Hi everyone This site will be closing down soon, so We have built our own blog site.

It contains all the old blogs from here along with the latest blogs. We have also added videos.

Please continue following us at: trypod.co.nz/imagine/ Thanks Sue & Andrew

TURTLE SOUP ANYONE Friday 21st August We have a new crew member. Karla flew into Airlie Beach on Tuesday afternoon. Sue and I went ashore to pick her up. It was an extra low tide and the sailing club marina was almost high and dry. We had to get out of the dinghy and wade it though the mud to the no longer floating pontoon. We were able to wash most of the mud off before heading into town to meet Karla. The first stop after meeting Karla was the booze shop. Sue and Karla had lots to talk about as they haven't seen each other for 20 years. That evening there was a bit of swell coming in the bay which made Karla sea sick.

Wednesday morning we hauled anchor and sailed south to the southern side of Shaw Island. We found an unpopulated bay that was nice and sheltered. As Karla had taken sea sick pills in the morning she had felt good all day and was eager to partake in sundowners.

Thursday Karla was up early and watched the sunrise. After breakfast we went ashore and swam. In the afternoon we took the dinghy out and fished for a couple of hours. Sue caught two small Rock Cod and Karla caught a Damselfish and a baby Reef Shark. All were returned to the sea. Back on Imagine sun downers started earlier than usual. Everyone got a good night sleep.

This morning we left Shaw and headed across to Thomas Island and Naked Lady Bay. But it was too busy for us, so we went around the point to our own private bay. Eager to catch fish for dinner the rods were deployed . There was nothing biting then Karla called out my rod has got very heavy. Looking over the side of the boat, at first it looked like she had caught a fish big enough to eat. Then the turtle surfaced. It had swam passed the fishing line and the hook caught its shell. Before we could do anything the line broke and the turtle swam off. Isn't that called tag and release? Upon winding the line in we discovered that it had broken close to the hook so the turtle should survive its ordeal. With fishing out of the question for a while we had lunch then headed ashore to explore, a quick swim and sunbathe. Back on Imagine and it wasn't long before the rods came out again. Even fishing while having sundowners still resulted in nachos for dinner. One day we will have fish, so Im told.

Thursday, 30th July Again we went snorkeling and then Sam went up the main mast and cleaned the spreaders (Alan - you will be pleased to see!). In the afternoon as the wind was getting up and the bay was getting a bit choppy, we moved to the next bay for an overnighter at Butterfly Bay.

Friday 31st July After lunch we were going to move to Stonehaven Bay but we were interrupted! A couple of amourous whales were blocking the entrance to the bay frolicking around. For over an hour we were entertained by their breaching and laying on their backs, splashing the water with their fins. We arrived in Stonehaven late afternoon and fed the fishes some more before having roo for dinner!

Wednesday 29th July Luncheon Bay is a nice bay sheltered from the SE winds. After a nice night we woke to having large fish swimming around the boat so we had to swim with them! We then noticed a large manta ray swimming back and forth across the bay so Julien had to go take a closer look and swam with it for a short time.

After lunch we hopped in the dinghy and went around to the next bay (Manta Ray Bay) and snorkeled with large Maori Wrasse, tuna, parrot fish, Pinnate Batfish and many, many more that were used to humans and came right up close enough to touch.

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Monday 27th July We left Shaw Island this morning and headed to the famous Whitehaven Beach.

To get there we had to go through the Solway Passage. This meant timing it with the tide. We got through just as the tide changed and even in the slack tide the turbulent and eddie currents moved our 25 tonne boat around quite a lot.

As we rounded the corner we could see the immense white sand beach and boat loads of people at the southern end of the beach. We stopped quarter of the way up the beach for a couple of hours for a swim and walk. After lunch we headed off to Apostle Bay where we spent the night and fed the fish some more.

Tuesday morning we headed off to Cateran Bay, Border Island where it was a little more sheltered and we snorkeled around the reef. We would like to have stayed there the night but there was two hour limits on mooring in the bay and other boats wanted to come in. We headed off to Luncheon Bay for the night.

Sunday 26th July After the winds went through we headed back to Airlie Beach where we picked up new crew. Two guys from Canada, who have been touring Australia.

With Sam and Julien onboard we headed to South Molle Island for Saturday night.

This morning we had no wind so we had to motor south with the tidal currents to Shaw Island. After lunch we went ashore and trekked across the island to a stony bay on the south side. The guys went for a snorkel while Sue and Andrew flew the drone and took photos. The trek back was a little interesting as the path we took wasn't the one we went on. After making our own path through the bush eventually made it back to the north beach and our dinghy.

As soon as we were back on Imagine the guys got out the fishing rods and thought they were going to catch dinner (we had Kangaroo steaks for dinner).

We will see what tomorrow brings.

Tuesday 21st July We left Airlie Beach on Sunday and went across to Stonehaven bay on Hook Island. Which turned out to be a popular place to stay with 21 boats joining us by evening. Sue had quite a scare as we were about to anchor it looked two snorkelers just off our bow. It turned out we were being greeted by a couple of dolphins. The breeze made it a bit too cold for us to go snorkeling even though the reef was only 50 meters away. So we sat in the cockpit with a drink watching the sun set.

When we checked the weather forecast on Monday, we could see high winds coming from the south. So we decided to head back to the mainland for shelter. Away from all the charter boats in the islands. We are going to hide out in Woodwark Bay till the weekend and the winds have died down a little. This morning we greased the headsail furler as it had been getting hard to wind in and out. We then decided to try fishing in the bay. We didn't come back with any fish but we did come back with a cauliflower. Is that called vegetarian fishing? We had just given up on fishing when a perfectly good and fresh cauliflower came floating by. It must have fallen overboard from one of the boats. So its cauliflower and cheese sauce for tea tonight. It wont need salting. Did we get the catch of the day or what?

Thursday 16th July After spending a few days of exploring Thomas Island and spending time on Naked Lady Beach, sorry no photos (been censored by Sue).

The tranquility was interrupted last night by two Porpoises splashing around in the bay.

This morning we hauled anchor and sailed to Arlie Beach. While we were ashore checking out the town we posted a notice in 4 of the backpacker hostels, asking if anyone wants to crew for us as we will be sailing around here for a couple of months. There are a few tourists here (not nearly the amount they would normally have). Airlie Beach has a man-made lagoon (like the one in Cairns and the one in Brisbane) - we didn't see too many sunbathers today - despite the weather being nice and sunny, there was a chill in the wind.

Tuesday 14th July Late yesterday afternoon while we were writing emails we looked up to see a turtle peering in the porthole at us. Sue jumped up and started making faces through the porthole at it. Andrew grabbed the camera and headed on deck, to see a large turtle still looking at Sue. There seems to be two large and two smaller turtles living in this bay.

This morning we set sail for Thomas Island only a couple of hours away. The breeze was quite cool but died down as we got shelter in the bay at Thomas Island. Tomorrow we will go exploring and maybe stay a few days.

Sunday 12 July We can now understand why no-one wants to join us as crew. Uninhabited islands, beautiful coral and shells scatter the beaches, Turtles swim metres away from the boat, schools of fish get in the way while swimming and colourful sunsets. Who would want to spend weeks doing this?? The past couple of days we have been ashore and checked out a couple of the beaches here on Goldsmith Island. Had a couple of swims and just chilled out. Today our bay got very crowded as we had three motor boats from the mainland call in over the course of the day, which meant we only had half the beach to ourselves. Whilst on the beach we had a chat to a couple from Mackay who had come out for the day with a couple of their grandkids who as they were beachcombing the island, didn't really mind there was no reception for their mobile phones! There is a small campsite on this beach and a composting toilet, which even here there is a sign re Covid-19 warning to keep social distancing.

Keeping our perfect fishing record intact, we headed out this afternoon for a couple of hours for a spot of fishing. We did so enjoy feeding the fish but do wish sometimes something would jump on the line and stay there! Needless to say it was a good job we got some roo steaks out of the freezer for tea! This evening when checking the mooring a turtle surfaced only metres from the boat, lifting his head and giving us a couple of looks before he dived down deep again.

Friday 10th July Monday the weather packed in and so we were confined to the boat, watching movies. Tuesday and Wednesday were the same. So it was quick dashes between Dalitu (Kirsty and David's boat) and Imagine as rain stopped. We swapped DVD movies and tails of the sea and travels.

On Thursday we made a run for it. Four hours north and we were at Brampton Island. The resort on the island had been closed down, with only the caretaker left. The weather was still scattered showers, so we didn't do any exploring. We discovered that we could get some internet reception on the tablet by taking the cell phone up the mast and using the hotspot function.

This morning we continued north and are now anchored at Goldsmith Island. It seems quite sheltered with lots of little bays and beaches. We were greeted by a large turtle that seemed to be interested in our anchor. Maybe we stirred something up. Again the phone went up the mast so we could send this blog.

Sorry Guys the photos didn't upload. Lets try again.

Over the years I've only come across two other examples of this species of tree , I'm sure they must be on the endangered list. The shoetree is easily mistaken for the European sandalwood, see photo.

Image:coneshell.

Image:Sue.

Image:Andrew.

Sue survived her shark attack! We left Mackay on Saturday with the wind off our beam. With only the head sail up we were doing about 7 knots all the way to Scawfell Island. It was a really nice sail with not much swell until a couple of hours out from the island. Saturday afternoon we just chilled out. During the night the wind got up and was tunneling down the valley. By morning there were white caps forming down the side of the bay we and three other boats were anchored in so we hauled anchor and moved to the western side of the bay.

