On August 8 we left Fulaga, headed for Kadavu, about 220 miles west. We followed a couple other boats out the passage, waiting to see how the current and waves affected them. We were supposed to be at ‘slack high tide’ which is high tide, just turning around to start going down – the optimal situation. But you can never be too sure, so it’s a good idea to watch someone else. The waters were a bit choppy, implying that it was not really slack tide, but it was much easier than other passes we have done, and we were out in open water in no time.
After rounding the southern edge of Fulaga, we headed west for Kadavu. We did see a ‘red dawn’ on the 9th and that is supposed to foretell bad weather for the day, but our day was quite nice. Winds 8 to 15 knots and seas of about 1 meter.
At 220 nm, this is a bit of an awkward distance. If we were really flying, we could possibly do it in about 30 hours, with one over-night, if we left early and were confident that getting into the anchorage would be quick and easy. But we had left a bit late to hit slack high tide and averaged less than 7 knots due to light winds the first day. If we pushed, we could have arrived when it was getting dark and we would not be able to see unmarked reefs. So after a while, we slowed down with reefed sails and relaxed. The second night was easy and we arrived early on the 10th.
Looking at the track, it appears that we made a significant detour to the north as we approached Kadavu. That is because there are reefs extending all the way up there from the north-east end of Kadavu.
We anchored off the town of Vunisea because they have a small airport that our friend Trina would be flying into. We spent the next couple days provisioning, getting to know the town and doing boat jobs. We made friends with the woman who ran the Cafe & Coffee Hub, learning about her family and the challenges of keeping kids from moving away after high school.
Trina’s plane landed mid-day on the 14th. It was a long journey, begun on the 12th in Phoenix, but she arrived ready to go!
We bought a few fresh fruits and veggies at a local market and headed out. Our first stop was Papageno Resort (blue marker top right). Oh, by the way, that thin squiggly grey line on the map really is the ONLY road on the island whose population is over 10,000. People mostly take boats or walk. There are a few horses as well.
We hoped to stop in for lunch and a drink at Papageno, as it was recommended in several cruiser websites. It was a very nice place, but closed. Seems they had a staffing problem and had to shut down for a week. We met a care-taker and walked around a while, but no lunch or drinks. 🙁
Back on Calista, it was time to get in the water!
After our swim, it was time for sundowners – drinks and appetizers as the day wound down. Trina’s first night on the boat was very peaceful, not another boat in sight and zillions of stars.
In the morning we hauled the anchor and set a course for Buliya (blue marker in the upper right). The goal for the day was to swim with Manta Rays at a ‘Manta Ray cleaning station’. This is where Manta Rays hang out and small fish like the ‘cleaner wrasse’ pick off parasites and dead skin. Here is a video where you can watch it happen.
We anchored around the point from a village on Buliya (red marker) where we needed to go for Sevu sevu before we could go to the cleaning station. It was a bit of a walk but the people were nice and helpful. Then we pulled anchor and moved the boat a few miles (blue marker) to a small island near the cleaning station.
Our anchorage (at the end of the yellow track) was reasonably well sheltered from south-east winds. Our friends, Tore and Maud, on SV Song Of The Sea, were just leaving as we arrived. They had spent a very rolly night here and were looking for something better protected.
After dropping anchor, we put on the wet suits, grabbed our snorkel gear and headed out. The cleaning station was close (blue marker above) and we were soon in the clear 80 degree water.
We did see a few Manta Rays, but they were not close enough to get good photos. But we did get many great pics snorkeling right by the boat after the dinghy ride back.
After a go-go morning, we spent the afternoon lounging around, swinging in the hammock and trying not to spill our drink while floating behind Calista. And the fact that we could share a bit our our life on the water with Trina made it even more special.