I mentioned the sloppy seas as we left the reefs of Fiji. Those seas did not settle the entire trip to Vanuatu. By day two of it we were all feeling miserable. Lowe tends to get seasick on pretty much every passage for a day or so, but the rest … Read More
Farewell Fiji
I sometimes wonder if having a washer on the boat is worth it. Because we have a washer we tend to just toss dirty clothes in the hamper whether or not they pass the smell test or not. Been worn for a couple of hours? Must be dirty. Ali would … Read More
Cruiser Hangout
Monitoring the markets in Fiji means getting up in the dark, and closing down for the day about the time the sun starts creeping up, which is nice as it leaves the whole day wide open for proper cruising fun. We found out some friends had splashed their boat (gotten … Read More
Musket Cove
Days pass pretty easily here in Musket Cove. Perfect weather, some decent snorkeling, and a welcoming resort with the best pizza we’ve had in a long time. There’s even a nice little grocery store. Local boats use this pass at high tide, but at low tide it clears up for … Read More
Vuda to Musket Cove
While we were at Vuda Marina we did a bit of running around. Fill the propane, get diesel, grab some fresh groceries, see a couple sites, and get back out on the water. The nearby botanical garden was nice. Bit overpriced for what it is, but hey, they threw in … Read More
Out and Right Back In
There’s just one thing I don’t like about catamarans with saildrives, and that is the fact that they have oil seals that are only accessible underwater. When those seals leak, which they seem to do once a year, the only way to replace them is to get the bottom of … Read More
Leaving Savusavu
We didn’t want to leave Savusavu without doing at least a couple of dives. Unfortunately, heavy rains day after day had kept us out of the water around our normal haunts, and I wasn’t sure it’d be better anywhere else, but we decided to go out and try diving Natewa … Read More
More of Our Savusavu Life
Rain, rain, and more rain. And the locals tell me this has actually been a dry cyclone season here. Looking back, we probably should have spent another month finding something fun to do in the States or somewhere else, rather than getting back to the boat when we did. We’re … Read More
Bubble Rings
A few months ago we took a freediving course here in Savusavu to learn a few tips/techniques for going deeper. On our last day we were all hanging out in the water when the instructors dove down and tried to blow bubble rings. Neither one of them could get it. … Read More
The Savusavu Routine
Cyclone season in a brand new marina is quiet. Only a couple of boats have people on them. We thought we’d be in a bigger hurry to leave, but it’s actually a pretty nice chill place to spend some time. We’re slowly getting things together, and will move on soon … Read More
Beating the Heat
Ali got back and dove straight into doing what she does best—deep cleaning. There is little that is more satisfying than a spotless boat. What can’t be cleaned onboard gets sent out to me. I had thought I’d be able to replace the gas regulator and solenoid here in town. … Read More