Later that day we explored one of the beaches. Today after Andrew took a very short swim off the back of the boat (water a bit cool) we explored another beach.

That's where it happened! Sue bravely ventured into the water at the beach for a quick swim. Knowing that there have been 3 shark attacks in Queensland waters (1200km of coast) in the past 12 months.

And sure enough she returned to the beach without a mark on her. Maybe sharks don't attack everyone, or maybe they're not as prevalent as Sue thought they were.

We met a couple (Kirsty and David) from one of the boats anchored near us who were walking along the beach. They invited us back to their boat for a coffee. After lunch we went to their boat and talked for hours about boats and boating. They then came to Imagine for Sundowners (drinks) as we talked more about boats and travelling. It's always interesting to meet fellow boaties and share tips and stories.

Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Image Thursday 2nd July No not Thursday, Sadday. Today we bid farewell to Robyn and Karl.

After a gentle all night sail we arrived to Mackay. There were lots of cargo boats anchored outside the harbour. We phoned the marina and were told which berth we had been asigned. Luckily it was at the end of the pier, so all we had to do was turn Imagine around in the alleyway and glide up to the pier. Sorry. no mishaps. no over shooting the pier. No one fell overboard. Just a perfect docking.

Sue & Andrew booked in and checked out facilities at the marina, while Karl & Robyn went and hired a car. We then all went in to town to get groceries to restock the boat. When we got back to the marina it was Sundowner time so we had drinkies in the hotel room Robyn and Karl had booked for the night.

We said our goodbyes and bought burger and chips on the walk back to Imagine.

We have decided to stay in the marina Friday as well. Get the laundry done and a few bits and pieces.

Wednesday 1st July After an uncomfortable night we decided that we would head for Mackay. Over breakfast we calculated how long it would take to get there. Then what time we needed to set off, to arrive during daylight. So we needed to set off at 4:00pm and sail overnight.

This meant we could explore more of the island. Arriving on the beach without a spill this time we headed inland. We came across a very rare tree.

Over the years I've only come across two other examples of this species of tree , I'm sure they must be on the endangered list. The shoetree is easily mistaken for the European sandalwood, see photo.

We also discovered what looked to be erosion in a gully. The slip had uncovered a red soil and colourful rocks. We walked across the hill to the other side of the island where we could see how sheltered our bay was from the South Easterlies. Returning to Imagine we stowed everything away for our voyage to Mackay.

Tuseday 30th June We arrived at South Percy Ilse last night, anchoring in the bay with 7 other boats. Although we were sheltered from the wind and swell, we had a small amount of rocking.

Karl and Robyn had said previously that they wanted to experience everything about boating life. This morning after breakfast we all piled in the dinghy and set off for shore. As we approached shore Andrew slowed the dinghy down to surf in on a wave. As everyone got ready to jump out upon reaching the beach, the balance of the dinghy altered and we slid down the wave side on.

Karl fell out of the high side, launching Andrew into the air and over the top of Sue and Robyn. With the girls on the lower side of the boat, sank even further into the water, which sent them backwards into the water. Being a RIB the dinghy didn't tip over but did take on a large amount of water.

We picked ourselves up and dragged the boat ashore. Luckily the cameras and things were in waterproof bags. Still soaking wet we headed off to explore the island. We walked the beaches and came across another ship wreck in the sand. Back on board Imagine we all showered and relaxed the rest of the day. By evening the swell had started coming around the point which made it an uncomfortable night.

Friday 26th June Yesterday we all piled into the dinghy and headed around the west side of Great Keppel island. We found the large bay (ship wreck bay) we had sailed past on the way to our anchorage. A beautifull bay but not as sheltered as our anchorage. In the sand at high water mark we found parts of a ship wreck including the pins used to hold the timber boat together.

Returning to Imagine Sue desided to fish off the boat. She surprised us all by catching two Shark Sucker Fish about 450mm long. Not good eating but good bait for later.

Today we explored the eastern bays. One of which had a small river inlet with two boats tied up in the mangroves, as if they were there ready for a cyclone. We also took a look at where the resort was.

After lunch we were met by Eilene, Mark, Alby and Helen from Black Diamond.

They had had a problem with a gearbox on one motor. Luckily we had some parts to help fix the problem. After the repair we all enjoyed drinks and nibblies on their back deck as the sun went down.

Unfortunately when it came to head back to Imagine, Sue, Andrew, Karl and Robyn piled into the dinghy, but the outboard motor wouldnt start. So out came the oars. Karl and Robyn rowed us back to Imagine.

Tomorrow both boats will head off to Pearl Bay.

Wednesday 24t June On Tuesday morning, we awoke to 20 to 25knot winds and a choppy sea. We intended to stay another day at Lady Musgrave, but with the high winds we decided to go. By 10am we had set off back through the narrow channel and off to Great Keppel Island. Just as we had cleared the atoll, we spied a set of sails. We called on the radio and yes it was Black Diamond ( Eileen & Mark's Cat). so we missed catching up with them there. We will try to meet them at Great Keppel or some other point in their journey up north.

The day's sail started with nice high winds behind us but after lunch slowly died to only 3 knots so we had to motor for a while. During the night the wind came back and we were able to continue sailing. A first for Sue, she got seasick so the evening shifts were divided between Andrew, Robyn and Karl. During the night we had to cross a shipping channel and as luck would have it we had to negotiate around three cargo boats, one of which passed only 100 metres from us and we could easily see the windows on the bridge! We arrived at Great Keppel at dawn and found an anchorage on the north side.

Whilst Sue was still recovering, Andrew, Robyn and Karl went ashore to do a little exploring. The rest of the day we relaxed on board.

Monday 22 June 20 We woke to a breezy morning. After breakfast we went to explore the island. Had a nice walk around, saw several noddie birds. We also came across some campers, a dad and two sons that had come all this way in their tinnie to camp for a week who had packed all their gear including gas cartridges but had forgot the gas cooker. The dad asked if we would happen to have one on board. We weren't sure as we have thinned out a lot of stuff on Imagine but after exploring the island some more we came back to Imagine and Andrew found we did still have it onboard (a bit of rust on it but it should work ok). We had come back via some of the reef but by that time wind had picked up again so we decided to leave the snorkeling today. The dad and his sons were coming out fishing and stopped to see if we had found the cooker, which we happily passed across in exchange for a fishing lure (they wanted to give us something). Later in the afternoon after they'd been fishing they came back and gave us a couple of fish which Andrew filleted and Robyn cooked up for tea tonight. Yum! Andrew went up the mast to fix the light at the top that was working intermittently. Unfortunately the lovely neighbours despite seeing him there decided it would be a lot of fun to take their speedboat and a jet ski past at high speed creating much wake! After seeing Andrew having so much fun, Robyn decided she'd go up the mast too! I do have to put in the blog today that Karl and Andrew worked really hard on cleaning the boat ..... read that as they spent a small amount of time cleaning the windows and Robyn and I are still hearing about it !!! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Sunday 21 June 20 Sailed overnight with variable wind to the point we had to bring the sails in and motor. Fred (auto helm) decided he'd had enough so packed it in early this morning. Whilst we could still steer manually, Andrew quickly did a temp fix and has done a more permanent fix today when he had some light. This morning we had blue sky and a bit of cloud, wind was quite light still so although we sailed some we also motored some. We arrived at the entrance to Lady Musgrove early this morning, it is a very narrow entrance only about 100 feet wide (about 30 metres) and a squall passed through at the same time which made things even more interesting! Andrew went up the mast to guide us in and Robyn and Karl were also lookouts, letting Andrew know what they saw so he could feed instructions back to Sue on the helm. Having navigated the narrow entrance, we then had to weave our way through the numerous bommies within the atoll. We found our way to a patch where we could anchor for the night. Andrew, Karl and Robyn took a dip in the clear aqua water and we all relaxed for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we will go exploring the small island and do a bit of snorkeling. Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Saturday 20 Jun 20 We've escaped! On Thursday Robyn and Karl joined us and we left Brisbane for Moreton Island where we overnighted. Quite rolly! Met up briefly with Eileen (cousin), Mark, Helen and Albie. Eileen and Mark recently purchased a cat (Black Diamond) but have been unable to pick it up and sail it back to Weipa due to the covid19 travel restrictions. They are now sailing up from the Gold Coast and we hope to catch up with with them along the way. Yesterday we set off early and headed up the coast. Weather was overcast and we ran into several squalls. As we were coming out of one of the squalls we were very surprised by a couple of large humpback whales as they breached either side of the boat. Sue almost shit herself because they were so close, but it was an amazing sight and we are all just happy that they came up either side of Imagine and not underneath! Shortly after that when the hearts had all settled down we were delighted by a small pod of dolphins frolicking around the bow of the boat. On and off squalls all night gave us a wind range from 4 knots to 29 knots so we were constantly changing sails and 2am we gave up and motored for about 3 hours. Daybreak had brought catches of blue skies and no more squalls so far, though winds are still variable. Currently sailing along at average of 6 knots.

Another overnight sail tonight then hopefully to somewhere sheltered to anchor tomorrow.

Sorry no photos today. Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

HAD A BIT OF FUN YESTERDAY The solo skipper of the boat anchored behind us came over in his dinghy asking for help. He had been trying for two days to raise his anchor. It was stuck on something big and heavy.

