17°36.903′ S,
177°27.087′ E

Lautoka is town 10 km to the North of Saveni Bay our current anchorage.

We planned to go by 0800 to Lautoka. A guy, Henk & Maria met the day before, offered them to bring them into Lautoka by car. A generous offer!

A quarter to 0800, Henk & Marja passed us. Joe was nit yet out of her cabine. Thus, I gave up the idea to go with them.

When we arrived a while later at the beach and had MaRe’s tender tied up with two anchors, in the sand, a Fijian guy started talking to us offering transportation as well but not today because he had drunk already.

During our talk on the shore the sailor of one of our neighbor boats came. The Fijian guy knew him already well. Doug, so his name, lives on his beautiful elderly boat at an extremly low budget. 2 FDJ $ / day (0.80 €) he claims. I have my doubts: this is even less than the famous Austrian sailor Wolfgang Hauser mentioned in the 1970s.

Conversation switched and we walked with him to the little shop around the corner. He has an old car there and gave Joe and me a ride until the main road to catch a bus.

At the bus stop we met Henk & Marja again. The guy who promised to pick them up did not show up. However, just when Marja finished her story, a car stopped and here he was and the 4 of us got a ride to Lautoka.

We still had breakfast together. Thereafter we split in 3 groups as we had all different items of interest.

I searched for technical stuff and look at the shops and into the shops along my way.

S 17°18.738′
E 178°13.903′

In morning Henk, Maria, and I took the dinghy to go ashore of Nananui-i-Cake island. Joe, still sick preferred to stay on board and rest.

There was a solid looking pier at one end and we went there. We could tie the tender safely and keeping it out of the way should other boats come.

Just at the end of the pier a young fellow came and we understood we can use the trail along the shore. That’s what we wanted to anyhow.

The trail was pretty wide and well maintained. It was also to be seen that horses are using it. Left and right there is almost jungle. On the left side, the shore side there is a broad belt of mangroves growing. They unfortunately blocked the view to our boats. We kept walking and enjoyed the green around us; normally we have a lot blue around us.

Once we stopped, sat down to watch the smaller waves rolling to the shore when we were terribly attacked. While walking there were no attacks at all. But here while sitting. I got my insect repellent out and this helped.

At the end of the island, the trail led to the sandy beach. We looked around trying to identify things on the neighbor islands and headed back. For this we took the trail on the eastern side of islands. It was more open, thus it was bit warmer.
Huge spiders, were sitting in their huge spider webs spanning across the trail. What kind of big insects do they have in their menu?

When we were almost at the end of the trail and were a bit surprised to see quite a big groupe of pigs and sheep being held in a big fencing round a man approached us. He was angry because we walked on private property. We apologized and explained that in all the sailing compendiums the island is described for walking along the trails. Luckily we could calm him down and at the end of conversation he was smiling and we shared hands for saying farewell. As this happened almost at the end of our hike, we soon reached the tender and returned to our boats.

Later afternoon we went to another island west of us. We wanted to have a drink in the resort there. When we arrived at the shore, a young man first helped us to find the pass through the coral reef in front of the sandy beach and to tie up our dingy at a line in the water for tying up small local boats. Second he frustrated us by saying there is no lodge but only private houses. Third he had a solution for getting a drink, by telling us that in the next bay there is a MacDonalds café and we can ask for a drink, and if needed we can refer to him. The man lives and works since very many years in this paradise. It seems he does all kind of jobs for the people having house on the island.

The MacDonalds café has nothing to do with the junk food chain creating lots is garbage around the world.

Along the beach we saw a lot of houses owned by wealthier people. Most likely by foreigners from NZ, Australia, USA, etc.

We got a drink and talked to two American couples who spent time there. One couple spends every year 4 month in this place and the other just was there on a one time visit.

As the sun got lower, we walked the about 2 km back to our tender and returned in the last daylight to our boats.

S 17°38.693′
E 177°23.542′

Yesterday, Henk caught a Spanish Mackerel. Therefore we had a last night’s dinner together on board of MaRe. Decision was just made in last moment. Joe made pan-fried eggplants and boiled potatoes. Maria brought boiled and smoked mackerel. (They have a little device to smoke fish on board; I need to see it.)
So we had lovely dinner on board and celebrated a few hours earlier, Henk’s birthday.

