Volivoli Point

 Stardate Sept 8, 2023

Slogged (and I do mean slogged) our way up the coast to Volivoli yesterday.  Intense wind on our nose the whole time.  Somehow, Nick could sail the whole way; I couldn't come close to pointing into that wind.  Especially with reef passages as narrow as 300 yards.  Burned a lot of diesel getting here.

So, exhausted and battered as we were, I dropped the dinghy to pick up Nick.  Our intent was to reward ourselves with beer and food at Volivoli Beach Resort.  Got there, tied up, washed the sand from our feet and joined the merry throng of people at the bar.  I caught the bartender's eye and ordered a Fiji Bitter.  Nick asked the wrong bartender if he could pay for a beer, the result was an extended convo re 'Oh?  You're not with the birthday party?'  My Chezsense said 'oh-oh'.  There sat my beer, a big 20-oz inverted cone of frosty thirst-quenching reward to slake my thirst.  It was at my fingertips.  Then the woman in charge showed up.  "Come with me, please.  You have to be registered at the office."  Oh, ok.  Register first, drink next.  No problem.  She gets us out of the bar and then informs us that this is a private function for some high mucked-muck's 70th birthday and we were not allowed.  She was very nice, so we didn't give her a hard time.  She did say, "Come back tomorrow." As I turned to leave, my beer was still on the bar, calling out for me.

We had to head the dinghy into the winds on the way back.  Got soaked with spray.  One beer on Nick's boat and then off to Peregrine and spaghetti.  

Current plan is to lay up here in the lee of the hills and leave tomorrow. Wind is supposed to be from the southeast at an angle that I should be able to point into.  20-25 knots, though.  Going to be rough sledding, methinks.

Nick wants to go hiking in the hills just to get off the boats, so that's what we'll probably do.