Crossing an ocean without sails (but with a budget)
Discussion
The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed something new in the last pic - a wakeboard.
Not ours, our guests bought it from another cruiser when moored next to us.
I am the only one onboard who can get up on one so it was down to me to teach.
We first tried behind our dinghy and soon realised 15hp wasnt going to do it. Over to another friends boat and they kindly offered the use of their 4m w/40hp 4 stroke dinghy - next attempt and I was up !
Now I havent been on a board for 5 years and this was the first time in the sea (lakes and rivers only previously) so my first attempt at a jump didnt quite go to plan.
No worries, I got back up again easily so was now in a position to teach correctly.
Craig was up first and he didnt like having his feet strapped in, I explained it feels uncomfortable at first but you get used to it. After many attempts, some close to getting up, he gave in. Just then another boat called out asking if he could have a go.
Dion is a surfer and kite boarder and he hopped into the dinghy clutching his own board, more rectangular than a wakeboard and just with loops for your feet rather than boats, I could see what was going to happen here.
A couple of attempts and he was up, a few carves around the bay then a jump attempt which he also botched - phew.
Now Craig wanted a try on that board, I advised not to as I could see ankle injuries ahead. Luckily I was wrong but he still couldnt get up and his feet kept slipping out so he agreed that his own board wuld be better to learn on.
Not ours, our guests bought it from another cruiser when moored next to us.
I am the only one onboard who can get up on one so it was down to me to teach.
We first tried behind our dinghy and soon realised 15hp wasnt going to do it. Over to another friends boat and they kindly offered the use of their 4m w/40hp 4 stroke dinghy - next attempt and I was up !
Now I havent been on a board for 5 years and this was the first time in the sea (lakes and rivers only previously) so my first attempt at a jump didnt quite go to plan.
No worries, I got back up again easily so was now in a position to teach correctly.
Craig was up first and he didnt like having his feet strapped in, I explained it feels uncomfortable at first but you get used to it. After many attempts, some close to getting up, he gave in. Just then another boat called out asking if he could have a go.
Dion is a surfer and kite boarder and he hopped into the dinghy clutching his own board, more rectangular than a wakeboard and just with loops for your feet rather than boats, I could see what was going to happen here.
A couple of attempts and he was up, a few carves around the bay then a jump attempt which he also botched - phew.
Now Craig wanted a try on that board, I advised not to as I could see ankle injuries ahead. Luckily I was wrong but he still couldnt get up and his feet kept slipping out so he agreed that his own board wuld be better to learn on.
Yay !
My Fiji visa has been renewed !
Upon arrival in Fiji you get a 4m visa at its expiry you can apply for a 2m extension which we did. We never heard back from Immigration and could never get hold of them on phone so when in Suva we went in to their office. We were advised it was all approved and if we had our passports they could stamp them which we did.
On expiry I applied for another 2m, wife didnt need to as she had just been to NZ so had another 4m. Again we never heard anything but presumed it had been approved.
In January we were told about a special yachties visa which gives 6m, excellent so I applied immediately, wife was off to NZ again so didnt need to.
Roll on to end of Feb and friends want to book flights to visit us in June/July so I thought I'd chase visa.
Nothing, nothing, nothing.
Local immigration can tell us nothing except they have received payment and it has gone to Suva.
Suva say they are awaiting proof of payment from local office.
Email copy receipt to Suva, not good enough, they require conf from their local office.
Chase, chase, chase - nothing.
Give up, tell friends to book anyway as surely immigration would be on to me by now if I wasnt allowed to stay.
Last week we decide we will be in French Polynesia for the next cyclone season. Since Brexit I/we can now only get a 3m visa on arrival in Tahiti which cannot be renewed without leaving. Alternative is to apply for 12m visa now but you require proof that you are legally in the country you are applying from - grrrrr.
Back to the chase !
After many circles and a few unhappy people that I had managed to get their mobile numbers from underlings an email has finally arrived - I'm legal !
