Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our plan is to have a stuffed chicken with all the fixin's since it will be just our little gang. Since we last wrote the kids have been busy taking Karate lessons and love it. We have been unloading the boat and watching the water line rise. The weather has been fantastic or maybe it's because we have the heater on in the morning and are not suffering like last year. To all our family and friends back at home who are enjoying family on Thanksgiving....you are in our thoughts and enjoy every minute of being together. Missing you all very much.

The Grego's

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Underway to Gulf Harbour

Anchor up, sails out and we are underway once more. Our next destination Gulf Harbour. We will do it in two long days with a night stop in Tutukaka. After spending the night joking about the name Tutu"KAKA".... We are now moving along on our second day and should be into Gulf Harbour Marina this evening at 6pm. The view of New Zealand coast is story book beautiful. Rolling hills, green grass, spectacular rock formations and cool crisp air.

Opua - After checking into Opua. We spent a few days of "celebrating" with friends, cleaning up the boat after 6 months out at play and grocery shopping. The weather was great this year compared to last year which made it much more pleasant. We cruised out through the bay of islands and once we passed the pierced rock we heard a call of a boat that just spotted killer whales near by. Our eyes where peeled all day but no whale spotting. We will keep looking.

Land Ho! Cruising down the coast of New Zealand

Magical, just magical! As we rounded North cape the sun light was beginning to color the sky pink and red and the Moon lit my trail behind me. We are motoring with no wind and flat glossy seas. The sea birds are in full force looking for breakfast...skimming over the water dipping a wing here and there for fun. We made a "BeBe Special" breakfast this morning with bacon, eggs and toast. Should be arriving in Opua this evening along with a group of others. Looks like there will be a party on the Q dock!

Day 2 - Beautiful day in the middle of nowhere land

360 degree view of the ocean, can't complain. I know people back in the states who pay a fortune for a view like this!! Today was a spectacular cruising day with speeds well into the 9+ knot range. We made enough headway to make it into New Zealand Wednesday night. The winds have clocked around to our stern and we are motoring along now at 7. Ha, imagine yourself driving over 300 miles at 7 mph down a highway. Well, when it comes down to moving my entire house this way it's pretty amazing. It's cool to never have to pack a bag and travel as much as we do. Don't like the neighbors? lift anchor... Tired of the same view? move on... Ready for a new experience? raise the sails. But, can't pickup the phone and call mom :(. We are very happy and doing great. Looking forward to landfall.
P.S. We caught a nice Albacore Tuna today.

Next stop New Zealand

We are underway to New Zealand after spending a magical 5 days in Norfolk Island. Norfolk is on our top list of favorite stops. On Saturday morning we got a VHF call that Tony, one of the teachers I met at school, and his family were wondering if we wanted to go to the local market. Now, if you saw how the boat was rocking and rolling you would understand why we jumped on that offer. Tony and Lucy Janssens and their wonderful 4 children (Marley 7, Inaia 5, Ruben 4, and Romany 2) made us feel like part of the family. Unfortunately, Paul had to stay on the boat due to the conditions:(. The day we spent with them is a day we will cherish for the rest of our lives. To top things off, it was Halloween and a few of the residents really put on a great show. My kids entered haunted houses, drank potion and loaded up on "lollies". I can't wait to upload some pictures of our stay in Norfolk. When we departed this morning, our friend John Buffett hailed us on the VHF to say good bye and to let us know we will not soon be forgotten. Just an added cherry to the already heavily frosted cake. Norfolk, my hat goes off you all of you.

As I write we are 70 miles from Norfolk heading south into 15 knots of wind at a close reach. The seas are decent and we are enjoying our first day out. We expect a 3 to 4 day passage into New Zealand. Not 100% sure if we will land in Opua or Mardsen point. There are a few people we need to meet but we also want to get the kids into school and settle down at Gulf Harbour Marina. At this point we will let the weather dictate our first NZ destination.

Bumping along in Norfolk

The reason why most people miss out on this wonderful island is because the island doesn't have a decent bay to shelter from the wind, waves and swell. Cascade bay is the best one on the island and if you could see us now you would raise your eye brows. We don't have the 4.5 meter swell that is out there but we have the wind coming into the bay and a good wind chop. Mom and Genevieve, it's like the anchorage in Fiji when the storm blew through and then we had that steady uncomfortable rock all night long!!!! The good thing is Merric won't have to go through the adjustment phase the first day out. It looks as though we will have a nice passage down to New Zealand. Tonight is Halloween and we have been invited by a local family I met as school the other day to go Trick or Treat. The kids are so excited!

Let me back up two days ago..a teacher, Susanne Evans, stood on the wharf until someone could come out and get us. She wanted us to come to school and tell our story. We ended up visiting 4 classes and had a fantastic time. The schools have incredible (touch screen) smart boards!! They pulled up maps off the internet and we were able to manipulate them on the board. My kids even had the chance to play T-ball. LOL! You should see what happens with cruisers on land.

Norfolk Island -- most of the residents are decedents of the famous Christian Fletcher -- ala Mutiny on the Bounty. It eventually reached a point that Pitcairn Island could no longer support the population and most of the people were relocated to Norfolk Island many years ago. Susanne Evans and her family are the descendants from Pitcairn island. She helps celebrate and preserve the rich history of Norfolk island, the original language and filled us in on some ghost stories from the "Convict" days. She is someone I will not soon forget and hope to see again. Thank you.

As a side note: As we were walking down the road yesterday, we were picked up by John Buffett. Of course we asked if he had any relation to Jimmy and he said he wasn't sure but that Jimmy Buffett did come out to the island, with some of his family, a few years back and held a concert. There is a large amount of Buffett's here on Norfolk . Correction: Local population-1800.

A little history on Norfolk

After touring the island yesterday we were so captivated by it's beauty and rich history that I had to put my hands on the past. Captain Cook made first European discovery in 1774 and named this place "paradise" in his journal. I understand now what he meant by that. In 1825, a penitentiary was built and the island became what us Americans call Alcatraz. These prisoners were part of a chain gang and housed in pairs in a 6x5 foot cell. They tended to put those who didn't get along together to make life on this prison island even more torture. We also learned along our walk through the ruins is that some prisoners were sentenced to life, death and even dissection. They had a room where doctors would dissect a body to try and learn about insanity, what made them different that the average human, and also parts of the body in general. The view outside the "New Gaol" ruins is just breathtaking with the massive waves smashing against the rocks. It gives an eerie feeling of what was. It felt like I could close my eyes and smell the dark, dank and wet Georgian building coming to life. I can hear the screams of the prisioners and the chains. I could see the dread on the prisoners faces as they walked through the threshold.

