we finally made it to the top.
After taking some photos and with no water left we were keen to get back to the village again as the sun was beating down and only every now and again we got a breeze through the clearings. We told Sam we would only be ½ hour so hopefully he wasn’t worried.
2 hours from the time we started we were back down at the village where met some young preschool children who appeared to be practicing their English on us. They would say ‘good morning’, and how are you? It was very cute. We then caught up with Sam again and he helped us get Tazzy off the beach as it was low tide. Keen to get back for some much-needed water we were pleased with the help and quickly motored on our way.
Once rested and after some lunch we got our snorkeling gear and headed to the beach. The tide was still coming in, so we had to carefully navigate the coral. Due to the shallow reefs, we were floating just above the coral and it felt like you were swimming along with the fish. The water being a nice 29 degrees and, in some places felt warmer, we were in no hurry to get out of the water. After about an hour we decided to head back and lay on the beach for a while before cleaning up some more plastic rubbish. As humans, we should be ashamed of the plastics finding their way into our oceans and onto pristine beaches. Time to revert back to pre-plastic days where we got by with alternatives. All very well to say that they are recyclable but the reality we cannot be trusted to act responsibly with our waste.
We came back, showered and had a nice dinner before reading our books again and eventually calling it a night.
Blue Lagoon - 8th June
The next day we woke up and had a lazy start to the day. I was busy looking at the weather and determining a day on which we should start making our way up to Blue Lagoon when suddenly we heard a “Bula Bula” from outside. Jim had turned up on his dingy and called in to see us on his way out. He wanted to organise a time to come and view the boat so we agreed the afternoon.
Later on that day the wind had picked up and as we were anchored in the gap between the two islands there was no respite from the wind and we were also coping it a bit from the swell. We waited for Jim till about 2ish before making the decision to move further along the island out of the wind and swell. As it was quite deep close to shore, we had to position ourselves close enough to anchor in (nothing more than 20 meters) but far enough away to avoid the rocks. Turned out to be a good decision as it was much calmer, guaranteeing us a restful night. Jim didn’t make it over so we can only assume he got held up or didn’t want to motor the extra distance due to the cost of fuel.
We both had a great sleep, ready to make our way up to the Blue Lagoon. We had heard it was a stunning place to visit so we were both looking forward to a new destination. We had been at Waya now for three days’ so we were both ready to move on. The wind was still up but nothing that was going to make the trip uncomfortable. Jo did her usual working, whilst travelling and coming to sit at the helm every so often when we were navigating the bombies (coral reefs). We did get some company on the way. Six dolphins made their way towards the boat and spent the next ten minutes riding the bow wave whilst Jo raced down to take photos and videos.
3 ½ hours later we arrived at Blue Lagoon and had no problem anchoring. We did have to put out a lot of chain due to the wind gusts that were getting up around the 25 – 30 knots. We knew the wind wasn’t supposed to drop off for another three days but at least we didn’t get the combination of wind and the swell hitting us on the side of Shakina which made it more than bearable.
Once anchored we caught up with one of the couples (we met through Alex and Shaun at Musket Cove) to get the ‘low down’ on Blue Lagoon. Turns out Blue Lagoon have a resort that welcomes boaties, so we decided that we had, had enough of our own cooking and so we jumped on Tazzy Cat and headed ashore to book into the restaurant for dinner. We also visited the shop which was more like a kitchen pantry. It’s fair to say it’s a bit ‘hit and miss’, as to what you can buy. We brought some bread and an OJ and decided to come back for some milk later as Jo thought we were running low (turns our we were low and yes we forgot to go back for milk…oops.) We are definitely going to have to limit our coffee and breakfast cereal.
Later on, we got an invite to go to Nick and Kirsty’s boat for drinks and nibbles where we also met up with some of the other couples we met onboard the yachts at Musket. All three boats were here as well as Jo and I on Shakina. It was great to catch up with everyone again. They were so welcoming and happy for us to join them. After a few hours Jo and I headed out to have our dinner at the Nanuya Boathouse Resort. We had a great fish dish washed down with a nice bottle of Sav after our two previous choices were out of stock (even Moet). After dinner we caught the last 20 minutes of the second half of the Blues playing the Fiji Drua. All in all, it was another great day and we were looking forward to doing some snorkeling, swimming and having the guys over on Shakina for drinks and nibbles the following night.
