Pitufa.at

Over the years we have written tons of articles about sailing, DIY, life-style topics, etc. for different magazines. Now I have put 54 of them together in a book, basically a “best of Pitufa”
It’s simply called “Cruising Know-How” and it’s available on Amazon as a black-and-white paperback and in colour as an e-book, paperback and even hard-cover! Prices range from 9,90 USD to 40 USD for the hard-cover, but rest assured, I only get 5 bucks each, no matter which one you buy

If you’ve participated in the Musket Cove Regatta this year, check out our article in this month’s Ahoy magazine on the Downunder Rally page! You might be on the pics

In Fiji it’s traditional to bring a gift when you visit another island/village, not just for foreigners, but also for locals. You present this sevusevu (usually a bundle of kava) and the chief speaks a prayer and welcomes you as a member of the village. In the traditional islands of the Lau group you then get a host family and it’s a very nice cultural insight to spend time with them, do lunch together, go for walks, etc. Our host families have always been very generous with us and willing to share the little they have (veg, fruit, etc.) and of course we want to give presents back in return.

When we were here in Fulaga last year, our host Maika asked us to mend their kayak, but the PVC was broken beyond repair. When we got back to the mainland we started looking for used kayaks and last September we bought one from other cruisers–inflatable, so not quite ideal, but at least a means of transport!

Finally we are underway to the Lau Islands again! The past few days have flown by in a flurry of boat projects, shopping, organising, meeting people, while keeping an eye on the ever-changing weather forecasts… What looked like a nice weather window with NE winds to sail SEwards turned into a nasty front, too short to actually reach our destination. We have postponed our departure for a day and are heading out close-hauled into rough conditions towards Matuku. 95 nm to go!

When our neighbours in the marina gave away their Muir Cheetah windlass for free (they replaced most gadgets on their newly bought boat) Christian couldn’t resist and grabbed it–after all the Cheetah is the bigger (and younger) sister of our beloved, but elderly Muir Cougar. An upgrade from 1000 W to 1200 W, a newer motor–great!
It turned into a major undertaking as we had to order spare parts from Tasmania to refurbish the winch. Last week we started the exchange: we had to empty our forecabin (main storage area) and the forepeak (more storage) and sails, brewing equipment and spare parts were piled up in the salon. Of course we needed most of our tools (live in the lockers in the salon) and as it turned out that the deck beneath the wooden base plate was badly corroded, we needed the angle grinder (other locker) and then we had to primer and paint (yep, yet another locker) before mounting a new wooden plate and the refurbished new pet (pussy cat Cheetah). And all that in rainy Suva in between downpours and hectic canvas-tent building while the salon looked as if a bomb had exploded in the forecabin.
I’m still not allowed any lifting or pulling, so poor Christian slaved away on his own, half of the time stuck with his upper body in the forepeak while working/drilling/installing overhead. Anyway, now the job is done and the pussy cat is purring nicely…
Our cougar has found a new home here in Suva and will be installed on a power boat

Most people hear squid and think “Calamari fritti”, but here in Fiji we meet squids when we go snorkeling and these fascinating, colour-changing, curious creatures are so much more than the rubbery rings that are served in restaurants.
Quite often they hang out next to the boat, preferably near the anchor chain in line formations, constantly chatting with each other by complicated shifts in colour. Usually they scatter when we approach them snorkeling, but last week we met two that curiously approached us!
According to Wikipedia 3 million tons of squid are fished every year and imagining the number of these delicate creatures you need to reach such an incredible weight it seems clear that this kind of overharvesting cannot be kept up much longer–it is certainly not sustainable. Squids and cuttlefish are not listed as endangered species, but then we lack studies about what’s going on in the oceans… They are an important prey for predators including sharks, sea birds, seals and whales. As a keystone species low in the food chain we don’t know what impacts the uncontrolled human fishing has on those species that rely on squids for their nutrition.

Remember the times when smoking was still allowed in restaurants and bars? You’d go in as a non-smoker for a quick drink, cough in the murky-looking air for a while and return home with red eyes, smelly hair and clothes. Those unlucky enough to work in such an environment often had negative effects on their health, so everyone agreed at some point that “passive smoking” was dangerous for the public and therefore laws were made to protect non-smokers.
To me it’s much the same when people don’t care about their carbon footprint, motor long distances in their boats instead of sailing, run the generator each day instead of installing solar panels and constantly jet around the globe–preferably in private jets and helicopters as we see each day here in Fiji when new guests arrive at high-end resorts. The general view seems to be that those lucky enough to be able to afford it, are entitled to live on a super-size carbon footprint. I don’t envy them their “luxuries”, but the problem is that we all live on the same planet that gets damaged more badly every day, we all suffer from the consequences and catastrophes caused by global warming and we all breathe the same polluted air. I feel that we small-size carbon-footprinters (frowned upon by many as eco-nerds) are entitled to be protected from “passive pollution” done by thoughtless people which is just as lethal (or worse) as globally recognized passive smoking…