Glory days

Glory Days
Gulfstar 50

Rod Bulcher & Brenda Mora

Last Update: 05/17/03

June 22		Chris' flight is at 8:00 pm. We spend a leisurely morning on the boat and then take the dinghy to shore for lunch at the "Potluck Restaurant". The Potluck is a training center for young people who wish to learn the skills required to enter the restaurant business. We have a good lunch in a lovely setting, on a table set with linen and china. As a bonus, the meal is only $5 paanga per person which translates to $3 US. Next we catch the bus that takes us to the center of town. Nuku'alofa is the capitol of Tonga, however it's a drowsy place by US standards. Our first stop is Cable and Wireless, the telephone company. Rod gives the gentleman behind the counter a cash deposit and is told to go into one of the closets to use the phone. He learns that the fuel pump should have been delivered to the post office. Next stop is the post office in search of the fuel pump parts. All of the post office records are maintained by hand so when the teller informs me that the package isn't there Rod has a sense of doom. He thinks they will never find it. While the guys attend to other errands, Brenda goes grocery shopping. Since this is a big city, with a population of 50,000, the grocery store has several aisles of packaged goods and a little produce imported from afar, such as broccoli at $7.00/pound. I put the cereal, juice, and other groceries in my backpack. To buy fresh fruit and vegetables, I walk across the street to the market. The market is similar to a farmers market in the States. However, this market is open six days a week. Local ladies sit on the ground surrounded by their garden's harvest. I wander about buying pineapple, bananas, tomatoes, lettuce, yams, cucumber, onion and carrots. I gradually fill my plastic net bag until it's almost too heavy to carry. I want to buy enough to last us two weeks since we won't be near a market again for a while, but I must be careful to judge what will keep that long. When I meet up with the guys again, I hand off my bags and go back for a watermelon. Our next stop is the bakery where we buy two loafs of fresh bread. Since there are no preservatives in the bread and our freezer is full, I only buy two. Later we will go the butcher. In the meantime we ask a taxi to take us back to the harbor, rather than walk the mile burdened with our bags. Since this is Chris' last day we don't want to spend the whole day attending to errands. In the late afternoon we take a dingy ride over to a nearby moto (tiny island) and sit in the sun drinking and reflecting on how nice Chris' visit was. We only wish we had more nice weather, both in New Zealand and here in Tonga. For dinner Rod barbecues the last of our New Zealand lamb. It is sad when we drop off Chris with the airport taxi.
June 23-24		We clean up the boat, run errands, and luckily locate the Onan fuel pump at the DHL office. It was sent via the New Zealand Postal Courier and it was supposed to be left at the Nuku'alofa post office. I feel lucky that I found it. A local mechanic told me to check at DHL as he had this "switch" occur to him before. "Go Figure"! We decide to take the time to send a batch of e-mails to our families and friends. We may not have e-mail for a long while. Late in the afternoon we head out the channel to the edge of the reef and anchor in the lee of Atata Island. It is our plan to get up at 03:00 and head out the pass and sail slowly toward Kelefesia. Good intentions but at 3 AM we weren't as enthusiastic so we waited until 6:00. The winds are between light and negligible so we will need a long time to travel the 40 miles.
June 25		We finally exit the reef at 07:00 with only 5 knots of wind. Then a local squall gives us false hopes as we sail at 7 knots for almost 2 hours. The passing of the squall cost us our sailing winds as the wind died to 4 to 7 puffy knots and from behind the beam so we motor sail for 4 hours into Kelefesia Island. The chart of this area indicates "blind rollers" and we find the breaking seas intimidating as we wind our way around the shoal areas. To get to the anchorage we motored between two breaking reefs in 15 feet of water with the coral bottom clearly visible. We didn't like this even a little bit. The anchorage is rolly so we spend much of the night locating noises throughout the boat that only a rolly anchorage would produce. The island and surrounding reefs are beautiful. Kelefesia's largest attraction is surfing. Two boatloads of surfers spend several hours a day in the water riding the perfect curl. We enjoy watching but getting tumbled into the coral seems like a good spectator sport to me.
June 26		We land the dinghy and go for a walk on the uninhabited island. It is a very pretty place. After a bite of lunch we go for a long swim and marvel at the numerous coral formations and multi-colored fish, including one five foot shark. Chris and Karen from the boat "Dessert First" join us for drinks, snacks, and delightful conversation during the evening.
June 27		We load the dinghy and raise the anchor by 09:00 and head towards Nomuka. The winds are so light that I want to give us ample time to make the 20-mile trip. In the first fifteen minutes we see three whales. We have the anchor set by Nomuka Iki by 13:00 and go for a swim. We would have liked to sail further to Ha'afeva but the wind is lessening and we don't want to sail in these coral strewn waters without sunshine to expose the dangers. Even with the sun at 12:00 high, the visibility is poor. This is deep winter here so the sun is far north and the mirrored reflections off of the water surface hinder spotting reefs. This is a problem for us, as we have not installed steps up our mast to improve the visibility of underwater obstacles. Next year we'll take care of this.
