May 8

 May 8

Woke up to sunshine.  Aha!  Time to move out.  There has to be an anchorage with better shelter from the east winds further on.  Two solid days of torrential rain and nutso east winds have made me antsy.

Left at nine am and motored outside the reef.  The last few miles was almost directly east, into 25-30 knots and between two reefs.  The water was funneled into big swells to boot.  Not fun, but had to be done to clear the reef and get outside for the downhill run to Sau Sau passage about twenty miles west.  

And it was a glorious downhill run.  I set the Genoa about half out and shut off the motor.  6-7 mph with the wind on a broad reach.  Very reachy - almost directly astern many times.   I relaxed and read science fiction in the cockpit.

Had to turn into the wind again coming through Sau Sau passage to get back inside the reef.  The swells were gone because of the extensive reef to the east, but the winds were still as strong.  The passage is wide and easily traversed.  A couple of shoal areas to dodge and a few hours later I motored up to Blackjack Bay.

Blackjack Bay

Described as ‘one of the prettiest bays’ on somebody’s trip.  I wonder where they’ve been.  I mean, it’s ok, but nothing to make me drag the camera out.  The good news is I’m out of the wind!  The intention is to stay just one night and get further west nearer Labasa where I should be once again in cell coverage and can get weather info.  (And do crosswords, if truth be told.)

May 9

My boat is swimming in chocolate milk.  At least that’s what the bay looks like after last night’s rain.  There is a rather large (for Fiji) river at the head of the bay and it must have dumped a load of silt into the bay overnight.  It’s to the point where I am hesitant to run the motor because of the effect the suspended silt might have on the raw water impeller.  All I need is to have to replace the impeller anchored in some dodgy shallows.  I may sit out another day to see if the water clears.  Maybe a good day to bake bread.