Tag: travel

  • Day 3: Passage from Fiji to New Cal

    Continued rain squalls on and off this morning. Winds have decreased to 17-23 and we’re cruising along at 7-8 knots. We have to maintain an average of 6.7 knots to get to Havannah Channel at slack tide, a narrow coral-strewn channel that can have standing waves and fast currents if timed incorrectly. Seas currently down…

  • Day 2: Passage Fiji to New Cal

    Calder reported that the screen of his window must have been ripped off by a wave overnight. Woke to decreased winds in the 20s, seas still a good 3 meters. We’re making good time to beat a system that is coming in on Wednesday afternoon to New Cal, hoping to arrive Wednesday morning. My seasickness…

  • Day 1: Passage Fiji to New Caledonia

    Coordinating a check-out over the holiday weekend (Fiji Day!) took a bit of extra coordination. Chris and Calder into the water to scrub the bottom for a faster passage, as we need to get into New Caledonia before a system comes in. The forecast looks a bit “sporty” (code in cruising for bigger winds and…

  • Sota Tale Fiji

    Arriving to Navadra Island, we experienced the shark welcoming committee, as about 10 fat reef sharks (with their remoras stuck on) circling our boat until the engine turned off. The night in our first of the Mamanuca Island Group was quite rolly and we left early the next morning, spending our last nights in Fiji…

  • Yasawa Islands: Our 2 year Cruise-a-versary!

    Still sailing through the Yasawa Islands, we headed for the Blue Lagoon (Nanuya Island)—part shelter from the rising winds, part playground. Calder was in his element, wingfoiling with friends. When we arrived, George, the caretaker of a stretch of beach used by Blue Lagoon cruises, stopped by and kindly let us know that we’d need…

  • Savusavu to the Yasawas

    Back to the town of Savusavu, where we dock at the lovely Nawi Marina and wait for the tradewinds to chill a bit (below 20 would be nice!) so we can continue on to western Fiji. We need to go through Nasonisoni Pass and the waves stack up around it if the Trades are greater…

  • Back to Paradise: Taveuni Underwater Magic

    Almost not allowed out of the USA, as (in an amateur move) I didn’t procure a letter from Immigration stating we had a “one-way ticket” to Fiji back to our boat. I had notified Fiji Immigration of our travel and we had purchased a two-way ticket but, as it had originated from Fiji, it was…

  • Back in the USA: Alaska & Idaho

    70 hours from the “front door” of Terikah in Savusavu, Fiji to the front door of our home in Petersburg, Alaska. Looking down at the Pacific Ocean, it’s hard to believe that same stretch of water took us 8 months sailing from the Mexico coast to New Zealand. Petersburg, from the heartwarming welcome of friends…

  • Heading North

    It was time to head back toward Savusavu, where we would be catching our flight for a visit home to Petersburg, Alaska. Calder and I had gone forward to change from our Code Zero to our asymmetrical spinnaker when he saw a screw rolling around in the middle of our bowsprit. He reached forward to…

  • Vanua Balavu: Susui, Little Harbour, & Mbavatu Harbour

    Off to the island of Venua Balavu! The winds weren’t consistent and we made many sail changes between our asymmetrical spinnaker, Code Zero, and main sail with a touch of motoring until we entered the southern pass of Venua Balavu. We arrived to Susui village just after sunset, so glad for satellite imagery showing the…