There was even a little bit of a birthday gin of a birthday of mine left. (Thanks, Admiral T. W.!)

We had a nice evening!

This morning, I called Henk on VHF to congratulate him in the name of MaRe’s crew.

We took off shortly after 0900. Almost no wind.

On the way to Saveni Bay, we had breakfast and I formed and baked breads.

At 1120 the water was in sand at 5 m. MaRe is safe at anchor.

Boat jobs routine will start.

Dinghy dock seems to be the sandy beach. I’m curious how good I can pull up the tender on the wheels I can attach.

S 17° 27.146
E 178° 14.910

This is the Catching up mentioned my narration ‘250911 On the way north’.

I picked up Henk & Maria with my dinghy to go ashore. Joe was too sick to join; she still suffers from a cold and swollen tonsils.

At the first place where we wanted to go ashore, we quickly saw it’s not possible. Too shallow. Boats there were already almost out of the water. However, in the other direction, there was a house and two boats tight up a bit outside on the water. We wanted to try it there.

The water was pretty murky from a river close by and we could not see the sea bottom at all. Very slowly we passed the two tight up boats, when the outboard engine touched the ground while er still could not see that water was already that shallow. Henk went into the water, which had a depth of just above his knees. “Mud” he said, “Soft mud.” We fixed a stern and a bow anchor and walked through the water. At the beach a lady was giving us signs on where to walk to not sink too deeply into the mud. At the beach, Anna, so her name welcomed us warmly and showed us where we could wash of the black mud. The mud was black due to volcanic sand; we saw that at the beach.

After a kind of introduction of us, we explained that we just want to see the village. Anna walked with us the short distance to the intersection of the gravel road to the Kings Highway. On the way there were very friendly ‘bulas’ to be heard from every house. Incredible, this feeling of being welcome. We walked through the village, bought some stuff at the tiny supermarket with an opening like a night counter of a pharmacy. At the end of village a rather big Seventh-Day Adventist Church and a rather big school with a kindergarten. Education is taken important.
When we came back to where the dinghy is, we saw it lying comfortably on the mud.

Trapped until the tide is back!

Thus we took the next bus to Rakiraki, a town, a bit more than half an hour to the north.

The town reminded me to Nausori, where, about 3 weeks ago, Tom and I changed busses to go to his village. The main road has shop beside shop. On the center a rather big square and a covered, concrete built market place with a typical farm produce offered. We bought some fruits and looked for an eatery. As eateries typically offer only Coca or Pepsi Cola, the trash drinks of this world, Henk and I bought a bottle of wine and water. Wine for Henk & Maria and water for me. Wine is too early for me. The food was an also typical fusion of Fijian and Chinese; the latter’s influence is dominant.

With filled stomachs we looked for the bus back to where we started. But how is the place called? No notes. But I have a few pictures. One way of the other will make it.

In the bus we saw a mother and her child, who were also with us on the bus to Rakiraki. We recognized each other. A good omen.

When we reached the school we saw before, the bus turned into the gravel road passing the house where our dinghy is. How lucky we are.

On this road the bus stopped ever about 50 – 100 m. Mainly school children got off. Just in front of the house we got off as well. And then the bus’ engine stalled and the start motor didn’t really turn. The battery must have been in very poor condition for quite a while. A push-start was needed. Henk, I and a bunch of school children pushed the bus backwards and the engine started again. High fives among every body of the successful team work.

We looked at the dinghy and knew we have to wait for quite a while more. Sevu, the man we thought is Anna’s husband understood the situation and invited us for a cup of lemongrass tea into his hause.

He told us, that one day in his board engineer life in container vessel, he rescued a sailing couple from their sinking yacht in a cyclone. Even taking 50 % out as exaggerated, I only can draw my hat in respect on how he risked his own life to safe the sailing couple with the man being badly insured by the mast falling down.

