Asolare - Eschatology..

It is Sunday again and this morning we are to be found in Bible class at the Christian church on Makogai. While we probably would not have chosen to learn about Eschatology, being half an hour early for the church service this morning gave the rather fervent pastor the opportunity to teach us something new. The local kids are well up to speed, unprompted they tell us that “Eschatos” is the Greek word for “Last”, that Eschatology is the study of (I hope I remember correctly) the “Last Phase” before Jesus returns, the World ends and we are led to heaven or hell as deserved. Fortunately, and before we are shown up completely, the service proper soon starts. Children and adults sing each hymn as if it were their last, the likelihood of which is reinforced by both Chief. read more...

Asolare - Good Morning Savu Savu....!

It is 0830 a fact warmly and enthusiastically announced 5 out of 7 days by Curly Carswell on VHF Ch14. A long-term cruiser, Curly has found roots in the South Pacific and Fiji in particular, he is currently based in Savu Savu from where among other activities he runs the local cruisers radio net. I have been told that wherever you find a congregation of sailing cruisers you will also typically find a radio net. My first experience of this was in Vavau where I was bowled over by the lively, informative and truly interactive session run each day at 0830 on Ch06 or Ch26 by a guy called Baker providing an eclectic mixture of weather, local activities and information exchange between cruisers as they pass through Tonga. Walk through the town at the right time you can hear the net being. read more...

Asolare - Suva Suva

1700 (Fiji time) turns out to be a perfect hour to arrive in Savu Savu. We have been chatting to fellow World ARC yacht Cleone on VHF during our approach so we know what to expect, we have safely rounded Point Reef Light and can see the cruise liner Pacific Dawn marking the Nakama Creek entrance. With 4 miles to run and 10 knots of breeze on our starboard beam for the first time today, the evening sunshine picks out the deep greens of the forest, the blues and reds of houses on stilts and just to finish off the picture, a flower patterned green and white bus is trundling along the coast road. Someone comments; we haven’t seen a bus for a while! Our pilot notes from Cleone are perfect. We enter the river, avoiding the big steel mark in the centre, passing the ferry dock on the. read more...

Asolare - It's all a matter of judgement!

It is raining again! This time we have the full works; thunder, lightening and torrential rain. As the front goes through the wind has risen briefly to 35 knots, just long enough to consider starting the engine to ease pressure on our mooring. However, we are in a perfect place, we have taken one of Fred Fisher’s moorings for the night in Viani Bay, and with our lightening conductors out we should be safe enough. The compressor is on again, but somehow the noise seems less, maybe I am getting used to it’s diligent hammering or maybe the results of its work make the whole process more agreeable.  Thinking about it, the “schwsssss” of the last air-tank being disconnected is identical to the sound of our first gin and tonic opening. No wonder it is a mighty fine. read more...

Asolare - Vanua Levu, Rainbow Reef and Sharks..

Just over half the size of Viti Levu (The Big Island) Vanu Levu is Fiji’s second largest island. Again volcanic in origin it is apparently home to nearly 140,000 people although so far we have seen just one, Fred Fisher. A big draw for us is diving and the 32km Rainbow Reef here on the south west coast of Vanu Levu is apparently one of “the” places to dive. Approaching Asolare this morning in his aluminium dory, Fred Fisher, son of Ned Fisher the authority on these waters quoted in our trusted pilot “A Yachtsman’s Fiji” by Michael Calder, was about to shape our day. With Fred’s tales of the Great White Wall drift dive and it’s glide through cave, Blue Ribbon Eel Reef, The Zoo and Cabbage Patch it did not take long before we were planning an adventure. read more...