So of course I went off to help. After a while of driving back and forth and straining the winch we got it off the bottom. Heaving it to the surface we discovered it was an old pylon. The anchor chain was still wrapped around the pylon and in knots. It was fun keeping out of the way of the ferries going by as the current was dragging us down river and we had to somehow untangle the chain from the pylon. A couple of hours later and a lot of colourfull words we broke free WE WILL BE HEADING NORTH TO THE WHITSUNDAYS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Brisbane We haven't done a lot in the past few days, just putting more coats of varnish on the timberwork. We ventured out to get a little exercise.

Brisbane is set up well catering for walkers and cyclists with bike tracks everywhere. There are miles of walkways and cycle tracks running along the riverbank where we are. They have exercise equipment along the walkways for fitness freaks (not in use with COVID19). They even cater for dogs, with water bowls at every drinking fountain and doggy signage.

The Snitch Someone must have dobbed us in. The past few days every time we go on deck there has been a man standing on shore watching us. We have tried waving out to him but he just stands there in his yellow coat with his fist in the air. He has no expression on his face. I'm sure he's just waiting for us to go ashore again so he can snitch on us. As soon as I find my glasses I will go ashore and give him a piece of my mind (what's left of it).

Catastrophe! Sue went to make a coffee for morning tea. Turned the gas on, filled the kettle, lit the stove and put the kettle on to boil, then went back to doing her crossword while Andrew pottered around on deck. Five minutes later it was apparent we were in big trouble.

The kettle hadn't boiled! The gas had gone out. After trying to relight the stove several times Sue called for Andrew to check the gas. Sure enough we were out of gas. NO COFFEE. How are we going to survive the day? Being used to our big 19kg gas bottle that lasts us over six months we had forgot to keep checking the smaller 8kg swap bottle. Jumping on the internet we located a service station less than 2km away.

We lowered the dinghy into the water. Andrew disconnected the gas bottle and retrieved the fold up hand cart from the Lazarette (the black hole). With Andrew in the dinghy Sue used a rope to one at a time lower them over the side of Imagine and into the dinghy.

Andrew then set off across the river to an old floating jetty at Mowbray Park. Problem! There are no cleats to tie the dinghy to. Andrew had to tie the dinghy to the gangway of the floating jetty using rope as the chain used to lock up the dinghy was not long enough to reach.

With the gas bottle strapped onto the cart Andrew headed off through the park to the main road. The park seemed eerie as there was no-one around.

Empty BBQs, Picnic areas and playground. Andrew made his way up the road pulling the cart behind him. Upon reaching the pedestrian crossing had to press the crossing button. COVID19 stays on stainless steel for days.

Placing his hand up the inside of his T-Shirt Andrew was able to press the button and keep safe. Across the road and up the road a little way was the service station.

With the cart still behind him Andrew walked up to the counter and asked for a swap gas bottle. "That will be $19 thank you" as she pointed to the EFTPOS machine. (Having a NZ bank account, we are charged a fee everytime we use the card internationally.) Andrew placed a $20 note on the counter. "We are not supposed to handle cash". The girl eventually accepted the note but didn't give change.

With the bottle swapped for a full one Andrew made his way back to dinghy.

Andrew arrived back at the jetty to find the dinghy was still there. He loaded the cart and bottle into the dinghy and headed back to Imagine. Using the rope Sue hauled the bottle and cart back on deck. Leaving the dinghy tied off the back of Imagine Andrew reconnected the gas.

The catastrophe sorted, Sue put the kettle on for a coffee to go with the lunch she had prepared while Andrew was away. As a dutiful wife should.

Hopefully this killed 10 minutes of your boredom!!

The breakout..

Being cooped up onboard Imagine, not being able to go for a swim, exercise is 10 steps from the bow to the stern and back. We've had enough. We're escaping. Making a run for it.

We lowered the dinghy over the side and into the water. Grabbed our backpacks and headed downstream. Passing the houses on the riverbank we made our way to the New Farm Jetty. Without raising any attention we chained the dinghy to the jetty (thieving buggers don't know what self isolation is) and set off.

Not to raise suspicion we kept our social distancing as we made our way through the park. Reaching the other side of the park we made our way along the quiet streets as if we belonged there. Always wary that the police may come around the corner at any minute to question us about our travels.

Finally we were there! We had made it! We were at Coles supermarket. Bread, Milk, Toilet rolls and it was time to head back.

Yes . I'm bored !

Interruptions, interruptions Yesterday whilst sitting in the cockpit having lunch and watching small birds try to get into the mizzen boom to make a nest, we were rudely interrupted. A few kids had been playing with a ball on the river bank and it had ended up in the river. The first we knew was when two women (kid's mums) were yelling from the shore "excuse me, you on the boat. Can you get our ball". Seeing the soccer ball slowly float past Imagine, Andrew jumped into action (after putting some shorts on). He jumped into the dinghy and rowed after the ball. Just like Bondi Rescue he scooped up the ball and into the rib it went. He continued to shore where he passed the ball to the kids. The mums thanked Andrew and explained how the ball had escaped and made a run for it. They also where curious as to why we were here and about boat life. Keeping social distancing, Andrew explained what we have been doing before returning to Imagine to his cold coffee and dried up sandwich. Another successful rescue by Imagine crew. :-D :-D Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Hope you all had a good Easter.

Andrew's been busy (he never stops!) .. he's Inserted a piece of timber in the rub rail where there was rot and sanded all the rub rail inbetween the ferries going past that are creating wake and rocking the boat somewhat. He is now trying to varnish as Imagine swings around in the breeze. He's already varnished 2 of the 4 storage boxes on the deck.

Yesterday we went ashore to fill our water containers as we can't make water here in the river (river too dirty). Whilst ashore and to stretch our legs we went for a walk along the river bank for some exercise. It's a lovely but very busy walkway through the park. It's hard sometimes to see where the social distancing is happening! ÿØÿà

What have we been up to? Not a great deal. We are still in the Brisbane river (easy access to shops). We have been doing bits and pieces to the boat. Touching up the paint, running new sheets on the sails. Nothing too exciting. We hauled Imagine out of the water at Rivergate boatyard, to get the leaking propshaft seal replaced. While it was out we gave her a couple of coats of antifoul , removed portholes and resealed them, replaced the roller on the bow, painted 10m markings on the anchor chain and painted the hull above the waterline. All that in 6 days, while the seal was being done. We also got a rigger to replace the forestay and inner stay because I found 1 strand of the wire broken.

Back in the water and we discovered some rot in the rub rail while sanding it back to varnish. So we have now cut it out and have to go to the hardware shop to get some timber (this will be essential travel as we need to urgently fix this before it spreads).

ÿØÿà

COVID19 Well it's stuffed our plans, along with everyone else's. All the Pacific Islands have closed their borders and we don't blame them. They would be very vulnerable. Just like you, we are in lock down. Only being able to go shopping or exercise. Yay we just found a shop that currently has plenty of toilet paper.

Australian's are to stay at home with no non-essential travel, including no boating. If we self isolate and stay at home and our home moves up the coast are we breaking the law? Is it non-essential travel and boating? It's a $1300 fine each for non-essential travel We have enough food to stay onboard for more than 14days and could make our own water up the coast. We now have to go ashore every few days to fill jerry-cans with water as the river is too dirty to make water. This increases our chances of catching COVID19.

For the moment we are staying put. A shop across the river has advertised for workers so Sue has applied. If she gets it we would then have some income. Like you we will just have to sit tight and see what happens next.

It's good to hear that in New Zealand the number of cases are reducing due to their total lockdown. Still a ways to go but good to hear some positive news.

Stay safe and be healthy everyone

COVID19 Well it's stuffed our plans, along with everyone else's. All the Pacific Islands have closed their borders and we don't blame them. They would be very vulnerable. Just like you, we are in lock down. Only being able to go shopping or exercise. Yay we just found a shop that currently has plenty of toilet paper.

Australian's are to stay at home with no non-essential travel, including no boating. If we self isolate and stay at home and our home moves up the coast are we breaking the law? Is it non-essential travel and boating? It's a $1300 fine each for non-essential travel We have enough food to stay onboard for more than 14days and could make our own water up the coast. We now have to go ashore every few days to fill jerry-cans with water as the river is too dirty to make water. This increases our chances of catching COVID19.

For the moment we are staying put. A shop across the river has advertised for workers so Sue has applied. If she gets it we would then have some income. Like you we will just have to sit tight and see what happens next.

It's good to hear that in New Zealand the number of cases are reducing due to their total lockdown. Still a ways to go but good to hear some positive news.

Stay safe and be healthy everyone

Imagine:Esther.

ÿØÿà

Imagine:Esther.

Sunday 9th January Back in Brisbane after taking potential crew to Moreton Island for a few days.

Amelia and Tim, originally from Canada and now living in Brisbane, may look at meeting up with us later in the year. They have had their own boat and did coastal cruising. Esther is from Germany and has taken some time off to travel and would like to do some sailing. She has had no experience crewing but is keen to learn and wants to do a blue water crossing. She is now travelling to NZ - where she may be able to get some more experience and is possibly looking at joining us in Vanuatu.

ÿØÿà

28th January Back in Brisbane The steering...

The bearing seemed to have collapsed making the steering wheel very loose.

To get us back to Brisbane I cut up a nylon chopping board to make a couple of bushes which seemed to hold the steering in place better.

When we got back to Brisbane I started disassembling the helm. With several calls to a friend in Sydney (thanks Gordon) I discovered the only way to fix the problem was to remove the entire helm. With Ben and Greg's help we disassembled and replaced the bearings.

