12th June 2013 - Flying into Savusavu

Arnamentia
Jon & Carol Dutton
Wed 12 Jun 2013 08:49

18:50S 178:43E

12th June 2013 – Flying into Savusavu

 

We’re on a mission.  It’s now about 2030 on Wednesday 12th June, we have around 130NM to go to Savusavu and intend to get there tomorrow before sunset.  By hook or by crook.

We’ve just put away one of Carol’s excellent chilli concarnes.  Jon was on cooking duty and may have been a little heavy-handed with the extra hot sauce but the boys got it down them.  Carol, being largely a veggie prefers chilli concarne without the carne.  You know it makes sense.

Progress since the last report has been pretty good although we did have to get a bit of help from Mr Perkins from 0200 to 0800 this morning to keep our speed up.  Since then we’ve been slipping along nicely at around 7 knots with the Force 4-5 wind abeam or slightly forward of it and are now bettering that speed over the ground despite a bit of adverse current.  Around 8 knots through the water – or so the speedo says.

We are now firmly in Fijian waters and so have to concentrate a bit more on where we’re going.  We’ve one or two wiggles to perform to get through the islands overnight on the most direct route but it doesn’t involve any very demanding navigation.  But, of course, it’s worthwhile not thinking like that.

Jack has been intrigued by the hundreds of flying fish.  It’s been several months since we’ve seen them and one forgets how amazing these things are and how far they can fly – and at what speeds.  We’re now back to the familiar Tropics dawn patrol of the decks to clear away all the squid and flying fish that have ended their days there overnight.

The mooring issue in Savusavu creek has been resolved.  Whilst neither the Copra Shed nor Waitui marinas had anything to offer, Curly Carswell (the Fijian waters guru who lives on a houseboat in the creek) came up with a mooring we can have.  So; sorted.  

With any luck the next report from an increasingly warm Arnamentia will be from Savusavu creek.

See y’all then