Best part is they have given me 6m from issue date not application date so we dont need to leave the day after friends depart, although it will be close as we want to be in Tonga for whale migratory season (lets hope I dont catch one of those ).
My Fiji visa has been renewed !
Upon arrival in Fiji you get a 4m visa at its expiry you can apply for a 2m extension which we did. We never heard back from Immigration and could never get hold of them on phone so when in Suva we went in to their office. We were advised it was all approved and if we had our passports they could stamp them which we did.
On expiry I applied for another 2m, wife didnt need to as she had just been to NZ so had another 4m. Again we never heard anything but presumed it had been approved.
In January we were told about a special yachties visa which gives 6m, excellent so I applied immediately, wife was off to NZ again so didnt need to.
Roll on to end of Feb and friends want to book flights to visit us in June/July so I thought I'd chase visa.
Nothing, nothing, nothing.
Local immigration can tell us nothing except they have received payment and it has gone to Suva.
Suva say they are awaiting proof of payment from local office.
Email copy receipt to Suva, not good enough, they require conf from their local office.
Chase, chase, chase - nothing.
Give up, tell friends to book anyway as surely immigration would be on to me by now if I wasnt allowed to stay.
Last week we decide we will be in French Polynesia for the next cyclone season. Since Brexit I/we can now only get a 3m visa on arrival in Tahiti which cannot be renewed without leaving. Alternative is to apply for 12m visa now but you require proof that you are legally in the country you are applying from - grrrrr.
Back to the chase !
After many circles and a few unhappy people that I had managed to get their mobile numbers from underlings an email has finally arrived - I'm legal !
Best part is they have given me 6m from issue date not application date so we dont need to leave the day after friends depart, although it will be close as we want to be in Tonga for whale migratory season (lets hope I dont catch one of those ).
We made it to Vuda marina in perfect conditions for towing our friends on REAO.
They hooked on to a mooring ball just outside the marina entrance and a long boat came out to tow them the last 200m in as we wouldnt have made it through entrance with the 75m rope that we used.
Waiting at the dock for us were Prasad Marine Services and our new hardtop !
Currently being fitted to replace the shade sail at rear, pics soon.
I have pulled covers off genset and located the AVR, have one on order now which, hopefully will fix issue.
Also bought from a friend a wind generator which we will try and get mounted whilst here.
Massive provisioning runs going on over next couple of days as we want to head north again for a few weeks .
They hooked on to a mooring ball just outside the marina entrance and a long boat came out to tow them the last 200m in as we wouldnt have made it through entrance with the 75m rope that we used.
Waiting at the dock for us were Prasad Marine Services and our new hardtop !
Currently being fitted to replace the shade sail at rear, pics soon.
I have pulled covers off genset and located the AVR, have one on order now which, hopefully will fix issue.
Also bought from a friend a wind generator which we will try and get mounted whilst here.
Massive provisioning runs going on over next couple of days as we want to head north again for a few weeks .
Sheetmaself said:
Can’t wait to see the pics of French Polynesia. A place that will be incorporated into my retirement 3 month holiday in a few years.
Third attempt at writing/answering , not sure whether its my laptop or Vodafone to blameAnyway, yes we are very keen to see the beautiful sights in FP but may have to do them in a hurry as it is now unlikely we will obtain visas prior to arrival so will only get 3m. We could fly out/in for a costly extension or motor to Rarotonga and back (equally costly), time will tell.
The more we hear about the intolerance of cruisers in FP then 3m may be all we need. I know some cruisers push boundaries but it sounds like they/we are being painted as the bad guys and there is a general dislike now.
Looks like we will have buddy boats in Tonga too, REAO going that way when their engine is fixed (met with mechanics today) and another motorboat we have been hanging out with is thinking of joining us.
There will be plenty of NZ boats there as the fishing is sooooo good (I have been stocking up on stainless trace, lures, hooks, etc).
