After Suva we made an overnight passage to the island of Gau where we enjoyed a beautiful sevusevu in the village of Sawaieke. The weather was pretty crappy our first couple of days so we hiked in the mud and rain with only minimal complaining. The kids enjoyed a beach campout and then when the weather cleared, we spent a couple days near the pass for snorkeling.
Logbook – July 9, 2015 (Suva to Gau)
Passage Log Highlights
2058 Engines on
2113 Depart
Logbook – July 10, 2015 (Suva to Gau)
Passage Log Highlights
0318 Main (1 reef) + genoa
0746 Engines on
0915 Engines off Gau Herald Bay
Daily Notes
Caminante caught 3 dorado just outside, gave 1 to us. Fed all 9 of us for 2 meals
Walk in the rain to the village (Sawaieke). Very nice people and nice sevusevu & kava party. The children were very curious.
Overnight passage from Suva to GauThe island of Gau is close to Moorea (French Polynesia) in its volcanic island life cycleWe spent most of the time at Gau anchored near the village of SawaiekeDuring our sevusevu the kids were piled several layers high in this doorway to see what was going on. Mostly, they were all smiles, but once I brought out the camera they got a little more serious.The Exodus crew enjoying the kava ceremony.The boys had my camera for a while, so I have about 20 photos of this cute little guy. (Benjamin from s/v Fluenta with big brother Jonathan)Staring contest between Alex and JonathonMilling about in the village after drinking some KavaSaying good-bye to the kids of the village (photo by Bellinis)
Logbook – July 11, 2015 (Gau)
Daily Notes
T/B/Marcus – spearfish, Tim gives trevally to locals
Kids play on beach
Beers + mojitos w/ Nautilus on Exodus
Email to Family and Friends dated July 11, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Gau
We had a quick overnight passage from Suva to the island of Gau night before last. Our friends from home (“The Bellinis,” a family of five) joined us in Suva, and for some reason after the passage and then yesterday after walking an hour in the rain to the village to do sevusevu, and then after having to carry dingies over the coral and rocks because the tide had receded so much, they still seem like they’re having fun. They are getting the real deal with their cruising experience, that’s for sure. The weather has been crappy, but hopefully since they are with us for about 2 weeks they will get to see some sunshine. As usual, the people of the village were very nice, and after the sevusevu they served up the kava immediately. When we told them we wouldn’t be able to stay long because we wanted to walk back before dark we thought that would mean there would be no kava drinking, but no it just meant they hustled to get it ready and then were very understanding when we left after just one bowl. We are here with two other kid boats (Caminante and Fluenta) and there is a nice long beach here, so I’m sure there will be some on shore activities! Love and miss you all, -D.
Kids to Fluenta for movie, moms to Exodus for wine
Ready for a hike, but had to stop and see the pigs firstDrying the kavaThe view from the top
Logbook – July 14, 2015 (Gau)
Daily Notes
Kid beach campout
Fish potluck on caminante
Email to Family and Friends dated July 14, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Muddy hike and more camping
We are still having a great time in Gau, except that the weather has been pretty crappy. Yesterday, we went for a hike in the rain and mud, but most people still had a great time, and some of the kids took advantage of the conditions to get really good and dirty. Today, we’ve been lucky enough to have some sunshine and our friends who are visiting were finally able to do some snorkeling. The kids from all the boats are currently on shore setting up basecamp version 2.0, and they are making plans for a big campout tonight, no grownups allowed. I am starting to get a bit sad, because this kid boat flotilla will soon be breaking up, and I enjoy the company of all the other moms and dads just about as much as the kids all enjoy being together, but we will continue to enjoy it while it lasts. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – July 15, 2015 (Gau)
Passage Log Highlights
1048 Engines on
Watermaker 4 hrs (+2)
1335 Engines off
1638 Engines on
1730 Engines off
Daily Notes
Move to the pass after collecting all the kids from the beach
T/M snorkel the pass
Move to anchor by a nearby village (Waikama)
Kids go ashore w/ Lumbaz to see the children
We moved down near the pass for the day (not the pass we originally entered but the one further south known for excellent snorkeling and diving). Then we move up near the village of Waikama for the night. Anchored near the passAnchored near the village of WaikamaWe anchored for one night off the village of Waikama and the kids on shore were excited to see us so our kids went ashore with Lumbaz to say hi.
Logbook – July 16, 2016 (Gau)
Passage Log Highlights
0900 Engines on
Watermaker on
1020 Engines off
Daily Notes
Moved back near the pass
Everyone snorkels the pass except D
Kids to Lumbaz for movie and fun
Lumbaz adults to Exodus for gin & tonic
Logbook – July 17, 2015 (Gau to Yanuca)
Passage Log Highlights
1930 Engines on
1945 Depart
Daily Notes
T/D/M – Pass snorkel
Kids to Lumbaz for project day
More photos at Gau
Gustav (s/v Caminante) at the top of the mizzen mastBrenden using the kayak as a stand up paddle board. Wish I had that kid’s balance!Turns out you can fit 5 boys on a standup paddle board from the beach back to Exodus. I was shocked that no one fell in when they were disembarking.…and you can fit SIX girls on a kayakThree boys on a palm tree? First instinct is to snap a photo. Second instinct is to tell them to get down. (Photo by Bellinis)
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.
Through the Naigoro Pass to the Island of KadavuAnchored near a village on the island of Kadavu
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.
Pine trees with palms in the background. Classic!Las palabras del dia
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
Day sail (motor) up to the small island of NamaraAnchored off the small, uninhabited island of NamaraAnchored at Namara islandHoly cruise ship!
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.
Spearfishing jackpot!The moon rising above the island
Logbook – July 1, 2015 (Namara)
Daily Notes
T/H/B spearfish 3 fish! 2 x jobfish, 1 x coral trout
This was another lovely island in the southern Lau Island group. The anchorage was a tight fit for all of us, but we thoroughly enjoyed the small village of Lomati, especially the hike with our guide Jesse.
Logbook – June 21, 2015 (Fulaga to Matuku)
Passage Log Highlights
0940 Engines on
0948 Depart Fulaga
1047 Engines off, genoa only
1529 Genoa only
1600 Fish on! Went through a school of skipjack tuna. 3 hooked, 2 landed (1 got away)
1829 Genoa only
Daily Notes
Bumpy pass exit into the wind. No current registered. 3.0 kt SOG.
