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Firefly - Fast passage to Fiji's Lau Group



As we approach the end of a passage we are normally pushing Firefly as fast as possible in order to arrive in time for a deadline - normally its to arrive before it gets dark. Its different this time - we are going to need to slow down on our second night at sea in order that we have good light to enter the Tongan Passage, our planned route into the lagoon of Vanua Balavu, part of the Lau Group of Fiji - we are going too fast!



Firefly cast off her mooring in Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga at 1030 on Monday 8th June to start this passage of just over 300 miles. The destination is a village called Lomolomo, which in this case is a 'sufferance' port. It is called this because its not an official port of entry for Fiji - the ICA have special permission to arrive here and have arranged to fly the customs and immigration officials to the remote Lau Group Islands.



Fiji's Lau Group of islands was a destination that we were keen to visit last year when we came through with the World ARC, but once checked in at Savusavu it was a long beat back against the very consistent trade winds. Therefore its a real bonus to be able to check in at Vanua Balavu, as it also closer to Tonga. Its such a good opportunity that the ICA fleet are sailing in company with most of the 2015 World ARC fleet, who are able this year to share the ICA's check in arrangements.



The wind forecast was not that good before our departure and we expected the trip to take 48 hours but conditions have so far been near perfect. The heading is just north of west and we left Neiafu on a broad reach with up to 25 knots of wind from the north east. Overnight the wind dropped and backed completely and we are now sailing on a broad reach again with about 20 knots. The wind has been steadily increasing all day and its now a south south easterly so Firefly has been on port tack all day.



For the first time on this ICA Rally, Firefly is at last showing just how quick she is. As she did in the UK, Firefly attracts quite a lot of attention due to her 'Yachting World' heritage (lots of sailors obviously read the magazine in the Antipodes which featured her being specified, designed and built for the then editor, Andrew Bray) - the striking Hoyt Jib boom on the foredeck generally being how she is recognised. However, before the rally we left her for 5 weeks at Opua Marina in the Bay of Islands and the bottom became badly fouled despite the antifoul being relatively recent. Rushing back from our trip home to the UK we had no time to get it cleaned before we sailed north - and we were noticeably slow. Having spent a great deal of time underwater, scrubbing the hull and cleaning the propeller since arriving in Tonga, she is now slipping along much better.



Although we all cleared customs at the same time on Monday morning, the 30 plus yachts of the 2 fleets all left at different times throughout the day. We were about the 10th boat out of Neiafu and sailed past all but 2 of the others before the wind backed last night. We then sailed for all but 3 hours overnight, in quite light conditions and several of the boats who motored all night overtook us again. At first light we hoisted 'The Admiral' our blue, white and yellow gennaker, and sped off at up to 9 knots for about 4 hours before the wind peaked over 18 knots and it was time to get it down. Once it reaches that strength its almost as fast with the jib and considerably safer. We are now one of the first boats in the front group again, about 10 of whom are showing up on AIS on our chartplotter - these are mainly ICA boats and its actually unusual for everyone to stay quite so well bunched - normally things spread out more.



Checking the route on the I Pad, our ETA at the Tongan Pass is about 0400 on Wednesday 10th June. At the current speed of about 8.5 knots and with sunrise at around 0600 we will be furling up the jib for the night unless the wind drops away.



Paul and Susie

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