The next day Jo had booked a massage and pedicure and found out a little bit more about the resort. Her beautician was called Lucy and she was telling Jo that sometimes she works 24 days in a row without a break before heading back to Suva. She gets eight days off (two days is a return trip) to spend with her two children aged 11 and 9. As she is a solo mum her parents look after the children in her absence and she sends all her money back home (after making sure she has enough for the travelling expenses to get home and back again). Sometimes she said she can work for two months non stop with just one day's break. It's very hard for her to be away from her children but as she said you have to do what you can to survive. She earns $4.50 an hour and would love to work and live in NZ. The resort can accommodate about 20 guest and their are times when their is only one guest at the resort which she said would be very lonely for them. They also would be unable to do any sightseeing trips as they need a minimum of 4 - 5 people to make it viable. This resort has no swimming pool which is why its reasonably priced so if you didn't like swimming at the beach then this wouldn't be the place for you to stay.
Once Jo got back from the resort we decided to get out of the wind and shelter on the beach for a while and enjoy a swim. Once back on Shakina Warwick came over on his tender and said that we were drifting. Both Jo and I had already noticed that we were getting closer to the coral reef and further away from the yachts so we were just monitoring our position. After Warwick confirmed our suspicions, we had to pull up the anchor and reset with even more chain out this time to cope with the blustery conditions.
Now I must tell you before we move on to our next destination story, Jo and I pulled up on Tazzy Cat behind Shakina ready to board when Jo saw a black and white sea snake with a tinge of yellow on it. I said, “is that thing poisonous”? Jo immediately replied “Nah its fine” even though she had noooo bloody idea whether it was or not, not even done any research!!! Turns out a few nights later (Jo happened to mention seeing it when chatting with our boat friends), it really was poisonous!!!! One of the most venomous snakes in Fiji so I’ve come to the conclusion that Jo is no Steve Irwin and I’ll be taking my cue from my own instincts in future 😊.
Yasawa Northern Village 12th June
Today we were heading up near the top of the Yasawa Islands with the rest of the ‘Cruising kiwis’ (they call themselves). We all agreed a time to leave, which was about 1.00pm. We followed Warwick on his yacht out of the bay as he had done this trip before, so he helped us navigate the channel between several bombies leading out of the Blue Lagoon. Coming out we also had a yacht moving slowly towards us but thankfully he continued his course passing down our starboard side, we gave him more room as he was heading close to a reef.
Once out of the channel and into deeper waters I did the usual with the satellite visual CPN and GPS and followed the navionics course keeping a look out all the time. As our cruising speed is a lot quicker than our ‘Cruising Kiwis’ in their yachts it didn’t take long before we overtook them and created some distance between us. Much later on the journey we could see a passage between two islands (short cut) which appeared deep enough to go through and on the satellite looked fine but we decided it was better to stay on our plotted course rather than take any unnecessary risks.
We arrived at the Yasawas about 2 hours later and anchored near the local village because as per the custom, we are required to do a Sevu Sevu to allow us onto their beaches. Once the rest of the crew joined us and had anchored (everyone in their sarongs and/or long shorts and covered shoulders to be respectful), we took our tenders to shore and met with Mack who was waiting for us on the beach.
We have met so many amazing Fijians on our journey, but we have to say Mack who we think was probably early 20’s (and was looking for a wife) was by far the best. He had played 7’s in NZ so had a good understanding of our lifestyle and home. He spoke about seeing the sky Tower for the first time and walking around with his head in the clouds. He had a great smile, good sense of humour and was so easy to talk to. We were all welcomed on the mat with about six locals (including the chief) and once again welcomed in their native language. Mack handed over the Kava to the Chief then we were invited to walk with him to see the children in their school. It was a pleasant walk through the village (albeit hot) and everywhere we went we were welcomed with a smile and a “Bula” Bula’. We walked about 20 minutes as Mack talked about village life as we headed towards the school where 10 children from year 1 – 4 took their classes.
