Fawn Harbor Fun and Viani Bay Bliss

 As we ventured into Bagasau Village with ACappella and Inspiration Lady friends, we were warmly welcomed by the beautiful people. We presented our kava (sevu sevu)to the head master who then passed it onto the chief. This was the first kava ceremony for Cornelia, Ed, Jackie, and Gary and it was great kava !!!

 Kava is pounded into a soft powder which is then mixed carefully with fresh clean water.

 Each person is given some in a coconut cup, as everyone chants "Bula !" and claps 3 times.
 As the ceremony continues David enjoys entertaining the chief and the elders. They think he is very funny :)

 Our friends from Savusavu who own Bebi Electronics, specializing in LED lights for cruisers, started their company here in Fawn Harbor, as a cottage industry which helps to benefit the villagers.

 These wonderful workers enjoyed our visit to their "factory" and the bula spirit lives on here as well.

 We now have four of Bebi's lights and they are fantastic.

 David guided us up to the hotsprings and we enjoyed the afternoon there soaking.

 It was a great venture had by all of us and we are so glad we stayed here for these few days.

 Off to Viani Bay and Rainbow Reef with some great clear weather and flat seas.

 The snorkeling is spectacular as you can see.  The colorful coral and incredible fish make this area one of the best in the world. Four days were not even enough. Hard to move on from such a site!

 Suzi and David are definitely in their element here. What a privilege to see what nature shares with us!

How very lucky we are!

Craziness at Fawn Harbor

Yesterday was quite a crazy day, motor-sailing and sailing up to Fawn Harbor with 18-20 kts of SE winds and swells giving us the ability to bash our way up the coast, When we arrived around 3:00 at the dog-legged pass, ACappella was already anchored inside the bay, and Inspiration Lady was behind us wishing to follow us in, since we already had been there; we rolled up the headsails, centered the main, and tried to start dear Perkins. NO ENGINE !!!!Instantly we scrambled to put the sails back up and turn Sidewinder away from the reef and it seemed to take sooooo long before she was able to tack and head back the way we had come in. We tried the engine at least 10 more times, after David would test each of the possible issues, but no cigar. Luckily we got ourselves as far away from the reef as needed in order to try to figure out what next to do:  head back to Savusavu? heave-too? sell Sidewinder again? Ed and Gary, inside the calm bay, called on VHF and convinced us to turn around and they would come out in their dinghies and escort us in while we sailed in with the main up. On the way back, Capt David again set himself to finding the problem and he did, as he tested all the ground wires he had just recently set. Perkins came alive and by the time we got back to the pass, we motored our way in with gracious escorts just to make sure all was well. PHEW ! Holy Moly this is a risky life-style! There is weather coming our way tomorrow, with NW winds, so we are choosing to stay here for a few days. We just got back from going into the little village up the hill with our kava and enjoyed a wonderful welcome. There are hot springs in the area we will visit and many families who have already offered to take us there. It is lunch time on Sidewinder and all is well. Thank goodness, once again!

From Savusavu to Cousteau's -Leaving for Viani Bay

By noon we were out of town making our way up the coast to the point where the Cousteau Resort sits. We anchored in beautiful clear water and basked in the warmth of the sun while eating a late breakfast. We were so tired from the craziness of getting ready to leave and it felt awesome to relax in the calm. I snorkled and visited with friends and now we are ready to begin our new adventure up to Viani Bay and Rainbow  Reef, stopping at Fawn Harbor on the way. Since Kris will be gone this next week, if we are out of internet range, you may not hear from us. No news is good news in this respect. I will write as soon as we can.  Hope all is well with everyone!   Love you,  Suzi and David

Savusavu Security and Getting Ready to Leave

 From the cold wind and waters of NZ we found Minerva Reef out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

 We had great times with Jason, Meredith, Alene and Bruce playing wonderful music; in spite of the wind!

 Bodhram and Migration are blessed with this beautiful rainbow after the squall at Minerva.

 Enjoying our friends, Cornelia and Ed, on this exotic reef. What an amazing experience!

After sailing for another few days, Sidewinder ducked into the old capital of Levuka to check into Fiji.

 The sail from Levuka, Ovalau, to Makogai Island was spectacular....so calm and peaceful. Sailing at its best.

Sunrises and sunsets always help to ease the edge of  uncomfortable crossings. Nature is so awesome.

It has been wonderful spending the week in Savusavu, re-connecting with many friends and doing chores in preparation for our next journey to Taveuni. All is well here on Sidewinder. The pictures I am sending are from the Opua to Fiji crossing and  remind us that we did have some fun, in spite of the interesting weather. We have unveiled our new inflatable kayak and will send some pictures later if we get a chance. I am sure our new explorations will be even more fun in the kayak; now we have to figure out how to transport it while moving. Hmmmmmmmmm. Hope all is well on the homefront.  Love to all,  Suzi and David

Savusavu

Hi there!  We had quite a ride through the waves coming at us from the north with 18-20 kts of  NE winds and sometimes we felt like we were on a runaway train, going 7.5 kts toward Savusavu, but we made it in time to whisk down the bay just before sunset (although it began to rain instead) and ACappella helped us snag a mooring at Copra Shed, right in front of them. When we pulled in, we were greeted by a staff member who helped us secure our mooring, and Ed picked us up in his dinghy, took us to the showers, and then we walked to a wonderful restaurant for fabulous food. Ed and Cornelia graciously paid for our dinners, thanking David for helping them with their ourboard engine in Minerva Reef. We also got to hug our friends on Adamite and Eagles Wings and it felt like we were home! How fun! This morning is "take care of business time: laundry, fresh veggie/fruit market, and whatever else needs to be done, as well as connecting with friends. The weather looks good right now, so we must take advantage of that.  Love, S

Makogai

I had forgotten what a magical little bay this is, with incredibly clear blue water, a quiet peaceful little village, and green on green jungle all around. This is where the Leper colony was and it is now the educational center for growth and study of the giant clams. It is great to be here again, and we will stay another day, today, just to snorkel and soak up the beauty of true Fiji before we head to Savusavu tomorrow. We had an amazing sleigh-ride sail over here from Levuka, riding waves with gentle 12-18 kt SE warm winds, taking us directly to our destination; it doesn't get better than that! Instead of trying to bash into the easterly winds to Koro, we decided just to hang and hopefully do another smooth journey tomorrow directly to Savusavu. Love to all!
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Received June 2: Almost to Savusavu.....been pretty much a bash going there but Sidewinder is doing great. Can't wait to get into the bay! Love you!  S&D