91. Bula

Bula to you all. It means hello in Fijian. Good to know when you are in Fiji as that’s how everyone greets you here. I’m so happy to be back in the tropics again and even more happy to have the New Zealand to ‘the islands’ leg behind me. A 1,200 nautical mile crossing that proved challenging for several of my cruising buddies. And one that left me with a shredded headsail and memories of a few uncomfortable hours working out a diesel supply issue on my engine. An issue that turned out to be caused by the company in Whangarei that I employed to make sure that wouldn’t happen. But that’s all behind me now. My spare genoa is up and I’m in the process of ordering a new one that will be shipped here before I continue towards Vanuatu and Indonesia. But before that I want to spend a couple of months exploring the more remote parts of this Pacific island nation.

At present though, I’m enjoying all the comforts that the brand new Nawi Marina in Savusavu is offering. All while stocking up for a month or so in the very remote Lau group. A set of islands hundreds of miles from civilisation where you are expected to go through an introductory rite in each atoll that you visit. It’s called Sevusevu and supposedly entails visiting the head of the local village and offer a gift of a Kava root which is then grinded into a powder that is mixed in a bowl of warm water that is passed along to villagers and visitors. I can only describe the final product as muddy water but it’s supposed to be intoxicating. I tried it in Tonga and found it to be quite disgusting and any intoxication that I felt probably had more to do with the beer I used to wash it down with than the Kava itself. I’m told that on completion of this initiation rite you are ‘assigned’ a family in the village. I’m not sure what that means but more about that later.

Navigating in Fiji also comes with its challenges. Charts can’t be fully trusted and I know of several boats that have hit uncharted reefs and bommies. Some with catastrophic results. You have to rely on a combination of charts, satellite images, tracks obtained from other boats and your own eyes. Ideally you want to enter an atoll at rising tide, when the sun is at its highest and with a lookout at the bow. The latter obviously presents a bit of a challenge to a solo sailor but I have friends at my first destination that have promised to come out in their tender and guide me through the reef entrance. An entrance that looks particularly narrow and sketchy. Wish me luck!