Norfolk Island

This little rock in the middle of the ocean has been such a delight. Our first impression upon arrival is a barren rock with cliffs and littered with Norfolk pines. Little do we know that it is populated by 2000 of the nicest people in the South Pacific. One of the locals left us a car on the wharf for us to use as we wish. Today we spent 7 hours shopping, eating, touring and enjoying this "Honeymoon" island. We are waiting for a few more days for the weather to improve to head south to New Zealand. The anchorage here isn't the calmest (we are rocking side to side as I type) but it's the only and best one here so I shouldn't complain. Today we outfitted the kids with new sneakers and warm clothes before we head south into the cold. We want to be ready!!! 29.01.1S 167.58.5E

Glitter on the ocean

After enduring a rather bumpy start we are enjoying a great two days of light wind and glossy seas. Last night the stars were so bright and the glitter from the fluorescence lit up the night. The temperature is dropping and it's rather chilly in the evening but we are prepared this year. Our plan is to sit out a few days of strong winds that would be on the nose for us in Norfolk and then head out for our final leg. We are very happy so far with the weather pattern we picked out for this passage. All is well on Free Spirit. 27.58S 167.30E

Leaving New Caledonia

For the past week we have been living and breathing weather gribs. Every morning is the same. I get myself up, say good morning and ask...."What's it look like?" We analyze the weather like scientist, we plan our plays like football, and prepare ourselves for the storm. We have spent the last week doing play by plays with wind angles, speed, distance, possible stop over and just hauling butt to NZ. It's a passage that 99.9% of cruisers dread. We finally came up with a play we liked and set out this morning at 0600. We will have crap for the first 24 hours, then light winds and will motor and need to get into Norfolk island by Tues morning or we will get slammed with 25 knots of wind on the nose. We will wait in Norfolk till the strong low down there passes and we will ride in on a high. The seas right now down in that neck of the woods is 25 foot. We are lucky to have Norfolk as a stop over. Google Norfolk Island (Australia) and see the little rock we are headed to. We are with 6 others and keeping tabs via VHF but as of tomorrow we will communicate via SSB. It's always nice to know your not alone. Our current position is 24.40S 166.13E and getting cooler.

Meeting up with friends and reviving old stories

When we first started our journey, almost 5 years ago, we met a couple in St. Martin. After crossing paths many times we finally had a chance to sit and chat again. What we didn't realize is we would leave them with a story that has traveled with them. They wrote about us on their website and this is what they wrote:

Friends at Sea - Blueprint Match

Saturday, 30. September 2006, 17:37:04

BLUEPRINT MATCH

This sailing adventure has been a steep learning curve not least of all is bringing the fragile skin of our boat up against the rock hard and unforgiving dockside. As we approach the dock it has been a case of adjust the fender, move this one left that one right a bit. Now the height is not right, untie and redo. Now the next fender but quicker the gap is closing. Rope is knotted and fingers fumble. Still have to organise the docklines so leave fender and coil rope. Now no-one on the dock to catch the line so I will have to jump. One leg over the safety rail. Not yet, too far, too high. Back over the rail. Whoops! Move a fender quick. Jump now. No! Too far I’ll never make it. Go forward. Where’s the rope? Rope stuck, drop coil. Look for end of rope. Jump with rope, NO! Put rope down and prepare to jump. No good, I won’t reach rope from the dock. Step back over rail. Fender too low. Start untying. Throw rope… into water. Recoil rope with one hand while retying fender with other. Can’t do either. Throw fender NO! Jump rope NO! Recoil nerves. We have had moments of sheer panic and it has taken time learning to manage these manoeuvres without too much terror. Having said that each time throws up a new set of parameters for us to deal with, but at least now there is minimal yelling between us.

Way back in February while “Mind the Gap” was high and dry on the hard we watched from the safety of the land as “Blueprint Match” approached the dock. A catamaran with one engine down is even more difficult to manoeuvre and the gusty wind was blowing them onto the shore. Already tied to the dock were other yachts leaving just enough space for them to squeeze into. They had to negotiate a tricky exercise of parallel parking.

Closing the gap to the hard rapidly, and a space where a fender needed to be, it reached a stage when things looked like they could go horribly pear-shaped.

It was at this critical point that he (Paul as we found out later on meeting them) left the steering and without a word walked across the deck to adjust a fender. Michele, over on the foredeck, skipped with the sprightliness of youth and the grace of a ballet dancer over all the deck hardware and called out sweetly “ It’s okay Honey, I got it”. With that Paul went back to steering.

We were aghast! Where were the popping eyeballs? Where was that throbbing vein standing proud on the forehead, the foul language, and other “pleasantries” yelled loud enough for the entire bay to hear? (sound travels so well over water). Where were the stubbed toes and bruised shins? Where was the PANIC? Later we realised they had two under four year olds aboard to boot! Not a peep out of them. Had they been drugged or what!

It was a moment neither of us will forget soon but most of all we learnt a fabulous catchphrase. – “It’s okay Honey I got it”. For all our following tense moments on our learning curve one of us would use these words to diffuse a stressful situation. Admittedly sometimes they were uttered through gritted teeth with an eagle eyed stare and a voice thick with sarcasm and sometimes they were said after the panic but they always managed to lighten the mood. Most of all they always bring a smile.

So, here’s to you Michele and Paul.
Thanks.
Happy sailing

www.gregoadventure.com

Priceless moments - Kuto, Isle of Pins

Things have been very relaxing and beautiful here. Today I spent one of the most magical afternoons with my little family. There is a hike around the point where we are anchored called the "Knob". I packed a lunch and we headed out for the trail. As we started our hike we came across a large sea snake just below the trail sitting on a rock in the water. It had beautiful black and light blue bands and Merric was explaining to us the design of his tail which helps his swim in the water. It was just an amazing experience for all of us. As we continued on we found a little clearing with an incredible view of an island in the distance and the swells pounding along the jagged rock ledge. It was priceless to hear my kids tell me how much fun they are having and how beautiful it was. Paul and I couldn't help but smile. Seanna LOVES picnics so this made her day. When we started hiking again we found so many beautiful shells and at one point it felt like we were looking for easter eggs and pointing them out everywhere. Merric was having a blast looking at dead trees and discovering termites and other small creatures. Seanna kept saying, "Mom, this is the best day of my life". As we were looking for shells on our trail we came across another sea snake. It was slithering by a near by tree just off the trail. During the hike I kept thinking that is must be easy for the sea snakes to just come right up here since we were walking right on a cliff. We quietly approached it from behind and watched him for a little while. When we felt is was safe we let Merric touch his tail and after Paul tried to pick him up with a long stick. The snake was very calm and it was exciting to watch my two boys. Do I need to say how incredible it was for Merric??? A full bag of shells later and a walk through old prison ruins we made it to the beach and back to the boat.

Tsunami warning - New Caledonia round 2

Just as we took a break from home-school we received a Tsunami alert from the local Gendarmarie (Police) to evacuate the anchorage. A report of another earth quake 7.8 in Vanuatu and a wave was under way. This really gets us uptight as we were just playing in Vanuatu for over a month and we are not too far away. We hope that our friends in Vanuatu are safe and hope to hear from them soon. We got a bit frustrated when we couldn't make out what the French coast guard was saying due to a loud hum on their radio. After repeated attempts by several boats to get information we think we heard it was safe to return to port. Upon our return we had the Gendarmarie waving us at the beach to return back out to sea. Just as we turned to head back out the VHF started the hum but I could finally make out what the Coast Guard was saying, "Tsunami warning has been lifted". We are now re-anchored and keeping our ears open to any info. Don't know any news about the devastation in Vanuatu as we wanted to get this email out to family asap so they don't panic. Please send any info you can about what happened.

Love,
Michele

The unexpected

You never know what to expect out here...

