29th July 2006 – Musket Cove.

Splash Tango lies stern to at the dock at Musket Cove , Fiji, a measured 15 paces from the bar of the "Sand Bar" (previously referred to as the $1 Bar, then the $2 bar, then the $3.50 Bar, now the Sand Bar to avoid any further embarrassment to the proprietors!). Close enough for Lavinia and Varsiti to call "Good morning Piers !" from the bar as I emerge from below to evaluate the chances of snow today.

With Don Jack and Dick Rax as crew (the old Panama to Tahiti crew minus Doug Neesham), we cleared out of Auckland on 5th June on the back of a low, with what appeared to be a reasonable weather window for the passage. We tracked east of the rhumb line to take advantage of an anticipated backing wind and laid a course for about  22.00S lat 175.00E lon. First couple of days were disappointing with very light southerly air and COLD! Had a good start but once past Mokohinau we motored for the best part of the next 40 hours. Gradually the wind filled in from the South then backed to the SE and E until we had 30 knots from the ENE and were pleased to have taken the easterly option. A lot of squally and overcast conditions but, although we never took our "foulies" off until we were through the Navula Passage, it was good sailing. We made the passage in 6 days 14 hours from Marsden Wharf to Navula Passage, so we were happy with that one. 2 days over 200 miles (in 24 hours) and the last one would have been but that we ran out of ocean!

 Dr Dick having a lousy time on passage.

“Totara” (Don)  looses the foulies for all of 2 minutes.

Bob and Glenda on Nero came to rendezvous with us after we cleared in and we spent a pleasant, if a little raucous, evening in Sewini Bay before heading over to Musket the following day. A couple of days debriefing was called for at Musket before we flew back to NZ, and it was good to catch up with a lot of familiar faces there, both on other cruising boats and ashore. On of the nice things about going back to a place I find, is that you always feel a lot more a part of it than you did the first time there. Great also to be back in some warm weather. Even though it is cool by Fiji standards, 25C is always a lot more habitable than 15C in my books!

We left Splash Tango lying on a secure mooring under the watchful eye of Bob Taylor and flew back to Nadi and then on to NZ. Dick and Don to return to families, surgery and farm, and me to give friends Helen and Gordon MacKenzie a hand by delivering their Sundeer 56 "Mantra" to Fiji from Opua - Gordon being tied up in Brisbane on business. Helen came on the trip as did Robbie's brother, Chris Labb. We cleared out of Opua on the 27th June at 1630hrs and arrived at Navula passage 5 days 20 hours later on the 3rd July. Very ordinary conditions, I don't think we saw the sun this passage, but we sure did the miles. This time we went West in what proved to be a misguided attempt to avoid a low moving across above us. Unfortunately it stalled in our path and we sailed straight through it. Although it gave us bursts of 45 knots, with three reefs in the main and two rolls in the headsail, we kept the log up in the 8s most of the time, and managed a 200 mile day on the last, arriving at Navula at 1230hrs.

Chris flew off to join his family in Queensland for the holidays while I got down to the serious business of re-familiarizing myself with Musket Cove and getting a few projects off the ever growing "To Do" list. Robbie and Katrina arrived up on the 10th July for 2 weeks of the holidays and  had a pleasant first 2 days snorkelling at the "Sand Key" and partaking in a variety of other strenuous acclimatization exercises. The Sand Key is an amazing spot for snorkelling with literally hundreds of small fish species over one relatively small area of coral. I am reliably informed there are 17 species of butterfly fish in Fiji and 14 of them can be found at Sand Key.

Robbie and Katrina ashore at Navadra

We moved up to the Yasawas in convoy with Bob and Glenda on Nero and Ken and Eileen on Silver Ruffian, stopping at Navadra ( where they film one of those Survivor reality TV programmes) on the way. We had a couple of days at Naviti where there is a passage through which Manta Rays swim in quite shallow water. It's quite a buzz to jump out of the inflatable and go through the pass with the current swimming with, or rather floating past, the manta's as they feed against the current. They are about 8 feet across and quite a sight as they appear out of the gloom ( I think the water is quite murky there because of the plankton they fed on).  

Swimming with the Manta's Naviti

 Nero set sail for Timor, Indonesia with a brisk Sou’ Easter to kick start the passage, where “ live while you’re alive” Bob is busting to get in a couple of months serious sufin’ before heading on ever westward. Sad to see them go as it may be a while before we catch up again. Fair winds you guys.

We made our way back to Castaway, just ahead of a front that gave us 30 knots from the south for a couple of days. We hung in the lee of the island and Katrina was able to catch up with a couple of mates staying at the resort. Robbie and I enjoyed a couple of pleasant meals ashore although, you needed a couple of margaritas under your belt not to notice the eye wateringly expensive prices on the menu!

16^th July we moved back to Musket and hung off one of the resort’s moorings for 2 nights before moving in to the marina where we now are. A couple of days of shore based and aquatic activities and R & K boarded the plane to head back to NZ. How fast time flies when you’re having fun.

In front of Lomani Resort Malolo lailai.

Since they headed home, I have managed to get a few important tasks completed in between happy hours and the evening BBQs ashore – affixing the new vent cowls, re-gassing the refrigeration and generally making sure passers-by on the dock do not get away “un-yarned to”. I leave Splash Tango here under the watchful eye of my neighbours and return to NZ until early September, to go and do my bit to share the burden of enduring the New Zealand winter. So, until early September it is fair well to Splash tango and Musket Cove – we look forward to being back aboard. Ciao for now.