Hi
from Clare 2-2019 Vuda Point to Savu Savu 2nd
June 2019
LET
THE GOOD TIMES ROLL
We
sailed in a gentle breeze along the north coast of Viti Levu
anchoring in two very beautiful and peaceful bays. We lay on the deck
late afternoon soaking up the warmth of the fading sun and listening
to the birds singing and flitting about in the impenetrable tropical
forest along the shoreline. For us, this was a perfect start to a
new season, calm, relaxing, sunny, quiet and totally at peace with
the world.
 |
| Anchorage at Makogai |
 |
| Village attached to the Research Centre |
A
TIME FOR LEARNING
Our
first step back into civilisation was on the island of Makogai some
forty five miles south of Savu Savu. Makogai in the early to mid
1900’s was home to a Leprosy Hospital that housed 4000 patients
from islands throughout the Pacific. There are still some old
buildings and a cemetery from this time.
 |
| Leprosy Hospital Steps |
However,
today with a population of fifty, Makogai operates a fisheries
hatchery for turtles and giant clams. The giant clam grows to over a
metre and a single clam can filter hundreds of litres of water a day
offering a good line of defence against an outbreak of pesky crown of
thorns starfish by filtering out thousands of their microscopic
spawn. The fishery people have some giant clams they leave in the
ocean and at spawning time transfer them into salt water tanks
ashore.
 |
| A giant clam |
The
baby clams are cultivated there and we witnesses some eight month old
clams being individually scrubbed with a toothbrush to remove any
parasites before being relocated to tanks at a local resort. They
stay there for a year as a tourist attraction but at the same time,
growing in a safe environment. By this time they are big enough to
be relocated into the ocean. Even then they are released in cages
for further hardening of their shells before they have sufficient
protection from ocean predators and can be transported to one of the
many coral reefs throughout the Pacific.
 |
| Eight month old clams ready for relocation |
We were pleased to learn that it was an Australian funded project that began culturing the giant clams at Makogai – and thousands have since been transplanted to various parts of Fiji. Whilst we were at Makogai a delegation from the Ministry for Fisheries and the owner of the receiving resort came by light plane to transfer 500 baby clams to the resort tanks.
 |
| Lunch with the delegation |
 |
| Loading the baby clams onto the light plane |
CAN
WE HELP
We
felt we did our bit towards this wonderful project when Andrew was
approached (a day
before the delegation arrived) by
a
local boat asking if he
had a multimeter. So
he went with them armed with his multimeter
to find they had run the water pump dry and it was all melted inside.
This
pump supplies seawater to the giant clams and turtles being grown
here in the seawater tanks. The
fishery guys were
trying to get the 240v generator to make 72v to run a spare pump that
only ever run
on solar panels (which
were blown away by
cyclone Winston
in 2016).
When that idea failed
they wanted Andrew to
connect the spare
submersible pump to the 3 phase outlet. Luckily
they had a new plug for
Andrew to wire
up. Andrew, although
he understood what he was doing, had never actually
wired a 3 phase outlet
before so he warned
them that he wasn’t an
electrician. Their
reply was “Neither are we” so
everybody stood well back.
All went well and the fishery
guys said they would be
ok with finding the bits they needed to get the seawater to the tanks
– the clams were
waiting. We received
four papayas for Andrew’s efforts.
 |
| The 3 phase outlet |
 |
| The submersible pump running underwater |
CRUISERS
TO THE RESCUE
We
also travelled by the 60 hp outboard school boat with nine school
children around to a small village where the school for 26 children
is located. A large part of this small village was blown away by
cyclone Winston along with the class rooms. We spoke to one mother
of five who’s house survived the cyclone. She said they were all
very scared huddled inside watching other houses being blown down the
street. The only one not afraid was their two year old who played
happily oblivious of the danger – that sounds right:) After
cyclone Winston, members of the cruising community built two new
class rooms. It took them a year or more to complete, a job well
done, the class rooms have been fully operational since.
 |
| Our trip on the school boat |
 |
| One of the classrooms the cruisers built |
Today
the school has expanded with a new cyclone proof steel framed
classroom and accommodation for the teachers. There is still a lot
of work to be done but they are well on the road to recovery. We
walked back across the island to our boat which took about an hour, a
good bit of exercise up and down hills and great views of the
shoreline.
 |
| The new cyclone proof steel framed classrooms and accommodation |
CATCH
OF THE DAY
After
three days at Makogai we sailed 50 miles in sporty conditions across
the channel to the larger island of Venua Levu and into Savu Savu in
Fiji. We had the fishing line out the back and averaging 7 knots of
boat speed, in some ways I was hoping we didn’t get a strike.
Fortunately whilst slowing down to make landfall we caught a
magnificent Wahoo about a metre long – a truly delicious fish and
greatly appreciated.
 |
| Our Wahoo |
SO
WHAT’S NEXT
By
this time quite a few of our cruising friends are returning to Fiji
after spending cyclone season in New Zealand. So it is party time
and we are enjoying renewing old friendships and developing new ones.
So more of Savu Savu in our next newsletter.
 |
| Ellen (Acapella), Clare(Eye Candy) and Hanny (Jonas) in Savu Savu |
Love
Candy xx