Our next destination: Ilse of Pins
Distance: 120 miles
Desired wind direction: E and anything north of E
Desired Speed: 15 Knots
One overnight

Our weather indicated a E wind shifting to the NE at 15 by midnight so all was a go. We headed out to winds on our nose (South) and sailing not in the direction we wanted to go. We sailed fast across to New Caledonia but needed to head way south to the Ilse of Pins. We decided to stick it out and see if the wind would shift. Paul called up more weather a few hours later only to get unfavorable information. Okay, so it's not going to be our best passage but lets make the best of it. Trying to keep a speed up so we will arrive during the day. As night approached we started to get ready to settle down and start watches. Merric was sleeping outside and Seanna was going down in our room and Paul was brushing his teeth when Seanna called out "I just threw up". Shoot, she is in our room and we just pulled out all the warm blankets since it's starting to get cold. So, now I am cleaning up Seanna and Paul is pulling off sheets and pillows. Poor baby. She usually doesn't get sick and if she does she is quick about getting somewhere easy to clean. At the last anchorage a boat friend of ours gave me some hamburger helper. Now, I am not one to use stuff like this but since we were under passage and it was easy I figured I would give it a try. Well, It didn't sit right with Seanna and probably will never touch that stuff again. Nothing is easy out here. Now we have to sleep on mattresses fully clothed until we reach our destination so we can do laundry. Fun Fun!!!!

We made it in safe and sound. It's just beautiful. I can see why they call it the island of Pines. It's full of Pine trees.
22.39S 167.26E

Tsunami Warnings

Let me start off with saying that everyone on board Free Spirit is safe and sound.
Our morning started off as usual. Paul checks our emails and starts to make our coffee. I crawl out of bed (7:30am) to the wonderful smell of brewed coffee, sit in front of the computer with my hot steaming cup and read my "news" (emails). As I was reading an email from my mom we started to hear someone calling on the radio. We are currently anchored in the lagoon of Ouvea, New Caledonia 20.43S 166.25E with 30 other vessels who are in the ICA Rally. Solanjo was informing us of a Tsunami warning that was in effect in New Zealand. Due to the 8.3 earth quake in the Samoa. Yes, that leaves us in the line of fire so upon hearing the warning we, and all the other 30 boats, lifted our anchors and headed out to sea. After speaking with the French Navy our warning was till 9:16 am. It was a mass exodus with Free Spirit being the second boat out. We were not planning on sticking around to see what might happen. Now, half the boats were still asleep or didn't turn on their radios so luckily we have "LIZZIE" large trawler with a very loud bull horn that woke everyone up. All of us were out of the cut with in the hour and in what we considered a safe zone. We continued to monitor the warnings from the French navy. At this point we were getting all kinds of info from family back in New Zealand and Australia who said the wave was getting smaller and by the time it reached us it would be non existent so at 9:20 our head boat called in no effects in our location and we started to head back into the anchorage. It was a non event and we were thrilled! We are now enjoying some of our duty free booze we picked up in Vanuatu and are celebrating life.

P.S. School lesson today: What is a Tsunami?

Love you all,
Paul, Michele, Merric and Seanna.

Arrived in Ouvea, New Caledonia

After my eamil the wind died to nothing and we motored the rest of the way...

We arrived in Ouvea at lunch time and spent the last part of the trip enjoying the beautiful views around Ouvea. It reminds us our favorite cruising grounds in the Bahamas. The sand is bright white and the water is crystal blue. Not much more to report until we clear in and start to play.

Passage South to Ouvea, New Caledonia

We had an early 4 am departure set to time ourselves for a daytime entry to the next set of islands (quick 220 mile trip but still an overnighter). With the forecasted weather we anticipated around 6.5 knots. We are in a fleet of 31 boats heading to a incredible islands that have been closed to all cruisers this year. The swine flu has made many, including our friends on Bebe, leave port even under unfavorable conditions. This is the advantage of traveling with the ICA rally this year. We left on time and motored the first hour in washing machine conditions. Then, it felt as though someone flipped on a switch and we had 20+ knots of wind and sailed at 8 to 9.5 knots for the duration. Instead of arriving tomorrow evening we will be in early morning and might even have to slow down. This passage will be on our top of favorites. We hooked a huge fat barracuda and threw him back. Then, our line started to scream out....We hooked a monster marlin. Paul was crying since it was on our "old faithful" lure and when Paul saw it jump out of the water he knew there was no way we would get it in while doing 9+ knots full sail. I quickly turned the boat downwind and got tons of slack in the line (something you would never want to do if you planned on keeping it) and after a beautiful jump the marlin spit the hook out. It was exciting but also a relief. Can you believe we didn't land one fish today??? There is always tomorrow. All is well on Free Spirit and looking forward to an incredible star gazing night. 19.17S 167.23E.

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Port Vila, Vanuatu

After playing in the island for the past month it was nice to pull into port an get some civilization. During our month out we started to run very low on beef and had no pork or chicken. I substituted fish for everything!!!! When we anchored in Awai, Vanuatu we made friends with the family on the island, Solfren and Jossyln. Every day they would pop over and deliver us fresh veggies and fruit from their gardens and I gave her sheets and blankets. We spent one day with Solfren as he was building a new hut. It was incredible to watch the many used of Bamboo and natural building materials he used. Then next day Merric, Paul and Solfren went to go find a pig and the boys spent the morning cleaning and gutting him to be cooked in an underground oven. The girls did all the cooking while the boys sat back and drank Kava. That night while the boys drank the Kava Josselyn came over and had a ball checking out how we live on the boat. She loved the music, hanging out with us while I made dinner. We made friends for life and hope to stop and visit them again. We will be in Port Vila for a week getting ready to head out to New Caledonia. We had to apply for extended visa which will take 7 days to process plus they keep our passports. Looking forward to the duty free shopping the day before we depart. We already started to look in the stores to be prepared on what we want to get. All is well on Free Spirit.

Black Magic, Taboo and the Rom - Ambrym, Vanuatu

Our last three islands we have visited have had their own magic... Black Magic! The beliefs are strong and the cloud of suspicion runs rampant in Asanvari since recently an important person (35 years old) just died from Black Magic. They will assure you that the most powerful sorcerers live on Ambrym. There is a sense of Mystery and credulity that happen to be lurking inside. This active volcanic island surrounded by black sand beaches was our next destination. As we anchored in Ranon we were quickly greeted by Jeffery. Jeffery and his father head up the tours here in Ambrym so we could easily find a guide to bring us up in the hills to experience a traditional Rom Dance. We planned for an early morning departure to watch the dance in the Fanla village. After hiking one hour up the mountain behind someone with very strong B.O. we reached the village. We happily accepted the fresh green coconuts to drink when we arrived. They explained the traditions for the Rom dance and local Taboo. It is Taboo to get closer than 3 meters from the Rom dancers and we are not allowed in the sacred dancing grounds until we are invited in during the ceremony. As we approached the dancing grounds, we peeked through an opening to watch the beginning rituals. The men were dancing and stomping in a circle with a banana leaf belt decorated with leaves and a wrap around only the penis attaching it to the belt, that's it. Everything else was exposed. Imagine our kids surprise when the dancers turned around. The great thing is they didn't comment until we got home. Two of the dancers came closer to us and turned around signaling our acceptance and allowing us to enter the sacred ground. Then came the Big Rom Dancers. They are big and domineering! The mask on their head is about three feet high and they are covered from the neck down in dried banana leaves. They carry a spear that resembles a outdoor torch with beads that make a tribal sound. They surrounded the other dancers and chanted. We felt like we jumped right into the pages of National Geographic.

We've been adopted!