I remounted the helm on the boat, connected the rudder up and it seems to work.

In removing the helm, had to cut out all of the fibreglass housing which meant now I had to build a new helm station. Instead of using fibreglass I built this one out of timber so the back could be removed if anything ever needed repairing again. All this has taken approx 3 weeks to do.

Everything on the boat takes longer to do in this heat and humidity - a trip to the hardware store for bolts takes all day. This week we hope to take it for a test sail.

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Image 20th December We arrived in Bundaberg today after spending a couple of days at Fraser Island. On the way to Fraser Island the helm (steering wheel) started making a funny noise. When we got to Fraser Island, Andrew tried to oil it and discovered a bigger issue. We've now cut a "view door" in the helm pedestal so we can now see that the bearing needs replacing. Being this close to Christmas, it may be an issue as many places have closed already. (There is an emergency tiller if it totally packs up but we don't plan on going too far until we can get it sorted). Also attached is another boring (not) video of dolphins - some good footage of them jumping and frolicking across the bow. It's only a short video as the video camera had flat battery and ended up filming it on the phone.

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Still working on the boat.

Everything take 10 times longer on the boat. If I require a pipe clamp or extra screws or even getting groceries the process goes: lift the dinghy off the deck and into the water, lower the motor onto the dinghy. Lock up Imagine, dinghy 15 minutes to a secure dinghy jetty. then depending on what we want, it's a 3km walk to the shopping center or a 20 minute ferry ride and 1.5km walk to the hardware shop.

But we do get to watch the sunset while having a wine on the aft deck and have feasted on fresh prawns. We get to meet up with Ben, Amie & Lachlan and see him with Santa. I have even dined on Chickens feet, when Ben took me out for my birthday ÿØÿà

Wednesday 27th November We are still anchored in the Brisbane river. Not in the CBD, but closer to the mouth of the river. The cruise liners pass us every couple of days as they go up river to the passenger wharf.

Still busy with maintenance on the boat, we've ordered a new mainsail and the mizzen sail is being re-enforced. We bought and loaded new anchor chain onto Imagine (no mean feat) and a few other bits and pieces needed including replacing the blades on the wind generator that some bird thought he'd have a mating dance with! It's been great to catch up with Ben, Amie & Lachlan a few times and we are looking at spending Christmas with them in Bundaberg if weather permits.

Then maybe sail down to Pittwater just north of Sydney for a few weeks before heading back up to Brisbane to prepare for next season and then around March/April, up the coast through the Whitsundays to Cairns. From there we will head back to Vanuatu to visit the other islands we didn't get time to see and to take some things to Chief Sofren (Awel Island) and a couple of other villages to help make their lives easier. We think we will then head north to the Torres islands, Santa Cruz islands, then Solomon islands We like to give you an idea of where we're going in case anyone wants to come and catch up with us for a week or two as some of you mentioned you'd like to. Let us know if you are interested as we are starting to look at where we are going, approx when we will be there and we are also starting to look for crew for some of the journeys and we'd need to make sure we have room for you! As is the normal for anyone sailing, itinerary is "loose and flexible" as weather plays an important part.

If anyone is having problems leaving a comment on the blog, can you please email us on andrew@trypod.co.nz with details of what error message you are getting and we will let the chaps at Yachts in Transit know.

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Saturday 26 October Last night after sending the blog, Brisbane put on a fireworks display (to farewell Cindy).

We all arose early and had our last breakfast with Cindy. Two hours later Cindy was packed and we headed to shore. We walked Cindy to the train station, to make sure she got on.

Returning to Imagine we hauled anchor and headed down river. It was a quiet ride with no-one vacuuming, cleaning up or screaching the words to songs no-one could recognise. Cindy, we miss you already.

By the time we reached the mouth of the river the wind was up to 25 knots and coming straight at us, so it was a slow trip into the bay. Once out we emptied the holding tank and started the watermaker. After an hour we had made enough water and headed back to the river.

1.5 hours up the river we found a place to anchor, but tomorrow we may look for somewhere else We heard on the port radio that P&O Pacific Dawn had a delayed departure due to high wind and that it was now due to leave at 7.00 pm. At about 7.30 she went past us, a tugboat in front and one behind. She went under the Gateway Bridge which we are anchored close to so we had a great view of her coming through, in fact at one point Sue thought they were coming over to grab a cuppa they looked so close. Several passengers were taking photos as were took ours. Picture from Botanical Gardens walk, there were several of these little bearded dragon lizards running around as we walked through the gardens.

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Friday 25th October Well the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end" :-(( We are in Brisbane & have enjoyed fun wonderful days in the city!! Picnics at botanical gardens & streets beach between our wanderings.

Since Wolfgang left, we are back on the over 50yrs old pace.....

That is leisurely morns, city explorations then back to the boat for late afternoon naps or puzzle solving sessions & relaxing before dinner :-)) Today is my last night on Imagine, it has been an AMAZING adventure!! Seeing beautiful places, experiencing other cultures & learning a lot more about sailing were all great.....

BUT, the best part of the trip was getting to know Andrew & Sue!! They are fun experienced sailors, gracious & generous hosts!! "What a crew, what a boat" as Wolfgang had often said!! We all got along splendidly, laughed often (till we nearly wet our pants) & shared an off color sense of humor. Sue is great, she's honestly candid, caring & was thrilled to have someone on board that sings worse than her....and she got a break from nagging Andrew cause I took over that job too...

Andrew is very patient, gentle and a true renaissance man, he can do it all & do it well....sail, sew, cook, repair engines, incredible photographer & videographer. He takes his responsibilities VERY seriously & I felt safe & in the most competent of hands.

Now remember this is Miss Bossy Pants here at the helm, but Andrew & Sue are humble & probably wanna edit this, but they'll indulge me as it's my last night here......it's gonna be awfully quiet next week!! IMAGINE THAT!!!! ;-)) Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Monday 21st October We spent Saturday at Moreton Island, swam and Wolfgang and Cindy swam out to the wrecks. The current was very strong so Wolfgang swam back and Andrew took the dinghy out to Cindy. We decided to head back to Brisbane leaving Moreton about 11.30 am. The wind had already got up and we pounded through the waves and at some times 37 knot winds to top of Brisbane river. Once in the river we had a lot of protection from the winds and waves. As Wolfgang was leaving us Monday we went for a farewell dinner at the Victory pub in the city Sunday night. Huge meal which everyone consumed with gusto! Monday morning Wolfgang and Andrew went to collect Wolfgang's camper from Wicked Campers whilst Cindy went looking for a fruit market. After a couple of hours the boys got back with Wolfgang's colourful camper and returned to the boat. Andrew and Wolfgang returned to shore after picking up Wolfgang's bags and picked up Cindy who as she couldn't find a fruit market had decided to go for a Thai massage. Andrew, Sue and Cindy met up with daughterinlaw Amie and grandson Lachlan and went to lunch. After lunch we all went to the park for Lachlan and Cindy to play. Lachlan asked "Is that foreigner an adult or a child." Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Image Image hitchhiker.

Friday 18th October Yes we have arrived. Sorry for not keeping you up to date.

On Monday afternoon we had a huge welcome from a pod of dolphins as we came down the coast to the Brisbane harbour channel. Then at sunset we had a hitchhiker. A bird sat on the bow railing for about 1/2 an hour.

Early Tuesday morning we negotiated our way through the Brisbane harbour channel, sharing it with mega tonne cargo boats. Wolfgang thought it was amusing that the SKS Doyle's container boat which is 820 feet long and 148 feet wide when it was about 500 metres away radioed us as we approached to ask if we had seen them!! 7 1/2 hours after entering the harbour channel we arrived at the customs dock at Rivergate Marina. The Customs entry went smoothly and we then waited for Bio Security. The officer came and did pratique on our food items etc which took about 30 minutes and cleared us for going ashore. However this was not the end of the biosecurity process as we then had to wait for the timber inspection that all boats have to have when entering Australia. Although Imagine is a fibreglass boat there is a lot of timber work on board so the biosecurity officer advised us that they wouldn't be able to do the inspection until the following day. The marina let us stay on the customs dock overnight as we couldn't be fully cleared that day. It was suggested we had as much as possible of the timberwork available for them to inspect . The rest of the afternoon until early evening was spent bagging up everything from the vberth cabin, port cabin and aft cabins along with moving items from the saloon . The 2 biosecurity officers came early and it took them just over an hour to do the inspection. Note the charge for entering Australia is $100 for our size boat plus the biosecurity charge is $50 per officer per 15minutes on board! Still they are only doing their job and they were very pleasent people. Wednesday 16th, once cleared by biosecurity we left the marina, went downriver 2 hours to Brisbane city. After trying to anchor in a couple of spots, we eventually found a great anchorage directly opposite Brisbane waterfront. We crossed the river to the dinghy dock and walked into the city to find data, pick up city info and stock up on some essential food items. Sue and Andrew took these back to the boat whilst Cindy and Wolfgang went for a walk around part of the city including the fruit market coming back with fresh raspberries, blueberries and avocados. They had picked up some info on things to see and do. One of which was to climb the Storey Bridge, one of the bridges we had sailed under to get to our anchorage. Cindy who is scared of heights was talked into getting out of her comfort zone, by Wolfgang.