June 28		After breakfast, with a lovely 11 knot breeze, we sail to Ha'afeva. About twenty miles off in the distance we can see two volcanoes that have arisen from the ocean floor, sitting side by side. The flatter of the two has a plume of steam rising from its' top. Our guidebook tells us that these volcanoes regularly rise from and erode back into the ocean. We have our anchor set by 13:00. This island has a small village of approximately 300 people. From our anchorage we can not see buildings, only palm trees. We tie our inflatable to a tree and walk along the shore until we find a dirt road that leads us through the jungle. It is a lovely walk with intermittent farms and farmers hand tilling the fields. We see areas that have been cleared of the jungle like growth and planted with taro, bananas, yams and tapioca. On the other side of the island, about a twenty-minute walk, we locate the village. We carry a bag of give-a-ways for the children including balloons and candy. Quickly the word spreads that we are passing out gifts and children who are anxious to practice their English surround us. The children are still in their school uniforms, red for the girls and blue for the boys. We find that they know a few questions and answers, such as "What is your name?" or "Where are you from?" but not much more. They can count to ten in English but do not understand our question of "How old are you"? We encounter a few adults as well and learn that most of the men subsistence farm and fish. We find the village to be clean, but well below what Americans would call the poverty level, with no evidence of electricity or running water.
June 29		Again we are underway by 0900 and have another half-day sail. Weaving our way among the islands is stressful since we find that the chart and our GPS don't match. Our actual location or an island's location is frequently a mile in error, according to our GPS. This causes anxious moments because these waters are strewn with coral reefs. Our chart (which is the newest version available) is based on a survey done that was originally performed in l898. We keep a constant watch with the binoculars and take compass readings regularly, but despite this we find ourselves panicked as our depth alarm goes off. We are sailing across a reef and have only 23 feet of water under us. Just seconds ago we were in 2000 feet of water. We navigated so as to avoid this reef by a mile and Brenda kept a vigilant watch for it. Instead we end up on the periphery of it. At it's most shallow, this reef is supposed to be only 6 feet deep. Close call. In the distance we can see the sandy beach of Uoleva, our destination. It is a relief when we have the anchor set at 12:45. Despite the approaching rain clouds, we decide to take the dinghy over to the nearby reef for a snorkel. Rod takes his spear gun. However we find the overhead clouds make visibility poor and the fish are small so we come home without dinner. As Brenda makes a chicken casserole, the rainstorm develops and we sleep to the pitter-patter of raindrops. We always welcome the rain when we are not sailing. It washes off the salt that accumulates on the deck.
June 30		Today is boat maintenance day. We will do my monthly preventative maintenance projects and Rod prepares to install the fuel pump on the Onan. The existing electric priming pump works well, but it's time to install the dedicated unit. The weather is overcast with light sprinkles. It rains and blows in the 25 knot range all day. The island protects us from the sea, but the wind makes it to us and it leaves one feeling lucky to be safely anchored when the wind blows like this. We got lots done today!
July 1		It rained and blew 25 knots most of the night. This creates understandable tension. At 08:00 the wind and rain increase and it is blowing constant 35 with gusts to 50+ knots. I let out another 80 feet of anchor chain giving me a scope of "8" and put a second snubber on the chain in case the first one chafes through. If the wind continues to increase I'll need to set a second anchor. Days like these are not the reason people cruise. At 09:00 we hear on the HF radio of a Kiwi boat which has been sailing in this weather and suffered a broken boom. They are fatigued and will approach Fiji in very undesirable conditions. The cruising community is relaying information to them and everyone is wondering from where this wind is coming. It rains and blows all day long. We don't get much done today, we are too anxious about the situation. At dark the weather remains unchanged. We have the GPS alarm set and the radar turned on but decide it would be best if we take turns sleeping while the other stays awake and keeps watch.
July 2		The storm finally started to ease early this morning. By afternoon it is nice enough to leave the boat and go ashore. We walk about a mile in soft white sand along the shore. The storm has littered the beach and Brenda is delighted with the shells she finds. Glory Days has been sitting here, alone for days, through the storm. Now that sun is out again, two more boats arrive. One of the boats, SAM, is a small New Zealand boat that we met a week ago. On the way, SAM caught a 48-inch wahoo fish. They don't have a freezer and give us enough fish for at least six meals. How nice! We have been dragging a fishing line for over 2000 miles and have not even had a bite. Guess it is time to change lures.
July 3		Another overcast day. We work on boat projects. Rod is trying to learn how to use the new equipment and software that we have that will allow us to do email from the boat. Brenda is working outside cleaning rust off the stainless steel and has started another varnishing project.