Oh, wow, where do I begin!!! Upon our arrival in Asanvari bay, Vanuatu, we were adopted by a local family. We were unprepared by the family generosity we would receive. Each year, when the ICA travel to Asanvari, they dedicate a family to each boat. Wednesday was the formal adoption. When we arrived in the open air hut we were greeted by the village chief, Nelson. He then called each boat in the bay and dedicated us to a family. He choose his son Jim and his family of 8 to be our adopted family. They came up to us with each our own home made bag, a beautiful woven rug for me and fresh fruits and veggies. Since the emotional adoption, we have had a blast with our family. We spent one afternoon with all of them having lunch on the boat, another day hiking the hills while our older sisters carried Seanna and daily visits. We shared Laplap with another village...more on the laplap later! Oh, and we drank Vanuatu kava. Mom and Genevieve, this is nothing like the kava in Fiji. The root is raw and grounded to a paste. It is then squeezed through a coconut strainer and diluted with some water. It is then strained again using the brown part of the coconut tree. I had a SMALL shell and felt like I just downed 3 shots of tequila...I was trashed! Paul, on the other hand, decided to do two LARGE shells and let's just say it was a really funny night after that. We spent the rest of the evening watching some cruisers stumble to their dingy's. Thanks to the missionary's who wanted to cover up the women back in the days, they make these huge (Moo) dresses for special occasions. Some of the women where given one as an adoption gift. During the pig roast and traditional dance night they all wore them. Before the night started my mom, Rachael, brought me to her hut and presented me with a dress. We all wore our dresses proudly!! There is just so much to say about the last few incredible days we've had here. I think I will do the rest in pictures when I get online.

A quick Laplap story:

Years ago, when cannibalism was common, there lived a ruthless cannibal in the next village up on the hill. When we visited his grave, we were told of the story which ended his life. A son was hiking up the hill to visit the village when we was captured by the chief and eaten. Laplap is taro root grounded into a slimy paste and baked in an underground oven in leaves. It is then topped with coconut milk and eaten. It resembles a firm smooth polenta. When the father and another son went in search for their missing sibling, they were greeted by the village and invited to lunch. While eating the laplap they noticed a piece of finger in it. They quickly realized it was their sibling. The following day,they had their chief and his village killed. He was the last cannibal on the island. So, when I was presented laplap the next day....it was hard to stomach.

Ambe - Anchoring in a crater

We are currently anchored at Lolowai, Vanuatu 15.16S, 167.58E which used to be a volcano. Years ago the crater blew out one side and the sea level rose and created a 40 foot deep lagoon. The entrance is tricky and usually done during high tide since you do have to enter through the blown out rim. On a catamaran we don't need to worry about this as much but it's still scary seeing the reef in less than 9 feet of very clear water...which makes it look like less than a foot. We are surrounded by black sand beaches and sheer cliffs on one side. The village here holds the largest hospital in the NE islands of Vanuatu. But, if you need to check into the hospital make sure you bring your own plate, cup and utensils if you want to eat. It's an open air hospital and by the looks of things I could see, not somewhere I would want to be. We took a 3 hour hike along the mountain ridge today with spectacular views of the bays below. Fruit grows EVERYWHERE!!!! We met several people from the peace corp who have lived here for 2 to 4 years and have nothing but great things to say about Vanuatu. We caught another huge Wahoo and had a fantastic fast sail here yesterday with speeds steady 9 knots.

Quick safety tips we have learn here:
1. Always check with the village if it's safe to swim before jumping in the water. Some areas the sharks are fierce since it is where they clean their cattle.
2. Don't pick up shells as one might have the snail which will inject you with a poison which will kill you. If you make it after 6 hours you might live.
3. Black sand beaches are usually off limits for swimming since the gray sharks rule the area and are aggressive.
4. There are some resident crocs in some anchorages, another reason to talk to the locals first.
5. You have to be cautious on some islands because of Malaria...get local knowledge.
6. They have rocks that shimmer like diamonds in the water and when banged together they create a glow...legends have it that if you bang these rocks you are calling the storm gods. We won't try to see if legend is true!

These are some of the things I need teach my kids along with not talking to strangers.

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At play in Vanuatu

Since arriving we have been busy playing. During the passage they annouced a fishing tournament which we were happy to participate in. We ended up catching 16 fish (Tuna, wahoo, mahi mahi, a spear fish and a barracuda). We won the first price with the biggest fish which was a night at the resort burre on the water. Our friends on a beautiful trawler named 'Lizzie' offered to have the kids sleep over so we could have the night to our selves. What a treat!!!! We all had a blast in the open air shower with continuous running water. A luxury we don't have on the boat. The next day, Red Thread pulled up. It was raining pretty heavy so we decided to bumper up so the kids could go back and forth without us having to jump in the wet dingy. We stay that way for four nights. We are now anchored in a beautiful bay off the island of Espirto Santo. As we pulled up a Dugong (manatee/sea cow) popped up beside the boat, Paul went for a snorkel and saw a 10 foot sea snake and we are flying on the internet from the incredible house we are anchored near. Like couldn't be better!

Arrived in Vanuatu

We are now anchored and drinking a cold beer at Oyster island Vanuatu. It's a bit grey and wet this morning but we can see some stunning beaches and lush green vegetation. Merric has just informed me that on his Shark videos it shows Vanuatu and the large diversity of sharks in the area. GREAT!

Last day out - in Vanuatu

We are now with in hours of our anchoring destination. We had a very calm passage with one burst of wind and tons of motoring. Our current fish count is 5 Wahoo, 7 Tuna, barracuda and 1 sailfish. We will donate half the fish to the resort that is hosting our arrival in Vanuatu. As I watch the sunrise and the sky loose it's dusk pinks, I see an island to my left with a gradual peak welcoming us. We are very excited to be here.

15.30S
167.44E

Day 2 into 3 passage to Vanuatu

I planned on writing last night to update the blog but weather changed those plans. At 7:30 pm we have a radio check-in to let all the other boats know we are okay and our position. Just before the check in (6:30 pm) the wind was non-existent and we took down all the sails. Just as we got back on course the wind kicked up. I called a boat 15 miles ahead to hear that he also had wind and it was picking up. We really wanted to get the sails up before dark and the check in. That was 7pm by the time we were all done and not soon enough. The winds kicked up to 23 and bursting up to 30 knots. It was also coming from our performance angle and starting pushing through the water at 11 knots +. It was a nice change since we don't motor very fast and we were getting left behind. You know there is free beer at the end of this rally so we don't want to be late ;). It lasted for 6 hours then fizzled out to nothing and started the motor. We are now with a new bunch of boats. Sailing with our friends on Destiny whom we met in the French Polynesian last year. As for our fish count. Yesterday brought in 2 medium tunas, and one barracuda. This morning, as I sipped my morning coffee, the lines started to scream. We got a Wahoo double header. Threw the two lines back in and they screamed out again. We landed ANOTHER two Wahoo!!!!! In 20 minutes we landed 4 wahoo. It's really nice to restock my freezer with fresh fish. Kids are begging for sushi. Maybe tomorrow.

Our current position is 16.28S 172.01E Look up our position on google earth.

And we are off... passage to Vanuatu

After a wonderful Chicken curry dinner and final brief, all was a go. We have since set sail. Well, I take that back. We have turned on the motors and scooted out of Malolo island. We are a fleet of 21 boats plus a few of our friends from Holland who are on a fast track to Asia. We already caught a beautiful 3 foot Wahoo and just thrilled. It's calm and the winds are finally filling in enough to keep the sails from flogging. The kids are great and we just learned why Seanna LOVES passages. She says it's because she get to sleep in mom and dad's bed :). Since we rotate watches and only one of us sleep at a time we always let her sleep with us. Merric, on the other hand, sleeps up top in the salon with us and occasionally wakes up and checks the radar and looks for ships. It's a unique time to spend with your kid.

