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Salsa af Stavsnas
Ellinor Ristoff Staffan Ehde
Sat 11 Apr 2015 21:26
It is better to be in, wishing you were out-
then to be out wishing you were in...

Back in Port Deanarau we had to cancel our exit from Fiji, so we met Customs, Immigration and Biosecurity. The total cost was 260 FDollars. Not cheap to
reenter Fiji- and on top of that we have burned 100 liters of diesel to no accomplishment. But here we can refill...


Last night it all became a contrast being invited on board the beautiful 70 fot yacht Miquette for mussels and white wine. 
This was following that Andreas started playing with a boy on board at the same age (and same energy) and a girl from another yacht also joined in, so we had the cockpit full of kids and Ellinor made pancakes for them in the afternoon.

But believe me we were tired, and once in bed we just crashed. 
At sea, before we decided to turn around I was watching that low building up on the forecast and got more and more worried, and at the same time you know it might knock off and we have all this food that is needed. Finally when the low got a number, which means it is a substantial danger the vote was taken and we turned around. Turning around meant also that instead of going with the wind and waves we suddenly start working against them. But Salsa is at her best when it gets rough, when she got up the speed she became more comfortable plowing through the water. All sails out and sheeted in tightly we could make a true angle of 55 degrees against 2 meter waves! And she just kept going like a knife in melted butter. Then the moon came up in the middle of the night and it became light, and as the daylight came we saw Fiji again, aiming for the opening in the reef by 9 in the morning we were inside and as usual the water becomes flat.
Jonathan on Chez Nouis got into action (that man is amazing) and started arranging with customs etc while I took the communication with Taupo Maritime Radio and checked us in so they knew we were not on the ocean anymore.
By lunch we were back on dock and everybody greeted us with the news that the tropical low had a name now, which means that it had actually become a hurricane.



Vanuatu Coastal Waters Wind Warning 
Gale Wind Warning for all open coastal Vanuatu waters issued by the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department, Port Vila at 1:00 am Sunday, April 12, 2015

General Situation
Tropical cyclone Solo [985] with its associated trough west of Vanuatu, moving east southeast at 4 knots. Meanwhile a ridge of high pressure extends over eastern Vanuatu. 

Forecast
Clockwise winds winds of 30 to 40 knots over area bounded by 17.6S160.4E 17.8S161.7E 16.7S160.8E, Very rough seas with heavy easterly swells. NE winds of 20 to 25 knots elsewhere over waters of Vanuatu. Rough seas 2.5 metres. Low to moderate southeasterly swells.


skype: metaformedia   (it is connected to my cellular phone, do not hesitate to call)
Local PHONE NUMBER IN Fiji
+6799385208

Callsign SLOR
Sattelite number 
+870773991871
Our loggbook will be updated through satellite on
http://blog.mailasail.com/salsa