However, more impressive was what he told us during the days cyclone Winston. During such a cyclone he only is concerned about the life of his family. Losses or damages of the house etc, when nothing is insured is only a minor concern.
I admire him his ‘fall down seven times, get up 8 times’ attitude. This Japanese proverb fits excellently into such a situation. The Fijians are used to this very hard life where one can loose everything except the life on a few hours when i cyclone passes over his house. However, still they are very
happy and share the little they have with people like us foreign sailors who appear in their lives and dissappear again.

CHAPEAU!

S 17° 24.390
E 177° 41.356

We lifted the hook at 0930 to start our roughly 30 NM sail to Saweni Bay, already close to Nadi. It appears a good place for me to prepare for departure to Vanuatu.

First it look as if we could use the sails at least for while but after 4 NM is sailing in put the genoa down. ETA at the Saweni Bay would be too late.

Henk & Marja with their lighter vessel have in these light winds an avantage. They are far ahead and they might have switched to engine earlier. Late afternoon – i reckon – we will catch up with them.

The sea is almost flat, maybe 20 – 30 cm wind waves.

Currently the ETA in the Saweni Bay is 1630.

During the slow sail, Joe and I had our late breakfast. Muesli, sourdough, and tea. With the tablet replicating the chart plotter display we could continue talking. Our conversation ended when the genoa started flapping.

Now I continue writing on one of my catching-up-narrations.

S 17° 23.322
E 177° 47.636

SV Dina Helena, was as always, about 0.5 – 1 NM ahead, thus in the anchorage bay also in front of us.

As the bay was very shallow, I wanted to drop the hook at the 5 m line in the middle of the bay. Water was murky; no visibility to the bottom.

Then I recognized the SV Dina Helena was not moving at all anymore. Sitting on the reef???

Indeed, she was sitting solidly on the reef. Attempts to pull her free with MaRe failed.

I dropped MaRe’s anchor in a bit of safe distance and swam over to SV Dina Helena to see how she sits on the reef.

AI saw she sits nicely on the reef and their was no chance to pull her off.

We understood that the only thing, which works, is the tide. Fortunately it was already close to low tide. The tide table showed that there will be enough water coming to lift her up.

For safety reasons we put her anchor with 60 m chain in a good position to secure her from drifting with rising water further on the reef.

Then it was waiting, waiting, and waiting until I saw her pointing on the opposite direction. She was free again!!!

Henk & Maria moved their boat into a safer place. Thereafter Henk also came over and we checked again the position of MaRe. Decision to move her a bit further out of the bay. Almost in front of SV Dina Helena. There is MaRe now.

The anchor has a good hold.
I will have a good sleep.

S 17° 20.120
E 178° 04.192

Along our route today the coast line is very much deserted. Only a few houses are to be seen. Nothing, which looks like a village. Big bays, small bays with plenty of reefs to be seen.

The hills are too a larger extend ‘dry-brown’, palm trees are missing. The jungle like forest is missing. I wonder what caused this. Too much logging? I have no answer.

Eearlier to this, there was a nice roll of clouds coming over the higher mountains. It was a very nice example of clouds rolling over a mountain ridge.

S 17° 34.266
E 178° 40.601

Finally, I could catch up with all what we experienced in the village of Naigani Island. This is the last narration about our time at Naigani Island.

During the day after the festival all people were busy with saying good bye to loved ones and seeing them off. Thus, we wanted to return the next day to bid farewell to all the special people of the island who gave us a wonderful time here.

So next day, following an idea of Henk & Marja of the Dutch SV Dina Helena we went by Dinghy only into the bay before the village and walked a bit into it. By doing so we had more freedom in time; the tide water level window was much bigger than while driving over the reef in front of the village at almost high tide.

A stern anchor at the dinghy to keep it away from the beach and a long line from the dinghy’s bow to a branch of a tree. Then we walked.

The village was almost empty. We learned that Sova is at home, which means at Reni & Vecu’s house. We went to her. Sova being Sova, she invited us for another meal. A pumpkin meal with coconuts milk and rice and a vegetable soup with chicken. To drink, a freshly made papaya juice. It’s was our last delicious meal from her.

Then we walked with her to the center of the village where we said farewell to a few people.

