It's Harder to Leave

What a difference a few months can make in the South Pacific cyclone belt.  While Dan and I were making arrangements to fly back to the States for the holidays, all of our cruising friends in Fiji were busy preparing their boats to sail south to either New Zealand or Australia, with a careful eye on the weather. One reason they would leave Fiji was because it was predicted to be a volatile cyclone season due to El Nino.  

Port Denarau Marina

Port Denarau Marina usually has a very long waiting list during this time of year.  The place is buzzing with tourist activities, yachties with last minute chores and the Fijian children running around excited to be off from school for summer vacation.  Restaurants along the waters' edge are always packed with out-of-towners enjoying their meals while listening to live music that would play well into the night. The marina was full to capacity with Mega yachts and smaller cruising sailboats.  Outside the harbor, is a shallow, rolling anchorage where dozens of boats waited to either begin their voyage south or for an opening inside the harbor. The weather during early November was hot but bearable with generally a cool breeze off of the South Pacific Ocean. 

We had a wonderful time in the States visiting with everyone and appreciate the hospitality by our friends and family.  As most of you know, Dan being rather odd, doesn't do "sleep-overs" very well.  This was his "first" and  I'm proud of him.  He held up very well.   Of course the fact that everyone made it so comfortable and easy for us had a lot to do with it.  "THANK YOU" all.

Jack's Birthday Party while in the states

  

After two months, we returned to Fiji to find the marina and the harbor totally empty except for a few die hard cruisers who decided as we did, to stay and explore the rest of Fiji during a more casual and relaxing time of year.  Weather however, is much hotter and the humidity is far greater. We are now in the middle of Fijis summer months.  The children are now back in school and the few restaurants that remain open, close early.  Dan and I decided to take advantage of this slow period and have a few repairs done on the boat.  Long Windid was hauled out of the water and had a new cutlass bearing installed with new bottom paint.  She has been polished and waxed and the headsail has a new UV protective cover.  In early April, the standing rigging will be replaced with new Hamma X stainless steel rope wire and new turnbuckles.  All this in preparation for the trip to Hawaii in early May.  Meanwhile, we are just waiting for "Winston", a tropical cyclone that developed just north of us 10 days ago and circled the western portion of Fiji.  It's now dancing east of us in the Kingdom of Tonga.  "Winston" is projected to make its' way back to Fiji later this week.   We are now pinned down here in Port Denarau unable to move until it passes or dies out.  As hard as it is to get into Port Denarau, it seems even harder to get out.  I can think of worse places to be.