Early Thursday morning they were off to the bridge, while Andrew and Sue went back into Brisbane to get their data set up. There was only two other people on the bridge climb so Cindy and Wolfgang got to ask lots of questions, have lots of pics taken and for some unfathomable reason the four of them decided to ask each other trivia questions at the top of the bridge! After the bridge climb they met Sue and Andrew at the waterfront and went for a picnic lunch at the Botanical Gardens. C and W then went on another walk taking in some more sights of Brisbane before lightening, thunder and heavy downpour stopped them in their tracks. It was over quickly then Andrew went across in the dinghy to bring them back to the boat. Today Friday 18th, we left Brisbane at 8:00am and headed downriver and across to Moreton Island where we arrived early afternoon. W and C went for a walk and to watch the dolphins being fed outside Tangalooma Resort. This is a big tourist attraction and is free to watch (charged if you want to feed the dolphins). Andrew and Sue saw this last time at Moreton Island so stayed on the boat to catch up with some video and photo editing and catch up on the blog.

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Land ahoy! In the late morning we sighted the hills of the Sunshine Coast, Mt Boulder, Australia. But, one after the other...

During the night we still made only 1 knot good towards our destination Brisbane. High waves and winds from ahead held us frustratingly back. Everyone at the helm managed to navigate the slalom through the "highway" of big cargo ships and tankers. In the early hours the situation picked up: the waves and winds were moderate and a beautiful sunny day arose! Then, we spotted the first sights of our passage's target

Sunday 13th October Today was an un-eventful day. Having no main sail we put up the trip sail and mizzen to stop the boat rocking from side to side as we motored 30 degrees to the wind and waves. We have been tacking back and forth all day under motor, with a couple of attempts to sail. Under sail the angle was so wide we were only making 1knot towards Brisbane dispite doing 4 or 5 knots boat speed.

Yesterdays events and today's wind direction mean we will not make it to Brisbane till Tuseday. Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Saturday 12th October An expensive day! This morning brought sunny skies, less than 1 metre swell and 12 knots of wind. Wolfgang who was on the helm was eager to unreef the mainsail and put out the headsail but had to wait until everybody had had their breakfast. Before we had chance to reset the sails it was Cindy's turn to helm and she noticed a large area of rain on the radar so we decided to leave the main reefed and run with the staysail.

As we approached the rain we could see sheet lightening in the clouds so we turned most of the electronics off, brought in the staysail and turned the motor on. We motored through the rain for about an hour with the wind at only about 12 knots when suddenly the wind changed direction by 180 degrees and within 2 minutes was over 40 knots. Andrew steered into the wind to take pressure off the sails but it was too late, the mainsail was shredded. About 10 minutes later the wind was back to 14 knots and the rain was easing.

With nothing else on the radar we put up the mizzen and staysail to help balance the boat. We left the motor running at lower revs until Sue at the helm noticed the wind getting high again up to 31 knots and called Andrew and Wolfgang to take in the sails and we were back to motoring. A couple of hours later with Wolfgang on the helm and very messy 2m waves we decided to try the staysail again half reefed to give the boat a bit more stability. It's now 2 hours later with Cindy back on the helm we are running full staysail and motor. The sea is slowly calming down so we'll see what the moonlit night brings (full moon).

We've just enjoyed a very tasty dinner cooked by Wolfgang of pork chops, potato and veggies. Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Friday 11 October From hardly enough wind last night where we had all 4 sails up, during the night the squalls came meaning Andrew and Wolfgang had to go out in the early hours of the morning to reef the mainsail and take down the mizzen. Both were safely in their lifejackets, harnessed and tethered to the safety lines as Sue took Imagine into the wind. The swell was about 2 to 3 metres and the sea was quite messy. After they were safely back inside we went back on course. Cindy had been feeling good the last few days and hadn't taken any seasick tablets but with the messy sea she suddenly had to lifejacket/tether up and hung over the side to feed the fishes. She has since had some tablets and slept some and is currently on shift. We've been sailing with the mainsail and either the staysail or headsail for the rest of the day averaging 7 to 8 knots this afternoon. We've just reefed the mainsail and put the staysail out for the night which will slow us down but make it a better ride for the night as the wind has picked up again. It was predicted that we would get 2 or 3 days of no wind but fortunately we haven't struck that yet and are making good progress to Brisbane.

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Thursday 10th October A delicious breakfast on the foredeck this morning, basking in the sun under a beautiful blue, sunny sky and taking in the wonderful view. After breakfast Andrew and Cindy cleaned the cockpit and windows whilst Sue cut Wolfgang's hair (glad he wasn't going to look in the mirror). After reviewing the latest weather report Andrew suggested we leave today to make the most of wind opportunities as to date it looks like we were going to get a few days with very light or no wind (no good for sailing! ). We had a last refreshing swim in beautiful blue, clear water. Leftovers were on the menu for lunch so another lot of kiwi hamburgers were devoured. After lunch Andrew put the go pro on a pole and took it round the boat so we could hull was clean. After final checks we departed this wonderful place, heading through the reef at this end with Andrew up the mast, Sue on the helm and Wolfgang and Cindy also looking out for any reefs or bommies. Not a lot of wind, we've tried various sail settings and at the moment we are running all 4, the main sail, headsail, staysail and mizzen up making a good 5.5 knots.

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Wednesday 9th October Another clear beautiful morning. With the winds dropping away we had to motor most of the night. But at daybreak we tried sailing again. We put up the genica but were not able to reach the same speeds as yesterday with such low winds. By lunch time we gave up and went back to motoring. We reached Chesterfield Reef by 3.30pm. With Wolfgang at the helm and Andrew & Cindy up the mast we navigated across this amazingly large reef. It took us over an hour from the eastern passage to the western side where we are anchored. Most of this reef is under water 1 or 2 meters with only 4 or 5 sand spits on 1 side of the rim and one large enough for palm trees to grow. This makes it a hard place to see if you don't have charts.

In the middle of the Pacific a giant reef and 5 other yachts arrived only a few hours before us. They are all anchored on the southern end. We opted to anchor away from them on the north western side.

Tonight Sue made Kiwi burgers for dinner. Meat paddy, egg, beetroot, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cheese. Cindy said it was the most amazing dinner she's had in her 3wks on board!! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Tuesday 8th October This morning we were greeted with a nice sunrise developing into a warm, sunny, almost cloudless day leaving no signs of the excitement that happened during the night. Around 9.30 pm whilst Sue was at the helm she noticed a cargo ship appearing on the radar on a collision course with us. With the vessel being 23 minutes to collision, 10 nautical miles, Sue called Andrew to come upstairs. With 11 minutes to collision all the crew were called on deck for avoidance manoeuvres. We tacked behind the cargo ship and 10 minutes later tacked back on course. As today went on the wind slowly died to below 10 knots so we dropped all sails and put up the gennaker which surprisingly gave us a very good wind to speed ratio, sometimes achieving 6 knots from only 7.6 knots of wind. This evening wind direction has changed and has slightly increased so we have pulled down the gennaker and are running with just the headsail up averaging 6 knots. This afternoon another cargo ship passed us but with ample room no additional manouevering was required. Due to the low winds, expected arrival at the reef tomorrow is about lunchtime.

Today a bird tried to land on the wind generator breaking one of the blades. Again Wolfgang is preparing dinner for us tonight, a lovely chicken and vegetable soup.

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Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Image This morning brought a beautiful blue sky with only a few clouds and not a soul in sight. Cindy and Wolfgang are still excited about being on a blue water crossing. We are keeping the routine of us all eating together at breakfast at daybreak, lunch at midday and dinner at sunset, no matter what time your shift finishes.

There is not much to do except do your shift, eat and sleep. After lunch with the autopilot on, we adjourned to the rear deck for a quick photoshoot. As we went through the coral reefs north of New Caledonia the sea was less than 1/2 metre swell. Wolfgang was at the helm pushing Imagine to 9.4 knots until we came out the other side and the swell increased to 1 metre. At this time we changed sails to slow the boat down to 6 knots. This is so we reach our next destination (Chesterfield reef) in 2 days time at 7am Wolfgang has been busy in the galley preparing devilled sausages with creamy mashed potatoes. Dinner in the cockpit as we sail into the sunset.

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Sunday 6th October Day 2 ... in transit to Brisbane This morning brought a grey, cloudy day. Been averaging about 7 knots. Everyone has got into the rhythm of the shifts.

Once again we've reefed the main for the evening shifts.

Wolfgang is in the galley preparing nachos for dinner Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Saturday 5th October In the wild blue yonder Rising early we had breakfast, then prepared Imagine for sail. Andrew and Wolfgang set up the drogue and storm sail, so if needed they can be deployed easily. Cindy and Sue made sure everything below deck was stowed away. We unhooked from the mooring and with Sue at the helm we made our way through the moored boats to the fuel dock. This entailed performing a 180 degree turn just before overhead powerlines to allow enough room to glide up to the fuel dock. "Shit shit shit" came from the cockpit then silence as the turn took us to about 5m from the powerlines. We nicely pulled up to the dock and took on 550 ltrs of desiel.

Cindy and Wolfgang were so excited about doing their first blue water crossing. Leaving Vanuatu we put up the main only and sailed a pleasant 6 to 7 knots till 4pm. Then at shift change we reefed the main and put out the staysail ready for the evening. Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Friday 4th October So, Wolfgang is back on Imagine! Yesterday morning Cindy went for another Thai massage while Andrew and Sue went to the supermarket for the last few things to stock up Imagine. Back on the boat and after lunch Cindy cooked up some more food for the passage while Andrew and Sue went ashore. It was Andrew's turn for a massage while Sue took a long shower and collected the laundry. Not long after Wolfgang arrived back from Tanna. Andrew took his bags and laundry back to Imagine and picked up Cindy. Back on shore we all went out for a lovely Thai dinner and listened to Wolfgang's stories of Tanna.