July 4		At 8:30 am we set sail for the city of Neiafu in the Vava'u Group, a small city about 75 miles away. We have a very comfortable sail with 14-l8 knots the whole way. We approach the Vava'u group of islands at sunset. Using the radar Rod does a great job weaving us through the islands. Since it is dark, we decide to anchor at Port Maurelle. It is an anchorage we visited last year and it has an easy approach. After our twelve-hour sail our first priority is a shower to wash off the salt spray. Second priority is dinner. We eat dinner in the cockpit with a beautiful display of stars overhead. We hear on the radio a few reports of flares being shot-off in the city harbor and voices asking if anyone is in distress. An American comes on the line and reminds everyone that it is Independence Day back in the US and that a few are celebrating here.
July 5		We decide to spend this pleasant sunny day here and put another coat of varnish on the cockpit wood. Rod received an answer back from the first email he successfully sent from the boat. We now know that Rod's life-long friend, Steve Emerson, will be joining us in Fiji in ten days. We end the afternoon by jumping overboard and going for a swim. It feels great; this is the first time we have been in the water in almost a week.
July 6-7		The town of Neiafu is about an hour away. We pull anchor and motor/sail over there. Along the town front are a large number of buoys; we tie off to one. There are about fifty boats in this harbor. We spend two days doing town errands including getting the laundry done, disposing of trash, going to the bank, post office, grocery store, produce market and checking out of Tonga. We treat ourselves to dinner at a waterside restaurant for our last night in Tonga. We invite Jim and Annie from High Roller to join us. This turns out to be a very lovely evening. The man who owns the restaurant is from Vancouver, BC. He married a Tongan woman and built a building made out of woven palm leaves. While we ate, a band playing local instruments provided background music for us. Then later there was a floor show in which local boys and girls danced their native dances. The kids are so cute.
July 8		We are underway to Fiji. The trip is normally about 450 miles or 3 days. However Rod has made friends with a New Zealand boat, named TROY, and they tell us they will be buddy boating with three other boats and will be taking a shorter route that goes through the islands rather than around them. They swear this is a tried and true route and have seven GPS points that previous sailors have gathered following this route. Well, we always would prefer to buddy boat rather than make a passage alone. And since they have a shorter route we now have two good reasons to follow along. We pull anchor at 2:00 pm and follow TROY out of Tongan waters. The light wind is behind us, coming from the southeast. Sailing down wind causes us to rock from one side to the other and the jib collapses and fills with a wham. After hours of this rolling motion, Rod decides to bear off about twelve degrees from the rum line so we can have a more comfortable ride. TROY decides to follow us. Our hope is in the morning the wind direction will change and we will be able to head back toward our desired course. However, during the night the wind causes us to bear off even more.
July 9		At 0630 Brenda wakes Rod and reports that we are now more than 30 degrees off course and the wind is down to 6 knots. We decide to start the motor so we can get back on course. Rod calls TROY to report our course change. We find out that they motored most of the night and that they are about 20 miles behind us. We motor for about five hours and are having an uncomfortable ride. We consult the charts, talk to Des on Russell Radio about the weather, and make a decision to go our own route. It will be a longer route but we should be able to sail instead of motor and we will be comfortable. We contact TROY again. They are still motoring and decide to keep to their original plan. We turn 60 degrees to get on our new southern route and immediately we are able to shut off the motor and have a comfortable ride. The wind has increased to 15 knots so Glory Days is beam reaching at 7.5 knots and we are loving it. So much for following the pack! Sometimes it is better to go alone.
July 10		We continue to have a comfortable ride. The highlight of the day occurred at noon when we caught a rainbow runner which tastes like a yellowfin tuna. It is our first fish of the season. We ate a little as sashimi, froze some and Rod bar-b-qued (underway) two big fillets for dinner. Yeah! At midnight we have 108 miles to go. We hope to be able to make it to port by sunset tomorrow, but it is doubtful as this would require we average over 7 knots and the winds have been light during the night.
July 11		During the early morning hours the wind began to change directions and lessen. About 0500 Rod started the engine and got us back on course. We motored for about four hours. Very discouraging since Glory Days will go faster under sail; but our prayers were answered and the wind slowly increased. By late morning we had 25 knots of wind. With the jib poled out, we sailed DDW at 7.8 knots for hours headed directly at our waypoint. To our surprise we made it to Suvasuava and were tied to a mooring buoy by 1530. Our 500-mile trip took us three days and three nights. It seemed longer. We are tired, as is normal after a passage. We are looking forward to uninterrupted sleep tonight.
