Hi
from Clare, 7-2019 Heading South to Musket Cove 11th August 2019
BEAUTIFUL
BLUE LAGOON
We
came back into the Blue Lagoon on 24th July to catch up
with some friends. There is always a good number of cruising boats
in Blue Lagoon because it has good protection from the wind and the
flat sea guarantees a good night’s sleep. Many of the other
anchorages along the Yasawa chain are open to swell and we get a bit
sick of rolling.
We
knew the cruising folk on about five other boats and so we had a very
social time. We all attended a traditional Lovo dinner cooked by a
local Fijian family. We had fish, chicken and vegetables cooked in a
pit for several hours, very tasty and tender. The only problem was
there were about a dozen kids at the dinner and only two chickens
served. By the time the adults got to the table there was only a
plate of chicken bones left. Thankfully the kids weren’t fussed
about the fish otherwise the adults would have starved :) A good
night was had by all.
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| Digging for dinner |
 |
| Lets eat |
We
did a bit more snorkelling here and found some giant clams which have
been relocated to live on the reef. After learning all about the
development of the giant clam, when visiting the island of Makogai,
it was good to see some giant clams settled in their natural
environment.
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| Giant Clam |
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| A smaller Giant Clam |
GO
GIRL
After
leaving Blue Lagoon we visited the village of Somo Somo. We wanted
to met the ninety seven year old female chief. A female chief is
pretty unusual as the position is handed down through the male side
of the family. However this chief’s father only had one daughter
and so she got the job. This 97 year old female chief only produced
one daughter as well. Unfortunately the daughter is deceased and so
when the 97 year old female chief dies the position will be handed
over to the male cousin (her father’s brother’s son). The chief
speaks very little English but she performed the Sevusevu ceremony,
with her grandson translating for us. I asked permission to have my
photo taken with the chief and as soon as I sat next to her, I felt
her arm come around me. She had a very caring manner and was most
approachable. Her eyes were clear and engaging, we think she will be
around for a while yet. The grandson likened her to Queen Elizabeth.
 |
| A grand old lady |
HAPPY
FACES
We
went to the village kindergarten and the kids took our hands and led
us into their classroom. They sang us the ABC song and seemed
surprised that we could sing it too. They individually introduced
themselves in English saying their name, sex, their village, mother
and father’s name. All important safety information when visiting
the city. Their last song, also in English, was naming parts of the
body. Pretty good considering English is their second language which
they learn at school level. Some of them were touching their ears
instead of their nose, and then touching their knees instead of their
toes, but it was all very endearing and sung with great gusto.
 |
| Andrew being led away |
 |
| A performance just for us |
So
the village of Somo Somo was the sixth and last Fijian village we
will visit. It has been quite an experience. Compared to our world,
their living conditions are very basic. But they seem happy and
their sense of community is strong. A totally different life, but
who is to say whether it is better or worse than ours? It certainly
is food for thought.
A
CHANGE OF PLANS
We
were heading back to Musket Cove as it is the only other anchorage in
the Yasawa chain where we can expect calm conditions and peaceful
nights. On the way, we anchored at the island Navadra with four
other boats and rolled all night due to the swell. The following
morning we intended going south to Musket Cove but we had 20 knots on
the noise. This would make for a very uncomfortable trip bashing
into it for 4-5 hours. So as there was no rush, we sailed north for
fifteen miles to Waya Island and waited for the wind to drop. The
good news is that we caught two good fish. A wahoo and a small tuna,
so we were set for any delay.
 |
| Our Wahoo |
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| Andrew filleting the Tuna |
Here
we anchored with the motor vessel “Senses” which is some 250 ft
and owned by one of the partners of Google. If you want to hire it
for your friends, it will cost you 350,000 USD a week. Wow! They had
an array of toys out the back, but the one we loved to watch was the
foiling self propelled surf board – what fun.
 |
| Senses |
GOOD
FRIENDS
We
eventually made it back to Musket cove and caught up with our good
friends Ellen and Martin on Acapella. We were invited aboard to have
one of their newly created cocktails called “Acapella on the
Rocks”. This cocktail came into being after Martin and Ellen hit a
reef earlier this year in the Lau goup of islands on the east side of
Fiji. They were stuck on the reef on a fifty degree angle for 12
hours until high tide lifted them off. Fortunately there was no
water ingress, but their rudder was badly damaged. The cocktail
“Acapella on the Rocks” is to celebrate, that although scary, it
could have been a lot worse. We spent a few days together sharing
morning coffee and a BBQ at the sailors bar. Good fun people, we
always enjoy their company.
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| Martin, Clare and Ellen with our “ Acapella on the Rocks” |
We
sailed across to the main island of Vita Levu, Fiji to provision for
our trip to Vanuatu later this month. We have taken on fuel, propane
gas and a new starter battery for the engine. We have made two trips
to the supermarket and restocked the boat. To all reports Vanuatu is
a lot more remote than Fiji and it is best to bring everything you
need.
SO
WHAT’S NEXT
We
are considering getting an extension on our Visa to stay in Fiji and
wait for a good weather window to sail to Vanuatu. This won’t
delay our plans by much, but it will take the pressure away from
working to a set date. So we will keep you posted.
Love
Candy xx
