In Savusavu

We're here for a few days in Savusavu, enjoying the opportunity to restock, get washing done, eat out (very cheaply) and catching up with old friends on boats including Salsa, Red and Quixotic. Salsa, from Sweden, is a boat we first met in Spain and Staffan and Eleanor, with their children Andreas and Erika, run an excellent blog with some great photos which gives an honest insight into the additional challenges of cruising with children aboard - here

We'll take some photos around town today and post them on the blog before we leave on Sunday or Monday (when the wind drops a bit) for new cruising grounds to the west of here. Stay tuned!

A new video - launching the first new dugout canoe in Fulaga for 6 years

As you'll have read in an earlier post, we were amazingly lucky to be in Fulaga when the first new dugout canoe was ready to be hauled out of the forest and down to the sea. Its builder was Meli, our village host, and he said he's going to call the new vessel Maunie II 

This is a short video which Graham filmed on launch day: Watch Video

If you want to get really good diving photos.....

If you want to get really good diving photos:

1. Go to a dive site with good visibility
2. Make sure it's sunny up top so the light's good
3. Find some wonderfully coloured coral
4. Add some beautiful tropical fish
5. Delete the disappointingly dull photos taken with your GoPro like this one:

6. Go with someone who has a decent camera and borrow their photos!


Adam on Bravo has a good waterproof housing and strobe light for his camera so have a look here

A video of Maunie sailing in Fiji

On the sail from Fuluga to Taveuni we had the 'Blue Monster' Parasailor spinnaker set for 24 hours. Here's a short GoPro-on-a-stick video: Watch Video

Hope you like it!

Diving the Great White Wall, near Viani Bay

Today was the first day of diving in the Somosomo straight near the island of Taveuni. We anchored in Viani Bay but only with some difficulty as the bottom is strewn with coral 'bommies' and pinnacles and we didn't want to damage the coral or get our anchor chain wrapped around one. Eventually Graham snorkeled around to find a clear spot for us and Bravo to drop the hooks whilst Dianne enjoyed driving Maunie around single-handed and brought her expertly to the perfect spot.

So this morning we were picked up at 07.00, along with Adam and Cindi on Bravo and Karen and Cheryl on Interlude, by a fast dive boat to take us around to the Dolphin Bay diver centre, run by Swiss Roland and his German wife Viola. Two dives were planned for the day, the first being the Great White Wall which is widely rated as one of the top ten dive sites in the World. Due to the normally swift tidal currents, the dive can only safely be done on about 3 days of each month and so we'd planned ahead to be here at the optimum time. It is, truly, an amazing experience best described by more experienced divers than I - this was only my (Graham) 16th dive so here's a link that tells you more

Whilst Graham was getting wet on this and a subsequent dive aptly named the Fish Factory, Dianne was chilling out on the beach and enjoying a very therapeutic massage in the little spa at the wonderfully low-tech but hugely friendly resort; we rounded off a great morning with a delicious lunch. More diving and chilling tomorrow.and Friday but we'll be around for evening (UK time) Skype calls Friday and Saturday night. Drop us an email if you'd like to chat!

Finally, we've met some great cruisers here and most have their own boat blogs - Bravo's has some more great stories and photos of Faluga so have a look here

Faluga Photos 2: Village life

 Here are a few photos from the village:

Family picnic lunch in the school field

The delights of a digital camera - Cindy shows her photos

Meli and Jima find a comfy place to sit

The boys pose in their new sports shirts 

The entire school on the beach - for post lunch teeth brushing

A party thrown for Adam and Cindy's 24th wedding anniversary (note spelling on poster!). They were dressed in traditional tapa wedding skirts for the occasion.

Anne and Dianne are taught the moves to the Faluga Canoe Dance by headmistress Dau and top fisherwoman and weaver, Gailee

Jonni pours a new batch of kava into the bowl

Graham (in traditional sulu) pounds yagona root to make kava, under Meli's supervision

Jiko finishes another mat and instructs Jess on the techniques

The proud VHF team - Graham, Aqila and Adam with the newly-installed aerial mast at the Clinic

The house cat with 3-day old kitten

Meli and Jiko's house. No electricity or running water and just an open fire for cooking in a nearby lean-to. The most welcoming house in the world.

Meli enjoys a tast of Christmas Pudding and whipped cream which be brought to our leaving party. We didn't like to tell the Methodists that it contained alcohol as they all loved the taste!

Faluga Photos 1: the lagoon

The island of Faluga is horseshoe shaped and, once you get in through the scarily narrow pass in the surrounding reef, the lagoon is a beautiful place to explore. It's also a wonderfully rich fishing area for the locals who have a name for every one of the hundreds of little islands and rocks. Here are a few photos to give you an idea.

Odd-shaped rocks in silhouette

Sustaining tree life, somehow, but suffering a touch of erosion

The village has two 'fibers' but fuel is always in short supply so the fishermen often pole them through the shallows to conserve stocks. They sometimes take these open boats on four-hour sea passages to the nearest island that has a doctor if a patient needs urgent medical attention but a helicopter medevac can't be justified

Net fishing is a job for the women each Saturday

A ride in a yacht tender is always welcomed - and the water really is that clear!

Success!

Crabs, lobsters and octopus are also on the menu; Alfretti shows off his coconut crab

Sunset on our final evening in the lagoon

More photos of Faluga to follow