“Blue Lagoon”, Nanuya Island, Fiji
For all those concerned, we have adjusted well to the rough rigors of life back in the tropics. Our reality for most of the last 20 years as cruising sailors, we are definitely enjoying being back. Our last time in Fiji was 12 years ago. Supposedly you can’t go home again but somehow upon returning we still manage to find something new around each corner while being pleasantly surprised that certain things have not changed at all.
A mere three days after we cleared into Fiji, days filled with provisioning all the fresh food Fiji biosecurity took away, changing the oil and tracking down propane, our first visitor ever aboard Dragonfly flew in – Dr. Kate Earl, eldest of the next generation and mother to our two granddaughters, Violet and Sunday. Taking a much needed break from her life as an emergency veterinarian in Portland, it was time for a little R&R with no responsibilities. She landed in Nadi in the wee hours and after an hour ferry ride to the Musket Cove Resort she found herself bouncing through the chop in the dinghy to her floating home for the next two weeks.
Kate was great crew and quickly learned the peccadillos of life aboard a boat (no salt below decks, frugal use of water and electricity, etc.) and even took over some of the meal prep modifying her culinary skills to account for the odd selection of ingredients available. Musket Cove itself is famous in the cruising community as the “Riviera of the South Pacific”. Founded by a sailor, it is one of the few resorts here in Fiji that not only permits yachties to anchor in front of it, but allows full use of the resort’s amenities: pool, spa, beach lounges, bars, all of which Kate took advantage of during her first week. Pretty nice!
Because they love us yachties so much, each year the resort hosts an annual sailing regatta which features sailing races ranging from beach cats to personal yachts, all bracketed by much time at the bar and feasts ashore. The races are supposedly just for fun, but the competitive spirit of most sailors often gets in the way, and this year’s contests featured a few cruising yachts colliding, near encounters with reefs, and one beach cat pitch poling on the shallow water course. There was literally blood in the water and a lot of bad language sailor style.
By far the event of the week is Pirate’s Day. Everyone sails a couple hours to a nearby island where we are greeted by the Fijian host pirates ashore who require us to walk on “hot coals” that lead to the quarantine tent whereby we each are officially granted access and immunized by downing a shot of some horrid rum. The partying continues all day with various events including a tug of war, limbo and dance contests, Fijian traditional fire dancing, and best costume contests … lest the young’uns be forgotten by the now rum besotted adults, there is a treasure hunt in a mock cemetery (oh the quality life lessons cruising children get!).
Much of this regatta has changed since we last attended 12 years ago with our other daughter Sophia in tow (throw back photos included), but the elements of fun were all still a blast. Once the regatta ended, we sailed north along the Yasawa islands here in western Fiji and anchored up in the Blue Lagoon (so named for the Brooke Shields movie filmed here decades ago). Here Kate got a little bit of the “real” Fiji, as the lagoon has a couple of villages nearby and there are coral bommies to snorkel with beaches all around.
One’s spirits cannot help be elevated each day as the locals go by shouting genuine greetings of “Bula!”, the pangas come by selling fruit, and the school “boat bus” goes by with all the kids smiling and singing their songs. Some things don’t change, some do, but the spirit and warmth of the Fijians is still so wonderful.
16 57 S. 177 22 E
Nanuya Island, Yasawa, Fiji
Thank you for the throwback update!! So happy for you all!! And all without a singular halyard involved! Amazing!
Miss you guys!! Enjoy!!