Fahiti ho!

 3.5 miles across the strait from Naqaiqai lies the island of Kioa.  Kind of a strange history.  It is not Fijian in culture, the entire island coming from Tuvulu.  Their own language and customs.  I had always seen the village when exiting Naqaiqai and thought 'some day I have to go visit.'  Well today was the day.  I motored over and anchored in 50 feet of water with a sand bottom.  The bay shallows very quickly - I think I could hit the shore with a rock. When I came in there were boats coming from all over, people dressed in white shirts and unloading all sorts of paraphernalia like chests and rolled up things.  Uh oh - I've come during a religious ceremony.  But, not to be daunted, I loaded up the eyeglasses and paddle boarded to the beach.  Found the first adult I could and asked to see the headman.  This guy was a visitor, too, but he asked somebody else and I got directed to the headman's house.  Where I found out ...

 A favorite of mine and Nick's last year.  Willie and Morena and Eddie made us so welcome.  It was Willie that made kava for us in the video I shared on FB.  Unfortunately, Morena had just died; her grave was up on the hillside, the red funeral flags waving in the breeze.  Willie was down in Suva with relatives, so it was just Eddie and me this time. Had kava last night with Eddie.  He complimented me on my choice of kava (like I would know) and I even got to pound it.  We had avocado with lemon juice and fried eggplant for dinner.  And surprisingly I made it back to the boat on the paddle board without drowning.  The kava seemed to have no effect on me; Eddie, on the other hand, was getting very mellow.

 Eroni is the guy who watches my boat when it's in Nawi Marina.  He told me his family is from Nasali Village in Viani Bay, so of course I had to visit there to pay my respects.  Not even sure it's called Nasali, but it's on Nasali Point, so I'm sticking with it. I met his mother right off.  She didn't speak any English, but two ladies there did.  I put her in touch with Eroni by phone and that was a big hit.  She got a pair of glasses from me, too. Did sevusevu and people kept coming to the headman's porch so I just stayed there and tried to match people with glasses.  Readers were by far the most popular; the strong prescription glasses may get left in the States the next trip.   Moved on to a covered area and found many more matches.  Video below.  I asked the folks to thank the Lions, since the Keweenaw Lions Club donated a majority of the eyeglasses this trip.

 I really liked the rainbow of colors last night.  The pic really doesn't do it justice.

 Nobody said you can't eat well while sailing. General's Chicken.  Found this recipe online and I had everything except green onions.  The sauce was a bit heavy on the Hoisin, but otherwise very tasty.  A sprinkle of chili peppers really helped spice it up. Ripe papaya with fresh lemon juice for breakfast.  Tasty!

 It's three am. Bang!  WTF?  Something hit my boat at 3 am?  Usain Bolt couldn't have moved faster to the companionway than I did.  Grabbed my headlamp on the way. Took a walk around the deck.  Nothing.  Flat calm water.  Anchor chain straight down.  Went back inside, checked Anchor Sentry.  I was right where I should be.  Turned on depth finder.  35 feet. Went back to bed.  Five minutes later - Bang!  I think the boat shook this time. Ok, now I'm pissed.  Grabbed the headlamp again and went all around the topsides.  Did I miss a coral pinnacle that I somehow floated over?  No sign with the light.  Still dead calm, clear night. Went back to bed.  Four am - Bang!  Less of a bang this time, but enough to wake me up.  This time I didn't get up.  Whatever it is, it will wait until morning. So it's morning.  All systems fine.   Best guess?  A big fish was feeding ...

 Ok.  Got 'ya to read with that title, right?  Yah, deny it if you want.   So the gas line fix worked.  The seal held and I was all happy.  Then I got to thinking...what if this thing fell apart when I'm miles up a creek or worse, out in choppy swells?  If it fell apart there would be no recourse except to row.  I needed to bypass this whole contraption and make it robust.  (The enquiring reader will note that this could have been done in Savusavu.) I had the inspiration to see if I could find a pipe nipple of the right diameter.  And sure enough, after digging around in Joe's endless bin 'o parts I found exactly what I needed - an NPT thread to hose nipple.  The nipple wasn't quite big enough (keep the jokes to yourself - you know who you are) but with two hose clamps it did the trick.  I now have a fuel line locked to the tank, no sealant required. Now just so the motor fitting doesn't go on me...  

 ...we all screen for bug screen! In Viani Bay, near the eastern-most tip of Vanua Levu.  Had to motorsail most of the way, but the winds finally picked up.  Came in through the south pass of Rainbow Reef.  Always sphincter-clenching, the depth read 28 feet at one point.  Once you start in, there's no turning around - you have reef on either side. Got anchored.  Bit of a problem getting a good set; the coral bottom of Viani Bay is not conducive to the anchor digging in.  Didn't float the chain, either, thinking I'll live with chain growl for the extra holding of the chain on the bottom.  Not much wind, though, so Anchor Sentry should not get a workout. Woke up next morning with the intent to look at my battens.  I have two full battens on top.  They have not been behaving, the sail is kind of flopped over at the mast where those two battens terminate.  It turns out (thanks, Google) that those black plastic boxes at the sail luff (ne...

