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.