July 12		Yesterday, when we arrived, we were assigned a mooring by the local yacht club. They maintain about l5 buoys, each which is now occupied. The yacht club also told us on the radio that one of their employees would bring to us, by dinghy, the local immigration and health inspectors about 8:30 am. While we are waiting for the local officials to arrive, Rod just happened to peer out the window and see the scenery change and a mast appear in view. Panic! Our mooring line has broken and we are drifting. By quick actions we were able to get the diesel engine started and the boat under control before we ran onto the nearby reef. After calling the yacht club and explaining the situation we drop anchor temporarily. The yacht club provided two divers who inspected the mooring. It ends up the mooring is securely fastened to the bottom. The problem is that the young man who helped us yesterday tied us to a floating marker rather than to the actual mooring. If we had double -checked we would have noticed the small line. This event sure got our hearts racing. In addition to the inspections on Glory Days we also had four in town stops to make before we were officially checked into the country. The process was easy however it is amusing to enter so many federal offices and be handed yet more forms to fill out (in triplicate with carbon paper) asking for the same information, just in another format.
July 13-14		We find Savusavu to be a friendly town. Although we are still obviously in a third world country, we find this town to offer more than the towns in Tonga. The people here are so friendly. One just has to say "Bula" which means "Hello", and the smiles light up the streets. The locals speak English very well so we enjoy conversing with these fascinating people in this intriguing small city.
July 15-17		Steve Emerson arrived on the 15th. Nice to have a life long friend visit. All of this yachting stuff is very new to Steve as Boise, Idaho isn't the sailing capital of the world. We enjoy getting re-acquainted and explore Savusavu while provisioning for our departure into the outer islands. We attended a function on shore where the traditional Fijian dance and Kava presentation and drinking ceremony was demonstrated. Kava is a root plant that is crushed, mixed with water, and strained to yield a liquid with a muddy water appearance. We drank it using a coconut shell as a mug. It instantly numbs the mouth and lips. A strong herb flavor makes it a pleasant drink. I cannot claim an intoxicated feeling after 6 cups of it but I did sleep well that night. We left Savusavu on the 17th and anchored just inside of Savusavu Bay alongside the Cousteau Resort. Steve and I snorkeled the shoreline just before sunset.
July 18		We raise anchor early and head to our first "real" anchorage in Fiji, Fawn Harbor. The name is taken from a British ship that wrecked inside the reef over 150 years ago. The winds didn't fill in so we motored the entire 35-mile distance. The entrance was well marked with posts set along the reef edges. After setting anchor in 25 feet of water a local family; father, 2 sons, and grandfather; drove by us in their home built fishing skiff. We invited them aboard, showed them our boat and served them some juice. Being Sunday they were just out for a cruise and not fishing. Upon their departure, Steve and I got the dinghy into the water and put the outboard on it. The 3 of us headed back to the entrance of the reef to snorkel. We cut our outing short as Steve experienced difficulties with his mask and, being new to the world of diving, was wearing himself out fighting to keep it clear of water. While Steve and Brenda visited in the dingy I took one last dive to 20 feet and saw an impressive 5 to 6-foot white tipped reef shark. Too bad Steve missed it as it was the only one I saw during his visit.
July 19-23		Since the water in Fawn Harbor was cloudy as a result of the rain and the mangrove lined shoreline we decide to go to Viani Bay, only seven miles away. It reportedly is a great anchorage with good snorkeling. There is no wind and we motor. Highlights of our short passage include spotting a zebra- striped sea snake swimming along the surface and passing through a large group of purple jelly fish, about eight inches in diameter. We tied off to a mooring, in front of a small island with a humble house. None of the homes in this area have electricity or indoor plumbing. The early morning crows of their rooster woke us every morning and the squeals of their pig entertained us during the day. Also moored nearby were two other boats: Anwagomi and Knot Yet. We snorkeled every day, watched beautiful sunsets and generally loved the place. Jack Fisher, a Fijian local, whose family owns some land on the bay took us to "rainbow reef " to snorkel in aquarium-like conditions. The reef snorkel is spectacular and we are glad Steve was here to see some of the best diving around. Besides viewing many types of coral (including some that looked like l0 foot cabbage heads), we saw neon blue starfish and multitudes of small colorful fish. Unfortunately, the day after the snorkel, Rod comes down with a bug and has aches and a low temperature for three days. Fortunately, Brenda plays the role of the perfect hostess and takes Steve snorkeling every day and finds Isac, an old Fijian man, to lead them on a very interesting hike through the jungle mountains.