Already missing our special friends on Endangered Species (Rick and Robin). Had a blast with you guys!!! It was great to be able to wake good bye at the cut. See you next season or in New Zealand.

Will keep you posted on our progress

ICA Rally -Sand bar results Malolo, Fiji

Another fun filled day was planned for Monday. The sand bar, which comes out only at low tide, is a great place to have fun for about three hours before the real estate goes under. At 11:15 every dingy in the anchorage started making their way out to the party. Musket cove set up a little snack and drink bar at the sand bar along with all the fun and games. The main events were the hairy chest contest, the bikini contest, beer drinking contest and Tug of war. A line of about 40 men long all bearing their hairy and not so hairy chest was just a hoot! Merric decided to cut out pictures of Hares (rabbit) and glue them to his chest. They had three categories: Hairiest chest, smoothest chest and best form. Merric won for best form!!! Then they started with the ladies. The categories were: Best bathing suit, best presentation and best overall bikini body. Trust me I was shocked when they called MY name out for best overall bikini body! Those judges must have been drunk! LOL. Then the drinking contest was international (USA, Australian, ect..) versus New Zealand. They had to walk with an open beer between your legs to the line and back then chug. After lots of cheating later it was a toss up. Everyone got a free beer. The best chugger was a chick from good ole USA!!! I am so proud. Then came the Tug of War contest, again international vs. the Kiwi's. After tons of beer later (all consumed within 2 hours) Tug of War was on! Well, WE LOST! We spent the rest of our time floating in the water drinking beer, chatting away about everything and nothing. So far, the weather looks calm for the passage to Vanuatu starting Thurs. (Wednesday in the states). So calm that Paul is getting a bit more fuel since we probably will be motoring for a bulk of the trip.

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ICA Rally regatta week - Musket Cove

After we decided to join the ICA rally, we have been busy!!!! A rally regatta started on Saturday and festivities last till the last day before we leave for Vanuatu. Our first event was Saturday "Sports day" with Coconut toss, Long jump, egg toss, three legged race, the wheel barrel race and topped off with Kayak and hobbie races in the afternoon. Our standings is as follows: Paul and I both won 1st place in the long jump. Paul came 2nd place in the coconut toss. Seanna and Merric came in 2nd in the egg toss. Paul and Merric's team placed 1st in the wheel barrel race. Paul and Merric came in 2nd in the kayak races. Paul and I came in 2nd in the three legged race. After Merric won his first prize he became super competitive. A side of him we have just discovered. He even got himself on a hobbie cat at the end of the race and went out for a sail. Last night we had a "W" party. You had to dress up in something that starts with W. Paul was the Waka root man, Merric was a warrior and Seanna and I were waitresses. The kids one an ice cream for their outfits. Today we have another busy day on the sandbar with drinking, hair chest, bikini and tug of war contest. Should be fun! I plan on cutting some of my hair and gluing it to Merric's chest. LOL.

This and That in Malolo, Fiji

Since our last post, we have celebrated a birthday, lost a few teeth, swam with a sea snake and joined a rally.

Holy Sea Snakes!!! Yep, you read right. Seanna and Daddy were swimming of the back of the boat when a black and white striped sea snake came right up to them and tried to get up on the boat. NICE!!!! We calmly got Seanna up and out of the water and watched as this thing circled the boat trying to find a way up. What is it with us and snakes!!!!!! We had a boa in Panama join the crew when we had Annie and Danny on board in the San Blas. Danny LOVES snakes, LOL.

Our little girl is 5! Crazy to think that she has had 5 birthdays while sailing. Has it been that long? We spent the day doing what Seanna wanted to do. We played at the resort pool, enjoyed quality family time and I baked a 4 layer german butter cream cake with pink frosting. It looked so pretty until the heat of the tropics melted the frosting and my designs. It still tasted great!

Merric now has that classic gap tooth smile. It is so funny to see him smile and learn how to eat. He lost his tooth in the middle of the night so at 1am I found his light on and went in to see what was up; he was! He was so excited about it and couldn't wait till the tooth fairy would come. Yikes!!!! That meant Paul or I had to stay up and wait till he fell asleep. An hour later....HE WAS STILL UP. Finally, a few hours later Paul got up and the fairy came. LOL. Made for a very long night for us.

We have decided to join the ICA rally that leaves Fiji the first week in Aug and heads to Vanuatu. Check out the site to see what we will be up to if you want http://www.islandcruising.co.nz/

We then will head over to New Caledonia with them and stop in the Loyalties and clear in there after our stay in Vanuatu. Our final leg will be New Caledonia back to Opua, New Zealand. That is our plans as of today....but if you know us well, you know how quickly they can change.

We have a full week of planned parties, activities and contest with the rally in Malolo lailai this coming week and will fill you in on the details. They have a bikini contest scheduled....do you think I should try??? LOL.

Hotel Malolo

Seems as though once you check in...you can't check out. We keep coming back to relax at anchor in Musket Cove, Malolo lailai island. It's a great place to catch up on boat chores, play in the pool and recover from a cold. For the past two weeks we all have been battling some kind of fever, sniffles, body aches and everything that goes with being sick. I like to keep repeating how cruddy I feel just so Paul won't forget I am sick and ask me to help him do something, LOL. No future plans to move on yet. We decided to wait a few extra weeks to let the rainy Vanuatu season to calm so we will have a better experience. Not sure if I mentioned on the blog but we have decided to head back to New Zealand this coming cyclone season. For many reasons, we feel it's the right thing to do. We have already booked our old slip in Whangarei and planning our next road trip. We feel the best way to experience NZ is by land. They are SOOOOO well set up for campers, camper vans, and backpackers/trekkers!!! Fiji, on the other hand, has been on of our favorite stops. Happy we didn't skip Fiji because of the things we read in the news. Funny how peoples words and comments can alter your course but when you make your own decisions you are rewarded. We quickly learned that some places that people trashed were some of our favorite spots.

All is well aboard Free Spirit.

8,000 mile reunion

I often relate my life to being in a boxing ring. My opponents are different and fight a bit differently. Most of the time it's mother nature I am fighting against, sometimes its family and friends and, of course, the boat. It seems as though as much as you try to do what you want to do, something will punch you back. Sometimes that punch can be a pretty darn good blow. There are victories and then some of us get a TKO (technical knock out). With that being said, just under two years ago, we met a boat named Red thread who was also traveling by boat with two girls the same ages as our kids. Under rare circumstances, a friendship between the parents matched the bond between the children. We sailed off the forbidden shores of Columbia together, caught many fish and have some stories to tell. Then in September 07 we parted ways as their cruising schedule was different than ours. They transited the canal and told us all the details, sailed to the Galapagos, Easter islands and rode the roaring 40's back over to Chili. We finally made it out to the French Polynesian. Our reunion was to take place in Tahiti in 08'. Our friends took a "TKO" in Chili, in a storm with winds up to 90 knots which broke both their anchors loose and to make a long story short, landed them on the rocks. It's not what everyone thinks it is out here! There is the really good but then it can get really bad just as quick. All we knew is that we were so far away from friends who need us.