Buddy boating with Fluenta, Nautilus, Nirvana. Dijimos adios a Lumbaz 😦
Overnight, downwind passage from Fulaga to Matuku
Logbook – June 22, 2015 (Fulaga to Matuku)
Passage Log Highlights
0310 D watch. Genoa (2 reefs)
0737 P engine on
0750 SB engine on
0838 Engines off Matuku
Daily Notes
Crossed back to E hemisphere
Arrived Matuku poor visibility. Guided to anchorage by locals
Beautiful anchorage! Still with Fluenta, Nautilus, and Nirvana
Sushi party on Exodus
Sunrise as we approach the islandThe island of MatukuThe anchorage at MatukuMangroves along the edge of the bayExodus and Nautilus (we had to get quite cozy since there wan’t a lot of room in the bay)Sushi night on Exodus
The village of Lomati. It’s a small village of only 7-9 families, depending on who you ask.
Email to Family and Friends Dated June 23, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Arrived in Matuku
We had a very pleasant overnight downwind sail to get here, but our arrival was a bit nerve racking. We have no one to blame but ourselves, since we chose to enter the bay with poor visibility. Matuku is another volcanic island, but this time closer to The Marquesas in its life cycle, but a bit older. There IS a fringing reef but there ISN’t much of a lagoon at all. So, it’s younger than, say, Bora Bora. There is a pass in the reef into a deep protected harbor, and we got through the pass quite easily, but once we turned the corner and were staring down the bay we realized our difficulty. We could tell there was reef between us and the head of the bay, but in the poor visibility it was difficult to spot the edges. Then, a local fishing boat came out to us and guided us in. Our friends who, intentionally I might add, waited for a little better visibility had a much easier time. When the sun came out you could easily spot all the bombies. Anyway, we’ve managed to cram all four kid boats in here, and last night we had a big sushi feast on Exodus. We all met the chief yesterday as he came out to all of our boats in his fishing boat, and he invited us to all come in together for our sevusevu today, so we will be doing that around noon. The village here is small, with only 9 families, and the chief was very nice. He told us they have plenty of water so we can fill jerry cans and we are welcome to do our washing on shore. He also told us we were free to swim and fish and generally enjoy the bay yesterday, even though we hadn’t done our sevusevu yet. However, in stark contrast to how we were treated in Fulaga, I, the woman, was basically invisible. They came aboard our boat, but they didn’t introduce themselves to me and didn’t shake my hand. After I served them drinks, they thanked Tim and when they were leaving, they said good-bye to Tim. There may have been a slight nod in my direction when they mentioned doing laundry on shore, but that was it. I really only noticed it because that most certainly WASN’t the way in Fulaga. Simon, the husband in our host family, was the son of the chief, and he always addressed me, looked me in the eye, and shook my hand. Interesting. We will likely stay here just a few days before heading off to Kadavu next. Love and miss you all, -D.
They invited us to drink Kava with them immediately following our sevusevu ceremony.Even Brenden tried some kavaDuring our kava party it was pouring rain outside, so the kids were stuck inside with us.Fog hanging over the village
Logbook – June 24, 2015 (Matuku)
Daily Notes
T/B – spearfish
D – walk to beach w/ Nirvana & Nautilus
A/B – play & dinner on Fluenta
Email to Family and Friends Dated June 24, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Kava and Reanchoring
Wow, as much as I have raved about Fulaga, Matuku is pretty nice too. We went ashore as one big group yesterday to do our sevusevu, and we were met at shore by a couple of local young men and one of them went to get the “old people.” I’m sure he meant “elders.” We went to the community hall where there were women weaving mats and cutting fruit, and they were all very welcoming. As usual, they loved my chumba, but not nearly as much as they loved 1.5-year-old Benjamin in his little sulu. Can you blame them? We did the sevusevu, and then they invited us to stay and drink some kava right then and there, so of course we couldn’t refuse. We stayed for a couple of hours, and it was a really nice time. It poured down rain, but we were all nice and cozy in the community hall chugging kava and getting to know one another. It is a very small village here called Lomati, and all of their school age children go to a boarding school at another village on the island during the week, so our big group gave them the sound of playing children that they don’t hear every day. There was a young girl there, maybe 4 years old, and she was all smiles when Fien (girl from Nautilus) went over and took her hand and asked her to join them in their circle. We all went back to our boats for a quiet evening that started out not so quiet. The wind picked up fiercely from the south after the frontal boundary passed, and we had variable winds with gusts up in the mid 20s. Our friends on Nautilus found themselves with their stern only a few feet from the coral behind them, and of course this happens only moments after Hans went ashore to fill water cans. So, Tim jumped in the dinghy immediately to go help, and I got on the radio to ask Fluenta or Nirvana to see if they could go catch Hans. And right at that moment Fluenta was also reanchoring, so there was excitement all around. Another boat had joined the anchorage that morning very near to us and Nautilus, so there wasn’t a whole lot of room for finding a better spot, so we also ended up also reanchoring to move forward, because we all wanted Katrien to be able to sleep that night! It turned out a win-win, because we also ended up with a little more breathing room from the coral behind us. So, just as we were all feeling settled, we realized that the fun wasn’t over for our little fleet. Just as the last light was leaving the sky, Tim looked back and saw that Nirvana had dragged and was now going to have to reanchor as well. Luckily, Fluenta wasn’t in their flight path. After all the excitement, we enjoyed another tuna dinner, because Tim had managed to spear an elusive dogtooth tuna that morning. The wind eased during the night, and now it is a very pleasant, calm morning. Love and miss you all, -D.
We went for a walk over a hill to the beach on the other side of the island. This is the view from the top of the hill looking back ant the anchorage.…and this is the beach we walked to.Jesse made a basket so we could gather fruit on the way back.