I will get back to the main story soon, promise.
Sheetmaself said:
Not meant in a nasty smug type way at all, but it’s good to read it as a real life story with all the pitfalls and mundane issues combined with the fun.
That's good, I'm trying to give an honest story as some of the blogs I have read give the impression that every day is a holiday and nothing ever goes wrong.As thread title , we don't have an unlimited budget (far from it) and , most months, we don't reach it. But we do eat a lot of fish
NNK said:
Just a thought. When I sailed with Tall Ships Youth Trust from Barbados and we took on stores there all cardboard was removed and left on the quay before the contents were stored away. When I asked why it was to avoid a cockroach infestation on board. Apparently they lay their eggs in cardboard packaging and during the voyage the buggers hatch. 
NNK said:
Sheetmaself said:
Not meant in a nasty smug type way at all, but it’s good to read it as a real life story with all the pitfalls and mundane issues combined with the fun.
That's good, I'm trying to give an honest story as some of the blogs I have read give the impression that every day is a holiday and nothing ever goes wrong.As thread title , we don't have an unlimited budget (far from it) and , most months, we don't reach it. But we do eat a lot of fish
ATB
JeremyH5 said:
Just a thought. When I sailed with Tall Ships Youth Trust from Barbados and we took on stores there all cardboard was removed and left on the quay before the contents were stored away. When I asked why it was to avoid a cockroach infestation on board. Apparently they lay their eggs in cardboard packaging and during the voyage the buggers hatch.
That is true and most cardboard packaging is removed, however having 300+ cans rolling around is no fun and you can guarantee that I will put them somewhere where they need to be moved quickly at the most inopportune time.Obv my life wont be worth living if we do get an infestation from MY beers (as they will be known if it happens).
The only real bug issue we have had is ants, picked up at Vuda marina and took a while to find nest.
Unfortunately we are there at moment and certainly for the next few days while work continues.
1 September 2022
With a decent amount of fuel and nicely provisioned we left Suva harbour aiming for Beqa (Benga) island, its only a short hop and took 4 hours.
We anchored in about 15m with several other boats and lounged around, it felt good being back on anchor and not tied to a dock.
There was a resort a short dinghy ride away but we didnt feel the urge to socialise (after so much at RSYC) and stayed onboard with a few cans.
During this relaxing time we got on to the subject of the Musket Cove Regatta, this is a must do for yachts/boaties/cruisers but our plan had always been to slip away to the Lau group while it was on so it would be relatively quiet there.
Obv our plan had failed on several counts and we made the call to be there for it. Having been told how busy Musket gets we decided to bail out of Beqa the next day and cruise round.
We left around 10am heading for Cuvu Harbour, it was an overcast day but still warm and with calm seas. Nothing much to report except for the lovely wahoo that I caught, filleted and made Kokoda from before we got to Cuvu.
Ah, anchoring in 5m of water for a change, lovely. It was only when anchored that I took a closer look at the resort in the bay, the Shangri La Fijian. It was where I used to come with my ex wife when the kids were young, probably 5 years on the trot. Just then a dinghy arrived and it was a member of staff from there asking our intentions. I said we were just planning on anchoring for one night and asked if we were able to visit their restaurant (it was unlikely we would but best to ask just in case), he advised that the resort was full and they would rather we didn’t use their facilities. No problem I said and off he went, maybe a Covid thing ?
Up early and we aimed for Musket, hmm I might be getting good at this fishing lark as after 40 min we had a decent Spanish Mackerel onboard to be shared amongst other cruisers on arrival.
We arrived and decided to pick up a mooring ball so we would be closer to the resort/bar/yacht club, $20 a day but having heard how busy the bay gets we thought it was worth it.
Well the yachts just kept on coming ! The bay was packed, I think someone said there were about 150 boats at one point.
