We brought a new kayak back to Pitufa from the US, but until now we didn’t have the opportunity to use it. Now, among the mushroom-shaped limestone islets of Yagasa we unpacked it, inflated it for the first time (quickly done), admired the bright-yellow, sleek vessel and took it out for a first round. The ancient kayak we used to have, had its own mind, always tried to turn its bow into wind and waves and regularly made us go in circles. Cursing the damn thing (and occasionally each other) we’d have to constantly correct course, go for miles paddling on one side–we thought that was part of kayaking.
The new Advanced Elements Island Voyage kayak holds its course, is wonderfully easy to handle and we effortlessly took it around the bay and to some adjacent beaches. Who knew kayaking could be so easy!!
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2022
07
Nov
Advanced Elements Island Voyage two-seater Kayak
2022
05
Nov
Mosquitoes!
Most outer reefs here in the Lau Group don’t give much protection and the anchorages are accordingly rolly, so we counted ourselves lucky yesterday to find a calm bay on Namuka. We were a bit disappointed about the lack of wildlife (no birds ashore, nothing to be seen in the water). At sunset the local wildlife got up: a cloud of mosquitoes descended on the boat–the worst invasion since the rivers of Suriname. We ran for shelter, put screens up, but many of the little suckers were already inside, so we spent an interrupted night with a few in-between raids.
At 6 in the morning we lifted the anchor and headed out to sea, bashing into the waves again for five hours to tack to the neighbouring Yagasa group. Here we found a scenic anchorage, not quite as protected and we’ll find out at dusk what the mosquito situation is like here 
2022
04
Nov
Namuka
Instead of blowing from the North (we would have tacked to the NE) and then shifting to the SE (we would have tacked east) the wind kept shifting between slightly north and south of east–never enough to help us with proper tacks. End the end we arrived in Namuka. Even though we’ve only sailed a short distance it took us one and a half days, the boat’s covered in salt and we’re quite tired.
2022
03
Nov
Tacking and more tacking
The wind remains from the NE to E, so we keep tacking up and down… We had about 90 nm to go when we set out Wednesday morning, now we have 40
2022
03
Nov
Up and down
Tacking in light fickle winds is annoying and Totoya is still in sight this afternoon, even though we left this morning… Distances are small in Fiji, so we’ll get somewhere, eventually. Hopefully
2022
02
Nov
Destination unknown
After a rolly night anchored off Totoya, we’re heading out again into an uncertain weather window. We’ll see where the wind lets us to
2022
02
Nov
Annoying forecasts
We set out this morning with a forecast predicting first SE winds for a few hours and then NE, so we thought we’d be sailing east with a tack. Well, an hour after we set out the wind already shifted NE with a squall, only to turn east later on. Hard to decide what to do, maybe we’ll just stop on the nearby island Totoya…
2022
29
Oct
No reef no fish, no fish no reef
When corals die, we generally think of pollution and global warming as the culprits. But overfishing is also an important factor as weakened reefs need herbivore fish to clean the dead bits, so the coral can recover and regrow.
The reefs in Fiji have mostly still beautiful coral, but overfishing is a big problem, especially near densely populated areas.
Here in Matuku the people are still subsistence farmers, relying on their gardens and of course the reef fish. Electricity has only just arrived and with it starts the exporting of fish to Suva.
We usually try to raise awareness for local environmental problems, so we started with the kids, watched some videos about parrotfish, explained and let them draw a poster and many colourful parrotfish while some adults were watching and listening. A start.
Next there was a first-aid course held by the red cross and not just nurses, but also some chiefs and headmen were there, so I seized the opportunity, told them about our experiences in other Pacific countries, showed them some shocking pictures of dead reefs and much to my surprise they were eager to hear more and learn about the causes to avoid the same happening to their island.
We were invited to do a presentation at another assembly and now Matuku will get several “tabu” areas (like the rahui in Polynesia) where fish will be protected to ensure a sustainable use of the resources (like islanders must have traditionally done for hundreds of years anyway, or they would have long starved to death).
