We’ve spent the last five days cruising around the northern coast of Viti Levu. After my parents left, Dominic and I motored south through the Yasawas and back to Lautoka on the main island. We were going on three weeks without seeing groceries beyond carrots, onions, minced beef, and crackers. Not too shabby for outer island provisioning, but we were looking forward to some variety.
Read MoreOne of the treasures of the Yasawas is the Tokatokauna Pass between Naviti and Beqa Island. The strong current at high and low tide attracts the local manta ray population, who hang suspended in the stream or swim in swooping circles filtering food from the rushing water. The pass is well reported in all the guidebooks, and resorts nearby offer guided tours. As we sailed north through the Yasawas with my parents, Tokatokauna was an attraction we couldn't miss. We anchored in Cuvu Bay, an empty cove about half a mile from the pass.
Read MoreMy parents are leaving tomorrow! We have had so many adventures in the last few weeks exploring the Yasawas—swimming with manta rays and leopard sharks, diving in caves, kayaking in heavenly blue lagoons. My dad has been with us for eight weeks, an invaluable crew member on our passage from New Zealand to Fiji; my mom has been with us for three, an invaluable source fun as we have cruised between islands.
Read MoreWe hopped to the north end of Yalobi Bay after a few days hanging out near the village hoping the anchorage there would be less exposed the easterly swell that had caused us a few unsettled nights.
Read MoreOur first stop in the Yasawas was Waya, the southern most island in the chain. We anchored in a small bay near the pass between southern Waya and Wayaleilei. There was a village on the beach, and we were planning to spend a few days snorkeling and exploring.
Read MoreSince arriving in Fiji, we have enjoyed nearly four straight weeks of gorgeous weather, a nearly unheard of streak in a tropical climate. But the strong gusts have caught up with us, and a small front is expected to roll through in the next 24 hours, so we are relaxing on the boat.
Read MoreAfter enjoying three nights in Mana, we pulled up the hook and headed north to the outer Mamanuca islands. We anchored in Navadra, a semi-circular bay enclosed by small, sandy islands. We had the place largely to ourselves. There was one other boat at anchor when we arrived that promptly left, and a curious flurry of small fishing boats, which seemed to be full of locals carrying some sort of gear on and off the island.
Read MoreAt 5:50 am on Thursday morning, my mom landed at Nadi airport in Fiji, and since her arrival, life aboard Helios has never been more fun. We had moored the boat in Port Denarau, a harbor on Viti Levu catering to cruisers and a slew of resorts on the mainland, the night before. After picking her up, we brunched on croissants in the cockpit. Mom took a much deserved nap after her 15 hour flight, while we cruised out to the yacht club at Musket Cove.
Read MoreThe cruising life comes with different phases—boat preparation, passage making, island cruising—the shift between them is swift and their contrasts are striking. In our last 12 days in Fiji, we’ve been enjoying seeing the boat prep and passages recede into memory, and the island cruising begin.
Read MoreOkay, okay, no more griping about the discomforts of passage making. We had idyllic tropical sailing for the last two days of our voyage, consistent, 15-20 knot winds from the northeast that felt like an easy, tropical breeze. We had sunny skies, full appetites, whale spout sightings, and enough avian fly-bys to make staring at the sea a worth while activity.
Read MoreIn the last week, we’ve experienced an incredible array of sailing conditions. Our third afternoon out was sunny and comfortable with 15 knot winds coming from the northeast. We took a northerly course, and held a fast paced beam reach as the sun set, washing the sky in lilac and magenta.
Read MoreTwo hundred and thirty eight miles north east of New Zealand: Dominic is spooling spectra line on his new reel, Dad is finishing a novel on the starboard settee, and I have no pressing chores, time to sit with pen in hand and write.We are forty seven hours at sea, and all is well onboard. We left New Zealand with sunny skies, calm seas, and 12-15 knot northerlies; we flew the main and the jib, making tight northeasterly progress at six knots.
Read MoreWe are off! Our last week in New Zealand was one for the record books—two idyllic days of 15 knot winds behind us sailing up the coast, finishing boat projects in Shire-like anchorages, end of season cruising parties, riding in the dinghy at night with a phosphorescent green wake, seeking alpha centauri in the southern night ski.
Read MoreI've been feeling very nostalgic about leaving New Zealand. We've been here for five months total, from November to May with a four week hiatus. We've traveled twice from Whangarei, once to the US, once to the South Island, and returned feeling like we were coming home. We have a favorite bakery, frequented the good chocolate shop, and everyone in the chandlery knows our name.
Read MoreMeet the weka, the friendliest bird of the Milford Sound. There was a family of five nesting in the grasses alongside the picnic area on the shore.
Read MoreMy dad is back! Two days after we got Helios back in the water, my dad flew in from San Francisco; he is going to be crewing with us as we sail north from New Zealand to Fiji. He's been with us for a week and made himself popular onboard by taking over cooking responsibilities, lugging provisions, cleaning the stove, combating mold, and refurbishing a fair amount of teak on his own.
Read MoreIt's tempting to let the blog skip straight from our New Zealand camping trip to our sail up the coast from Whangarei to the Bay of Islands (which, in real time, is where we are). But this would skip over a truth of cruising: the huge amount of time and effort spent working to keep the vessel shipshape.
Read MoreAfter leaving Mt. Cook, we booked it north back to Whangarei. It was hard: there is so much to see in New Zealand and heartbreaking to have to pass a lot of it by. But then again, after four weeks on the road, we were feeling a little bit of camping fatigue, and we missed Helios, so to Whangarei we went.
Read MoreAt the southern tip of the South Island, the sounds offer a huge number of natural attractions. One of our favorites was The Chasm, a waterfall that was a narrow chute with smooth saucers ground into the stone by pebbles that had been caught in fringing whirlpools.
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