We were lucky enough to be invited on to Akonga (a beatutiful 40ish foot yacht) as crew, we had met the owner at Opua, NZ but he had gone straight to the east side and our paths hadn’t crossed since. Nick and his crew are serious racers and this race around Malolo island was taken very seriously . It was a hell of an experience and, although we were only ballast, are proud to have come third in the monohulls only beaten by much larger vessels.
Nick and his co pilot Vaughan (#sorryaboutvaughan) went on to win the hotly contested Hobie cat racing, although supposed to be a bit of fun I think this was the most serious racing of the whole regatta
.
The week flew by and the partying slowed up, thankfully as I just cant do it every day anymore. We relaxed by the pool, kayaked, etc and started making plans for our next trip, we wouldn’t be going too far as we had to be at Denarau in a couple of weeks to pick up friends from NZ.
Lots of boats were leaving Fiji now, most heading to Vanuatu and New Caledonia but some heading back to NZ or Oz.
We decided to just head back up towards (but not to) Blue Lagoon and check out some different bays so we had lots of different options when friends were onboard. It was a pleasant couple of weeks, mostly just us hanging out in bays but I did get some maintenance jobs done.
One of the bilge pumps in the sugar scoop had stopped working so I replaced that and the pre filter in our watermaker looked like it had seen better days so out it went.
I took the covers off both impellors (raw water cooling system on engines) and they looked in great condition. I ummed and ahhed about this but decided not to change them despite the hours and put it on the list to do at next full service.
Off to Denarau to collect Neil, Karla and the extra 30kg suitcase they had for us – hurrah ! Neil is a very keen fisherman and had invited me out many times over the years I had known him. As mentioned fishing in NZ had never been of interest to me so I had never taken him up but now …….
We did have an issue though, Karla was not a big boating fan and was worried that she would get sick. Neil had been convincing her since booking the flights that LS was a 50’ cat and would be impossible to get sick on but we knew we would still have to carefully pick the days that we moved around.
We needn’t have worried as everything was fine, she loved it and not once felt the slightest bit queasy, actually they are coming out to visit again soon.
Musket, Namotu, Mana, Navadra all great spots while they were onboard but not a single bite on a lure, both Neil and I were gutted. His dream was to catch a mahimahi so next time they come we will head to the top or East of Fiji to try and make it happen. The week went so fast with all the laughing (and drinking) and it was such a shame that we were back at Denarau dropping them off.
Oh yes, the extra suitcase contained approx. 10kg of eye fillet & Scotch fillet, cheese, cashews, macadamias, engine parts, etc, etc. The only thing they had taken from them at Customs was some pate as it contained pork.
What to do now ? The weather wasn’t looking great for the next couple of weeks so we made the call to hang out on the west for a little longer, it would also give us the opportunity to say goodbye to all those we had met who would be gathering to wait for a weather window back to NZ (the cruising season is May to October, cyclone season officially starts 1st November).
We sat down (with a beer obv) and chatted about our plan, we knew what we wanted to do but whenever we told anyone there were pursed lips and sharp intakes. We wanted to go back to Fulaga, when no one else would be there, but we knew it could be risky.
What if our Iridium Go (sat phone) didn’t function or we had engine problems or I got impaled on a marlins bill ?
There is a cyclone hole marked on the charts in Fulaga but we hadn’t been in there to check it out so………
Off we went ! Slowly I seem to be wearing down my darling wifes concerns about safety, soon she will have the same cavalier attitude as I and we will be swimming with sharks, wrestling crocodiles and not renewing any of the safety items onboard when they expire (OK she wont agree with the last one).
We headed past Cuvu aiming for Namatakula bay, we had been told of a resort called Beach House which was very casual and boat friendly so thought we would call in for a drink or two.
Yeah nah, I wasn’t comfortable leaving LS as there was a big swell coming into the bay and we were getting thrown around, we stayed onboard and got one of the worst sleeps so far !
Sonya had the contact details for one of the daughters of our host family in Fulaga who lived in Suva. She messaged her and asked if there was anything she would like delivered to her parents/siblings as we were calling in to Suva for provisions.
