We would have loved to stay longer around Savu Savu on the island of Vanua Levu, but with all the time we lost due to the various boat problems I was beginning to be under pressure to keep moving. I had promised Adrian that I would do my best to get Mercury Rising to Brisbane for him and my plane was leaving Brisbane mid August.
We decided to go to the next Blue Water Rally stopover, which was going to be the last one for us. It was at the Musket Cove resort on the island of Malolo Lailai.
Many of the boats were going west about the main island of Viti Levu but we decided to go eastabout. This was for two reasons, one it was longer but faster and secondly we had no charts of the passages through the reef strewn passages on the west side.
This meant that we had to beat up to windward to get around the eastern point of Viti Levu and this took us a day and a night.
Early morning we were passing between the island of Beqa and the main island, we were under power as the wind had dropped at about 4 in the morning. It was about 7 o’clock and the sea was like a mill pond in the lee of Beqa and her lagoon when the suggestion was made that perhaps we should catch a fish for lunch.
Beqa - early morning
We told Dean that we would like a Dolphin fish of between 4 and 5 kilos. Not too big and not too small.
Dean got the rod ready, put the line out and within 10 minutes had the first bite. He reeled it in with us all looking over the side. Yes, it was a dolphin fish!!
“Lets gaff it and get it out of the water” and up it came into the cockpit. Magnificent it was in its fluorescent green,yellow and blue livery and it weighed in at something between 4 and 5 kilos. Good fishing Deano!
Dean got his knife out and had it skinned and filleted before you could say Jack Robinson and we put the fishing tackle away as this was enough for at least three meals.
Nicole wanted to have her photo taken with the catch so you can all see what a beautiful fish it was.
The wind came up out of the east, we freed the sheets and shot off around the eastern coast like a bat out of hell, but unfortunately we lost the race to get through the reef before darkness set in. By now there were some 2-3 metre rollers coming in from the south and the waves were breaking strongly over the reef.
By checking the electronic chart I could see that the gap in the reef was wide (especially in comparison to some of the others we had been through !). It was however quite long and it was dark, this makes a big difference for judging distances.
There were however some leading lights on the mainland so having weighed everything up I decided to go for it, as the leading lights would also lead us into a bay, not far from Nadi airport, where we could anchor for the night. There was no question of trying to get into the bay at Musket Cove at night.
It’s always a bit spooky doing these things in the dark, and sometimes in the daylight too!, but it all went very well and the leading lights were spot on. We anchored for the evening in pleasant calm waters and had a fine fish dinner.
Viti Levu
Next morning we were up at 6 and preparing to go to Musket Cove. It wasn’t far but has a tricky entrance around its reefs. We negotiated it very carefully as we found the co-ordinates for the entrance, given to us by the rally, were in fact right in the middle of a reef!! Once we ignored them the whole thing became much simpler.
Early morning and off to Malolo Lailai
First glance of Musket Cove
Arriving at Musket Cove was fantastic. This was beautiful. It looked like the perfect place to relax and I estimated we could stay here for 5 days. It meant that we would have no time for any more of the Fijian islands but you can’t do everything, and I needed the rest.
There are hundreds of islands making up the country of Fiji and it would take months or years to get to know them. I can safely say, that from what I know already about the people and the country, that I would love to get the chance to return and explore the islands. I would need to find another boat, although a couple of weeks ashore would be nice too.
We made our way into the small harbour where places had been reserved for all the Rally boats. We had apparently set a record. This was the first time since her leaving Gibraltar that ‘Mercury Rising’ had been the first boat anywhere! So we had the whole place to ourselves.
What is Musket Cove? It is a natural harbour, a marina and a resort on the island of Malolo Lailai. Just the name conjures up a South Pacific paradise. There are four restaurants within the resort, a bar with a do it yourself BBQ area on a small island beside the marina, wellness centre and even a small landing strip for light aircraft and a nine hole golf course.
Yachts in the marina
Bar and BBQ island
BBQ in action
The ‘rooms’ are individual Fijian ‘bures’ which are typical thatched roofed huts and they are exquisitely furnished. There are swimming pools – one with a thirty foot sailing boat incorporated into the structure. It is quite impressive.
Fijian bure
The boat in the pool
I was very much at home here. A few luxuries after all we had been through were welcomed, and for the first time for a long time we had no repairs to worry about – at least for five days. Ok, cleaning inside and out and checking a few things, but nothing serious.
We managed a couple of games of golf where Dean beat me both times – and I reduced his handicap the second time! It was really enjoyable to play again after so many months and to be able to do so in such surroundings was a bonus.
Deano winning the first hole
We watched the All Blacks beat South Africa on a television (Wow!) in a salon set aside for that purpose. The room and outside was packed with Kiwis, Aussies and expats, it was a terrific atmosphere and a couple of pints or so were consumed that evening.
The restaurants were all terrific with both spicy and non spicy foods and considering where we were they were relatively inexpensive. Tahiti costs at least 50% more.
The BBQ on the island was a great meeting place and a really sociable place to eat. You met so many people whilst cooking it was real fun. On top of which it was only about 30m from where the boat was moored.
Basically we were doing all the things we had been missing whilst navigating the oceans. Not that it was better or worse, it was just different for us to live like this again and we were filling our boots!!
We had drinks parties on the boats, massages to take away all the aches, walks around the island, I didn't do any diving as I was not really feeling up to scratch and I had caught a cold on top of that but there is supposed to be some of the finest diving in the Pacific here.
It was a well needed rest but nothing lasts forever, so after five days we bid goodbye to all our friends and the other boats in the rally and set sail for Lautaka on Viti Levu in order to clear customs. We arrived in the afternoon and went ashore for dinner. A fellow yachtsman who was anchored nearby had given us the name of a restaurant where we should go for dinner. As it happens it was over the other side of town.
We were having a little trouble deciding which way to go so I asked a policeman. After the customary greetings of 'Bula' and asking if he knew where this restaurant was to be found, he said not to worry he would walk us there. I said it was not necessary but he insisted that as we were visitors and might get lost he would show us the way. How civilised!. On the way he and we were greeted by many of his friends and we 'Bula'd' our way all the way to the restaurant. Wonderful.
The following morning, Thursday, we cleared Customs and Immigration and set sail for our next destination,
Isle des Pins off the south coast of New Caledonia.
We were having a little trouble deciding which way to go so I asked a policeman. After the customary greetings of 'Bula' and asking if he knew where this restaurant was to be found, he said not to worry he would walk us there. I said it was not necessary but he insisted that as we were visitors and might get lost he would show us the way. How civilised!. On the way he and we were greeted by many of his friends and we 'Bula'd' our way all the way to the restaurant. Wonderful.
The following morning, Thursday, we cleared Customs and Immigration and set sail for our next destination,
Isle des Pins off the south coast of New Caledonia.
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