July 2023 – Sailing with Saphir

Fiji with Elise

Suva yatch club anchor place didn’t make a good impression on us rather the opposite. Lots of ship wrecks and ships that almost are a wreck.

We decided to leave and found a bay just around the corner. This feels much better. Although it is a bit rolly when the tie comes and goes. We stay here over night and I did some very stupid thing so my hip and leg got really bad. Hope it will get better soon. Elise is a bit yet lagged and I try out my new baking machine. This will take a few times I guess to get a great result. First I guess was to much flour.

We leave the bay next morning and head up to Nadi. Outside Denarau Marina we drop the anchor since the marina was full. We take the dinghy in to the marina to do some shopping and fill up petrol to the dinghy. When we came in and starts walking I realise that my leg /hip is worse then I thought. Can only walk 10- 20m before it is to painful to walk. After done the shopping I am totally exhausted and can’t walk…. Grateful that Erik is in Denarau and gives me a pain relief shot and some strong pills. Feels already much better on the way back to Saphir.

Laying in anchor outside Denarau was not the best place and we realise that many of the fleet is in Vuda Marina so we decided to go there. It is a very nice relaxed marine. Not as commercial marina as Denarau.

As Elise have been on big cargo ships she have learned a few tricks how clean a boat. I am very happy that she us to clean part of the boat. She also went up the mast to free the flag that had got stuck in the mast.

We went in to the Boat Sheed(the restaurant in the marina) for dinner in the evening together with Chris and Karen. We had a great evening that ended up with Chris singing karaoke and Karen joining him.

Often it is something that needs to be fixed, repaired or replaced on the boat when we come to a marina. This time the boat was okay but me and Edgar where broken. I can hardly walk and Edgar have problem with his back. Poor Elise was looking forward to sail around the island in Fiji but ended up in Vuda Marina and a few day at a resort. The days in the resort help Edgar a lot and I was feeling a bit better but still not good enough to walk . We did enjoy our days at the pool and lovely dinners. So nice to sleep in a full size bed, a bed you don’t need to crawl in and is totally still.

Elise went on a day trip on a catamaran. She snorkelled and saw lovely corals and fishes. This is what I hope to do and see soon.

Back in the marina after days at the resort Edgar and Elise goes to do some grocery shopping while I rest… So glad that we have our folding bikes onboard. This is my life saver. I am not stuck on the boat although we can take the dinghy in to the marina where there is a restaurant, chandelier and a food/ cafe/gift shop. To walk from the boat to the marina takes about 5-10 min and for me probably 20 -30 min, since I have to stop every 20meter due to pain. Biking is without any pain and the roads are okay to bike on. I can easily move around. We saw that is was going to be a market on First Landing resort so me and Elise took the bikes over to check it out. Found some nice things. Most of them handmade by the locals. I even bought a small bag that I had to wait for to be done

Vuda Marina next to the resort. Short distance but long to walk to.

In the evenings we went there with our friends and had dinner. They had performance and invited us up to dance with them. It was only Elise and Karen who went up. New drinks has to tries and Elises was very blue and good she said.

Our last evening with Elise. She leaves early morning to fly home to Sweden and start work. Safe flight back Elise and next time we hope that you can sail a bit more …

Hugs Eva

Getting to Fiji

Together with Amanzi and Matilda we hoist the anchor in the sunrise and set course to the Lau groups in the west side of the Fiji Island.

I have prepared our sleeping spot in the salon on the floor since it is going to be a very wobbly crossing. To make it softer I even put a madras’s against the cupboard and pillows on the other side to make it softer. This is definitely the best spot. Don’t understand why I haven’t done this every time. Slept so much better here. It is a two night sailing and approximate 300NM. At 2,30 in the morning we have 190 NMs left. We will be in Lau group early morning next day.

First some lovely sunset pictures.

At 8.20 Tonga time we reach the opening of the reef. This is the first time since our start of sailing that we turn back the clock 1hour and not forward. That means we are on the other side of the world from home. It took us a year to get here and if you fly it takes 30-36 hours depending on hours in airports. A bit different. We arrive in Lomaloma on the Vanuatu Balavu island and drop our anchor at 10.30. Now we wait for the rest of the fleet and specially Rob from World Arc. We didn’t have to wait long. An hour later we have been checked in to Fiji. The 4 authorities plus the agency came out to the boat. Very efficient and we are ready to leave and take us slowly around to the other side of the island.

After some very tricky narrow passages with lots off coral reefs and the scary coral heads that can be just under the surface we dropped the anchor at a lovely spot. Later we heard that five boats hits this coral heads and some needed some repairs later. What a lovely place. Would really love to come back and explore more.