About an hour later she rang asking we could take some things – them ! Her (Ju) ,her husband (Tu) and their 12m old daughter hadn’t been to Fulaga for over 5 years and it would be a wonderful surprise for their parents. Well we couldn’t say no to that could we ?
We worked out it would be easier to moor in Lami bay to collect them so we couldn’t spend any time at our fave bar at the RSYC. I dinghied ashore at 7am and met them getting out of a taxi, with slightly more luggage than first indicated but it was OK, it was baggage not people. We got everything onboard after 2 dinghy trips and headed off.
It turns out Tu worked on container ships and was doing his skippers ticket so would be good to have onboard as he could help with night watches.
Again, nothing much to report on the 26 hour passage other than two wahoo, a mahimahi and a tuna.
With a decent amount of fuel and nicely provisioned we left Suva harbour aiming for Beqa (Benga) island, its only a short hop and took 4 hours.
We anchored in about 15m with several other boats and lounged around, it felt good being back on anchor and not tied to a dock.
There was a resort a short dinghy ride away but we didnt feel the urge to socialise (after so much at RSYC) and stayed onboard with a few cans.
During this relaxing time we got on to the subject of the Musket Cove Regatta, this is a must do for yachts/boaties/cruisers but our plan had always been to slip away to the Lau group while it was on so it would be relatively quiet there.
Obv our plan had failed on several counts and we made the call to be there for it. Having been told how busy Musket gets we decided to bail out of Beqa the next day and cruise round.
We left around 10am heading for Cuvu Harbour, it was an overcast day but still warm and with calm seas. Nothing much to report except for the lovely wahoo that I caught, filleted and made Kokoda from before we got to Cuvu.
Ah, anchoring in 5m of water for a change, lovely. It was only when anchored that I took a closer look at the resort in the bay, the Shangri La Fijian. It was where I used to come with my ex wife when the kids were young, probably 5 years on the trot. Just then a dinghy arrived and it was a member of staff from there asking our intentions. I said we were just planning on anchoring for one night and asked if we were able to visit their restaurant (it was unlikely we would but best to ask just in case), he advised that the resort was full and they would rather we didn’t use their facilities. No problem I said and off he went, maybe a Covid thing ?
Up early and we aimed for Musket, hmm I might be getting good at this fishing lark as after 40 min we had a decent Spanish Mackerel onboard to be shared amongst other cruisers on arrival.
We arrived and decided to pick up a mooring ball so we would be closer to the resort/bar/yacht club, $20 a day but having heard how busy the bay gets we thought it was worth it.
Well the yachts just kept on coming ! The bay was packed, I think someone said there were about 150 boats at one point.
We were lucky enough to be invited on to Akonga (a beatutiful 40ish foot yacht) as crew, we had met the owner at Opua, NZ but he had gone straight to the east side and our paths hadn’t crossed since. Nick and his crew are serious racers and this race around Malolo island was taken very seriously . It was a hell of an experience and, although we were only ballast, are proud to have come third in the monohulls only beaten by much larger vessels.
Nick and his co pilot Vaughan (#sorryaboutvaughan) went on to win the hotly contested Hobie cat racing, although supposed to be a bit of fun I think this was the most serious racing of the whole regatta
.
The week flew by and the partying slowed up, thankfully as I just cant do it every day anymore. We relaxed by the pool, kayaked, etc and started making plans for our next trip, we wouldn’t be going too far as we had to be at Denarau in a couple of weeks to pick up friends from NZ.
Lots of boats were leaving Fiji now, most heading to Vanuatu and New Caledonia but some heading back to NZ or Oz.
We decided to just head back up towards (but not to) Blue Lagoon and check out some different bays so we had lots of different options when friends were onboard. It was a pleasant couple of weeks, mostly just us hanging out in bays but I did get some maintenance jobs done.