July 24		Rod is feeling better, so we look at the charts and choose our next destination. We decide to anchor next along side the village of Mate, at the north end of Taveuni Island. The chart shows several reefs that we will have to avoid during our twelve-mile trip. Brenda puts on her hat and her Polaroid glasses and stands on the bow of Glory Days to "spot". Rod carefully navigates by standing in the cockpit consulting the chart and looking for landmarks and then going downstairs to consult the GPS and the radar. While Rod is down below and the autopilot is driving, Brenda screams that the water has suddenly changed colors and we are motoring over a coral reef. Immediately below she can see jagged, coral heads reaching out for the underside of our fiberglass boat. Panic! Rod dashes up the stairs, quickly shuts off the autopilot, slows the boat down by pulling back the throttle and puts the boat in reverse. The depth meter is reading 12 feet and we draft six-feet. If we hit one of those coral heads, we could easily puncture a hole in our floating home, take on water and sink. Very carefully we wind our way out of this mess. Gees! We were being careful and still we find ourselves in this scary predicament. We have heard of 8 or 9 boats that have hit coral so far this year. Now we know how easily it can happen. Ever vigilant is the understated key. Coral exists in places where the chart indicates clear sailing. We are sick with the thought of what could have happened. We are preparing to anchor at Naselesele Point when Richard and Martha, from Transit, approach on a dive boat and inform us of a better place. They jump onto Glory Days and lead in. It's great! We go ashore, do some shopping at the market, get Steve's plane ticket changed to allow departing from Taveuni instead of from Savusavu and are back on the boat in time for a sundowner. Then it's off to a restaurant with Richard and Martha to eat some delicious Fijian food. This is good.
July 25		Up early so to catch a taxi to the village of Waiyevo for Sunday Mass. The 150-year old church is packed. Everyone sits cross-legged on the floor as there are no seats. The service is in Fijian language so one must follow by memory in English. The singing is beautiful. Rod, dressed in his newly acquired skirt, (formal Fijian wear for men) introduces himself to a local family and requests a photo of them and their 2-boys all dressed in the traditional formal Fijian attire. They quickly agree and give me their address so I can send a copy of the photo to them. They are such warm and friendly people. I am anxious to have the pictures developed so I can get theirs enlarged, framed and sent to them. There is no photo development on Taveuni and the locals can not waste their money on such frivolous indulgences. After church it is low tide and we are unable to ride our dinghy back to the boat. The water isn't deep enough to get over the coral. While we wait for the tide to change we walk to Audrey's. Audrey, an American woman with silver hair, has a lovely home overlooking the sea. She serves coffee and pastries on her verandah.
July 26		Brenda has caught a cold. She lays low. Rod and Steve decide to go fishing. They take the dinghy and using the fishing poles troll along the nearby reefs. After a couple of hours they return home wet and empty-handed. The weather seems to be changing. The seas are getting rough (thus the wet dinghy ride) and the sky is turning gray. Snorkeling does not seem appealing, so we decide to treat ourselves to a curry lunch in town. Richard and Martha, from the boat Transit join us. We eat at the Lal's home. The Lals are local Fijians of Indian descent. Like Audrey, they use their porch as a restaurant. We have an enjoyable meal and make arrangements for Mr. Lal to take us in his taxi to the other side of the island tomorrow. In the evening we teach Steve to play canasta. The moon is almost full and we enjoy its splendor as we play cards in the cockpit.
July 27		Brenda wakes up feeling worse. Now in addition to the sniffles she has a sore throat. She is disappointed that she won't be able to join Rod and Steve on their adventure. The guys meet Mr. Lal on shore, at the appointed time and he takes them for a long drive, down a dirt road. Mrs. Lal has packed them a lunch. They are dropped off at the trial head of a nature walk. Their two-hour walk takes them along the beach and through the rain forest and ends up at a spectacular waterfall where they swim in the fresh water pool at the base. It is another two-hour walk back to the taxi. The guys return home tired and we all go the sleep early.
August 16		We decide it is time to move on. We have been away from a town for almost month. We make the 55-mile trip back to Savusavu. Misfortune again! Rod injures his back wrestling the outboard motor onto Glory Days. He is moving slowly.
August 17-21		We spend this period tied to a mooring along side the town of Savusavu. The majority of this time was consumed attending to general maintenance items such as changing the oil, wiping down the teak interior walls with vinegar to get rid of mildew, fixing our small outboard engine, filling the diesel tank, buying groceries, email, getting laundry done, etc. Since a number of our cruising friends were in town also, our evenings were usually were filled with social activities such as bar-b-ques or games after dinner.
August 22		Although the skies were overcast we left the harbor with two other boats headed for Yandua Island, with the ultimate destination of Lautoka, l25 miles to the west. As we left the protection of the reef and the bay and entered the Koro Sea the winds increased to 20-25 knots. We were making great progress but unfortunately our GPS alarmed and gave us a message that stated it was unable to track us and could not give us our position. After pushing various buttons trying to get it to work, we then opened our "survival" bag and pulled out our hand-held unit. Both GPS are Garmins and both would not work. We called our buddy boats and their GPS units (other brand names) were still working. Then Rod remembered that August 22 was the date for the End of Week (EOW) rollover in the GPS satellites. Garmin had published that they had "taken the EOW issue into consideration when designing all of their products" but our experience proves otherwise. We decided it was prudent to turn around and sail back to Savusavu. In town, Rod accessed the Garmin web site for the "newly" published analysis of all of Garmin's products. The web site explained the "reset" procedures to follow if you were so unfortunate to have one of the many units which would cease to function on August 22. We certainly are not pleased with Garmin's earlier denial of any problems when in fact there was a problem and numerous cruisers were stranded until they could learn of the reset procedure.