On a happy note, I am happy to say, Yesterday we bridge the gap and proved that even though we have lost a fight we can pick back up get ready for the next match. We are stronger this time. We hope to be on a winning streak but if not we are ready to give it all we've got.

As Red Thread circled the boat, shouts, tears, waves, kids jumping and emotions were at a high. Not even minutes later a 2 year gap was closed as though it never existed.

Fun in the sun

We have made Malolo island our home base and have found loads of things to do around here. At low tide all the reefs are exposed and you can go fill, to your hearts content, a bucket of sea grapes. They are a delicacy here and treated like caviar. We walked over to a local village and met a Fijian named Maria. We started chatting with her and before we knew it we toured her land, learned all the things you can do with a coconut, told us how to make a few dishes with her fruits and veggies in her garden and left with two full palm baskets of provisions. That night Paul made us coconut rum punches, we cooked the red snapper from the sea, cassava in fresh squeezed coconut milk that Maria gave us from her garden and baked two big Paw-Paw (Papaya) breads. Can it get any more traditional than this?

Last night we had a girls night out. They were having a local "Meke" dance at the Plantation resort so we loaded up in the dingy (Paul's Porche, LOL) and headed out for a night on the island.

All is well on Free Spirit

Unperfect Weather

When my mom and sister landed in Fiji, I have only wish for everything to be close to perfect... So far the first few days were and still are but the weather decided not to cooperate with my plans. A big Low pressure was on it's way and will be heading right over us with winds steady at 35 knots with higher gust. Our main concern is to find a decent anchorage, which is not easy around this neck of the woods. We high tailed it to Naviti which had a nice bay to tuck into. As we "tucked" into our bay we played and went on a wonderful hike only to come back, pull up a new weather file and find out the wind might not be in the favorable direction. We pulled anchor and went near a village for a slightly better shelter from the wind. That night as we sipped our first Margarita the wind started to pick up. The wind was coming in gust and jerking the boat around. Needless to say we were happy the anchor was set nice but none of us got a lick of sleep. The next day was rainy, windy and gusty. We hibernated on the boat and played with new toys, painted our nails (except Paul ;), and commented on the gust. They came down the mountain at around 45 knots+. It was another sleepless night but in the morning you could see the sun peeking in through the clouds and the blue sky trying to say hello. We all believed it would be a good day and put on our bathing suits. And, you know what, it was!!! We sailed down to Waya (downwind) and then tacked into the bay of Waya and found a beautiful anchorage in front of the village with the most incredible view of the steep cliffs and peeks. I am proud of my girls for weathering the storm. It was quite the scene as we all were inside eating crabs that were delivered earlier by a villager and sipping margaritas while the wind was making the most horrendous sounds outside and the boat was being pulled around like a little toy. As I type, Paul is just finishing cleaning a huge red snapper he just caught off the back of the boat and it's pitch black outside (9pm).

Happy Father day to all you dad's out there.

Sacred Islands, Fiji

Since picking up my mom and sister two days ago, we have had an incredible trip. We motored to Malolo island and had some incredible water views. We enjoyed Mojito's with fresh local mint and crashed. The next day we decided to keep moving and head out to the less travel (touristy) islands. We are now on a deserted island in the Sacred island chain. These islands are movie stars (Survivor Fiji). Today we cruised by the island that Castaway was filmed. We are headed to Waya island and will go visit a traditional village and do sevusevu. Gatta have these girls drink some Kava ;). Today we anchored in a huge patch of sand and the stern of the boat in over the most incredible coral garden we have ever seen. Nice playground for the day!!!! We met some local fisherman and traded some tobacco, bananas and water for a few Lobster. Yum! The bartender just called out that the margaritas are ready. Bye!

17.27S
177.02E

Suva and over to Yanuka Island

June 10th, 2009

Although Suva was not the most favorable places to be for my birthday, I ended up having a wonderful time. Clearing in here is the pits and even when you have to check in with your cruising permits, it can take up to 3 hours of waiting time. Most boats we spoke to had to wait two days just to officially clear in and be allowed off the boats. In Savusavu, we completed everything within 4 hours and they all came to us. Afterwards, we went and bought ourselves a few "birthday gifts", walked around town and found a Gloria Jeans coffee shop. It's not starbucks but it's good coffee and we were thrilled. That night we feasted on some awesome Korean food.

We set sail for the island of Yanuka. It's a small island inside the reef near Beqa island. We rounded the bend and found ourselves a beautiful coconut lined beach. Just what the kids needed. It is an exclusive resort that only had three guest. We befriended a French couple with a little girl who is 5. Then, another boat with three kids from New Zealand ages 6, 5 and 8 months. Made for a fun afternoon frolicking on the beach and the parents drinking cold Fiji beers under the palms. We ended up staying with every one and had dinner at the resort. This was the best birthday ever!

We are now on our way to the island of Vatulele. I am hoping to be able to do some trading for their tapa cloths. They are known for their bold colors and designs and we would love a few for our future house...

18.29S
177.38 E

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Makogai, Ovalau, and Suva

We ended up spending a few extra, unexpected, days in Makogai and discovered that the more time you spend with the locals the more you get out of your adventure. Being at the right place at the right time and going with the flow also helps... A dive boat comes in twice a month for a traditional savusavu ceremony, dancing, and a feast cooked in the underground ovens and we were invited to stay. The next day we walked for over 5 hours in the jungles with Chief Watson. We learned countless amounts of survival skills to live off the island, we picked tons of wild hot peppers, and we ate coconuts and drank coconut water along the way. Maybe I should put Paul's name in for the show Survivor??? What do you think? Chief Watson came with us on our 3 hour trip to the next island, Levuka. HOLY COW, what a trip! I didn't want this trip to end up like 'Gilligans island' but, the wind was cranking for the past few days so the seas built up. When we got in between the two islands there was a "stream". The 10 foot waves and wind were fighting a counter current for about a mile which made the waves bigger and coming from every direction. So much water crashed on the boat that it even ripped off our window covers. By the time I started to panic we were out of the "stream". AHHHH! We spent one rocky night in Levuka and made an early departure for Suva. A 6:30 am departure, one big Mahi Mahi, another huge BULL Mahi, and 10 hours later we landed in Suva. So far, from what I see, it's a busy port and civilized. Will let you know more tomorrow. A glass of wine, good music and the thoughts of picking up my sister and Mom soon...ah, makes for a great evening. Good night.

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Big Marlin

Free Spirit has finally landed her first Marlin. It was 67 inches long and just so much fun to bring in. We were all over the moon with our catch when our line went out again and landed a nice rainbow runner. It was one of the best 55 miles passages we have had in a long time. The seas were down, the wind was up, our speed was steady at 8 knots and the fish comin' in. We also caught a Mahi Mahi and then brought the lines in. We are currently at Makogai Island 17.26S 178.57E and enjoying the bay all to our selves. Paul and I have come to the conclusion that the reef here in 10 feet of water is one of the most beautiful snorkels we have ever done. The reef, sea creatures and reef fish are alive on this reef...every turn is an "oh WOW" moment. Reef fish in the Pacific are just incredible to look at. It's like the fish gods had a contest on who could make the coolest and most unique looking fish. I swear I saw a Tommy Hilfiger fish today (ya know, with the stripes and colors he loves to use). The butterfly fish are my favorite. This island is known for their giant clams. They harvest them here to help restore the giant clams all over the reefs in Fiji. Today we saw a 60 year old clam that was about as big as a keg of beer. Just Amazing!

