Sailing around the world

We made our way - Slowly - up the westernmost island chain, stopping for the night every 10 miles or so. Mamanuca, Navadra, Waya, Naviti, Blue Lagoon and Yasawa. Pulling into Yasawa-I-Lau I was ready to reconsider my opinion of Fiji.







This is the best. Crystal clear turquoise waters, sparkling white sand, flat calm and no wind. There are amazing formations in the limestone island, from sea level to the top at 233m. It is beautiful.






Next day it began to blow, so we stopped another night. It blew harder still, so we stayed another night. We were reluctant to head out of this well protected bay. By late afternoon it was gusting at 40 knots. By evening it was sustaining 40 knots with gusts well over that. It was bad enough having it blow so hard, worse still were the lulls and gusts with a range of 20 knots in the space of a second or two. This is a well surrounded bay with a reef stretching across in front of us that should eliminate almost all the wave action and a large island to windward that should give shelter. Still it roared in. As soon as it was dark - and why does everything wait until dark - the anchor chain makes an unusual sound. We struggle out on deck (in over 40 knots it is hard to stand up without being blown off!) and make our way to the bow. One of our inch thick bridle lines has chaffed through. We arrange a join and while James drives the boat forward I pull in some chain, retie the line and we are back to having two straps on the chain with an extra stretch of chain out. All fixed but how do you relax with the wind whistling through the rigging.

By daylight the wind is abating and another yacht heads off south. We decide along with another cat, to have a relaxing day after the sleepless night. Check the bridle and find the metal clips that connect it to the chain are bent and buckled. The afternoon is calm and peaceful but come midnight we are awoken by the anchor alarm. The wind had switched 180 degrees and we now have our transom to the reef. With the extra chain we let out last night, we are safe but it is a bit too close for our liking.

It is a pitch black night and it is only after careful observation that we know where things are. The wind is back up to 20/25 knots. I am wide awake so stay up and watch things. I notice that the other cat is getting closer to us all the time. This could be that they have much more chain out and are gradually stretching out or it could be that they are dragging anchor. I watch some lights flicker on in the otherwise darkened village and then see 3 torch lights making their way over the now exposed sand bar. Low tide makes it easier to walk closer to the coral reef where those lobsters will be out of their hidey holes and out foraging. These guys are out there snorkelling just behind our boat with their underwater torches.

The other cat gets ever closer until they are only just clearing our bows. It is time to give them a call. We cannot move back out of their way and if they are dragging they are only 2 boat lengths off the reef. They start moving forward which gives us the opportunity to pull in some of the extra chain we let out last night. By the time we have finished we see that our friends who have seen on their chart plotter that their boat is positioned on the reef (Fiji charts) and not having their bearings in the pitch black night have up anchored and are heading for the reef. We yell and wave torches until they turn and while almost moving forward out of danger clunk the reef. There is absolute panic with all 4 of us shouting and directing operations.

At the height of this chaos and panic one of the village snorkellers only a few feet from their boat pops up out of the chest deep water and with incredible calm and nonchalance calls out “Bula” (hello). What went through his mind. Did he perhaps think they were popping by hoping to buy a fresh lobster? Another kiss from a Fijian reef, a few scratches but otherwise all okay.

Next day we are out of there. Back to Blue Lagoon where we still are and it is still blowing. We will head off to Vanuatu as soon as the wind allows.

Lorna