August 23-25		It continues to rain and, therefore, is not a good time to restart our passage. On the 25th we decide to take a bus trip rather than sit around and wait for the weather to change. We met Miriam and Gordon, from the boat Anagomi, at the bus stop at 7:30 am. Our destination is the city of Labasa (pronounced Lambasa in Fijian) on the north side of the island. The bus fare $2.50 each. Since the bus had no windows we had a close up look at the countryside. It changed from rain forest and small Fijian villages to sugar cane fields and a dryer countryside once on the north side of the mountain range. Sometimes our view was hampered by rain blowing in our faces or black diesel fumes, but mostly it was an interesting ride over a rain forest summit and through endless sugar cane fields. Three and half hours later we arrived in Labasa . With an urban population of 16,500, Labasa is the largest town we have visited since leaving New Zealand. To us it seemed there was a crush of people, too many cars and general confusion. The descendants of indentured East Indian laborers now make up a larger portion of the population than the native Fijians. Their influence in the culture is evidenced by numerous curry restaurants, Hindu temples, Moslem mosques, and ladies dressed in colorful silk saris. After a walk around town, which included some shopping for items we have been unable to find elsewhere and a nice lunch, we hired a taxi for the ride back to Savusavu. The $25US (spilt four ways) taxi trip took half the time, was more comfortable and we learned much from the driver. Overall, this was an interesting day.
August 26		We sail out of the bay again, headed for Yandua. This time we are buddy boating with Sultana. Since they are a smaller, heavier boat they leave about 45 minutes earlier. Once we clear the reef we call Sultana on the VHF radio to get an update on their position and the sea conditions as the seas looked large and the visibility, again, was diminishing due to more rain. We were surprised when they told us they had turned back. They reported big seas, 30-knot winds, and rain/gray weather giving poor visibility. We heeded their advice and adjusted our course to anchor at the Cousteau Resort, about seven miles from Savusavu. After so many days of town life, we were anxious for the tranquillity of an anchorage. Jim and Susan rowed over and we spend this overcast afternoon, which happened to be Brenda's birthday, drinking coffee with Kahula and playing dominos in the cockpit.
August 27		In between rain showers we found enough clear skies to go for a quick snorkel. In the evening after dinner, we played dominos on Sultana.
August 28		Finally the weather is good enough to leave! We have the anchor up and are underway by 8:15 am. The first 1/2 hour, we motor-sail through big broad ocean swells. The skies continued to be overcast but by l0:00 we are sailing in 20 knots of wind. As we approach the trickiest part of our trip, the Nasonisoni Passage, the clouds magically part and the sun comes out to clearly show the coral reefs on both sides of the pass. At noon, with a spectacular rainbow in the sky we easily sail through the 100-meter wide pass. We waited inside the pass for Sultana and then discuss on the radio if we should continue to the next potential anchorage, which is 25-miles further, or anchor here in the sunlight. We decide to continue on and soon the clouds and drizzle return. It is stressful navigating around all the small reefs in the area especially in deteriorating weather. Rod does a great job keeping us on a safe route. This involves continual radar fixes since our GPS positions and the chart positions are in disagreement by approximately 3/4 of a mile. We both scan the horizon with Polaroid glasses and binoculars to spot reefs and make required course corrections as needed. By 4:00 pm, when we drop our anchor nearby a local wharf, we find we are tired. So, it is irksome when a local policeman whistles, shouts and waves to us indicating that he is not happy with our anchor spot and tells us we must move. Did I forget to add that it is raining cats and dogs? Jim, on Sultana, lowered his row boat from the davits and rowed ashore to discuss with the police their concerns. They don't think we are in a safe position and want us to move deeper into the bay. We are already in 17 feet of water and not too interested in this but we choose to comply, (what are our options?). We re-anchored on 10 feet with the policeman's direction. Soon he has commandeered a local fishing skiff and motors out to Glory Days. His young son hands Rod the grappling hook anchor and they jump on board. I served them tea and cookies, while the officer checks our paperwork and explains to Rod that a ferry will be arriving at the wharf in the morning. He felt our original anchoring position had not left enough room for the ferry to maneuver. We are now closer to the wharf than we first set anchor. Go figure.
August 29		The local ferry arrived at 06:00 and off loaded 20 empty trucks and on loaded as many trucks loaded with pine logs. Fiji grows wood for export to Japan. The wood is chipped and loaded into ships in Lautoka for the trip to Japan. It is used to make paper. We have another day of sailing in sunshine and light rain while avoiding coral heads and reefs. Miraculously, the heavy rain storm passes as we approach our anchorage at Yandua and the sun illuminates the reefs for us as we enter the anchorage. We are happy to see our friends on Rumplesteelskin and Kaloke. They are the boats we left Savusavu with on August 22.
