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• Winter in Fiji

  Fiji lies at 17° south, so it doesn’t get properly cold, but we (tropical islanders that we are) still call June to September winter, get out socks and hoodies and drink lots of tea (to warm up after an outside shower) and mulled wine for sundowners instead of cold beer. Especially while the southeasterly winds are blowing and bring cold air masses from the south… Continue reading »

• Why tabu (no-fishing) areas at all and why should they be permanent?

  Here’s a summary of the explanation we give islanders here in Fiji. English is a second language for most people here and many of the people who live out on the islands don’t have much formal education, so the info is a bit simplified, but it helps to illustrate the main points. Please feel free to download the pdf if you would like to use… Continue reading »

• The Matuku Marine Reserve and how it came into being

  Matuku was the first island in the Lau group we visited with our Pitufa in July 2022. The little island doesn’t see many yachts as it lies off the beaten track and we were amazed by the hospitality the villagers showed us and the wonderful underwater landscapes that we found just off our anchorage. During our second visit in Matuku we started raising awareness for… Continue reading »

• Donations for the Marine Reserve in Matuku

  Tony Philp of Vuda Marina and Coprashed Marina has gracefully offered to provide ground tackle and buoys to mark the borders of the Marine Reserve, thanks Tony! We still would need some funding to support the efforts of the islanders to protect their reef. They will need to patrol the area (especially at night) to make sure no outsiders ruin their Tabu with illegal spearfishing,… Continue reading »

• Marine reserve in Matuku (Fiji)!

  The islanders of Matuku have decided to protect 3 areas–the biggest of them is 4.5 km2(!) and includes mangroves, sandy shelves and a lively, beautiful reef just off the main pass! No spear-fishing or net-fishing will be allowed in this Tabu (traditional ban) and it’s planned to be permanent, so all species of reef fish will find a refuge to grow, multiply and guarantee sustainable… Continue reading »

• 12th cruising anniversary!

  Time flies, incredible that a dozen years have passed since we set out from Croatia! The past few months have been rather tough, but we’re hoping that this new cruising year will bring fun and adventures again! Yesterday we went out to the Island Bar here at Musket Cove Resort to celebrate

• Cover girl again!

  Last month our Pitufa was AllAtSea’s cover girl, this month it is Birgit’s turn! Download the magazin for free at allatsea.net.

• Marina life in Vuda

  We have successfully avoided marinas over the past 10 years–the last time we had to go in was in the Cape Verde Islands to have a shroud replaced. It’s not just a matter of saving money, we just don’t enjoy being in a berth: creaking lines, noisy neighbours with clanging and banging halyards, it’s hot, you can’t go swimming, the wind’s never from the bow… Continue reading »

• No fish no reef, no reef no fish!

  Scientific models predict an El Niño period for the next (southern) summer, meaning that we can expect rising ocean surface temperatures. The consequences here in the Pacific will be most likely more severe cyclones and bleached coral reefs (and many other types of catastrophes around the world). Coral can only recover from storm damages and bleaching when lots of herbivore fish keep the weak reef… Continue reading »

• The oceans are protected–at least in theory…

  Have you read the news? The High Seas Treaty aims to turn 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, to safeguard and recuperate marine nature. The president of French Poly announces one marine reserve after the other, browsing through the news about other Pacific nations one can be happy to see that most of the waters around the Marshall Islands are protected and… Continue reading »

• Pitufa as Cover Girl on All-At-Sea Magazine!

  Birgit Hackl, Christian Feldbauer: Choosing a Cruising Boat, All At Sea Caribbean, May 2023, p. 36–38. download the whole magazine for free.

• Splashed!

  Yippieh, after 1 and a half weeks of sanding, painting, replacing stuff, sweating, swearing, running, searching, shopping, 13 steps up the ladder to quickly fetch stuff, balancing on rickety scaffolding, swampy puddles to work in, constantly muddy feet, mosquito-ridden bathrooms and more sweating and swearing (oh and some more sweating and swearing, did I forget to mention that?) we are BACK IN THE WATER!

• How to replace an all-rubber cutlass bearing

  We spent a week running after mechanics to help us remove the cutlass bearing, were strung along and advised impossible solutions until Christian finally decided to build a make-shift pusher himself: only 2 pieces of wood, 1 piece of steel tube, 2 threaded bars, 4 big washers and 6 nuts were necessary to makeshift this ingenious gadget! When we replaced our cutlass bearing 3 years… Continue reading »

• Read Online: Article on Atoll Navigation in Boating NZ

  Birgit Hackl, Christian Feldbauer: Mind the Reef, Boating New Zealand, March 2023, p. 88–92. Read the online version of this article.

• Great antifouling for aluminium boats

  Finding an antifouling that actually helps against growth is tricky for the owners of aluminium boats. After lots of disappointments we finally got a great product in Tahiti: Carboline Sea Barrier Alloy 100. We had it on for 3 years, never had to haul out and when we did last week it still looked good! We couldn’t find Carboline in Fiji, so we had it… Continue reading »