Logbook – June 25, 2015 (Matuku)
Daily Notes
Hike to top of peak. Spectacular views
Handbombed filled water tanks
Church fundraiser in village
All ready for the big hike. It was about 2.5 hours each way and much of it was straight uphill.A quick restThere was a huge banyan tree along the way, so of course the kids climbed itIt was a tough hike, but the views from the top were so worth itWho needs a quad copter!There was some light rain while we sat at the top, but it was worth it for the rainbow.The church fundraiser dinner
Special project day with Fluenta, Nautilus, and Nirvana
Sorry for the out of focus picture… we did project day with the other kid boats (thanks to Lumbaz for the idea). Each kid picked a topic, researched it, and then gave a presentation. Here they are all smiles because they are done!
This has been one of our very most favorite places we have visited in our 2+ yearlong adventure.
We were so lucky to be reunited with so many friends! When you say good-bye out here you can never quite be sure you will see each other again and here in this wonderful place we were back together with four other buddy boats (Fluenta, Lumbaz, Nautilus, Nirvana). Unreal.
We also had such a wonderful time we had with the people of Fulaga.
Logbook – June 3, 2015 (Taveuni to Fulaga)
Passage Log Highlights
0905 Engines off. Arrive Fulaga
Daily Notes
Drinks and catching up with Nautilus and Lumbaz
All decked out in sulus, walked over the hill to village
First sevusevu
Assigned host family – Senna & Simon – B eats 8 muffins
Kids watch movie on Nautilus
Final approach to FulagaI know there’s a pass there somewhereInside the atoll, making our way across the lagoonOur first anchor location near the villagIt was a walk over a hill to get from the anchorage to the village
Logbook – June 4, 2015 (Fulaga)
Passage Log Highlights
0720 VHF call to Fluenta ETA @ pass 0830
1333 Engines on
1409 Engines off near pass
Daily Notes
D/A walk to the village to take cookies, they gave us lunch to take
Moved Exodus near the pass
D – best paddle EVER!
B sick – started a Zpack in the morning
Alex play with kids on Lumbaz
Our second anchor location (near the pass)Exodus at anchor near the passBeautiful paddle boarding conditionsThis guy didn’t notice me until I was only about a meter away from him. I’ve never been able to get this close on my paddle board before!
Email to Family and Friends dated June 4, 2015
Subject: Exodus – First Sevusevu
Our efforts of beating to windward for a day and a half are paying off, because Fulaga is absolutely spectacular. It is an atoll like in the Tuamotus, but a younger one, so there is still some elevation to the ring of land around the lagoon and there are many mushroom shaped rocks scattered about the lagoon. We are here with two other kid boats, and two more should be arriving today, so it should be quite the party. We went ashore for our first Sevusevu at about 4pm yesterday, and we are now officially accepted into the village. We have each been assigned a host family in the village, and I couldn’t quite tell based on the discussion in Fiji if ours is happy or disappointed to get the Americans (the other two families are from Spain and Belgium). We did the Sevusevu with the chief as one big group making three offerings of Yaqona, which is the pepper tree root from which they make kava. So, the ceremony itself was somewhat impersonal, and it was entirely in Fijian, so we had no idea what was going on. But after, the chief had each and every one of us to go up to him and introduce ourselves and tell him where we are from. The cutest was when 5-year-old Nils went up. Today we will likely move anchorages over near the pass while the weather is nice. Oh yeah, the pass. This was very narrow, and we entered about 1-2 hours after the slack high tide, so we had current flowing out against us. Not too bad, only about 2 kts. I was at the helm, and while Tim was continually commenting about how cool this place looked, I was focused on the coral on either side of us and just hoping it would end soon! Our friends on Nautilus entered later when the current was flowing out stronger, and they had a bumpy ride in the standing waves. We have no cell service here, so no internet, but we have heard that this is the only place in Fiji without it. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – June 5, 2015 (Fulaga)
Daily Notes
T/D – dinghy expedition to find sandspit
T – spearfish
D/T – snorkel on bombie and in the pass
T – spearfish again. Small dogtooth tuna
Drinks on Nautilus
Logbook – June 6, 2015 (Fulaga)
Passage Log Highlights
1443 Engines on
1515 Engines off near sandspit
Daily Notes
Move to sandspit, D/T walk along beach
A/B skimboard
Dinner on Lumbaz
Our third anchor location (near the sandspit)The “sandspit”
Email to Family and Friends dated June 6, 2015
Subject: Exodus – It doesn’t get any better than this
It turns out that Fulaga is the reason we have come to the South Pacific. I know we’ve only been here a couple of days, but I am pretty sure this is my favorite place of everywhere we have been so far in our 2+ year journey. Before now I would have had a hard time saying what my favorite was, because I liked different places for different reasons. Fulaga, however, has it all: Amazing natural beauty, friendly local people and a chance to really connect with them and get to know their culture, uniqueness of geography, clear water and abundant sea life and coral for great snorkeling, white sand beaches, and lots of friends here to share it all with. This cruising lifestyle simply doesn’t get any better than this. The only thing keeping it from being perfect is being so far away from people we love. (ok, can I get a collective, “awwwwww!”) Seriously, though, it’s true. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – June 7, 2015 (Fulaga)
Daily Notes
Sunday church service in the village, all in Fijian
The kids are all ready to enjoy church… in FijianA feast after church with our host family
Logbook – June 8, 2015 (Fulaga)
Daily Notes
T/B – 4 hr spearfishing excursion, no fish
D – paddle in rain & wind. Walk along beach
Front passes, beautiful evening
Kid campout on the beach
Logbook – June 9, 2015 (Fulaga)
Daily Notes
D – early run on the beach
A – never came home after campout, stayed on beach all day
T – spearfish
Beach bonfire and potluck
A camped on the beach again
Base camp (this kids basically lived on shore for 3 full days)Hanging out in their self-made fortI went for a solitary swim when I found this little pool
Logbook – June 10, 2015 (Fulaga)
Daily Notes
D – another early run
Kid scavenger hunt – girls win by 3 points
The scavenger hunt – boys against girlsThe bow and arrow competitionThe homemade hat competitionThe girls team very narrowly won the scavenger huntA beach bonfire after the scavenger hunt
Email to Family and Friends dated June 10, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Kid Beach Village