August 30-Sept 3		These were special days! Our best time in Fiji so far! We are anchored in 50' feet of clear blue water. The visibility of the water while snorkeling on the nearby reefs was great. The coral was alive, colorful and provided homes of lots of colorful fish, both big and small. We saw small rays, two sharks and Rod harvested a nice sized lobster for dinner. And with friends anchored nearby, we had additional good times with a potluck on the beach and domino and Uno games in the evenings. The small island of Yandua is isolated from the larger islands and is ruled by a local chief. Tradition requires when visiting a local village to visit the chief to show respect by giving him a present and asking his permission to anchor in his water. The only acceptable present is kava, a locally grown root that, when pulverized and mixed with water, makes a traditional drink. In this case, the village we were required to visit was a 2.5 hour walk over a large hill. The views from the hilltop was magnificent. In the village, we were greeted by big smiles from the local families living in humble huts. After presenting our one pound bundle of kava root to the chief, we were invited into a local home for lunch. Their home consisted of two separate buildings each made of coconut palm wood and thatched roofs of palm leaves. Each building was about 30' by 20', and had no electricity, plumbing or furniture. One building is used for cooking and eating and the other for sleeping. Most families live together and include at least three generations. We sat cross legged on woven mats and were each fed a large bowl of white rice and sweetened tea, which we were encouraged to pour over our rice. Not all of the family could speak English, however it was a very interesting visit comparing lifestyles as countless flies buzzed about. Luckily it rained on our hike back over the hill to our boats, providing relief from the sun. Despite sore leg muscles and blisters we were glad to have this insight into the local way of life.
Sept 4		With some reluctance, we pull anchor at 7:15 am and continue our travels west. We are on a time schedule and must be near the Nadi airport in a week when Brenda's sister-in-law arrives. Our friends on the boats Rumplesteelskin and Sultana are headed in the same direction and we all keep in touch by radio during the day. By 4:00 pm we have our anchor set in 20 feet of water and, while we wait for buddy boats to join us in the anchorage, Brenda prepares seven rolls of sushi made from the yellow fin tuna that Rod caught just hours before. When Sultana arrives they report that they caught a mahi-mahi and so we have a lovely evening in the cockpit of Glory Days eating sushi and sashimi. Thank goodness we stocked up on wasabi.
Sept 5		All three boats were underway by 8:30 am. The wind was light to non-existent and we had an easy and pleasant motor through the inside passage to Vuda (Vunda in Fijian) Point Marina. At one point, we spotted a pod of pilot whales in front of our bow. At first we thought we were seeing dolphins, but as we approached we saw that their bodies were slightly larger than dolphins and they were black, not gray. Also their movements were slower and not playful. It is always interesting to see sea life of any type while making passages. By midday we were traveling along the city front of Lautoka. Lautoka is the second largest city in Fiji and it is a big change to see a lot of shipping traffic, industrial buildings, big wharves, and hear the sounds of a city. We could have anchored near the city but decided instead to continue to the Vuda Point Marina. Since we have a guest arriving in a few days, it will be easier being in a marina to do laundry, clean the boat, buy supplies, etc.
Sept 6-Sept 10		It is pleasant being tied to a dock where we are able to just step off the boat onto land (no dinghy rides) and have quick access to a laundry, email, phone and two restaurants. Also nearby are taxis, which enable us to easily attend to "town" errands, such as checking in with the local port captain, grocery shopping, haircuts, chart copying, etc. Vuda Point Marina is a pleasant place, but hot. We have been complaining about the rain and poor weather on the east side of Fiji and now that we are on the west side the sun is a welcome; but staying in the marina we find the lack of airflow stifling. Luckily, there is a resort next door that allows us to use their swimming pool each afternoon to cool off.
Sept 11		Brenda's brother's wife, Bea, arrives to spend two weeks with us. We load Bea and her luggage onto Glory Days, untie the lines and sail off to Musket Cove. Again the wind is light and we are forced to supplement our sail power with the diesel motor. It is a pleasant sunny day and the short ten-mile trip is a nice introduction for Bea. Bea is awed by the beauty of the deep blue water and quickly learns to identify coral reefs when she sees the color of the water change to turquoise. Ever since we have been in Fiji we have been dodging coral reefs and looking for the changes in water color and breaking waves, and so this seems "old hat" and we find it nice to see this all through someone else's eyes.
Sept 12-17		Musket Cove is home to three resorts and a marina. This week, there are planned activities for their annual sailing regatta. We participate in some of these, including bar-b-ques on the beach and two races (on someone else's boat). It is a fun time and there are about fifty boats anchored here so we have the opportunity to renew friendships with other cruisers that we have not seen in months. Also during this time period, our good friends from California, Tim and Cindy on the boat Total Devotion, meet up with us. We have been keeping in touch with Tim and Cindy by email since they left San Francisco in October of l998 and through SSB radio contacts. However it is a great joy to see them and share stories.