2022
27
Oct
Project weeks
Remember when I wrote that we’d be out and playing with the fishies? Well, the weather didn’t agree with that plan. Ever since we’ve arrived in Matuku it has been windy, cool and rainy in between. So we’ve done a work-program instead of the fun-program we had hoped for.
Now there’s a new track for the pole on the mast, a new tap in the galley, the cockpit table got enforced hinges and today we tackled a project we’ve been postponing for many years, because we didn’t know how to approach it. The shower tap on the bathroom wall had been dripping for ages, but it’s completely impossible to reach the backside of that installation through the engine room. We contemplated all options, even cutting out a large portion of the wall in the bathroom to reach the spot. In the end we thought out of the box and installed the new tap on the opposite wall next to the bathroom sink, where it’s easy to reach.
The new solution looks better than the old one and is much more practical!
By the time we had removed now unnecessary pieces of plumbing from the engine room, cleaned up the mess in the bilge and the chaos in the boat it was 4 o’clock, but at least the sun had come out as a reward, the wind had dropped, so we could take a swim and wash off the bilge grime 
2022
22
Oct
Returning to places
We’ve been in Fiji now for a while, but we haven’t visited too many places, we enjoy lingering and getting to know the people and see all sides of an island. It’s also great to return to a place:
We already spent two weeks here in Matuku last July, so when we returned we were greeted by familiar faces like long-lost family, we brought some presents we had promised last time and the people generally appreciate the fact that we enjoyed their island enough to return!
2022
14
Oct
Passage Soup
Over the last three days a trough passed over Fiji. We briefly considered to set out with the front, but the NW wind prediction looked quite violent with lots of rain, so we decided to wait for the wind shift to W instead. It was a good decision: We set out yesterday afternoon, found the westerlies a few miles south of Suva–and they were still stronger than expected, 25 knots instead of the predicted 15… While Pitufa was doing 6 to 7 knots I was feeling to queasy to cook a proper dinner and just made “passage soup”. A Thai soup with lots of ginger, garlic, chilies and green curry paste is just the right meal to settle a queasy stomach
During the night sailing continued nicely with a bit less wind and now at sunrise, the silhouette of Matuku lies ahead already!
2022
14
Oct
Interview on Life Radio
Our radio interview, that was delayed earlier, will be aired this week on Life Radio. On October 17 at 5.45 and 7.45 in the morning show!
2022
13
Oct
Kava
The Fijians drink the ground up root of Kava like we drink beer, just as a social thing in the evening. Kava used to be highly ritualised and mainly for men, but nowadays it’s served casually among friends or family.
We were anchored in Vaga Bay on the West side of Beqa Island, when our shore neighbour Albert (Pati) stopped by and invited us for lunch and Kava. It was a long weekend so the grown-up daughters and grand children were visiting and we had a great time with the family. Pati and Sasa told us that they try to invite each yacht that stops in their bay (not so many) and that they would be thrilled to have more boats on Beqa. So if you’re in the vicinity, anchor on the north side of Vaga Bay and visit Pati and Sasa (their house is hidden underneath the trees, but you’ll see their boat ashore)!
2022
11
Oct
Article on Fishing and Canning in Boating NZ
Birgit Hackl, Christian Feldbauer: Can it! Fishing and Canning, Boating New Zealand, Sept. 2022, p. 104–105. Read the online version of this article.
2022
09
Oct
Checking out cyclone holes
Warm weather, calm seas–summer in the South Pacific is the best time for cruising. Unfortunately it’s also the cyclone season, so most yachts are already leaving westwards, but we have decided to stay. Instead of leaving the boat in a cyclone pit or marina, we are checking out different, protected anchorages, so we’ll know where to run and hide when a cyclone is approaching. It’s a worrying thought, but we have talked to many people who have spent numerous cyclones here and they fared okay. We’re hoping for a benign, eventless summer!