Wolfgang went up the volcano (Mt Yasur) and afterwards slept in a thatched hut in the rainforest with an awesome view of the volcano from the porch and bedroom. Next day he moved to beachfront Rocky Ridge Resort on the other side of the island. He snorkled the famous blue holes 1 and 2 with beautiful coral and a black and white snake. After diving at Circus Reef and House Reef he visited the Blue Cave. To enter the Blue Cave you need to swim in the ocean, take a deep breath and boldly dive under the cliff surfacing at the other side. Once in the cave there is a beautiful blue light brought on by the sun beaming through the hole at the top of the cave. Today we cleared customs and immigration (as they are not open at the weekend) and we are leaving for Brisbane tomorrow morning after we have filled up with diesel. Cindy had one last massage, Andrew did some last minute shopping for bread and cereal and Wolfgang went to check out Mele Falls.

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Wednesday 2nd October Today's word is SERENDIPITOUS After a night with a slight roll coming in Mele Bay we awoke to an overcast day. We thought we might go ashore to check out the beach bar. But by the time we had checked our email and put the motor back on the dinghy, the wind had got up. That meant that we would have got very wet just to go check out the bar, so we lifted the motor back onto Imagine and towing the dinghy we headed back to Port Vila.

With Sue at the helm, she noticed a boat on the AIS sitting in the middle of the bay and right in our path. The boat seemed to be slowly heading for the reef we had just come around. As we got closer we saw it was Excel. We met Mark and Excel in Tonga several times, then again in Samoa, followed by Wallis. We pulled as close as we could alongside in 30knt winds and a 1m swell, to find he had fuel problems and the motor wouldn't start.

As Sue got Imagine circling Excel, Andrew and Cindy got out the ropes for the drogue, set up the bridle and attached a fender to the end of the 80m rope. Sue circled Excel closer this time as the rope was deployed off the stern. Unfortunately Excel was drifting at a faster rate than anticipated, and drifted over the fender as it went alongside for Mark to reach with his boat hook. Of course the fender went between the keel and the rudder, making it impossible to retrieve in these weather conditions. Mark hooked the rope as it went past the bow and tied it on. Then he hooked the fender from the other side of the boat and tied it off. Andrew then noticed that one of the bridle ropes had caught around Imagine's exhaust pipe. Much to Cindy's horror, Andrew climbed down the boarding ladder, hanging off the boat holding on with only one hand and was able to release the rope from the exhaust pipe.

Sue slowly moved forward to take up the slack, then pointed Imagine towards Port Vila. At a steady pace of 4.5knts Sue towed Excel into the port. Andrew contacted the marina to send a boat to meet us and take Excel to a mooring as it was too difficult for Imagine to be maneuvered amongst the moored boats with Excel in tow. When the marina boat was in position Mark released Imagine's rope and Cindy and Andrew hauled it onboard.

Sue was then able to manoeuvre Imagine between the the moored boats to find a vacant mooring ball. Cindy hooked the mooring rope allowing Andrew to thread Imagine's mooring line through the loop and we were safely moored.

After lunch, Cindy and Andrew went ashore, calling in on Mark on the way. Mark had had time to retrieve the fender from under the boat. He handed the fender back to Andrew and thanked them for their assistance.

SERENDIPITOUS - if the wind hadn't got up the Imagine crew would have gone ashore and Excel may not have got help before reaching the reef. If it had not been Excel we may not have gone closer to the boat (just thinking it was fishing).

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Tuesday 1st October Because Cindy can climb the mast and helm Imagine she thinks she is Wonderwoman.

This morning Andrew went ashore to pay up for being on the mooring, while Cindy was getting postcards & pastries.

Back at the boat Cindy took the helm as we left Port Villa and headed to Mele Bay for a couple of days. Mele Bay isn't as protected and has a little swell, but is nicer to swim in.

To kill a few hours Andrew with his body paint transformed Cindy into Wonderwoman. Cindy enjoyed watching the illusion take place but found it very hard standing still and not telling Andrew how to paint her. Afterwards Andrew took a couple of photos as she posed on deck. She hadn't thought that what goes on must come off. With a slight breeze blowing "This water is f.... freezing" rang out across the bay as Cindy lowered her bum into the sea while clinging onto the boarding ladder and lathering herself with soap. After removing most of the paint she quickly went below for a hot shower.

While all this was going off Sue prepared some meals to be frozen and reheated during the passage to Brisbane.

No news from Wolfgang since his arrival in Tanna and had sent a photo of the volcano he was planning to see last night.

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Monday September 30 Miss Bossy Pants here at the helm!! We had the best day ever today (at least I did)!! No, not because Wolfgang departed for a few days. We already miss him, his corny humor & good natured personality!! For starters, because we are in Port Vila, Andrew was able to get me onto wifi. I had a chance to check emails & touch base with a few dear loved ones. After Sue & Andrew waited patiently for me to peck at the keyboard we headed off to shore. As usual I was hungry again, so we got some good food then grabbed a bus to Mele bay & splurged on a tourist attraction, the waterfalls!! It was absolutely gorgeous, breathtakingly beautiful & well worth the entrance fee!! I swam more today than I have in the past 3wks. Water temperature was delightful & being freshwater there was no chance of jellyfish or anything else that could bite my bum! It was about a 30min hike up to the falls along the creek with refreshing swim holes, amazing flora & not too many tourists on a Monday. On the hike down we took a side trail & saw some beautiful views of Mele bay. Back in Port Vila Sue & Andrew stopped for cool milkshakes while Cindy looked for the perfect t-shirt for her sweet Beau who she misses along with her other DF favorites. The plan was to meet at the fruit market, Cindy waited over an hour then decided to walk to the dinghy dock where she found Sue looking as beautiful as ever after a refreshing shower. A few moments later Andrew appeared after getting a thai massage. They thought that's where I had disappeared to as that was my plan today. They both encouraged me to go indulge myself.....AND I'm so glad I did!! Got a fabulous authentic thai massage, was very strong & hit all the right pressure points. I was moaning in the perfect combination of pleasure & pain, the bruises will be well worth it!! Afterwards I took a long hot shower at the marina & hopped on a dinghy with some friendly folks, saving Andrew the trip back to pick me up. We had a delicious dinner, I had 2 shots of whiskey & was pretty tipsy, Sue & Andrew just kept laughing at me.....s o what's new?? Of course I moaned & groaned over dinner, they find my noises & atrocious table manners very endearing (well Sue says amusing)!! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Sunday 29 September Back in the big smoke. We are all well rested & back on a normal schedule after leaving the Malakula islands Friday morning after breakfast. We sailed back to Port Vila for a few reasons. To restock, catch up on boat chores, refuel, prepare Imagine for Australian strict biosecurity entry requirements & so Wolfgang could catch a flight to Tanna on Monday to sightsee & do a volcano expedition that Sue and Andrew did upon arriving in Vanuatu. We had estimated a 20-24hr sail, winds were whipping & we did many sail changes to slow the boat down as at times we were doing over 8knts. Arriving in Port Vila at sunrise we ate & all took a good cat nap. Then we headed to shore, had good long showers, did a little shopping & enjoyed a nice big lunch out. Back on Imagine we all took naps again before a light dinner & a good movie. This morning there was no breeze so Andrew & Wolfgang worked on repairing the minor tear in the sails while Sue & Cindy cleaned a bit as they pulled themselves away from their books. Sue cooked another fabulous dinner & Cindy has been contributing by giving the crew mini massages. It's been so nice & we all get along splendidly, lots of laughing & good natured teasing.....

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Thursday 26 September After a night with a bit of rolling as the swell made it over the reef, Cindy took the helm and we headed out of the reef. As the wind was not yet in the right direction we found a more sheltered bay for the day/night. This is Sanko Island, also known as the garden island as this is where villagers from the area have their gardens. They paddle over in their canoes to tend the garden and pick fruit and veggies to take back to their village. Generally this island is uninhabited except when the villagers decide to stay the night so there are some living structures dotted around. We should have easterly winds tomorrow making it easier to get back to Port Vila.

We swam off the back of Imagine before lunch. After lunch Wolfgang and Cindy went ashore to check out the island. Great steak and veggie dinner tonight cooked by Cindy, Andrew and Sue with Wolfgang doing the dishes as he lost in the Pass the Pigs game before dinner.

Message from Sue and Andrew to their nephew Lachlan - Happy birthday young man, hope you've had the best of days. Many hugs and much love.