One of the bilge pumps in the sugar scoop had stopped working so I replaced that and the pre filter in our watermaker looked like it had seen better days so out it went.
I took the covers off both impellors (raw water cooling system on engines) and they looked in great condition. I ummed and ahhed about this but decided not to change them despite the hours and put it on the list to do at next full service.
Off to Denarau to collect Neil, Karla and the extra 30kg suitcase they had for us – hurrah ! Neil is a very keen fisherman and had invited me out many times over the years I had known him. As mentioned fishing in NZ had never been of interest to me so I had never taken him up but now …….
We did have an issue though, Karla was not a big boating fan and was worried that she would get sick. Neil had been convincing her since booking the flights that LS was a 50’ cat and would be impossible to get sick on but we knew we would still have to carefully pick the days that we moved around.
We needn’t have worried as everything was fine, she loved it and not once felt the slightest bit queasy, actually they are coming out to visit again soon.
Musket, Namotu, Mana, Navadra all great spots while they were onboard but not a single bite on a lure, both Neil and I were gutted. His dream was to catch a mahimahi so next time they come we will head to the top or East of Fiji to try and make it happen. The week went so fast with all the laughing (and drinking) and it was such a shame that we were back at Denarau dropping them off.
Oh yes, the extra suitcase contained approx. 10kg of eye fillet & Scotch fillet, cheese, cashews, macadamias, engine parts, etc, etc. The only thing they had taken from them at Customs was some pate as it contained pork.
What to do now ? The weather wasn’t looking great for the next couple of weeks so we made the call to hang out on the west for a little longer, it would also give us the opportunity to say goodbye to all those we had met who would be gathering to wait for a weather window back to NZ (the cruising season is May to October, cyclone season officially starts 1st November).
We sat down (with a beer obv) and chatted about our plan, we knew what we wanted to do but whenever we told anyone there were pursed lips and sharp intakes. We wanted to go back to Fulaga, when no one else would be there, but we knew it could be risky.
What if our Iridium Go (sat phone) didn’t function or we had engine problems or I got impaled on a marlins bill ?
There is a cyclone hole marked on the charts in Fulaga but we hadn’t been in there to check it out so………
Off we went ! Slowly I seem to be wearing down my darling wifes concerns about safety, soon she will have the same cavalier attitude as I and we will be swimming with sharks, wrestling crocodiles and not renewing any of the safety items onboard when they expire (OK she wont agree with the last one).
We headed past Cuvu aiming for Namatakula bay, we had been told of a resort called Beach House which was very casual and boat friendly so thought we would call in for a drink or two.
Yeah nah, I wasn’t comfortable leaving LS as there was a big swell coming into the bay and we were getting thrown around, we stayed onboard and got one of the worst sleeps so far !
Sonya had the contact details for one of the daughters of our host family in Fulaga who lived in Suva. She messaged her and asked if there was anything she would like delivered to her parents/siblings as we were calling in to Suva for provisions.
About an hour later she rang asking we could take some things – them ! Her (Ju) ,her husband (Tu) and their 12m old daughter hadn’t been to Fulaga for over 5 years and it would be a wonderful surprise for their parents. Well we couldn’t say no to that could we ?
We worked out it would be easier to moor in Lami bay to collect them so we couldn’t spend any time at our fave bar at the RSYC. I dinghied ashore at 7am and met them getting out of a taxi, with slightly more luggage than first indicated but it was OK, it was baggage not people. We got everything onboard after 2 dinghy trips and headed off.
It turns out Tu worked on container ships and was doing his skippers ticket so would be good to have onboard as he could help with night watches.
Again, nothing much to report on the 26 hour passage other than two wahoo, a mahimahi and a tuna.
Going back to the race, I had never sailed before and Sonya had only once before (in a light breeze for an hour with no other boats around) so we really had no idea what to do or expect.
