Shitshow

Stardate:  Aug 25

Musket Cove blows.  I’m sorry, fellow cruisers, but this place is too crowded, too noisy, and besides, I plugged my head up this morning.  Yes, plugged, as in the turds went in but the turds don’t come out.  Whatever - I have a bucket.  Will fix in Savusavu.

Nick texted last night that he was headed out to Waya Is. this morning, so I am happy to leave, plugged head and all.  

My route was pretty fixed, given all the reefs and other sketchy areas.  It was a slog straight into variable but light (very light) winds.  Tried to use the jib several times; kept getting backwinded.  Finally gave up.  The Iron Jenny was called into use the entire 40 miles.  Left at 8 am, anchored off Waya at 6:30.  Good timing - Nick pulled in right behind me, starting from Vuda.  Anchored in 30 feet of water; nice sand bottom, good holding. 

Beautiful islands.

Quick launch of the dinghy so we could go in to do sevusevu.  That’s the subject of the next post.

One of my sailing apps had warned that this anchorage was subject to swells from the south.  Holy wah were they right!  I had the dinghy hoisted from a halyard on the side like usual for the night and stuff kept getting loose around the boat with the swells.  I finally decided to drop the dinghy from his halyard and move it to the back where it could be properly hoisted on the davits.  So now I’m out in the dark with my headband light on, bouncing around in this dinghy, trying to get the motor off and up onto its mount.  The dinghy is going vertically at least four feet, I”m hanging on to the line that runs to the blocks and then to the motor, the motor is swinging back and forth and I’m thinking ‘at least I tied the line off so the motor can’t sink’ if I go over.   Eventually got the motor on its mount, the dinghy on its davits and I went below to crash.  Boat rocked big time all night.  Luckily nothing broke.