Once passed the village we turned onto a track that opened onto an overgrown rugby field covered by long grass and at the end of it was a tiny building where the school was (one classroom). Jo and I had done the usual and taken a soccer and rugby ball to give to the children and Warwick and Lany also had some training shirts to handover as well.
Jo: We were greeted by the teacher who led us into the classroom. John was further ahead and when he walked in with the two balls all I could hear was screaming. I really wished I could have captured the noise; it was just so heartwarming to hear their excitement at receiving something so little but obviously it meant so much to them.
We were invited to sit on these really tiny kid’s seats in front of the class followed by apologies from the teacher (we really didn’t mind) as that’s all they had, and once seated the teacher informed us that the children had some songs to sing as well as performing a couple of dances. We really didn’t expect this so it was a welcome surprise, and we were ‘blown away’ by how such a small group of children, some of them obviously quite shy, can produce such wonderful harmonies and with such volume (as you can see from the videos).
Once the singing and dancing had finished John threw the rugby ball to the children and it was quickly caught by one of the girls in the group and she was not letting go!!! (potential black fern in the making I thought). Warwick also handed out the blue and white training shirts which all were perfect sizes. The group then went outside where I proceeded to pass the ball backwards and forwards between me and the girl with one of the boys trying to intercept. After about ten minutes of chatting and playing it was time to say goodbye and head back.
Mack then took us to a corner of the beach where the sand was so white and soft it honestly looked like flour which is how he described it. There was also a long jetty where cruise ships come in to dock and the passengers get to tour the village and buy from their ‘pop up’ markets. Apparently, the village gets $2,000 from the cruise ship operators every time they dock Mack reckons the passengers spend about $1000 in their markets so to them it’s quite lucrative.
After our walk back we stopped off to buy some woven baskets for Shakina. One to store our fruit in and the other to keep our sunblock and glasses etc. tidy on the boat where we can easily find them. The larger basket cost $80 and when John handed over a $100, he was told there was no change even though the others had brought several baskets as well. I guess this was their way of trying to extract as much as they possibly can from you and it’s probably their standard response so hence a nice little necklace to make up the difference 😊. Also some of their gifts were ‘made in China’ – go figure!!!!.
After doing a bit of gift buying, John got to talk to Mack and he was keen to do some fishing the next morning so we agreed a time of 5.00am. The plan was that I would take Junior and come ashore and pick up Mack. Jamie (one our yachting mates) was also keen to come so John would pick him up as well. We then said our goodbyes and headed back to our boats.
John: Jo and I decided to do a bit of snorkeling near the beach. Once in the water we heard the buzzing of a drone overhead. Jamie had gone ashore with his drone and was surrounded by some of the children who were just fascinated by this thing flying in the air. Jamie was hovering the drone low by the kids then would proceed to pretend to chase them with the drone to squeals of delight from the children. He would then show them the footage and it would start all over again. Jamie also got the children to put their hand underneath the drone showing how it would lift slightly when you did this, so that became the next new game. After about ½ hour snorkeling we called it a day and headed back to Shakina to prepare dinner then an early night as it was a 5.00am start the next day.
Next Day - Trawling
Jo and I were both awake before the alarm set for just after 5.00am. I’m sure Jo thought I was crazy getting up that early as it was so dark outside (no light pollution) and I’d be going ashore in the dark to pick up Mack. It was no problem however as I had the track on my phone from the previous day so I could easily find my way there and back. As promised Mack was on the beach with his mate Leon, showing me the way into the beach with a flash of his torch. Once onboard we headed back to pick up Jamie. The plan was to drop off Mack and Leon at Shakina and Jamie would follow me on Tazzy Cat as I was going to tie off Junior on Warwick’s boat, Fusio so I didn’t have to crane it onto Shakina. Then I would bring Jamie back to Shakina and we would then crane Tazzy Cat (way smaller dingy and so light) on the top deck out of the way. Sounds like a lot of drama but we needed to clear deck space below to be able to use the 4 game reels of Charlie’s to try our luck.