To anyone else reading the blog we love hearing your feedback. And to Cindy's fan club, where have you all been lately?? We all love getting your messages!! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

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Image Wednesday 24th September The morning started with fresh grapefruit for breakfast that Jocelyn (Chief Soferan's wife) had given Cindy yesterday. Then it was time for boat chores. Andrew retrieved the pro dive from the black hole. A few minutes later it was set up ready for diving the hull. Wolfgang armed with a paint scraper attacked the growth on the bottom of the keel whilst Cindy floated around the boat in the dinghy cleaning the growth around the waterline. All this is in preparation for the trip to Australia as Australian biosecurity require us to have a clean hull. When that was done we hauled anchor and moved to Uliveo Island. With Wolfgang up the mast we navigated through the reef to a safe anchorage. Unfortunately it's not as protected as our previous bay so a little bit of rocking and rolling tonight. After lunch of more of Wolfgang's great freshly made bread rolls Andrew, Sue and Wolfgang headed ashore. They were greeted at the shore by Philip in his newly built yacht club. He organised for his nephew Kalkura to take us to swim with the Dugongs. Kalkoura dropped us over the side when we reached the spot where we were likely to see Dugongs. We drifted with the tide. On the edge of a beautiful coral reef we saw numerous fish and about 8 Dugongs. Upon returning to Imagine we discovered Cindy had not only finished reading her book but had vacuumed and made a wonderful meal. Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Image Tuesday 24th September Another day in this secluded and lovely anchorage. During the night Andrew and Wolfgang observed Dugongs

Monday 23 September Still sheltering from the high winds we just lazed around this morning. Wolfgang tried out his baking skills and made bread rolls (biscuits for Americans) for lunch. After lunch we all went ashore and were greeted by Chief Soferan who was so appreciative of Andrew and Wolfgang's help yesterday. He took us around to the other side of the island to his village. We met his wife and sister as we were shown around the village. We all noticed that the chief was limping. He told us that he had slipped and twisted his ankle a few months ago. So Cindy put her magic hands to work and manipulated his ankle and did some traction till it popped back into place. Sue and Cindy handed Jocelyn (his wife) two duvets they had brought from Imagine. Cindy helped Jocelyn fetch water from the well.

Cindy went off with Jocelyn and returned with an arm full of grapefruit. A few minutes later Cindy and Wolfgang were instructed by the chief to follow Jocelyn into the Bush. They all returned with a squash like vegetable. Jocelyn then introduced us to the nuts they grow on the island. They tasted a lot like almonds.

Laidened with the fruit and veggies we headed back to the boat to laze around for the rest of the day Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Sunday September 22 Blog today written by none other than MBP (Miss Bossy Pants)!! You all get only 1 guess who that might be, of course CindyG!! We are anchored in a beautiful bay waiting out the high winds.

Early this morning we saw the family of 15 natives on the nearest very small island of Awel get picked up on a little fiberglass boat to go to church. About an hour later 2 men returned to the island & we saw them bailing out buckets of water from the boat. A bit later they motored over to ask Andrew & Wolfgang to help them lift the boat out of the water. Being the kind generous man he is, Andrew realized this is the only motorized transport of these small islands!! So he grabbed tools, fiberglass, sandpaper and hopped on the dinghy with Wolfgang to head over. Numerous short trips back & forth, Andrew repaired several small leaks in the boat while Wolfgang documented the day with his camera. In between trips Sue cooked up a delicious hearty lunch for us all. Cindy and Sue played scrabble & read their books to pass the day. Cindy is feeling much better after 2days of a bad head cold, everyone was grossed out by her homemade remedy of raw garlic, ginger, sirache & lemon tea dri nk.

Only 1 other boat, Sarean is anchored here, Meg & Darren are coming to join us for snacks & drinks this evening. We all had a lovely enlightening experience, they were a delightful couple and great company!! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Saturday 21 September After breakfast Cindy found some tops she could do without and Andrew found shorts and T-shirts. Sue found some hair ties, a cap and a ball. We added 3kg of rice and put them all in a big plastic tub. Andrew and Sue then took the tub ashore to the village where Rex (our guide) lived. The village chief met us at the waters edge greeting us and offering us a large Papaya. We thanked him and told him how Rex had been our guide. We then gave the chief the tub of clothes for the village.

Back on Imagine we lifted the dinghy onboard and hauled anchor. With Wolfgang at the helm we motored south against the southerly wind and swell, to the Maskelyne Islands. We found shelter behind one of the islands along with a yacht we had seen a week ago in Lamen bay. After lunch Wolfgang Andrew and Sue went ashore and met the locals. There is only two brothers and their families living here. Again very poor with traditional thatched houses. They have just had another yacht install a 50ltr water tank so they don't have to row to the mainland to fill water containers every day. The school is on the mainland and the mums paddle the dugout canoe with the kids to and from school. It takes about an hour each way.

The other yacht has been here a couple of days and helped with a few odd jobs. We will go back ashore tomorrow to see what we can do to help them.

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Friday 20 September After our morning dip, we headed ashore. We were greeted by a couple of men and a 13 year old boy. They were helpful in telling us what this bay had to offer. Quite a different reception from Pentecost. The boy (Rex) kindly guided us around the bay, showing us through the villages. There was a definite divide between the two sides of the bay. At a certain point Rex disappeared as did the other children following us and it was apparent to us that they do not "cross the line" to the villages on the other side. The first from where Rex came from were very friendly, but very poor. All wearing old torn clothes. Many of the younger children were not wearing any clothes. The other village where they charged for going to the waterfall and showing a cultural dance, all had new clothes. They were still friendlier than Pentecost. Cindy wanted a safety pin as Rex was hanging on to his shorts the whole way or they would have fallen off. We wished we had got a whole lot of clothes off trade me before we had come away. Again we took lollies ashore which the kids really loved, as well as the adults! It was the great soccer match day between the villages, so we stopped at the soccer field for an hour to watch them play. Then we headed back to the boat for another swim, lunch and a short nap.

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Thursday 19th September 2019 In the early hours a quite large number of dolphins were swimming around Imagine. We estimated them to be about 40! After an early breakfast we lifted anchor and set sail West-South-West to Malekula Island. So, we had reached our most northern point during our sailing around Vanuatu. Wolfgang sped Imagine to 8 knots

Wednesday September 18 Another morning in paradise! Woke on Ambrym island & we all took a quick dip in the beautiful azure waters. After breakfast we sailed toward Pentecost island with great winds going 7+knts & Cindy at the helm. In less than 3hrs we arrived, took a refreshing swim & ate an early lunch... Andrew tried to nap, but the girls kept asking "are you awake dear?"... So we put the motor on dinghy & headed to shore! We were immediately met by an older gentleman who offered to guide us to hot springs or entertain us in the evening with a dinner & native dancing for an exorbitantly ridiculous price!! Instead we jus took a leisurely walk along the main road & we were all shocked at how unfriendly the locals were! Young kids even threw apples at us while cackling like witches! So we kept our gifts & headed back to the boat, took a swim, ate snacks & had naps. BBQ dinner on aft deck & enjoyed our own company & a beautiful sunset! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Tuesday 17 September We started the day with Miss Bossy Pants (AKA-Cindy) creating a mutiny amongst the crew. She then took over as Captain ordering Wolfgang to take vitamins pills and drink at least 3 litres of water per day. Then she took over the galley, cooking and preparing meals for later. She then ordered everyone ashore for a swim and to check out the hot water spring. After playing in the hot volcanic sand and water on the beach we headed back to the boat where Andrew was allowed to play captain for a while.

We motored up the coast a few bays to Ranon where the tours to the volcano started. Unfortunately when we get to shore we discovered the earthquake 2 years ago had sealed the crator. This meant Wolfgang and Cindy will miss out on seeing an active volcano. A local took us on a tour of the local villages. When passing the school Cindy was mobbed by the kids as she handed out candy. We bought 2 loaves of bread from the local Baker.

Back on board we took a swim before partaking in a little rum and snacks on the rear deck.

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Monday, 16 September We visited Liro Village on Paama this morning. Paama is only 7miles long. You can only see a couple of structures from the boat but when we went ashore we were delighted to find a great village of people. We came across people from world vision who were coordinating a team of civil engineers from Otago University, helping the villagers with their freshwater systems, installing guttering and helping with piping to their freshwater tanks, along with demonstration to the villagers on how to keep the water tanks clean. The children were in school. There is a primary school and a secondary school in the village. As we were next to the primary school Wolfgang heard the little kids counting to 10 in English.

We wandered around the village, talked to some wonderful people, saw lots of chickens with little chicks and lots of dogs. Also beautiful flowers on the island. The houses are divided by hedge lined laneways. It was a real taste of village life in Vanuatu, off the beaten track (not many boats stop at Paama). As the children were in school we gave out the lollies we had bought to the island to the adults who really enjoyed them! Andrew also went back to the boat and gave them 7 lifejackets that we had brought from NZ that we had kept to give away. We all really loved this island (in Cindy's words f$%&^*# amazing!), but we decided we want to see as much of Vanuatu as we can before heading to Australia. We left Paama this afternoon for Ambryn. We saw a school of dolphins enjoying swimming around the bow of the boat. Late this afternoon we arrived at Bouama Hot Springs on Ambryn. Cindy had done her daily mast climb to look for reefs and bommies. (Pole dancing has taken on a totally new meaning). It was about 5pm when we arrived so once we had anchored we went to find the hot springs. We found them but as it was just after high tide we decided we would come back tomorrow when we could see what we were stepping into and instead went for a swim. Very black sand, the water was warm and if you dug your toes into the sand it was hot! Andrew's making spag bol for tea tonight with his great garlic croutons. Best news of today, Cindy didn't throw up!!! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Sunday 15 September Yesterday we went ashore and met a few locals at Lamen Bay. We were told that on Monday the Vanuatu police and Australian army were going to arrive for training, so we thought that it would be too crowded for us.

When we went back to the boat we all went for a swim. Wolfgang's first Pacific swim. Then Wolfgang went for a snorkel. Today we hauled anchor and headed for Paama with Wolfgang at the helm. After Cindy chucked up her breakfast, a little later in the morning she did her first ever mast climb. She was only supposed to go a couple of meters so she could guide us around the reef. But she didn't stop. Up to the second spreader and without a harness. This evening Wolfgang is cooking on the bbq while the girls make the salad.