Saturday, May 30th 5:54 pm.

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Nasasobo, Fiji

We are really having quite the experience here in Nasasobo bay, Fiji. We made friends at the little settlement here (2 houses). The way of life is SOOOOO different that what we are used to. There is so much to say.... Bertha and George have 5 children but three are at school and don't come home for months on end. They are all under 15. The open air house is set on a steep hill overlooking the bay. As you walk up saying, "Bula" (Hello), some one is waving you in with a big smile. There is little furniture, a big beautiful hand woven mat in the living room, and long colorful sections of cloth swaying in the breeze. Even though there is one couch, everyone sits on the mat.

They drink Kava there, they eat there and the spend time lounging there. I was once sitting on the couch and Bertha said, "Are you comfortable up there? Come sit down here with me, it's better". We have been invited to several gatherings and feel like part of the family. We spent 4 hours drinking kava one night, enjoyed local fare another night and on Sunday we ate the wild pig they caught in the hills. The kids are having the time of their lives. At night, in the pitch black, armed with flashlights, they are chasing and watching big toads eat bugs. Merric is our little Kava drinker and hangs out with the big boys.

Bertha babies Seanna and gets her everything she wants. Georges Grandmother lives in the other house and she invited us up. She brought tears to my eyes because she just suffered a stroke and doesn't leave the house much anymore. All the collected artifacts and pictures in her house is like a museum. She reminds me of my grandmother in her last year of life and it was hard for me to say goodbye but lucky to have been able to meet her.

We are changing our future cruising plans and heading back to Suvasuva tomorrow... We planned on circumnavigating Vanua levu and spending a few months on this island alone but now we are going to take the shorter route to Viti Levu so we can pick up my mom and sister on June 14th. YEAH!!!! Did anyone hear that howl of joy??? We can't wait! They are coming in to spend a little over 2 weeks with us.

Like I said... excitement happens at night!! Last night, just as we all tucked into bed a squall came through suddenly with gust ripping down the hill side. The boat did a complete 180 and set off the anchor alarm. We have our new BIG Manson anchor down with all of our chain in 45 feet of water. The holding here is great in mud and sand. We set up all of our navigation and radar in case we had to move in the darkness but all held on tight. All is well here on Free Spirit.

Dakuniba

We visited the village of Dakuniba and visited the chief. We arrived during a more relaxed kava ceremony and upon arrival we were ushered in and sat in front of the chief and his fellow "kava drinkers". Paul placed the bundle of kava in front of the chief, he then picked it up, inspected it and started chanting. He turned it around, patted it, and said more words and at the end of the chant all the other men started chanting with him. The kids were in awe of the ceremony and the importance of the kava. Merric then asked the chief if he could taste it :). We were then asked several questions and passed a few shells of the already made kava they were drinking. It taste like water with a root flavor, it numbs the mouth and should make you feel really relaxed after about 4 shells. I had two small shells and declined anymore after the chief told me I didn't have to drink it; Phew, I thought it was an insult to decline a shell. After chatting with the men and clapping over each shell we downed, we headed up with two local woman (Viachell and Viv)to take a trek up in the rain forest. We got to a spectacular formation of water rushing down rocks with large bath tubs of water and boulders that look like they will tip over if you lean on them. As we dug a bit deeper into the brush we got to big boulders that had petroglyph's on them. The boulders have broken up during the years and were scattered through out the area. Merric and Seanna felt like archeologist and went searching around to find all of them. It is Mandarin, orange, tangerine and lime season here and it's hard to miss. As you walk the village and through the brush you see tons of fallen fruits and peels from the children who find them. By the time we got back to the boat our backpacks were full of Mandarin oranges.

Last night, Paul heard some crashing in the water and threw a line in. Not even 10 minutes later we had a beautiful mangrove snapper in the bucket. Looks like more fish for dinner. Made an incredible dish of Mahi medallions in a Diablo sauce over angle hair pasta. Yesterday's lunch was Curry fish chowder and Dinner was cornmeal crusted Mahi with a sweet chili sauce and Caribbean peas and rice.... Might not have a restaurant nearby but dining al la Free Spirit is a culinary experience. Reservations needed.

Nasasobo

We have finally left the harbor of Savusavu and heading around to the north of Vanua Levu. We had a fantastic sail, caught a Mahi and tucked into a hurricane hole with views of mangroves, rolling hills and a little village. We plan on going to meet the villagers today and do the sevusevu which is the kava ceremony and present our gift. There are hot and cold water springs near by and we are surrounded by reefs to explore.

16.45 S
179.51 E

Bula

Bula from Fiji,

Ahh, I am back in the islands. The sounds of island rap music blaring out of the grocery stores, fresh fruit and veggie markets with Bodi beans (Green beans that are two feet long) that I haven't seen since Trinidad and the friendliness of the locals are all a welcomed sight. It's hot, humid, rainy and everything we like about the tropics. We have reports from friends of ours that New Zealand is freezing cold and having low pressure after low pressure. Food here is cheap so I don't cook much but I am starting to feel my waist line grow. There is a strong Indian influence here and the Polynesian look I am used to is changing. The Indian community came here back in the early 1900's to work the sugar cane and most have never left. The woman wear long skirts, no hats (to be closer to god without any interference) and always seem happy. I was teaching Geography one day and decided to cut out a whole section because, what they taught my kids, I could show them on the streets here in real life. What an amazing feeling!!! Kava! What is Kava? Kava is generally used for celebration but is also consumed on a less formal scale. It is a root that is ground in to a powder form that is placed in to a thin cloth and soaked in water. It is squeezed until it reaches the perfect color of dirty, non bubbly dish water. I can't comment on the taste yet but will let you know after I try it... We had to buy several bundles to offer the village chiefs if we decide to anchor off their village. If they accept our gift, we are then welcomed as part of the village and may stay. It's a long standing tradition in the more remote parts of Fiji and is part of the charm. We will head out of Savusavu in the next couple days once we get our cruising permit and an idea on where to go first. So much to see!!! I don't have wifi here but as soon as I do I will add some pictures to the blog.

Arrived

We made it in and were greeted by a few small pilot whales. We are safely tied up to a mooring enjoying the incredible views of coconut trees, fruit bats and getting cleared in. The quarantine men had on masks due to the swine flu that is going around. We are now waiting for the customs and immigrations before heading out to get a bite to eat. Will try and get some internet somewhere to call home.
16.46S
179.20E

40 miles to go

We don't move fast but, we get there! Less than 40 miles to go before arriving in SavuSavu, Fiji. We plan on a daybreak arrival so we can safely navigate through the reefs. Speaking of reefs, that is one thing Fiji is not lacking!!! I am so excited not to be moving and for a whole night sleep...

Special day back in Florida

We want to send a special congratulations to my cousin and his girl! We, on Free Spirit, are the luck ones who got to spend over a week with Alex and Kristin in Bora Bora last year. I knew Alex was planning on proposing in a very unique way but, not during this vacation. Shortly after, he did and she said, "YES"! Today, they said, "I Do". I know that their love is deeper than the deep blue sea. Congratulations to the both of you.