We have been anchored in what I’ve been calling “kid boat corner” of Fulaga for a few days. On Sunday we went to the village for church (entirely in Fijian, but the singing was nice) and lunch with our host family. On Monday, construction of the Kid Beach Village began. Our anchorage has a beautiful white sand beach that almost entirely disappears at high tide; however, this did not discourage the kids. They have built huts out of tree branches and palm fronds and pitched several tents, and they’ve basically all been living there for the better part of two days. Brenden is the exception: he spends the day there, but he chooses to sleep in his own bed rather than on the beach because, well, he likes to sleep. Alex, on the other hand, I’ve hardly seen him, since he didn’t even come back to the boat at all yesterday. There are twelve kids in total ranging from Age 13 (Alex and Ainara) down to age 5 (Nils). I can’t get enough of watching Alex and Nils together. Nils is always sitting with Alex on his lap, and he was so excited that he got to sleep in a tent with Alex. Last evening, the parents all joined the kids on the beach for a bonfire and a potluck dinner, but the kids made it very clear that it was their expectation that all the parents go home after sundown! Needless to say, we have no plans to leave Fulaga at this time. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – June 11, 2015 (Fulaga)
Daily Notes
T – spearfishing 😦
Science experiments with Ainara
Drinks on Nautilus with Fluenta and Nirvana
Kids watch a movie on Exodus
Email to Family and Friends dated June 11, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Scavenger Hunt
Yesterday, Tim organized a beach scavenger hunt for the kids. He printed out a list of approximately 35 items for the kids to find or make, like “a live creature,” “a woven mat,” or “3 coconuts for drinking.” The kids broke up into two teams with boys against girls and they all spent a couple of hours doing their best. Wow, what a great job they all did. There was a palm frond dress and a bow and arrow that shot over 3 meters. There were hermit crabs and heart shaped sandcastles. Tim even conned them into cleaning up the beach a bit by putting “10 plastic items” on the list. All the parents were on hand with cameras and smiles while the judge gave rulings, and the scores were computed. The girls eeked out a win by only 3 points in the end, and it turns out that being able to make a woven beer cozy was the difference. Later, when we were all back on our boats, the girls from Lumbaz radioed and gave Tim an exceptional lyrical thank you for organizing the game for them. It was very sweet. Then, a little later, Hans, the dad from Nautilus, radioed and gave Tim another lyrical thank you for helping him to learn to spear fish. Both Alex and I had the same independent thought, “well, it could be worse, it could be the wind turbine song!” We miss you, Lady Carolina!
Logbook – June 12, 2015 (Fulaga)
Passage Log Highlights
1625 Engines on
1700 Engines off near village
Daily Notes
Lumbaz and Another Adventure bring people from the village to the sandspit for a lovo feast
Friday night kava night
Preparing for the picnicPreparing crabs for the picnicThe catch (of course Noa needs to touch the yellow puffy looking fish!)Preparing the coconut milkThe feast!Notice the plateKava party (aka grog)
Logbook – June 13, 2015 (Fulaga)
Passage Log Highlights
0853 Engines on
0935 Engines off (west of pass)
Daily Notes
T spearfish – 2 barracuda for Tai
Dinghy to the village (wet ride)
Tea with Simon and Senna
Boys to small beach at new anchorage w/ Lumbaz
B is Nils “new best friend”
School presentations with Lumbaz
Anchored at a beautiful spot west of the pass
Email to Family and Friends dated June 13, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Friday Night Kava Night
Well, we have officially arrived in Fiji having participated in our first grog last night. A grog is basically a social gathering for drinking kava, which is a drink that is made from a powder of dried, ground pepper tree root. Kava is very important if Fijian culture, not just because of the physical effects it has on you, but because of its central role in the social aspect of society. We’ve been told that they drink kava every night. Not always in huge gatherings or big parties, but often, even usually, with a small group of friends or family. Yesterday, two of the vessels that were anchored near the village, including our friends on Lumbaz, ferried about 30 people from the village over to the beach where we were to have a big picnic. They put kasava in a lovo (underground oven), fished, caught crabs, dove for clams, made a table and plates out of palm leaves, made coconut milk, and basically made sure that all of us yachties had a great time. I tried everything, even the raw clams and the crab guts, and they even seemed to like my pasta salad. As things were winding down discussion turned to the kava party they would have that evening. So, not wanting to miss a party, we raised anchor and moved to the village for easier access. When we first arrived it was mostly yachties and only a few locals, but that changed as the night progressed and we drank round after round of Kava. They make the kava right there by putting the ground-up root in a mesh bag and swishing and squeezing it in the water. They serve it out of hand carved kava bowl with small coconut bowls and when it’s your turn to drink you can request, “low tide, medium tide, high tide, or tsunami.” When they offer you the bowl to drink, you clap your hands once (Mom, you would be good at this, because the louder your clap, the better), and say, “Bula!” then it’s down the hatch all at once. When you are done you say, “Maca” meaning empty, and everyone claps three times. Then it’s the next person’s turn. After each round the server waits for the caller to yell, “Taki” meaning something like “let’s drink” before the next round can begin. The Kava here in Fiji seems to be much better than what we drank in Tonga, and it also seemed to get much better as the night progressed. Eventually, there was singing and dancing, including a conga line that somehow, I ended up leading. Tim ended up making a friend, Tai, whom he chatted with for a while, and when the dancing started, Tai leaned over and told him, “If we act like we are having a very important conversation then we will not have to dance.” Needless to say, Tim was grateful for that! I have no idea how many rounds of kava we drank, but I think it was more than 10 and less than 20. It’s difficult to describe what its effects feel like. There is a definite numbness to the lips and tongue that you feel right after each drink and seemed to intensify as the rounds racked up. Towards the end I was feeling the numbness all the way down in my throat. Now, they say the kava doesn’t make you drunk and that it’s not a narcotic. But when we got up to leave, I felt seriously bad. It was a lot like being drunk, I felt weak and nauseous, and I stumbled about a bit, but it was distinctly different as well. I finally nailed it this morning: it was like being physically drunk while still having a clear head. And luckily, no hangover! Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – June 14, 2015 (Fulaga)
Passage Log Highlights
1422 Engines on
1500 Engines off sandspit
Daily Notes
D/T walk around the island
T/Boys/Lumbaz search for clams