Once everything was ‘ship shape’ and lures/rods out it was just starting to get light so we were all set to go. Jo decided, knowing it was going to be extremely boring trawling the ocean for the next 5 – 6 hours, fired up her laptop and started working. Mack joined me at the helm, he was buggered from free diving at 3am with his mates just prior to us picking him up. They were spear fishing and harvesting Lobster which would earn them $50 per kilo. Leon looked after the rods at the back and Jamie wandered between the back of the boat chatting to Leon and coming up to the helm every now and again. After about ½ hour I heard a shout to slow down then stop as we had something on the line. Jamie proceeded to reel it in and turns out it was a Walu which once close to the boat the fish decided it had had enough and spat out the hook and swam away much to everyone’s disappointment.
We carried on and Jo made sure the guys had coffee and something to eat. After a while Mack fell asleep on the helm chair which we thought was quite funny and only woke to shouts from Leon below. Turns out we had caught a Tuna. Jamie being the expert bleed the Tuna and made sure we chilled it straight away to ensure it kept its texture. Leon was so grateful and thanked Jamie who immediately thought to himself “mate you’re not getting this one”. We did manage to catch a coral trout and a barracuda for Leon and Mack, which over here they eat barracuda and in NZ we throw away as they are pretty much ‘shit fish’, but these guys know how to prep and eat anything from the sea. So, after about 5 hours and listening to Macks favourite band (One Direction) yes One Direction! We gave him heaps about that for the rest of the trip. At around 12pm nothing was happening, so we decided to haul in the rods and head back to shore. Mack decided the seat at the back of the helm table was a great place to have a nap so he was soon out to it. Leon ‘live streamed’ Shakina and chatting with me then proceeded to take photos (after asking permission of course). I’m sure he will be talking about this day with his family for quite some time.
Once back at shore we took down Tazzy Cat, picked up Shakina Jnr and took Leon and Mack back to shore with their two fish. Apparently if the Barracuda doesn’t have any parasites when they open it up that means it’s ok for them to eat otherwise it gets cooked and fed to the dogs. We hope it was eatable and as they don’t have fridges or freezers, we assume they must just smoke it and eat it the same day. Jamie was going to come back later and fillet our Tuna and as there was so much meat we decided to have a ‘pot luck’ dinner the following night and share with our ‘gang of eight’.
After some lunch we all decided to take the boats 500m south down to champagne beach as apparently, it’s one of the best beaches in Fiji. Turns out it’s true!!!! We went ashore and couldn’t believe the colour of the water or the sand. It is truly like swimming in pool with just the most beautiful white sandy bottom and nothing else below. Just the perfect spot with its remote location, stunning weather with no wind, palm trees behind and no one else on the beach, this was Fiji at its finest and we both felt privileged to be here.
The next day we woke to another stunning day with a slight breeze and a bit of cloud. Jo did some work whilst I caught up on emails. As we were running low on milk, we decided to forgo cereal and cook scrambled eggs instead. We then got out the paddleboards in the afternoon to explore another beach before another swim. The beach was deserted except for a hut covered in plastic sheet under the canopy of trees on the shoreline. Maybe someone had been banished from the village or just decided he would avoid village chores for a while? We could only guess. The only comfort inside the hut was a large colourful beach towel. `The day went quick and before we knew it Jamie was over filleting the Tuna and then it was time to get ready for our guests.
Once everyone was on board and had their drinks in hand we all sat comfortable at the back of Shakina. However, the sun had broken through during the day and with the cloud dissipating it made for a gorgeous evening. We had the black privacy cloth at the back of the boat where we were all sitting which provided great shade but every now and again as the boat moved around we felt the sun shining through beating down on a few us that were unfortunate enough to be seating on that side of the boat. No problem though, Jo had a great idea and threw a towel over the rail to block out the sun. Problem solved.
Everyone contributed to the dinner with salads, curries etc and of course we started with Tuna sashimi with wasabi and soy sauce before making Tuna steaks and cooking them in Jamie’s marinade with sesame seeds, honey and soy. It was a great night and after dinner we just carried on the conversations till the expresso martinis ran out and everyone had decided it was time to head back to their boats. Whilst Jo and I cleaned up I got a text that said “did anyone hear the splash’? A few replied “it wasn’t me” until it was revealed Kirsty had landed in the water trying to get off the tender into the yacht. Her daughter who stayed on the boat was in fits of laughter. That’s boating 😊.
