Sunday 14th August
Plantation Island, Fiji
Sam McGuinness, Ged Hart, Steve Haines & I arrive early morning at Nadi International. We are met by our driver taking us to Denarau Marina to board the Black Pearl. The marina has grown enormously since we were last here 10 years ago on Ke-Ama II. A large number of Superyachts of very good quality are moored here. The weather is beautiful after our cold melbourne winter. Here it is 20 + degrees, with the water 22 degrees Melbourne when we left was 4 degrees in the morning with the water at 7.5 degrees.
After breakfast we cruise some 15nm to the island of Tavarua and Namotu which hold some of the great surf breaks in the work, especially "cloud break". The swell is solid and surf was good on all breaks. We decided to start with "Restaurants" off Tavarua. This is metre high fast reef break.
After lunch we take a look at Cloud Break. Wow. What a wave 3metres faces two experienced guys surfing, great barrels.
Back on board I lead the group in a good yoga session followed by dinner prepared by our new super chef Joel a NZder who has been living in Byron Bay.
next day Sam,Paul,Steve and I venture to Cloud Break.Still big but smaller than day before. I am still recovering from flew so not fit enough to handle it. Paul and Sam stay but Steve and I tackle a smaller fast wave 'Swimming Pool'off Namuto. Great.
In the PM we try fishing on the outside of the reef but without luck.
Tuesday.weather is beautiful very little wind,swell getting smaller but still good. We surf Namuto Left Good surf every one gets waves. Ged and I try fishing without luck.
Before returning to our evening anchorage we enjoy another surf. Each night we anchor in the bay of Plantation Is.We enjoy another yoga session led by Paul.
Wednesday. Less wind and swell.We try Wilkes Passage,solid wave but a lot of current.Hard to get into the right zone.
We take BP out to sea to troll for fish.No sign of birds or fish.Very disappointing.
In the afternoon Sam and Joel surf Cloud Break,Steve and I surf Tavarua Left,only a few guys out so plenty of small fast waves.
After another great the boys decide to play Scrabble I decline to fish off the duck board catching 10 small Scad or Jacks. Solid meaty little fish for dinner tomorrow night.
Steve win Scrabble easily.
Thursday.
Virtually no wind or swell.Sea is mirror calm. We troll from Plantation Is out through Wilkes Passage. Our first hook up with Ged landing a good size GT. We do not get another fish.
We anchor off Namutu and go for a snorkel at Wilkes,not many fish and ordinary coral.
We take Nigel,Sam,Ged and I for a scuba dive on a small drop off near Tavarua. Very enjoyable.
No surf that day. On the way home Ged and I take the tender for a fish through the next passage north of Wilkes. Wind has risen,sea getting rough. We hook our first good edible fish, Spanish Mackerel only to lose it at the boat.
Friday. Really windy, weather is changing. No surf.
Steve has not scuba dived so Nigel take him for a lesson with Ged tagging along they have a great time.
In the PM wind is up to 30 knots so back to Plantation. Before we leave we have trouble with the tender, looks like a fire and we find that one of the batteries has mysteriously burnt out and melted the terminals. We can't lift in onto Black Pearl because of the wind.
Back at sheltered anchorage Paul leads us in a great yoga session for an hour as the sun sets.
Saturday
It is expected to be rough and windy. We head out to Namotu early, the swell has not really picked up but there is a small quite good wave at Namotu left. We are surfing with some great kite surfers, they are filming their extraordinary action in the waves using a drone. We have a few good waves, lunch and relax before heading back to our sheltered anchorage.
Sunday
Last day for the boys, we anchor early at Tavarua. Surf break "Restaurants" looks good, we find some very good fast waves.
In the afternoon we cruise back to Denarau where we anchor outside the harbour. We only have 1 jet ski working for us as the tender is out of commission. Friends of Paul's from another motor yacht helps us with his tender to ship the boys ashore.
Sam and I try to go to mass with our taxi driver Mr Cool but we find the times are wrong and it is too late for us to get back to the boat on the jet ski. We will be stuck in Denarau for a few days repairing all our equipment before we head off to Frigate's Pass. Boat is very quiet without guests.
Monday 21st August Denarau
A friend of Paul's from Codene (d*** Smith's old boat) tows the tender into the harbour. We can do nothing but wait for the results from the electrician. His report later that day is the starter motor is burnt out due to a short caused by loose terminals on the battery. Subject to getting a new starter motor could be fixed by the next day.
Tuesday
I have booked to play golf at Natadola Bay Golf Club. This is part of the Intercontinental Resort. they recently played the Fiji PGA tournament. It is an excellent and exciting course in very good condition. About 5 holes are on the beach and some of the inland holes are spectacular. You have to stay on the fairways, the rough eats your balls. All round the course there are natives selling second hand golf balls. The wind came up in the second nine making it quite difficult to make par. I played with a ex-pat englishman who is now living in Fiji. After golf my driver Mr Cool took me to a beach nearby to have a fish lunch native style. The leather jacket was poached in a fish soup and served with Casava and the fish soup. I couldn't resist having a beach massage for 1.5 hours. Back on board we have trouble brewing.Captain has snapped and walked off the boat.Nigel says he will not stay if Paul stays.Also Sam is confused and unsure.She may resign.
Wednesday
I take the captain to breakfast. He breaks down and says the emotions and the stress have boiled up and he can't cope. We conclude that he will have to leave if the crew are leaving. We have a very emotional and stress filled day with Graeme Stoner our relief captain coming back and the crew will stay. Paul will take compassionate leave.
Thursday
With the tender back we take off early to travel to Frigate's Pass a renowned Surf break. The pass is part of Beqa Lagoon, a very good coral atoll, with several islands including Beqa island. All this is situated on the south coast of Vitu Levu.
We troll all the way some 70nm at 10 knots with not a sign of a fish. We arrive at a small island Yanuca at about 3pm. Anchored there is a 44m catamaran "Hemishere" owned by an american , Tony, who was tied up next to us in Tahiti. The wind is strong and the sea quite rough but the anchorage is sheltered. The island is sheltered with lush tropical mountain and a nice beach.
Two of the native Fijian come alongside and say welcome and collect the traditional Kava plant. They invite us to the village for a fire walking ceremony at 6pm. The party from Hemishere all go to shore at 5pm, so Paul and I venture in and luckily as the ceremony would have finished by 6pm. We chat with Tony and some of his crew who tell us some interesting places to go in the Lau group and an atoll east of Qamea "Welogilala Island"
Friday
Wind is strong and sea rough. There is no swell so surfing is out. I do a yoga session, walk on the beach and swim. Paul manages to get some wahoo from the boys on Hemishere as they had caught a lot of fish from Tonga to the Lau group and Kadavu.
I decided to go fishing even though it was windy and rough taking Nigel we head to Frigate's Pass. Trolling a small blue rapala and a purple deep diver we attract nothing even though we encounter a lot of birds in the pass. I decided to change the lures and put on the red and white rapala. On the lee side of the reef it is reasonable calm as we head back to BP. We hook a nice 5 kilo spanish mackerel just as we have got the fish into the boat Nigel sights a large whale. It is right in the direction we are heading and suddenly decides to charge at us at some speed. This was awesome as well as a bit frightening. Within 20 metres of us the whales dives. Back on board we have fresh wahoo for lunch, sashimi of Spanish mackerel and steaks for dinner at last.
We tried fishing again in the evening, lots of birds and bait but no hook ups.
Beautiful sunset.
MB