Move to sandspit – bonfire on beach
Logbook – June 15, 2015 (Fulaga)
Daily Notes
T 8hrs spearfishing, parrot fish and trevally
D – pass snorkel with Lumbaz
Kids – beach all day, sparring tournament, sleepover on Lumbaz
Drinks on Exodus
Logbook – June 16, 2015 (Fulaga)
Passage Log Highlights
1308 Engines on
1336 Engines off near pass
Daily Notes
Move back to pass
T spearfish with Hans and Danny
Alex sick, fever of 102
Early dinner and quiet evening
Email to Family and Friends dated June 16, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Not ready to leave
I am not sure we will ever leave Fulaga! Well, we are out of fresh fruit and veggies, so I guess we will have to leave at some point. In all honesty, the past couple of days it has seemed like it’s about time to go and explore another island. If we had left yesterday or today, we could catch the very end of a weather window before a big fat high south of us reinforces the trade winds for a few days. But sometimes there are more important things to consider besides which specific islands we have time to visit. Specifically, the boys are having so much fun with the other kid boats! And not just the kids, actually, Tim and I are also enjoying the fun and friendship of this special group of people. So, we will stay here until the next weather window, which could be Sunday or Monday. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – June 17, 2015 (Fulaga)
Passage Log Highlights
1310 Engines on
1351 Engines off near village
Daily Notes
25 kts crossing the lagoon
Gray rainy day, caught 30 gal of water
Alex fever gone
Logbook – June 18, 2015 (Fulaga)
Daily Notes
Methodist Youth of Fiji youth rally. Lunch, volleyball, and church
Logbook – June 19, 2015 (Fulaga)
Daily Notes
Village – Alex played rugby & B played volleyball and tag
Kava party and dinner at Simon’s
Alex getting some coaching on the rules of rugbyAlex had fun playing rugby at the school
Email to Family and Friends dated 19 June, 2015
Subject: Exodus – mucho viento
There is a big fat high pressure system far south of us causing stronger trade winds this week, so we’ve been hunkered down in the anchorage near the village while it’s blowing as high as 30 kts out there. But that didn’t stop us from heading to the village yesterday for their MYF youth rally, which included participation by all 3 villages here in Fulaga. MYF = Methodist Youth of Fiji, and like most things around here, the center of everything is a church focus. In the morning, the youth, which were really young men, did community work, but then the women of the village prepared a huge feast for lunch, and they invited us to eat with them. Since we really didn’t know what the plan for the day would be, we ate a big lunch on board before heading ashore, but that didn’t stop me from trying new things, like boiled sea cucumber stuffed with fish. I’d say it wasn’t good, but it wasn’t bad either. It tasted like the ocean. After lunch was a volleyball tournament and the villages competed against one another, but somehow Tim and Danny (our friend from Lumbaz) ended up on one of the teams. After their tournament they let all of us yachties play, and even Brenden and I joined in. After volleyball was a church service, which we stayed for, but we left before the choir competition, kava drinking, dinner, and dancing, because we wanted to be back on the boat before dark (and I think I’m still full of kava from the last time). The winds are supposed to start easing a bit tomorrow, so we are currently looking at Sunday as a potential departure day for heading west. Love and miss you all, -D.
Setting out for a hikeIn the cave looking for bonesFound the bones!Brenden and Luna playing catch with a mandarin.A game of spoons on Exodus
Email to Family and Friends dated June 20, 2105
Subject: Exodus – Farewell to Fulaga
We are most likely going to leave Fulaga tomorrow (local Sunday) for a stop at the island of Matuku. After that will likely be Kadavu and then up to the Nadi vicinity to pick up Marcus and Robin and family. Yesterday, we said our farewells in the village and had a small kava party and dinner with our host family. Before that, we went to the school, and the boys got to join in some of the sports. Alex played rugby with the bigger boys, although he doesn’t really know the rules and he had trouble remembering who was on his team, so he kept pitching the ball to the other team. Afterwards, he said he still had fun, though. Brenden played volleyball and tag, and he seemed to have fun as well. We are looking forward to the next adventure, but we sure have enjoyed our stay in Fulaga. Love and miss you all, -D.
In no particular order, here are a bunch more photos from Fulaga that are not date stamped and I can’t correlate to a log entry…
Back with Nautilus! They left NZ about almost a month before us.Visiting the schoolVictoria and Gigi sailing “Trickle”Alex and his “best buddy” NilsGiving the girls from Lumbaz a tow to the beachYoga on the beachMoms doing yoga in the backgroundAlex became quite proficient at harvesting coconutsThis is a paddle board, Fulaga style. One of the women takes this out to fish.I can’t figure out what day this photo was taken. I thought it was the day we did our sevusevu, but after reading the log and other writings it can’t be, because Fluenta didn’t arrive until the following day.
There are no photos in this photo log. It was a miserable, upwind bash of a passage, but it was all worth it.
Logbook – June 1, 2015 (Taveuni to Fulaga)
Passage Log Highlights
1827 Engines on, depart Paradise
1842 SB engine off. Main (1 reef) + genoa
1905 Port engine off
Logbook – June 2, 2015 (Taveuni to Fulaga)
Passage Log Highlights
0330 P engine briefly on – autopilot in irons (3rd time)
0628 P engine briefly on again
0732 P engine on, low battery
0745 VHF call from Lumbaz (w/ their position)
0757 P engine off
0800 Isabella net (NC = Mark Field Trip)
1514 Engines on, sails down (prior, untangled fishing line)
1530 P engine on
1730 VHF call from Lumbaz (w/ their position)
Email to Family and Friends dated June 2, 2015
Subject: Exodus – On passage to Fulaga
After a great several days with Tim and Fran at Paradise Taveuni, we let go of the mooring ball yesterday evening and are now bashing into 15-20 kt winds. Trying to go in a SE direction against the trade winds is a HUGE pain, but Fulaga is supposed to be amazing, and once we get there, we can comfortably work our way back north. Speaking of comfortable, I am anything but that right now, so I will keep this short. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – June 3, 2015 (Taveuni to Fulaga)
Passage Log Highlights
0350 SB engine only
0700 VHF call to Lumbaz, no response
0705 VHF call from Nirvana, still at Komo and will come to Fulaga today or tomorrow, but Nautilus is on their way already
0730 VHF call from Lumbaz, they are already through the pass
After leaving Savusavu we bummed around a dive resort… wow, what a treat. And the biggest treat was getting to see Tim and Fran Clepper (Tim’s brother’s wife’s parents, are you with me?) They were there on a dive vacation, and we were so fortunate that we were able to cross paths.