We went aboard Akonga a couple of hours before the start and headed out for some practice, there were 7 onboard in total. The others were all experienced yachties/racers and we were happy to take orders from any of them but there was only ever Nick (skipper) giving the orders, suggestions would go to him then he would make the call.
Come race time and all the boats were circling around the start line (marked by large yellow buoys), getting closer and closer to each other as more boats arrived and start time got closer.
Obv I know nothing about sailing etiquette but I was very surprised when a many million dollar, 60 odd foot, catamaran came steaming by us making Nick swerve as the start horn went off. Its something to do with windward/leeward and who has the most money (lie) apparently !
Well it was chaos as everyone headed for the narrow channel out (bear in mind this was all within the reef passages around Musket/Malolo just to add another challenge).
Soon we could see the racing cats out front, followed by some cruising/performance cats then our group of monohulls. I think it was around this time that Fenice (a 62' Beneteau) came past us, they went on to win the class.
We seemed to be in a class/race of our own, staying between the groups and looking good . Some other cats had started making ground on us and soon one was alongside. The problem was we were about to change course (tack?) and they were where we wanted to be, and there was a reef approaching. Nick called out to the other skipper and was ignored. Again he tried and eventually the guy answered saying he would not be changing course. I was busy making mental notes about his boat name and what he looked like so I could find him in the bar later ! Nick was forced to change plan and slipped in behind them to avoid a reef.
Another 30 mins and our big race arrived, a 50+' monohull who had carved throuh the pack from the back. It became a very exciting game of tactics with some incredibly close (having to lift legs from sitting over the side as we passed close) racing. We were infront then they were, etc but it was all about tacking and finding wind ( prob a terrible description to any of you who know about sailing).
Eventually we crossed the line behind them but were 3rd in class, an amazing achievement in my mind on a comparatively small boat (apparently).
We went aboard Akonga a couple of hours before the start and headed out for some practice, there were 7 onboard in total. The others were all experienced yachties/racers and we were happy to take orders from any of them but there was only ever Nick (skipper) giving the orders, suggestions would go to him then he would make the call.
Come race time and all the boats were circling around the start line (marked by large yellow buoys), getting closer and closer to each other as more boats arrived and start time got closer.
Obv I know nothing about sailing etiquette but I was very surprised when a many million dollar, 60 odd foot, catamaran came steaming by us making Nick swerve as the start horn went off. Its something to do with windward/leeward and who has the most money (lie) apparently !
Well it was chaos as everyone headed for the narrow channel out (bear in mind this was all within the reef passages around Musket/Malolo just to add another challenge).
Soon we could see the racing cats out front, followed by some cruising/performance cats then our group of monohulls. I think it was around this time that Fenice (a 62' Beneteau) came past us, they went on to win the class.
We seemed to be in a class/race of our own, staying between the groups and looking good . Some other cats had started making ground on us and soon one was alongside. The problem was we were about to change course (tack?) and they were where we wanted to be, and there was a reef approaching. Nick called out to the other skipper and was ignored. Again he tried and eventually the guy answered saying he would not be changing course. I was busy making mental notes about his boat name and what he looked like so I could find him in the bar later ! Nick was forced to change plan and slipped in behind them to avoid a reef.
Another 30 mins and our big race arrived, a 50+' monohull who had carved throuh the pack from the back. It became a very exciting game of tactics with some incredibly close (having to lift legs from sitting over the side as we passed close) racing. We were infront then they were, etc but it was all about tacking and finding wind ( prob a terrible description to any of you who know about sailing).
Eventually we crossed the line behind them but were 3rd in class, an amazing achievement in my mind on a comparatively small boat (apparently).
Fishing news
We sst off from Vuda but our friends had to turn round as their hydraulic stabilisers wouldnt work (65' trawler style launch) so we went straight to Navadra to wait for them. No bites on the way despite going through a couple of large 'boil ups'.
When they arrived we decided to move on the next morning but go out into deeper water for a better chance of catching.