Sept 18		Tim and Cindy have decided to buddy boat with us for the next month. That's great. Together we make a short five mile trip to an anchorage on the north side of Malolo Island. Rod cut his thumb open while racing the other day when a winch broke and the winch handle turned into a propeller. His hand was hit repeatedly by the propeller. So he is unable to join the four of us as we went snorkeling. We picked two different sites but the clarity of the water is not real good and the water a little rough for a beginner like Bea, so we cut the water activity short. Cindy invites us to dinner, aboard Total Devotion, to enjoy the fresh Wahoo they caught as they approached the anchorage. We had a lovely dinner including homemade berry pie. We end the evening playing dice.
Sept 19		On to Mana Island, about 10 ten miles away. Unfortunately there is little wind and, once again, we motor sail. After a quick lunch, we jumped into our dinghies and sped out the channel and across the water to a Sandy Cay, about three miles away. Surrounding the sand island is a shallow coral reef that drops off to about 50 feet. We swam along the edge of reef free diving the wall. The combination of deep water, shallow reef, and a lovely white sand island gave us a fantastic outing. We saw big and small fish of all types and colors, blue star fish and then find great sea shells on the beach. Later, after showers, the five of us went ashore for dinner at the resort restaurant.
Sept 20		Mana Island is lovely but we want to show Bea more of Fiji. So we are off again, this time to Navadra Island. The absence of wind forces us to motor the entire distance to Navadra. Navadra offers a pretty anchorage with coconut palms lining the white sandy beach. Although the clarity of the water was excellent we found the snorkeling to be disappointing so after a quick swim we spent the remainder of the sunshine hours on the beach, relaxing and looking for shells. This night we invite Tim and Cindy to join us for chicken tacos on Glory Days.
Sept 21		It rained last night and today the skies are overcast. Swimming does not seem appealing, so we work on boat projects visit and play games.
Sept 22		The wind increased at midnight to 25 to 30 knots and a swell entered the anchorage causing the boat to roll more than was comfortable. Since we have to get Bea to the airport tomorrow we decide to get an early start on the 30 mile passage. We will be beating into the winds and the seas. After rounding the island and getting into the full force of the wind we decided to crack off and go south instead of southeast and sail instead of motorsail into the seas. Once we did this the ride became pleasant. We could retrace our path toward Malolo safely avoiding the reefs. With reefs everywhere, we didn't have the option of sailing in just any direction. Within 2 hours the winds shut down. We furled the jib, started the diesel, and changed course heading east, directly to Lautoka. We arrived by 13:30, and set anchor in 40 feet. Since this is Bea's last night with us we decided to go ashore and have a curry dinner. Tim and Cindy, and Robert, from Les Rodasan join us.
Sept 23		After a quick breakfast we all go ashore for some shopping in the city of Lautoka. Bea looks for tourists items to take home to her family, Brenda buys fresh bread and other grocery items and Rod finds the needed boat items such as a set of refrigeration gauges and freon. Robert, who joined us for dinner last night was in the refrigeration business for 30 years. And over dinner Rod and Robert discussed the problems we have been having with our refrigeration. He recommended replacing the R-134a with R-12. After lunch in town and a trip back to Glory Days to get Bea's luggage we drop her off with a taxi cab driver for the ride to the airport. We've enjoyed having her visit with us and hope she has had a pleasant vacation. We enjoy dinner on Total Devotion. Tim and Cindy, being fine fisherpeople caught a dog tooth tuna yesterday so we rendezvous on Total Devotion for fresh tuna sashimi and cooked tuna steaks for dinner. Yummy.
Sept 24		Robert, from Les Rodasan, helped Rod bleed the R-134a from the refrigeration system and recharge it with R-12. The professional opinion being that the higher vacuums drawn by 134a could be the source of the moisture in the system. This project completed, we eat lunch with Robert and leave the Lautoka anchorage by 14:00 hours. Most of the mud bottom came up with the anchor and chain and Rod has to bucket wash and brush 100 feet of the chain. The salt water wash down pump is definitely on the list of projects to be completed while in New Zealand. We arrived at Denerau Marina by 1600 and start the job of washing Glory Days of the accumulated salt and cane ash that settled during our last 3 days. The cane burning fills the air with black ash and it made the boat look like an ash tray. Now she is clean and happy.

If you wish to contact us you may send an email message to: glorydaysrod@hotmail.com. Please understand that internet cafes are rare in the S. Pacific, so it may be a while before you get a response, but we would love to hear from you!!

Rod's parent's phone # is 208-733-5917. Our mail forwarding address is: 3627E 3300 N., Hansen, Idaho 83334.

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Revised: May 17, 2003.