Logbook – May 29, 2015 (Savusavu to Paradise Taveuni)
Passage Log Highlights
0440 Engines on
0500 P engine off
0535 Watermaker on (6 hrs)
1322 P engine on
1331 Both engines off. Arrive Paradise Taveuni
Daily Notes
B/T – snorkel at resort (Paradise Taveuni)
Fiji Night – four course meal, dancing, kava
Savusavu to TaveuniA view of the resort from our mooringA view of Tim and Fran’s bureBrenden got to beat the drum to announce happy hourPreparing dinnerPreparing the kavaBrenden loved to catch the frogs
Logbook – May 30, 2015 (Paradise Taveuni)
Daily Notes
T/B – spearfish Vuna reef
D – paddle board
D/T – walk to huge banyan tree
Tim/Fran to Exodus for dinner
The fishermen returnTim Clepper would fit right into our cruising community. When he came on the boat he brought something to fix!
Email to Family and Friends dated May 30, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Savusavu to Paradise
What a great few days we had in Savusavu. It was like reunion week as we caught up with old friends and met back up with the ones we traveled from NZ with. It was somewhat of a whirlwind since we had all the usual chores to take care of before leaving civilization for more remote areas. But before we head out to The Lau group we are cruising in style, sitting on a mooring ball at a dive resort called Paradise Taveuni in order to see Tim and Fran (Tim’s brother’s wife’s parents) who are here on a dive vacation celebrating their anniversary. We had a wonderful evening on shore with them for “Fiji Night” at the resort. It was sort of like the Tongan feasts we went to back in Tonga, except, well, resort style! We’ll likely stay here and enjoy the good life for a couple days before pressing on. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – May 31, 2015 (Paradise Taveuni)
Daily Notes
T/B spearfish
D/A hang out by the pool
Happy hour at the resort
Rainbow over paradiseMy running buddiesThis dog seriously thinks he’s a person
Logbook – June 1, 2015 (Paradise Taveuni to Fulanga)
Passage Log Highlights
1050 Engines on (day sail)
1121 Engines off
1325 Engines on
1407 Engines off
1600 Generator on 1734 off
Daily Notes
Day sail with Tim, Fran, Randy, and Sue
A day sail with Tim and Fran and their friends Randy and Sue
Sailing out through the pass at North Minerva (courtesy of Field Trip quadcopter)Our track from North Minerva to Savusavu, Fiji
Logbook – May 22, 2015 (Minerva Reef to Fiji)
Passage Log Highlights
0320 D watch start. Main + genniker
0600 Main + genniker. Vessel on AIS – Capitaine – 15.6 nmi, SOG 14.4 kt, COG 253 deg T
0700 Gulf Harbor
1058 Spinnaker
1416 Spinnaker
1609 Engines on to raise main
1632 Engines off. Main + genniker
1655 Generator on
1702 VHF call from Windstar. Rob, Margie, friend Mark. Heading to Savusavu
2000 B on watch
2200 B off watch
0000 A off watch
Flying the spinnaker on passage to Fiji
Email to Friends and Family dated May 22, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Minerva to Fiji Day 1
We pulled up the anchor and departed through the pass around 2:30 yesterday afternoon. It’s been a pleasant, slow sail overnight, but it feels now like the winds might be freshening. We were sad to leave friends behind in Minerva (Field Trip, Caminante, Lumbaz) and even more sad that we will be missing friends arriving soon (Fluenta). But on the bright side we look forward to connecting with friends already in Fiji (True Blue V, Nautilus). We are planning for a Monday arrival, and we are excited because this will give us plenty of time to get organized in Savusavu and head over to see Tim and Fran while they are on the island of Taveuni. Fun times await us in Fiji… Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – May 23, 2015 (Minerva Reef to Fiji)
Passage Log Highlights
0322 D on watch. Main + genoa
0730 Gulf Harbor weather
0800 Isabela Net. NC = me
0909 Main + genoa
1415 Main + genoa
1445 Generator on. 1725 off
1445 Heard Lumbaz on VHF ch 16
2000 B watch start
2200 B watch end
Email to Friends and Family dated May 23, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Minerva to Fiji Day 2
After a beautiful spinnaker run most of the day yesterday, we took 20 kts on the beam most of the night. Exodus has gotten a little lively, nothing crazy, but more motion than we’ve been used to in awhile. I have to hold on to move around the boat this morning. At this point, I am desperately missing land. We left New Zealand over 2 weeks ago, and aside from about 20 minutes of standing on a dry patch at low tide in Minerva I’ve just been bobbing about on Exodus. I love Exodus and all, I just really need to be on land. We still have 2 more days until we get to Savusavu, and the winds are supposed to die, so maybe my urgent need for land will subside a bit. We had VHF contact yesterday afternoon with a boat we met at Minerva, but other than that it’s been just us out here. Kind of strange after the passage from New Zealand where we had at least one boat, usually more, within VHF range almost the whole. Anyway, the sun is coming up, and with it some higher spirits for me, I’m sure. Love and miss you all, -D.
Grandma asked for it, so here it is. I’m going to have the boys write something for these emails from time to time, and here is what was on Brenden’s mind yesterday. I guess he and I both have a little cabin fever:
Brenden’s Beat
It’s boring having to wait on a rocking boat with almost nothing to do. At least in Minerva I could spearfish. There, I shot a gouper that was 3 feet long and 31 pounds! I also shot an Almaco Jack that was 3 1/2 feet and 40 pounds! It was huge. Both fish I shot were bigger than all the grown ups. But here on the boat all I can do is school, legos, read, or play iPad. And there’s no kids around to play with, only Alex, and all he does is watch movies. I hope we get to Fiji soon, or else I don’t know what I’ll do!
