Enjoying a sunset swim

One morning I woke to find one of the tomatoes I’d left on the galley counter had a bite out of it. Oh no, some pesky rodent, perhaps a mouse, is on the boat. We purchased a trap in town and set it with a glob of peanut butter and listened all night for the sound of mice. The next morning the bait was gone but the trap not sprung. I set it again the next night. Then discovered the culprit, two myna birds boldly feel comfortable enough to enter the galley and forage. What a relief. We welcome them and their repertoire of songs, but now make sure that all tempting items are stowed away.

Unexpected Friends in the galley

Of course, the engine work turned out to be much more involved and take longer than was originally anticipated. The rod bearings that had been sent from SABB did not look the same as the old bearings and did not look like parts in the catalog. Jim contacted SABB thinking that they had sent the wrong ones. After about 10 days of the e-mails and Skype calls and waiting for the engineer in Norway to return from vacation, Jim was assured the new design of the bearing would work. Leon, a mechanic here, was able to hoist the engine, disassemble and replace the needed parts. The engine was started, horray! After about 5 seconds there was smoke and sparks and a quick shutdown. The battery wired to the starter was fried. Days were spent rewiring most of the engine’s electrical connections. The problem was found. Now at last all is working well. So a two-day job turned into a few weeks job. I guess that is to be expected.

Many of the Fijians build bamboo rafts. They are used for fishing and moved by a long pole pushed against the bottom. They’re good in shallow areas. Jim joined others out on a raft.

Fun with locals on raft

We went fishing with a couple of locals one night. We were hoping to catch “selala “. The fishing is best done on a dark moonless night. We hung flashlights in plastic bags over the side of the dingy. The fish are attracted to the light. Fishing line is wrapped around plastic bottles. The hook is baited and tossed over. The bait is a mixture of flour and water with a can of tuna added. This sticky concoction is twisted onto small hooks, a skill in itself to be able to sufficiently wrap this goo so it stays on the hook. My fingers got plenty gooey in the process but I still seemed to lose my bait without a bite. Three small fish were caught. None were selala. Jim and I ate these morsels the next day which turned out to be almost enough for two people.

The dock where INTENTION is tied is near the police station and a village. Frequently in the morning around 7:30 AM we can hear men singing. It is the police singing the national anthem, often followed by some hymns. It is not uncommon for people from the village, especially children, to come on the dock to look around. They are curious about living on a boat. One afternoon I heard four young guys on the dock singing lovely harmonies. I especially enjoyed the music because it was Fijian songs.
For nearly a month INTENTION was the only sailing yacht on this newly established marina dock. Then we were joined by Richard, a delightful fellow from New Zealand, on his 20 foot Flicka HEART OF GO

INTENTION and crew on dock LD. He loves it here also, away from all the other moorings, with less development and more space to swim and little noise. I find it pleasant to wash the dishes on the dock, shower on the dock with a hose, and jump in the water for a swim anytime. Small black birds congregate on the tower nearby. We watch their early evening flight, moving in waves through the sky and hearing their cheerful chirping. Sometimes we just sit mesmerized watching the patterns of wind on the water.