Dean is a very experienced fisher but hasnt caught anything since being in Fiji as his wife has only recently got used to the controls on their boat.
Anyway, we got out to the drop off I was looking for (300m one side, 750m the other) and motored along it. First bite only took about 50m of line before it got off, no idea what it was.
About 30 min later the reel screamed and by the time I got to it (20 or 30 seconds) about 250m was gone and even with max drag it was still taking line. I looked out and saw a beautiful marlin leap from the water then crash back in, Sonya saw it too and shouted 'oh my god look at it'.
Alas, 5 minutes (and several leaps) later it spat my lure out and disappeared.
Gutted I looked over towards Wakamouri and saw they were stationary too, must be hooked up.
We carried on and it didnt take long for the line to go again, this time I wasnt letting it get away !
My rod was bent over and line was going out, I suspected a tuna was on because it was diving.
10 minutes later I got him up close enough to see, yes a decent size yellowfin tuna.
Another few mins and it was at the surface alongside the sugar scoop, I went down with the gaff and got it first swoop.
Funnily enough it didnt like having a big hook stuck in its back and went berserk, I pulled it hard against the side of LS and leaned over with a knife to cut between its gills. The water was turning red and its thrashing slowed. I handed the gaff handle to Sonya asking her to keep it against the side, I went and got the fish bin from the other side and took the gaff back.
I really must get some fish scales but my guesstmate from the pain in my back trying to put it in the bin would be in the 15 - 20kg range, not going to win any prizes but will taste good.
Push the lid down on its tail and set the lures again.
We got to our destination without another strike and went over to Wakamouri, Dean was gutted, he got a BIG tuna (30 - 40kg was his guess) up to the duckboard but when he turned to grab the gaff it dived one last time and pulled the line taut on the duckboard snapping it and freeing the fish.
It took a few beers for him to get over that !
We sst off from Vuda but our friends had to turn round as their hydraulic stabilisers wouldnt work (65' trawler style launch) so we went straight to Navadra to wait for them. No bites on the way despite going through a couple of large 'boil ups'.
When they arrived we decided to move on the next morning but go out into deeper water for a better chance of catching.
Dean is a very experienced fisher but hasnt caught anything since being in Fiji as his wife has only recently got used to the controls on their boat.
Anyway, we got out to the drop off I was looking for (300m one side, 750m the other) and motored along it. First bite only took about 50m of line before it got off, no idea what it was.
About 30 min later the reel screamed and by the time I got to it (20 or 30 seconds) about 250m was gone and even with max drag it was still taking line. I looked out and saw a beautiful marlin leap from the water then crash back in, Sonya saw it too and shouted 'oh my god look at it'.
Alas, 5 minutes (and several leaps) later it spat my lure out and disappeared.
Gutted I looked over towards Wakamouri and saw they were stationary too, must be hooked up.
We carried on and it didnt take long for the line to go again, this time I wasnt letting it get away !
My rod was bent over and line was going out, I suspected a tuna was on because it was diving.
10 minutes later I got him up close enough to see, yes a decent size yellowfin tuna.
Another few mins and it was at the surface alongside the sugar scoop, I went down with the gaff and got it first swoop.
Funnily enough it didnt like having a big hook stuck in its back and went berserk, I pulled it hard against the side of LS and leaned over with a knife to cut between its gills. The water was turning red and its thrashing slowed. I handed the gaff handle to Sonya asking her to keep it against the side, I went and got the fish bin from the other side and took the gaff back.
I really must get some fish scales but my guesstmate from the pain in my back trying to put it in the bin would be in the 15 - 20kg range, not going to win any prizes but will taste good.
Push the lid down on its tail and set the lures again.
We got to our destination without another strike and went over to Wakamouri, Dean was gutted, he got a BIG tuna (30 - 40kg was his guess) up to the duckboard but when he turned to grab the gaff it dived one last time and pulled the line taut on the duckboard snapping it and freeing the fish.
It took a few beers for him to get over that !
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