Logbook – May 24, 2015 (Minerva Reef to Fiji)
Passage Log Highlights
0313 D on watch. 78 deg F!! Shorts and tank top on night watch. Sea temp 80.8
0701 VHF call to Lumbaz. No answer
0754 Main + genoa
1225 P engine on
1248 P engine off. Main + genniker
1415 Main + genniker
1421 P engine on
1524 Watermaker on 4 hrs (+2)
1820 P engine only
2000 B on watch
2200 B off watch
Daily Notes
Squall – T/B shower in the rain
Email to Friends and Family dated May 24, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Minerva to Fiji Day 3 – Hot and Humid
78 deg F and 81 percent humidity, and the breeze blowing in through the open salon door has lost it’s bite. And this was at 3am this morning. We have definitely arrived in the tropics. Lucky for Tim, because “Naked Man” made an appearance last night. This happens when Tim is riled out of bed during my night watch by a noise or boat motion that for some reason has him concerned. This time Naked Man threw open the cabin door, grabbed a flashlight, and started looking all around the starboard deck. Not finding anything, he returned to the salon, mumbled something about hearing a large creature squirming around on the deck, and then went back to bed. I decided NOT to investigate myself until the sun comes up.
Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – May 25, 2015 (Minerva Reef to Fiji)
Passage Log Highlights
0151 P engine only. D on watch
0559 P engine off. Genoa only
0739 SB engine on
0823 P engine on
0835 Arrive on mooring in Savusavu, Fiji
Daily Notes
Bird in the cockpit
Calm conditions for arrival
Sunrise as we are arrivingQ flag flying
Email to Friends and Family dated May 25, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Minerva to Fiji Day 4
We sailed as long as we could yesterday, but when the autopilot started complaining because we were going so slow it couldn’t keep its course, we decided to engine up. That was about 2:30 in the afternoon, and we’ve been motoring on a glassy sea ever since. Right now at 3am the boat motion is calmer than while at anchor in Minerva! We had a squall pass over us yesterday, which was exciting because Exodus, Tim, and Brenden, got a fresh water shower au natural. Alex and I, on the other hand, opted to take our showers inside.
We are super excited to arrive in Fiji, although I’m always a little nervous clearing in to a new country. Everyone says it’s easy to clear in to Savusavu, so let’s hope it’s easy for us too.
Email to Friends and Family dated May 25, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Minerva to Fiji – The End
Departure from North Minerva: 21 May 14:15 Arrival at Savusavu, Fiji: 25 May 08:35
Days at sea: 3 days 18 hours 20 min
Max wind: 20-24 kts from the beam the entire night our second night out. The rest of the passage <15 kts.
Engine hour summary: 16 hrs 22 min with one engine (motor sailing or motoring with no wind), 1 hr 10 min with both engines (departing, arriving, and main sail changes.)
I have to say, overall, this may have been our best passage yet. We haven’t had too many opportunities to sail in light winds and flat seas with no pressure of being somewhere (or pressure of getting out of bad weather zones). With the exception of our second night, it was mostly light air sailing. This morning I got up for watch earlier than usual because I knew Tim would need to get up earlier than usual due to arriving, so I figured I should share the pain. I was glad I did. This turned out to be a total zen watch for me. Ok, to be honest, when I first got up I was grouchy and I hated the darkness being so close to land, and OK, this grouchiness went on for a few hours as darkness persisted. But then dawn approached and the breeze started at about 10 kts from the stern, so I unfurled the head sail and turned off the engine, and these are the moments that cruisers treasure. Sunrise behind a new island sailing calmly along. Normally, sailing in light winds isn’t that great because the seas knock you around enough to cause the boom to slam back and forth. But this morning was pure calm. Tim got up and eventually we were only moving along at 2 kts, but we enjoyed our coffee together with no hurry of getting anywhere.
We engined up just a mile or 2 outside of Savusavu, and our arrival reminded me a lot of our arrival in Atuona, The Marquesas. Not just our own bliss at arriving, but the sights, smells, and even the shape of the clouds reminded us we were back in the tropics. Our check in process was smooth, BUT, a few of you know that I was a bit stressed because we never received a confirmation email back from Fiji customs on our advanced paperwork before leaving New Zealand. I externally stressed about it for awhile, even brought it up on our SSB net, and everyone told me not to worry. They don’t always respond. It will be fine. Well, today it wasn’t fine. So, after that I just internally stressed about it. So, today the customs lady looked at me and told me we did not send in our advanced paperwork and did we not know the requirements? Since we didn’t send our paperwork, they would have to search the boat. For a split second I actually thought someone had gotten to Fiji customs to play a joke on me or something. Well, no joke. I showed her the filled in form that I had emailed and I told her how I had emailed periodic updates on our estimated arrival date since we left. She asked me to show her what email I sent to, so Tim suggested I show her on the computer, which I did. I realize I’m making her sound kind of stern, which she wasn’t at all, I was just horrified at our situation, and I wasn’t mollified by her friendly demeanor. Anyway, to cut to the chase, they “searched” our boat which turned out to mean “poke our heads in the cabins and open the silverware drawer.”
I have no idea why they didn’t get our paperwork, but I’m just glad to be fully legal in Fiji now. We had a great day catching up with our friends on True Blue V. They even greeted us with fresh bread as we were motoring into the harbor.
Logbook – May 16, 2015 (South Minerva to North Minerva)
Passage Log Highlights
1227 Engines on
1248 Engines off. Main + genoa
1331 Main + genniker
1600 Engines on
1615 Engines off arrive N. Minerva
Daily Notes
Wrapped a coral head while raising anchor
Sailed through the pass at N. Minerva
Lobster dinner
Logbook – May 17, 2015 (North Minerva)
Daily Notes
Moved near lighthouse, much much better
VHF call s/v Windstar – water tank leak, needs water. Responses by Caminante and Local Talent
Boat with no mast – Tim watching Code Blue arrive via binoculars and notices a sailboat with not mast. s/v Malara dismasted just outside of N. Minerva. No one hurt. No assistance required. En route from Fiji to New Zealand, will now turn back to Fiji.
Awesome potluck on Caminante with Field Trip, Lumbaz, and Et Voila. Kids perform play. Dress up.
