Sailing to new territory

For details on Mt. Yasur Volcano on Tanna Island, Vanuatu and our crossing to Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, please see this link:

www.sailblogs.com/member/seachild

Marina De We, Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
Wednesday, June 6, 2012

20 DEGREES 55.061 SOUTH
167 DEGREES 16.701 EAST


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Vanuatu Land Jumping

For details and google maps tracking of Sea Child's visit to Pentecost Island and the incredible sailing across to Santo, Vanuatu, please see this site:

www.sailblogs.com/member/seachild

Luganville, Santo Island, Vanuatu

Fiji to Vanuatu

For details and google maps tracking of Sea Child's crossing to Vanuatu, please see this site:

www.sailblogs.com/member/seachild

Port Vila, Vanuatu

Fiji after the Flood

We returned to Fiji 3 days late. The flood waters around Nadi had receded and the airport finally re-opened for inbound flights on Tuesday. Fiji was hit by a tremendous low pressure system that for several days had brought heavy rainfall and almost decimated Nadi town. The two rivers that frame this busy western district hub had merged from the immense amount of rain that fell during a 48 hour period. Today was the first real sunshine Nadi had seen since the great flood. As we drove around Nadi to provision Sea Child, we witnessed first hand the height of the flood waters and the extent of the damage everywhere. Homes had beds, couches, clothes and anything else they could manage to hoist up on their rooftops drying out. We saw trees in front of lawns that obviously came from upriver. We saw flood lines on plate glass windows, 4' above ground level. We saw mud, so much mud, covering front yards where groomed lawns once prospered. All along the chain link fences we witnessed the enormous amount of debris that clung to the fences in the raging flood waters.

Seeing these images, the mud caked streets of downtown Nadi, the pump trucks parked randomly sucking river water to be used later to hose down the mud-caked landscape elsewhere, was overwhelming. Large trucks parked along the river, sucking out water to hose their giant tires of mud. The group of men gathered around a large yard of heavy equipment, bull dozers and scrapers and backhoes, all idle as they, too, were caught in the flood.

Ali, our wonderful driver with a working air conditioner, told tales as he drove us around Nadi. He told us how the local people had a week of announcements warning of the rains that were coming to the western division of Fiji. And the locals did respond to the warning, to a point. The worst flooding hit on Sunday, April 1, causing a few deaths in the division. The local people just did not know how much rain would actually fall, catching some people by suprise.

The most amazing part of our drive around Nadi was the upbeat spirit of the local people. All along the route, we heard several "bula bula" coming from the local people on the street corners. The smiles on the faces of the men who lined the streets, waiting their turn at the ANZ Bank ATM machines. The wonderful spirit of the Fijians working together to restore their world, greeting each other as they crowd into an open market, surely sharing stories with each other about the flood damage. The smiles, the good nature of these people, who experience such devastation and yet remember that things can be replaced or fixed. Their fellow neighbors, however, are more precious than anything.

As we returned to Sea Child after collecting provisions around Nadi, I could almost see her smile along her waterlines. Sea Child was coming back to life and gearing up for the Easter weekend at Musket Cove. Given that so much rain had fallen just a few days ago, and that January had a similar system go through the area, Sea Child looks fantastic. We had hired a local couple to keep the mold away and wash all gear and canvas covers. They did a fantastic job, and Sea Child has never been so clean. This was money well spent, to have a caretaker keep out the mildew and check all systems while we were away.

The sun shines again today, Good Friday. And it really is a good Friday to be in Fiji. We feel truly blessed.

Waiting out Fiji weather

Rain, wind, flooding. Fiji has been inundated with bad weather that has contributed to broken water mains, limited power, and cancelled flights. We have been scheduled to return to our adventure on Sea Child, with our continued adventures across the South Pacific to include Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Australia. However, the weather in Fiji is delaying this next leg so we are holed up in Maui.

Fiji has been a delightful cruising world, with incredible diving and sailing and anchorages both popular and secluded. Once we are able to sail away, hopefully in the next few weeks, we will miss Fijian hospitality and all of the friends we have made there.

So while we wait in Maui, our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Fiji. We hope to arrive later there later this week.

Kula, Maui, Hawaii

Where is Sea Child?

www.sailblogs.com/member/seachild/?show=map

Where is Sea Child?

For complete updates on our crossing from New Zealand to Minerva Reef and Fiji, as well as google earth location, please visit www.sailblogs.com/member/seachild/

Kiwi Hospitality

Preparing Sea Child for her upcoming leg from New Zealand to Fiji is all part of the fun of an open ocean crossing. Days have been spent changing out parts and cooking meals. Upon inspection of our electronics, we learned that the radar is not working at all. While this is not necessarily a "no go" situation, having a working radar is a comfort so we are able to see vessels at sea. During our sail from Aruba to Cartegena, the radar was a priceless piece of electronics that showed all vessels in this busy part of the world. In the South Pacific, the radar may seem less important. However, we are attempting to repair the unit from here in Whangarei.

The engine inspections showed that both raw water impellers needed to be changed out. Sea Child has many spare parts, impellers, back up starter motor, fuel filters, oil filters, fuel injectors, pressure pumps, pulleys for the water maker. After almost 3 years of sailing Sea Child, these extra parts make for a comforting passage. It's nice to know that if something should break at sea, we have the parts to repair along the way.

Trinidad, Panama, and New Zealand all rank high in the area of finding parts and people who can work on boats. Amazingly, Maui ranks as the worst of all the areas in the world for finding boat parts and people who can or will work on them. Crazy, Maui has some of the best sailing in the world, maybe everyone who would carry these special parts are busy sailing and playing in the water. In any case, New Zealand is a wonderful place to repair and prepare Sea Child for a 1,000 mile journey. If a company does not have the ability to repair your part, they will refer you to someone else. Kiwis are some of the kindest people on the planet. Preparing for sea, far from home, is an easy process from Marsden Cove, Whangarei, New Zealand. And with the generosity and kindness of the local people, Sea Child is also in very good hands.

Current Position:

S 35 degrees 50.13' , E174 degrees 28.03'