Guest speaker time and yes, the party was good

I'm going to gracefully tumble out of the way and let Chuck take over the blog today with another segment of his ongoing journeys. So get in your comfy arm chair traveling mode with a nice cuppa and enjoy!

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Tropical Lows and Blues (Blue Marlin, that is…)

Ahoy Crew and Bula!

I’ve got the Deev just about ready for the1800 mile passage north to the Marshall Islands. I was considering spending some more time in Fiji this time around but after conferring with my weather gurus I decided not to wait much longer as the weather situation can continue to deteriorate as the Tropical Cyclone Season advances. Unfortunately there is a low pressure system just north of Fiji as we speak that lies right in my path to the Marshalls. This system has the potential to develop into the first named storm of the season! I’ll wait and see… After this one rolls by there should be a clear weather window for my trip. As I said, I’ll wait and see…

I waited for two days and today is Saturday the 12^th of December (Friday for all of you on the other side of the dateline. The low pressure system is moving past us as we speak. The weather models showed 35 knot winds and 16 foot seas where I wanted to go and then wind from the north which I don’t want at all. It’s very pleasant sitting it out here in the marina. My plan is to leave tomorrow morning, just behind the low pressure system and I hope to have fair winds and following seas as I make a dash through what is called “Cyclone Alley” and on past the equator.

Meanwhile some of my friends from the Marshalls are here in Fiji to attend a wedding and they have stopped by to visit me for a couple of days before they head to Savu Savu on the second largest island in Fiji, Vanua Levu. The Commodore of our yacht club in the Marshalls, Cary Evart, and his wife, the journalist Karen Evart arrived here Saturday. Our pal Neal Skinner will be flew in, Monday. And Dennis arrived Tuesday. Some of you know these folks well. For those of you who don’t know these guys let’s just say that they are a good bunch. I worked for Neal last year while I was in the Marshalls and he has asked me to work for him again. He said that he’s got some interesting projects in mind. Last year it was solar power systems and water purification projects. I can’t wait to see what he has in mind for this year! An eco-resort perhaps?

I have really enjoyed my stay in Fiji and am sorry to be leaving. I’m thinking that I may come back this way next year. You never can tell… I just barely scratched the surface of Fiji on this trip so there is a lot more to see and do… I’m thinking 6 months in the Marshalls and 6 months in Fiji. What’s wrong with that?

I have been inquiring about the fishing in the offshore waters and I’ve been told that there are good numbers of Blue Marlin, Black Marlin. Striped Marlin and Sailfish with the Blues being the predominant species although most seen and caught are small males and the big females are seldom seen. But you know that if a lot of the boys are around the girls must be in the mix somewhere, too. There are some very reasonable island resorts in the outer islands that are close to good fishing grounds and could work as a good base for further exploration. For those of you who are interested in the topic a Google search for Sport Fishing Fiji will lead you to some very good websites including the Denarau Game and Sportfishing Club, The Royal Suva Yacht Club Game Fishing Association and Gamefishing Fiji.

That’s it for now, Crew. I hope to be off tomorrow morning. I’m all fueled up, iced up, watered up and provisioned and I’m chomping at the bit to go.

Cheers and Carry On!

Chuck

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Sneak peak of the party post...or in this case, the post party, when Francie and I went down to The Spot...apparently. The camera doesn't lie.

Me, Chiqui, Wally, Francie

Have a salubrious Saturday. Do something invigorating and do it for me too. Thanks!

Honey, I'm home!

I'm back. And is the wont of so many of us who run to close or far flung spaces during
this oh so quiet business time of year, I came home to a storm perhaps brewing. How does one know? We watch the weather via ever so sophisticated devices we find through our computers; we plan we laugh we stress and in the end, Mother does as she will and humans hope only to be ready enough.

For most storms good prep is huge and of value without true tracking ablity. Good prep means that one knows, regardless of intensity, we have done the very best we can and we shall withstand or...we won't. In the islands, there are no evacuation routes to follow, so in ways I think we who want to be ready, are even more ready. For there is no place else to go, and that, at the end of the day, is that. We'll sleep or judder our teeth or drink to not thinking while a storm passes and (because weirdly it seems so often to be in the darkness) in the light of day assess our good fortune or our bad.

So it goes. When, once upon a time in my life, I lived on boats and made a living taking them from one place to another, I used to have a sort of daily mantra (no no, not in front of a shrine, unless you consider a coffee cup a shrine) that went easily so: "If I am destined to die at sea, so be it. My family knows I'm really happy with this life. However! I really do NOT want the reason to be because I did something absolutely STUPID that someone might survive and say, oh good lord, that didn't need to happen!" And so it is with hurricane preps. Overdo! Spread the word, not with alarm, but with first day of school readiness. Do you want to be the child that didn't bring his pencil?? I refuse to be that one. That means I can play during recess!!

Be ready. Play well. Like so.

Here are a few photos of my joy time away.

Paul and his donkey Lagerhead
(truthfully, Lagerhead was probably the biggest entertainment around while I was on Jost...
and we all admit it...he's a great ass)

This is a tree in flower I found in White Bay at Ivan's. Ivan was busy so I couldn't ask him what this was....if you know, let me know! It's flipping beautiful!

Here is my heart. This is what Jost - and circuitously all island life - means to me...
if you know me or if you don't, here's a little news - I'm not, ever so sadly, cool party girl (and sorry if need be, but I never was) but I do like a good fishing morning round up.
We were fortunate enough to get some of Adam's catch
and with Chuck on the grill that night, we feasted.
Fish in the sea, fish on the table. That fresh. That good.

This is a close up of what I spent a fair amount of time gazing at while I was gone. Very taxing. Obviously, I survived.

This is the second story view from where I stayed. A soursop tree grew
at the edge of the railing. This one is a baby, still in the heart glory stage.

And it is all true!

There is more. Much much more. But it is time to sleep, so wait with me. Good night! Buenos noches.