Dismasted boat in North MinervaDinner……and a show on CaminanteThe dress up parade…It was all fun and games until the moms started photobombing
Email to Family and Friends dated May 17, 2015
Subject: Exodus – North Minerva
We sailed from south to north Minerva yesterday afternoon, and it was a great day sail and we made good time. And since we had been here before and had our own track and waypoints and knew the anchorage, we sailed up to the pass, jibed, and then sailed on through. The conditions are pretty crappy now with 20 kt winds and a very bouncy anchorage. Yesterday, before we left S. Minerva Tim and Brenden went spearfishing with two of the other dads, and it was pretty funny that Brenden got the biggest fish. A whopping 31 lb. grouper. He could barely hold it up for the photo shots. Our latest thinking is that we will depart here on Friday for a Monday arrival in Savusavu. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – May 18, 2015 (North Minerva)
Daily Notes
T – Field Trip fix dive compressor
T/Theo – Dive the pass, no fish
Trip to “the beach”
Alex tries kite surfer trainer with Gustav
Happy hour on Et Voila
Alex tried to skim board, no luckBeach Day!Alex had fun with Gustav’s kite surfer trainerAlex getting instructions from Gustav Brenden following the dads on a reef hikeHappy hour on Et Voila
Logbook – May 19, 2015 (North Minerva)
Daily Notes
T/B dive pass. B 16kg Almaco Jack. T rainbow runner
A – snorkel with Jenny & Tina, play games with kids on Lumbaz
Sashimi on Exodus with Caminante and Lumbaz
B not feeling well
Brenden’s Almaco Jack and Tim’s Rainbow Runner
Email to Family and Friends dated May 19, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Beach Day
Here at North Minerva under normal conditions there is a beach that dries at low tide on the south end of the atoll, right in the vicinity of where we are anchored. However, we haven’t had normal conditions, we’ve had strong winds which push a lot more water than normal over the reef inside, and the beach isn’t quite drying out. But yesterday we had a couple of dry patches and we all headed to “shore” to enjoy some land for a change. We only had about an hour before the tide came back up, but it was a good hour. Alex had a great time, because he got to try out a kite surfer trainer. He did really well, and I feel a new hobby coming on… Day before yesterday our friends on Code Blue arrived, and it’s always good to see them, since they are one of the few boats out here that we still know from our days back in The Sea of Cortez. Anyway, Tim had the binoculars out to watch them come through the pass, which had gotten a bit lively from all this wind, and then Tim noticed a boat near the pass inside with no mast. He got them on the radio, and it turns out they are a vessel that dismasted just outside the pass. No one was hurt, and they did not think they needed assistance, and they made their way over here to the anchorage to take stock. Very sad. They left yesterday morning to head back to Fiji. We were hoping the conditions would be light enough to move back and anchor near the pass, but we’ll have to see how it goes. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – May 20, 2015 (North Minerva)
Daily Notes
Moved back near the pass
Heard Fluenta try to check in on Gulf Harbor Radio
T – scuba, borrowed from Gustav
Alex – paddle over to FT to play with the kids
Field Trip – happy hour on Exodus, sashimi, sushi, fresh baked bread
Field TripA bread success
Email to Family and Friends dated May 20, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Brenden’s White Whale
During our first stop here at North Minerva, you may recall that Brenden shot a huge Almaco Jack, they played a bit of tug o war with neither side gaining ground, and ultimately the fish got away with the spear. Tim even made a movie of it called “Brenden versus Fish” on our youtube page. Well, Brenden has talked about that fish ever since. Yesterday, he got his revenge. He speared a 16 kg Almaco Jack and fed the entire anchorage last night. He went to sleep very tired and very satisfied last night. -D.
Logbook – May 21, 2015 (North Minerva to Fiji)
Daily Notes
Family snorkel at pinnacle N. side of pass also with Judy (Code Blue), Lumbaz, and Caminante
Email to Family and Friends dated May 21, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Fiji Bound (Maybe)
Well, after studying and discussing weather this morning over breakfast, we’ve made the last minute decision to leave N. Minerva this afternoon. It will be a long, slow passage, but it should be comfortable, and that is preferable. We won’t have the pressure of having to keep our speed up like we did between NZ and here, so we shouldn’t have to run the engine too much. If we wait until Monday, we’ll be leaving right on the tail of a cold front so the seas will be a mess and the winds will be stronger. Of course, I’m downloading weather again now, so all of this could change…
P.S. Liz, I’m so sorry it was right after I sent you that email saying we were likely here until Monday that we looked ate weather again and decided to go. I hope we didn’t raise anyone’s hopes… We are very disappointed we will miss you guys.
Family snorkel w/ Field Trip and Lumbaz. Alex plays with kids, throws Noa in the water. T- spearfish (jobfish)
Quadcopter flyover
Et Voila arrives
Potluck on Lumbaz
Cat corner in South Minerva (from left to right: Exodus, Field Trip, Et Voila, Lumbaz)Snorkel day in the rainAlex (13) and Nils (5) sword fighting with dinghy oars.Having dinner together on LumbazSo many photos of the kids, here’s a rare one of the moms!
Logbook – May 16, 2015 (South Minerva to North Minerva)
Passage Log Highlights
0903 Engines on to move near the pass (at South Minerva)
0938 Engines off near pass
Daily Notes
B speared a 31 lb grouper
Alex found the biggest lobsterThe pass at South MinervaBrenden’s 31 lb coral trout
Email to Family and Friends May 16, 2015
Subject: Exodus – South Minerva
We had a great day here, but we were so spoiled with beautiful weather last year during our Minerva stop that it’s hard not to notice the difference. The snorkeling is, of course, amazing, and while Tim and Brenden didn’t shoot the tuna they were looking for, Tim did get a jobfish, which was a tasty addition to the potluck we had on Lumbaz last night. It is so much fun watching all the kids together, they reminded me of a group of cousins getting together. There were 8 kids last night, Alex the oldest and Nils the youngest (age 5) with boys and girls of all ages in between, and they were all singing and playing and the youngest and oldest were always together. The guys all went for lobsters last night, and Nils wanted to go so bad, and when they told him the other young boy (Michael from Field Trip) wasn’t going hoping then he wouldn’t want to go either, he said, “it’s OK, Alex is going!” So cute! Anyway, there are bags of lobsters hanging off the back of Exodus this morning so it seems they were successful! We intend to move 20 miles away to N. Minerva today. Love and miss you all, -D.
Gresham Family Exodus 