I don't know what I would do without my Sex and the City DVD's (Thanks Annie) cause they are a life saver on passages. Last thing I want to watch is something like, White Squall or open ocean or Jaws or...you get the picture :). As I watch them I realize how far away I am from that lifestyle. Man, I only own two pairs of flip flops, a couple bikini's and the nearest restaurant is 9 days away!!! haha.

We currently have 200 miles to go and expect a Tues morning arrival. We have slowed down a bit so we wouldn't arrive in the middle of the night. A safe practice we have carried our entire adventure.

Caught another two Mahi and now hoping for a Tuna to give us a little variation. Plus, my kids are screaming for Sushi. That is one thing New Zealand didn't have a clue how to make!! When you ordered a tuna sushi roll it was COOKED, Canned tuna...gross!

19.57 S
178.54 E

Off to make homemade pizza!

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I spy

I spy something blue! The ocean? Yep! I spy something light blue! The sky? Yep! I spy something white and fluffy! The clouds? Yep! Your turn!! This is around the time when days blend into each other. It's hard to remember how many days out we've been. We motored for a whole day but at my 1 am watch the winds picked up to 10 knots. We put the sails up and have been steady at 6 to 7 knots. It's been a great sail! The seas are calm and the swell is in the right direction. Life aboard is great. We caught another mahi but this time it was a more manageable size. I was starting to think there were only large Mahi's out here! As we motored, our friends, (S/V BeBe)who are headed to Vanuatu, had up to 35 knots of wind and triple reefed. We are now starting to pack away all the sleeping bags, winter clothes and blankets, yeah! We anticipate a Monday/Tuesday arrival into SuvaSuva, Fiji. Anyone want to come for a visit?

22.31 S
178.18 E

Mahi Mahi - Palmerston Atoll style
Mahi filet marinated in the following:
Soy sauce
honey
garlic
salt and pepper
**liquid smoke (optional)

When we went to Palmerston Atoll, Cook islands last year, we came to their shores having just recently caught two big Mahi Mahi. Our island family host Shirley seasoned up the fish while her husband, Edward, prepared the under ground oven lined in banana leaves and heated by coconut shells and husks. The coconut shells where heated by the husk that got hotter than the average charcoal. We layered the fish, which was marinated with the above ingredients (minus the liquid smoke), on the banana leaves and cover it. 20 minutes later we ate the most amazing fish!!! I now add the liquid smoke to give me the smoke flavor since I can't replicate the oven on board. I cook it on a med-hot skillet with a bit of oil, cook on one side for one minute, flip and turn off the pan after 20 seconds and let is rest. Depending on the thickness of the fish, you might want to go for a minute on the second side to but do not over cook as it dries out quickly. Great with rice, noodles, or on top of a salad.

Lovin it!

What a beautiful day! We woke up to no wind, full sun and rested. Spent the day doing laundry, baking bread and muffins, enjoyed Mahi a la Palmerston, and did Yoga on the net. We are all decked out in our bathing suits and slathered in sun block... we love the tropics!! We don't expect much wind for the duration of our trip and hoping to have enough fuel to get us to Suva Suva. This morning our computer crashed and now have the back up running. Guess that means we will have to go in search of a new computer in Fiji. Really bummed about that since we were very close to buying a new one in New Zealand but decided against it since we had two that were working, go figure! Gatta role with the punches. I am happy that I spent a day archiving my 12,500 pictures on disks and sent them out or safe keeping with Annie.

24.31 S
177.47 E
For those of you who asked what these numbers are, it is our position (longitude and Latitude) which you can put into google earth and see our current location.

Day four out.

We are beat! The past few nights have been a challenge with wind, squalls and rudder issues. Our rudder keeps going out of alignment and usually the auto pilot can handle it until a squall comes and then it jams and we can't turn the boat. This leads to a few quick shouts for help and a team effort to hold the helm while the other goes in the engine room to adjust it back. Paul and I look at each other and don't speak what we really feel....THIS SUCKS! We are wet, cold, tired and frustrated but keep thinking that when we get to Fiji it will all be forgotten. Luckily, today was a nice easy day and we spent a few hours working on the rudders and auto pilot to see if there is any wrong. We did a few adjustments and all seems to be doing well. We also haven't had a squall so I will let you know if it's fixed when we get into one. Tonight looks like it will be quite and calm. As I type, we are going 3 knots but I am not going to put the engines on and wake up Paul. We will make up the time/distance later. Right now, I want my captain rested.

26*13 S 177*19 E

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Fish On!

FISH ON!!!
Yeah, our first fish of the trip. I was sitting at the helm when I heard a strange sound. As I was looking up the reefed main trying to figure out what the noise was, Paul came running out of the cabin yelling, "FISH ON". OOHhhh, that is what the noise was!!! We have had these lures swimming for days with out a strike. Then day we all start to shed some of our layers of clothes and Paul starts cracking open a few beers, the lines start to scream. Unfortunately, the clicker didn't work on the reel we just had repaired in Whangarei so it spooled the other rod and lost the fish. The Mahi we did get in was quite big and plenty of fish for the next couple days plus, some to put the in freezer. Today was a great sailing day with steady 15 knots of wind with an occasional gust that pushed us along at 8+ knots and sometimes up to 10+ Wheeee. There is another big nasty low pressure coming across New Zealand and generating some substantial winds. We hope to be just at the northern tail end of the low by the time it passes by us. All is well aboard 'Free Spirit'.

28*23 S 177*13 E

Excitement happens at night

As Paul woke me up for my 1 am watch, I had the feeling he was not ready to hit the sack. By the time I stacked on my last layer, I felt the boat moving and fast. Paul said the weather was starting to get squally and was debating if we should take in our light wind sail. As we started to chat about it a big white light appears on the horizon due north of us. Upon a closer look at the radar it was a ship 12 miles away and heading our direction. Paul was able to hail the captain on the VHF and we had a friendly chat. I guess we can't say we were two ships passing in the night, that is not our style. The ship passed with in 1.5 miles off our port (left hand side). We got the Ginniker sail in and Paul headed off to bed. Not even 15 minutes later and all hell broke loose. The wind kicked up and changed direction, the auto pilot was knocked off course, the boat was taking off and surfing waves over 10 knots and to top it off I started to see the lights of another boat....AUGH! PAUL!!!!! With Paul back at the helm and the wind gusting up we headed downwind and I reefed the main then got soaked by the downpour. Got back on course and guess what???? The wind died! HAHA. I guess mother nature wanted to make sure we were awake and on our toes tonight. Current course: 32'26 S 176'22 E.

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First night out

Burrrr! This is not our type of sailing but I have to say we are much more prepared than when we arrived in New Zealand last November. I have 5 layers of clothes on and two pairs of slippers with socks :).... Okay, I was looking forward to the evening because our little girl has been overly excited about going out to sea again and just chatted our ears off all day. Merric, on the other hand, ate up half our provisions and wouldn't be happy till we put the fishing lines out. No fish today! Which is a blessing for me since the big, left over, swell from the low is getting to me and the smell of fish would have set me over the edge. I have been jammin' to my ipod all night and looking at the sky that is loaded with stars, can't complain. The wind has been below 15 and sometimes non existent. Not going anywhere fast!!!! We have been on our toes out here since a rally of boats started out of Opua on the same day we departed. Hard to tell if it's a boat or a star on the horizon. The only close encounter we had today was when another Catamaran (AHU) sailed behind us this morning and almost ran over our fishing lines. Okay, better get back on deck and some fresh air. Don't have my sea legs yet! Will write again soon, Michele and the crew.