June 26 – July 1, 2015
Logbook – June 26, 2015 (Matuku to Kadavu)
Passage Log Highlights
- 1710 Engines on (Port only, SB wouldn’t start)
- 1722 SB engine on
- Depart
- 1818 SB engine off. Main (2 reefs) + P engine
- 1922 P engine off. Main (2 reefs) + Genoa (2 reefs)
Logbook – June 27, 2015 (Matuku to Kadavu)
Passage Log Highlights
- 0203 Main (2 reefs) + Genoa (2 reefs)
- 0406 P engine on
- 0436 P engine off
- 0957 Engines off Kadavu Naigoro
Daily Notes
- Sevusevu in village. Met s/v La Lura from NZ
- Nautilus caught 2 tuna – steak and tuna dinner on Exodus
- Pass entrance straightforward (Naigoro Pass)
Email to Family and Friends dated June 27, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Underway to Kadavu
After a day long hike that was really more of a mountain climb, a church fund raiser complete with kava drinking, and school presentations with the other kid boats, we left Matuku yesterday evening for another overnight sail. The passage was almost aborted when our starboard engine wouldn’t start but we finally got out of there just before dark. We still aren’t sure exactly what the issue was, but we know it was electrical. We fired up the generator in case it was a voltage issue with the engine battery and then Tim started inspecting the connections to the starter. Luckily, we were still able to make the trip last night, because our friends on Nautilus were already heading out the bay and we were going to travel to Kadavu.
Love and miss you all,
-D.
Logbook – June 28, 2015 (Kadavu)
Daily Notes
- T/B/Hans – snorkel in pass, unimpressed
- D/Nautilus – walk over the hill
- Happy hour on Nautilus
Email to Family and Friends dated June 28, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Naigoro Pass
The overnight passage was mostly pleasant with the exception of the variable winds which kept me changing heading and sail area throughout my watch (which started at 2am). We had a lot of squalls after the sun came up, which made timing our pass entry a bit challenging, but we finally made our move and entered the pass just a little after low slack water. We had about 1 kt of current flowing in, which meant we had wind and current in the SAME direction, which makes a huge difference. The pass water was flat calm and entry was about as easy as it gets, even with 20kt wind and swell coming straight at the pass. There is a write-up in one of the homemade cruisers guides we all use by someone who exited this pass with current and wind in opposite direction and had huge standing waves, and because of that description everyone thinks this pass is crazy. In our experience passes can be crazy difficult or totally easy, it all depends on your timing. Anyway, I think we are a little spoiled after Fulaga and Mutuku, because this place is pretty, but nowhere near. We are here with our friends on Nautilus, and Hans caught a couple of tuna just outside the pass yesterday, so we enjoyed another wonderful tuna dinner last night. I’m not sure what’s on the agenda for today, but I’m pretty sure it will involve Tim getting in the water to poke some fish.
Love and miss you all,
-D.
Logbook – June 29, 2015 (Kadavu to Namara)
Passage Log Highlights
- 1001 Engines on
- 1054 SB engine off
- 1105 P engine off
- 1240 P engine on
- 1246 SB engine on
- 1348 Engines off Namara Island
Daily Notes
- Bumpy sail to Namara
- Everyone to shore for a bonfire
Logbook – June 30, 2015 (Namara)
Daily Notes
- T/Hans to Draveuni for sevusevu. Tea & bread with locals @ “store.” “spear dogtooth…” to everyone
- Then spearfishing 7 fish!
- D/Katrien walk on the beach
- Fish cleaning party and drinks on Exodus
Email to Family and Friends dated June 30, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Navara Island
We navigated amongst the reef yesterday to make our way up to a small, uninhabited island called Navara. It’s nice and at least we have a beach again for the kids to play on, but I fear I am forever spoiled after Fulaga and Matuku. Would you believe there was a cruise ship anchored nearby yesterday? No, we are certainly not in the southern Lau group anymore!
A brief follow-up on Matuku… I previously wrote about how I got a not-so-nice vibe from the chief of Matuku when he came aboard our boat our first morning there. Well, it turns out he’s not actually the chief but the chief’s spokesman since the real chief was in Suva. Also, I was not the only one who got the bad vibe from him. The good news was, he was at another village almost our entire time there, and the rest of the people in the village were amazing, and I liked that village maybe even more than in Fulaga. Everyone was pleasant, from the youngest to the oldest, men and women. Anyway, there’s no village here at Navara, but we will go do sevusevu today at the next island of Dravuni, because apparently they control this island.
Love and miss you all,
-Deanne
Editor’s note: In my email I wrote Navara and on Facebook I wrote Namara and in several other places I wrote Namena (which I know is another island in Fiji famous for diving, just south of Savusavu), so I started to question. Wikipedia lists 1 unihabited island in the Kadavu group called Vanuakula and Apple maps calls the island Ndelainamara. So, I’m calling in Namara.
Logbook – July 1, 2015 (Namara)
Daily Notes
- T/H/B spearfish 3 fish! 2 x jobfish, 1 x coral trout
- Beach bonfire then dinner on Exodus
Gresham Family Exodus 