[password]8Tarnhows
[position]17 21.945s 178 41.111e
[weather]wind ese 15kt, cloud 5/8 sc, rain showers, sea slight less than 1m.
[status]Good morning customers,
May I apologise for some tardiness in reporting; I fear that sometimes we/I lapse into ?islander syndrome?.
We arrived at Savusavu at 01:30am last Monday morning and anchored in the suggested quarantine area until 08:30. Shortly after speaking with the Copra Shed Marina we were alongside in a very short floating berth, stern in to the berth, with a securing anchor forward in to the channel. (Half of Ambler was protruding, like the other larger vessels, into the channel). That was the very first time we have tried this trick marina method of securing a yacht.
The rest of Monday morning was taken up by officialdom. In the afternoon a couple of technicians and the skipper attended to a minor generator concern. I say minor because it was not a ?mission critical item? but nevertheless time and money was necessarily expended. On Tuesday the generator was serviced and we started to prepare for a Wednesday departure. But, not before a magic young lady by the name of Hannah baked another artisan loaf for the captain and crew of Ambler II.
Savusavu was a pleasant stop mainly due to the Copra Shed Marina and it?s facilities. Savusavu is a beautiful port with a handful of resorts and excellent diving areas. However during our stay the dive companies weren?t diving, preferring to conduct inventory activities during the unseasonal rainy weather.
Wednesday morning saw us at both Immigration and Customs at 08:00, finally organising our departure for 10:00.
With about 45nm to Makogai (pronounced Makongai) Island we could not dither, lest we arrive in the dark, consequently the yanmar sail (read motor) was used for quite some time.
Makogai was another wonderful anchorage. Formerly a leper colony the island now hosts government controlled turtle and clam breeding projects. I have been there twice before on the Fijian cruise vessel MV Reef Endeavour; diving on each occasion.
Our friends on the catamaran Muse were already there and we were welcomed in on the VHF radio by the very competent Hannah.
At 07:00 this morning we cleared the Makogai anchorage and set sail for the entrance to the Nananu channel which will take us, along with Muse, to an overnight anchorage off Volivoli Beach Resort.
At the moment we are sailing ?goosewinged? at a very pleasant 6.5-7.0kts heading north west along the shoreline of the main island of Viti Levu and we expect to make our anchorage before dark.
Fondest regards to all,
Jim, Bill (scribe),Jock and the Kaiser.

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