Still at Cousteau, waiting (somewhat impatiently) for a south wind.  I have to travel 45 miles due east along the island.  There's been no wind at all for weeks now.  Tomorrow there is supposed to be 10-15 mph from the SE all day.  We'll see.  I'm going regardless, even if I have to motor. Of course, this brings up the question:  Ok, Dave, once you get east, how do you get back?  Will file that in the 'Cross that bridge when we get to it' file. Did paddleboard all over the Cousteau reef.  It's amazing how much you can see in this water while you're standing up.  Only fell over once and that was talking to another boat.  (Of course I do this in front of an audience.)

 Our favorite sand patch - just an hour outside of Savusavu.  Came out with the intent of testing my mainsail.  Didn't happen.  By the time you get far enough out of Savusavu to turn into the wind you're basically at the Cousteau anchorage.  Oh well. Suffered through two days of rain.  Torrential rain yesterday.  I was supposed to dinghy over to Joka's boat for coffee but one look at the sky and that was scrapped.  The rain really hit about three p.m.  I didn't even see the other boat pull up at five thirty or so.  Talked to them this am; they motored from Viani Bay yesterday through that shit.  Managed to get anchored just before dark. Snorkeled today.  Vis was not great - I've seen much better at Cousteau.  Still, I had to make use of it while I'm here.  No wind forecast until next Tuesday.  I think I'll go back into Savusavu and pick up a mooring again.  At least I can make happy hour.

 Zika One!  Zika One!  This is Zika Two! Go ahead, Goose. Maverick, we're being supplanted! That's a big word for you, Goose. It's true!  The Zika virus is not the terror it used to be.  There's a new kid on the block called Den-gee. Dengue?  That's old school, Goose.  Been around for centuries, most likely.  So what? Well, we're no longer the tip of the spear, striking fear into humans as we spread our Zika hither and yon. 'Hither and yon'?  Supplanted? Have you been doing crossword puzzles again, Goose? I have, Mav, but that's irrelevant.  This virus may put us out of business. Why so, Goose?  We can spread Dengue as well as Zika.  Possibly at the same time.  All we have to do is find a carrier. You mean someone who engages in risky personal practices, who cares nothing for their fellow humans except to use them up discard their desiccated husk once drained of their essential juices?  You mean like the woman with th...

 Beverly's daughter is in the ninth grade, learning algebra.  Came to me for help on a problem:                Simplify 4A + 5B - (3A +2B) Ok,    A + 3B My teacher said that's not right.  She said the answer was A +7B Well, no, the minus sign changes all the signs inside the parentheses. Why? Because it's the rule. Why? Because otherwise it doesn't make sense.  You can't change 3A to -3A and not change 2B to -2B. But... I'll prove it.  Put small numbers in for A and B and calculate the result of the original expression and the simplified one.  They have to match, right? Why? Let's say A = 2 and B = 3.  4A + 5B - (3A +2B) becomes 8 + 15 - (6 + 6) = 11 And, A + 3B becomes 2 + 9 = 11.   Your teacher's solution of A +7B would give 2 + 21 = 23.  Clearly not right. I don't think she's going to like that. Show her how to sub in small numbers.  It will prove it to her. *Next day*. What ...

 Jenvie warned me about dinghy fever, said there were two cases already in Savusavu.  I started to ask her where the safest place was to tie up the dingy when she started to giggle.  Dengue fever, not dinghy fever. As Emily Letella would say, "Never mind." The big island (Viti Levu) has an outbreak of dengue.  The Fiji health people are issuing statements begging people to clean up their areas re standing water, sleep under mosquito netting, etc.  I'll be slathering on the repellent and wearing my head net when I go ashore.  And long pants.  And long-sleeved tops.  Put new screen in the companionway door the other day.   I wonder what Maverick and Goose think about this?

 Best album ever, Bob.  What a masterpiece. The boat is ready to go.  I'm ready to go.  I still have to get some kava for sevusevu, but otherwise I'm good.  Why the delay?  Well, I'm helping do maintenance on other boats (surprise!).  Brian can't go under his boat anymore, so I cleaned his prop for him and scraped his hull.  We're still trying to figure out his watermaker pumps and his fridge doesn't work so I loaned him my little 12V freezer.  Joka went up the mast today and I belayed him on the halyard.   And we've had several music events on Bev's porch.  The Savusavu Marina Marching Band and Halleulah Chorus is missing a few members, but still struggling on.  Now Bev is talking about having a bigger gathering Sunday night, which means I may still be here a few more days. And the group wants to go en masse to the new Indian restaurant in town tonight and possibly to Nawi to sample the Mexican fare in the near future....

And the plan, it was good.  Still, it was only a plan and plans have a tendency to change depending on the conditions on the ground (or the wind). Not too many cruisers go on the north side of Vanua Levu.  Don't know why - guess I'll find out, if the plan holds. Follow red line from Savusavu counter-clockwise.

 Yeah, I stole that from Kacey Musgraves.  Pretty good album, iiirc. Fueled up at Nawi this am and left for a mooring up the creek at Savusavu marina.  No more construction noise!  Nawi is building a hotel, convention center and condos right next to the marina.  As you can imagine there is quite a bit of noise from earthmoving equipment.  As Boz stated at the bar the other night:  "It's a trailer park.  A very nice trailer park, but still a trailer park."  Nawi will be hella expensive in a few years.  But - always have Savusavu marina.  Right now on the moorings there's one abandoned boat, one boat that hasn't seen its owner in a year, and me.  Quiet.  And the best part - the boat swings with the wind so the front hatch will catch breeze and cool the boat. Brian will be coming down (up?) in a few days.  We are going to use the hookah to go under and clean our boat's hulls.  Probably a good idea to have someone up...