Vinaka Fiji!
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Sat 11 Sep 2010 18:54
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Saturday September 12th 1316 Local 0116
UTC
17:48.50S 170:44.47E
After sailing down through the
Yasawas, including one very hairy passage in 25 - 30 knots of wind just
when it was getting dark, we visited the relative security of Musket
Cove.
First, why we had a "hairy" passage. We had worked
our way down the Yasawas and visited a bay where there was the most amazing
limestone caves. We had hoped to view the caves and set off for our next
anchorage by 1000. I swum in the caves with one of the village chief's clan.
They own the caves and as such had gated and locked them in order to create
a source of income. So we visited the village, across the bay and
picked him up to open the caves, for us, a couple of eels and a red snapper. We
had a "private viewing" so to speak, but regardless Trish did not fancy swimming
in the cave and then diving down to swim up into another cave called "the
spitting cave". I dived in with "Masse" and he showed me round. As we were
getting on fine, he said he would show me another adjoining cave called the
"pregnancy cave" that he said he normally does not show to people. I am sure he
says that to everyone! Anyway it was all very interesting and we went back to
Rhiann Marie for a refreshment. Masse explained to me that they had earned
F$2,000 that week. That is an enormous sum in Fiji and it all accrues to the
chief who has the hereditary rights to the land and who is in practice still the
chief of the village today. This seems a little incongruous in the 21st century,
as nobody else in the village really has the ability or more accurately any
real opportunity to earn, yet still, they follow their traditions and are
subservient to the chief.
Having gone ashore in one of the villages in the
bay to present our Sevusevu, I had made contact with a family who
went by the surname of Bruce. They were Fijians for sure, but
were fourth generation decendents of one of the Bruce clan from Scotland, who had had 4 wives
and many children in the area! The man was very ill with a boil on his
stomach, which was septic and he was suffering from a related fever. He was just
lying on the floor of his hut. So after the cave visit, Trish went ashore with
medicines, including strong antibiotics, from the yacht's stocks and new
dressings for the man's wound. This merciful act delayed our planned morning
departure even further. No matter, I thought, it is only 15 miles to go. So
off we went with the wind having freshened and the sky starting to cloud
over. We were headed for what looked like a secure anchorage on the chart,
but one which we would have to creep into through the shallows and the ever
present bommies and reefs. We finally crept into
the lagoon at 1630 with the wind over 20 knots, however the anchorage was
not in the least secure so a quick look at the chart told me that there was
another ancorage 8 miles away. Out on the west side again of the Yasawas, the
weather had deteriorated further and was blowing between 25 and 30 knots from
dead ahead, it clouded over and started pouring rain. Enough said! All
highly inadvisable and against the key principle
of safe navigating in these waters - only attemp passages with good
light and the sun behind you. However only one handbrake turn was performed
and we anchored up amongst 4 other boats just as it got dark. These were
the first yachts of any type we had seen, near or far, for nine
days!
Musket Cove, the bay and the resort, are beautiful
and well geared for yachties We planned to relax for a couple of days and
pick up some forwarded mail. We dived, dined and scialised and in the process
made another couple of new friends, ex-pat Scots, Gordon and
Helen.
Eventually on Tuesday we headed off for Denerau on
Viti Levu for a couple of days to attend to some correspondence, fuel up and
check out of customs at Lautoka. While there, we made another new friend,
Richard, an Ulster-Scot from Northern Ireland, who was also leaving for
Vanuatu the next day. He was aboard his Nordhaven 76 Trawler Yacht, which he
kept immaculately. It put us to shame! We cleared customs at Lautoka and made
the passage up through the reefs together, before setting slightly
different courses; us for Port Vila in Vanuatu to visit the Australian
consulate, and he to Luganville.
It was good to be on the Ocean with over a 1000
meteres of water below us again, free from the reefs. Interestingly the
charts are all very detailed for the passage between Fiji and Vanuatu where
depths are upto 3000 metres and where you hardly need them! But inside the
Great Sea reef of Fiji "eyeball" is king.
On the morning of day two of the 600 mile passage
to Vanuatu I got another big Mahi Mahi from which we got 14 good size delicious
fillets. This is the third day and our ETA at Port Vila is first light tomorrow
morning.
Fiji was wonderful, but as usual we have to move
on. There were many highlights, but in many discussions with people I was
facinated and interested to note the near universal support for the military
government of Bainimarama! It seems everyone we spoke to said they were far
better than the previous "democratically" elected, but currupt and highly
ineffective government. The problem is that Fiji has had diplomatic relations
and the financial taps turned off because of this situation. I am quite sure
however this will help them become more financially self sufficient in the
long term and of course it should serve as a warning to all governments who are
corrupt and or ineffective - there is a third way! The efficient, effective
benevolent military coup.... Perhaps that would have been the
answer for our previous gevernment - how noo, Brown coup? What would
we have said to that?
Onwards now, west, over the sea to Vanuatu.
Formerly known as New Hebrides. This therefor will be another of our milestones
- from the Hebrides to the New Hebrides. Apparently the Land Divers of Pentecost
Island are not diving at this time of year but we hope to visit anyway -
you never know ... I have done crazier things than jump naked out of a tree with
a vine tied to my legs!
Depending how our visit to Vanuatu and our
paperwork for visiting Australia goes, we may also swing by New Caledonia
before arriving in Oz. In Oz we plan to haul out and re-antifoul our bottom
and do some warranty work.
There are also another couple of issues now
coming to the fore. One administrative and another two security related. I have
to somehow figure out how to apply for a cruising permit for Indonesia. We
need to transit the Malacca Straits, once infamous as the Piracy hot-spot of the
world. But weighing most heavily on me is the run through pirate alley,
past Somalia and up into the Red Sea. I am
thinking that I will plan a secure convoy and will start advertising soon for
any other vessels that would like to join our "Gael Force" convoy in late July
of next year.
Anyway not to worry there is a lot of water to
under the keel before then! Speak to you soon.
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