[password]waiknot
[position]19 09.619S 179 45.087E

[status]
Plans are made to be changed and the main driver for change when we are sailing is the weather. With a front and a trough coming together and maybe colliding on Wednesday, we decided to head for a sheltered spot to sit out the wet weather and changing wind direction expected in the next couple of days. So, instead of exploring Totoya island, which has a 6km diameter crater in the middle and a thin rim of land around the outside which does not give much shelter, we sailed to Matuku. We are now anchored in the Matuku harbour. Matuku is also a volcano but inside is a small harbour that is sheltered from almost every wind direction. Many islands in Fiji give good shelter from the usual trade winds, South Easterlies dominate, sometimes a bit more South and sometimes a bit more East. Only a few places have shelter from North and West winds. Matuku is a pretty place, with a multitude of high peaks, 300-390m high rising up all around the tiny harbour. The vegetation is lush and green and the abundant bird life provides a constant song in the bay. Usually we are not great fans of these tiny harbour anchorages as there is no wave action and therefore little aeration or nutrients for coral growth. The constantly calm water in the harbour means these anchorages clog up with run off from the land and this produces the 3 M's. Mud, Mangroves and Mosquitoes. More mud in the water means less light gets through the water, this reduces the visibility for snorkelling and reduces coral growth because most corals thrive in clear water with plenty of sun. The benefit though, is flat calm water and shelter from changing winds. We will stay here for the next couple of days before moving on to the next snorkelling spot! Tonight as the sun drifts below the horizon we have a bay full of large bats flying around. Hopefully they will eat all the mosquitoes! After a very sunny day, and a lovely gentle sail, we now have cloud rolling in, but otherwise, all is calm in the bay.

[weather]10 knots E, 80 pct cloud, 1012 baro
[END]