Next morning we found this jello thing under our roof in the cockpit. How did it get in?? And what is it? No time to wonder just clean up and we are of to the main island and Suva to pick up Elise our youngest daughter that arrived on the 14th. She is staying at a hotel in Suva. Apparently not the safest city so no fun going outside the hotel area.

One night crossing and we will be in Suva. At noon we have 144NM left and at 5 next morning 40NM left. It takes time to sail. We have a lovely sunrise and greets by dolphins when we get closer. They where not the only one checking on us. Suddenly there came a rib boat with the coast guard asking to come onboard to check our papers. They said it was a routine check. No others boat friends after us had them onboard. This is the third time we have been checked by the coast guard. Wonder what so special about our boat?

Finally we see Suva. We talk to Elise and can see hers hotel we think. She sees us sailing outside the reef. Lots of boat wrecks and boats that are almost a wreck here. This place doesn’t look very safe or nice. It doesn’t matter we drop the anchor and Edgar takes the dinghy in to pick her up. Elise have arrived and now we have 9 days together to explore part of Fiji.

Hugs Eva

Tonga days

Sailing to Tonga was a bit rolly so we took plaster behind our ears to prevent seasickness. The scopoderm works wonder and I know that Rob agrees. We had lovely sunset and sunrise. Simple food as halfmade chicken soup and Swedish knäckebröd works perfect when you dont want to be to long in the kitchen fixing dinner although I did prepare dinner the first night that just hade to be warmed up.

Reaching Tonga Rob hoist the yellow flag and the Tongan underneath. Our ETA didn’t hold. We came in 3 hours early this time but that was good then we had good time to check in and find a buoy before dark. We say bye and thank you to Rob who join us from Niue to Tonga. It was a pleasure having you onboard

After having the bio-, custome, ect on board we are ready to find a buoy and it looks like this is going to be a very calm place to stay at, no rolling so we will sleep well here.

Some maintenance works has to be done as some washing and cleaning as always. After so long time on the boat in this humidity the boat gets salty, mouldy in some places and the brass and crome in side the boat needs extra care.

We have some great days with our friends in the village Neiafu on Vava’u island before we explore some of the others island nearby . Lunch at Bellavista sundowners and dinners at Kraaken. Both very nice places.

Only a two hours motoring from Neiafu we lay anchor next to some of our friends and do some snorkelling and a tour to Swallow Cave. That cave is fantastic with the this huge shoal of fishes that hover in the cave. The light inside and the colours of the stone in the cave. So sad that there are those that have to mark that they have been there though.

Even if there is no restaurant near by we still don’t need to cook food our self. David and his family made food for us and we had a great dinner and evening at Vaka Eitu. It was extra nice to meet up with Chris and Anne.

The day after some of us went snorkelling on the reef wall at the end of the island. It was very colour full and lots of different corals. A bit scary to get in and out due to the swells on the coral reef. My friend did heart her self and destroyed part of her west suit when she went out of the water the day before. We all came safe in and out the water with help from each other.

Time to get back to the village Neiafu and meet up with all the Arc sailors to visit the botanical garden and have lunch at their restaurant. They have just opened up again after covid and we where the first visitors. This guy is around his eighties and have traveled around the world meet the Pope 3 times if I remember right. He even have been in Sweden with some students. After lunch the children had a dance performance for us and we was thought how they make walls, rugs, basket ect out of palm leaves. It was very interesting and there is a lot of hour behind this nice work

The gathering continues with a dinner at a Bellavista where Marco is doing one of his dreams to serve food in Tonga in there traditional skirt. This was arranged by him and the crew from Enalia. The best was that almost all of us came for the dinner that night. Think the restaurant was very pleased as well. The owner is Italian and so is all from Enalia. Marco did a great job and the food was delicious!

We also hade a lovely dinner, prize giving ceremony and dance performance at Mango cafe. This time there was no price for fastest sailing since we all didn’t end up doing the same sailing via Suwarrow and Niue. We ended up getting a price for being closet in the amount of age of the fleet that left Bora Bora.

A stroll around the village to find some last things before checking out and filling up diesel. Here runs the animals around free so I was not surprised to see pigs, piglets and chickens walking around .

Filling up diesel at the pier direct from the thank truck.

The last days before sailing to Fiji we spent them with our friends padel boarding and enjoying the beauty in the bays. Learned me a lesson when I feelt of the board and lost my sunglasses. Not good at all but Clare found them. From now on they will have floating rope or something else that floats. Thank you for great days .