Finally, we bid Sova and Vecu farewell. It was not easy for me. Joe had tears in her eyes. If not mistaken, I saw also some in Sova’s eyes.

Farewells are the faith of sailors.

We walked back to the dinghy and drove back to MaRe to lift the hook the next morning.

In the time line ‘250908 Sailing again’ is the next narration.

S 17° 18.275
E 178° 09.294

Have still to catch up with some narrations but we are on the way again.

Following the recommended route we have several narrow passage and many turn today.

Thus the weak wind today (7 – 9 KN TWS) is pretty good as wind drift is very small.

Today’s route will be about 20 NM. On PRT is the coast of Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island. Have a look at the Garmin tracking site to see today’s track.

This morning, I got a copy of my cruising permit on it’s way to Doyle. The sail is ready for shipment. Wonder how long it will take until I have it.

S 17° 34.266
E 178° 40.601

Next morning, when I woke up I got up immediately. Meme was also up already so she showed me where I could brush my teeth. It was outside on the backside of the house. Perfectly fine when one considers that Fiji is only around 17 deg S, where it’s always warm. So looking into the lush green of the nature behind the house, I brushed my teeth.

After puting all my things in my backpack, I decided to stroll around the village again. Already the view out of the door was nature pur. At the left a small vegetable garden. To the right trees and bushes, and then until one of the churches of the village and the next houses, the green, very soft grass.

When I reached the beach, the reef was out of the water. I knew we have to wait for high tide in the afternoon. A good chance to see more of the village and talk with people.

SomeIhow ended up at the community hall where last night’s event happened. Already again ‘table cloth was rolled out on the ibe and plates and cups for 40 people were placed. Today only on one side.

At the beginning of the table cloth Sova was busy again with cutting bread and puting margarine on each slice. Someone brought several big baking trays with a sweet pie. Sova cut them as well.

In a different corner another lady put fish, cooked in coconuts sauce, in bowls. Next she put rice in bowls.

When a man came and started distributing all food along the very long ‘table”, I saw what needs to be done and gave him a hand. Sova liked it.

Someone asked me to sit down and have breakfast with the first group of people coming for breakfast. I had boiled fish and rice, cassava. And at the end, lemon grass tea, margarine bread and a piece of the sweet pie. As always very delicious.

After breakfast, life moved to the grass area just above the sandy beach. The first ones, who needed to leave the island for going home, brought their luggage at the beach. Sometimes, they got some fish other things to be taken home. Others just looked over the reef and talked.

The brother of Reni also came and brought all what’s needed to make and drink kava. I thanked him when he offered me kava. Although I didn’t feel anything last night, I had enough kava. However, I enjoyed to drink a coconut. Harold a young guy of the village used a pole about 5 m long, to get some coconuts down. Another one skillfully opened the top part of the coconut, and a few people enjoyed, like me, the excellent juice of a coconut. Later Harold got again some coconuts down. However, this time he just ‘walked up’ the coconuts palm. How skillful these people are.

Meme tried her best as a match maker between Joe and Harold but Harold is interested in Meme although she is a few years older. No visible change happened.

Then I final saw Reni & Vecu again. They were sitting on a bench nearby and were waiting for a boat to bring Reni over to the main land. So Reni and I said farewell to each other. Meme left with the same boat; another farewell but we might see each other again in Nadi. The last one of this boat who I know a bit more, was the lady who asked me to dance with her the night before.

Then boat by boat came in, got filled with people to be brought to Ovalau or the main land. It was not a comfortable ride. They all had to sit down on the floor of an open boat about 7 m long and equipped with an outboard motor. The waves were not high on that day, but I bet, there was spray coming over the boat and on its passengers. Not the most comfortable ride. But everybody was happy.

Finally there was enough water to get our dinghy back into the water. I asked Vecu if he could give me a hand with the dinghy. While I said good bye until tomorrow to a few people, Vecu told some boys to get our dinghy into the water. Standing in the water they hold our dinghy for us to pull it in a little bit deeper water to start the engine to take off, back to MaRe, knowing we will go back to the village the next day for a last time.

I felt pretty sad.