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Friday 13th September We have just left Port Vila heading to Lamen Bay, Epi.

This morning we all went into town. Cindy and Andrew went for a massage while Wolfgang & Sue went to the market for fresh fruit. Back at the boat Cindy made a ratatouille for lunch. Then we all got some rest before setting off.

As we were raising the main sail Andrew noticed a couple of stow aways. Black banded sea snakes. For some reason he found himself the only one left on deck. After persuading the snakes to leave Wolfgang came back out on deck to help raise the sail. Actually Wolfgang had gone for the boat hook so Andrew could do his snake wrangling! Been overcast and raining off and on today. Forecast is for a nicer day tomorrow which will be great as Lamen Bay is famous for the large number of turtles and for some dugongs.

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Thursday 12th September Today we welcome our two new crew members, Wolfgang and Cindy. Unfortunately Port Vila has turned on the rain so it was a wet ride from the dinghy dock to Imagine.

Both seem glad to be here after their really long days. Wolfgang has travelled from Germany to Hong Kong, Brisbane to here (with long hours stopovers). Cindy boarded her flight in San Francisco, travelled 10 hours to Fiji where she had stopover for 9 hours. We are glad they both made it and both still with big beautiful smiles on their faces. Andrew is making dinner. After that I think they will be crashing! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Thursday 12th September Today we welcome our two new crew members, Wolfgang and Cindy. Unfortunately Port Vila has turned on the rain so it was a wet ride from the dinghy dock to Imagine.

Both seem glad to be here after their really long days. Wolfgang has travelled from Germany to Hong Kong, Brisbane to here (with long hours stopovers). Cindy boarded her flight in San Francisco, travelled 10 hours to Fiji where she had stopover for 9 hours. We are glad they both made it and both still with big beautiful smiles on their faces. Andrew is making dinner. After that I think they will crash! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Tuesday 10th September It took all morning yesterday to get cleared and are officially temporary Vanutuers, Vanuatuans, we can stay in Vanuatu for a while.

Au Revoir Marion This afternoon we sadly said goodbye to Marion. She was off to catch a plane to Santo to meet up with another boat which will take her around a bit more of Vanuatu and then to New Caledonia. No more French or English lessons. We've collected additional info from Vanuatu tourism and this afternoon spent planning a flexible itinerary for the number of days we have left in Vanuatu. For some reason Andrew thought it might be a great idea to sail over a submarine volcano from Port Vila to Epi. Sue thinks the more direct (not over submarine volcano) route will be better!! Tomorrow we will stock up ready for our new crew arriving on Thursday.

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Saturday 7th September No we are still not officially in Vanuatu.

We arrived in Port Vila about 1200 yesterday and customs came to see us just after 3.00pm. That was fine but immigration and biosecurity were busy, so we still aren't here. There office's reopen on Monday so we will be able to go to the office and complete booking in.

On our way here Marion tried out another seasick remedy. Masking tape across the stomach. Not sure if that did any good.

Port Vila is the nicest and cleanest city/port we have been in. Waiting for customs we were anchored in 7m of water and could see the coral bottom. Two Dugongs swam past to greet us. We were too slow to grab the camera. We have moved closer into the harbour on a mooring ball and the water is still clear. Isle of Wallis may not be our number one spot for long.? Today we went to buy data and fresh fruit and veggies. The local market has the best quality and range of produce we have seen in all the islands.

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Thursday, 5th September Well, we are still not officially in Vanuatu.

Due to bad rain on the morning before we arrived the road from the other side of the island had been washed way. This meant customs could not get here.

There are 4 other boats in the bay with us some tring to book in some trying to book out. We all went ashore to look at the volcano yesterday evening. What an experience! What's health and safety?? We were picked up from the bay by two Toyota 4x4 dual cabs. Five in the cab + driver and six in the tray. 45 minutes later we arrived at the base of the volcano. We were each issued a plastic helmet to protect us from falling ash (health and safety). This is where we get transferred to single cab 4x4s this time ten of us in the tray. The tray did have seating. 50mm x 200mm planks nailed together and a pipe framework holding up a trampoline. We all clung into the pipes as the seating slid around as we went up the mountainside.

We arrived at the top of the mountain just before sunset and we walked up to the rim of the crater. We were then lead around the rim of the volcano which in places was only 500mm wide. The hand rails along the track ended just before reaching the rim. Who needs hand rails?? They probably kept burning up.

But there is nowhere else you could get so close and see so much. There was loud bangs as the lava exploded into the air with such force that the air pressure would push you back if you weren't steady footed. We stayed there for about two hours after dark and then made our way back to the 4x4s using torches or our phones to see the way.

An amazing experience Now we are off to Port Vila to clear customs and officially be here.

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Tuesday 3rd September We are unofficially in Vanuatu. Before we left Fiji we emailed Vanuatu customs of our arrival date and they confirmed they will be waiting. Three hours before arriving we emailed them to say we would arrive at 2pm and again they confirmed they would be waiting. It's now 5.30 and we are still waiting.

It's been an eventful day. It started with a series of squalls overnight and into the morning. Daybreak revealed several kamikaze flying fish lying on the foredeck. As we approached Port Resolution (about 800m off the narrow entrance) under motor, the motor died. Quickly we put out the headsail. No time to put up the main. Sue and Marion now with a bit of sail power turned away from the entrance, while Andrew figured out what has happened to the motor.

No fuel getting to the motor! One of the two fuel filters dirty? No time to replace filters. Turning the valves over and reroute from the tank to the secondary filters (back up system). Oh, no fuel getting through. Check the main tank valves, yes they are turned on. Okay blocked fuel line from tank. No time to do anything about it while bouncing around in these waves. Grab the jerry can with diesel, into the engine room and put the filler hose into it. The filler hose is connected to a pump leading to the backup system. Turn the pump on. Fuel now running through the back up system, turn on the engine. With a few coughs and splutters it fired up.

We furled the sail away and motored into the bay. Finding a place to anchor was easy, not too many boats in the bay. Dropping the anchor, well that wasn't quite as easy. With all the bouncing around going through the squalls, the manual handle and mechanism on the winch had jammed. The anchor only went down 1m . By this time the wind had caught the boat and pulled the bow around pointing towards the rocks. Sue being on the helm knew to put it back in gear and with full revs do a 360 to bring it back into position. By the time the boat was back in position Andrew had sorted the anchor and we were set.

Marion is cooking dinner tonight. As she is French it must be something good. Ooh la la! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Monday 2nd September Another relaxing day doing 6knts with the wind and waves behind us. To kill the boredom Andrew set the crew (Marion) to work washing windows.

This evening with just a little rolling motion we had dinner on the foredeck as we watched ths sunset over the bow.

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Sunday 1st September Not a lot to report. No dolphins, no whales, no fish! Marion had second day flu. The majority of people get seasick usually the second day. We've discovered one of the seasick tablets we have on board can have the adverse reaction of sending people to sleep, as Ben (my son) discovered and with Marion today.

Still making good headway today, weather permitting we should arrive at Port Resolution on Tuesday.

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Saturday 31st August On Thursday we welcomed on board our new crew member Marion who is travelling with us to Vanuatu. Marion is French so will have fun translating to English then Kiwi! At sunrise this morning we headed out of Fiji for Vanuatu making reasonable headway. Although we have the main reefed to number 2 and no headsail or staysail out, we have been doing 6.5 to 7 knots. We are still practicing fishing! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Saturday 24th August We have moved back to Denarau. We ran out of data so we had to come back here on Thursday afternoon so Andrew could bus into Nadi to buy more data.

Shit, shit, shit (not just from Sue) rang out most of yesterday, as unpredicted high winds and half meter waves hit the bay. A catamaran dragged anchor first. As he was resetting the anchor we saw another ketch start moving. The crew from the ketch had gone ashore earlier. So Andrew jumped in the dinghy and went to see what could be done. He was met by someone in a dinghy going to do the same thing. The two of them had enough time to work out that the ketch had no more anchor chain to put out, when Sue radioed Andrew that Imagine was dragging. Andrew left the ketch for the other guy to figure out and headed back to Imagine. By this time Imagine had dragged 100m and was almost on another boat and getting closer. Sue had already got the motor running and headed into the wind and waves while Andrew hauled up the anchor. Three attemps later to co-anchor we got the anchor to hold. 4 m of water well over 40m of chain out. Over the radio we heard two guys off different boats were trying to save another boat heading to the sandbar. We then saw another ketch on the move. Andrew jumped back in the dinghy and off to the ketch. There was only a young guy on the ketch who wasn't sure what to do. The skipper was one the we had heard on the radio saving another boat. Dropping another 30m of chain out seemed to get the ketch under control.

Heading back to Imagine Andrew saw yet another yacht sliding back. As he approached he could see a woman at the helm starting to motor forward and getting it under control. It turns out her husband was the other one saving the boat from the sandbar. It wasn't long before the two skippers were back on their boats and hauling anchors. They came and anchored either side of us.

With the fun over and the wind slowly dying, Sue stayed glued in front of the helm the rest of the day and then semi slept in the cockpit checking on our position regularly. Sorry no pictures. We were a bit too busy.

With neither us feeling 100% today we've had a rest day.

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Thursday 22nd August We left Denarau on Sunday and have been sheltering from the high winds just around the corner from Musket Cove. It's funny all the boats are in Musket Cove bouncing around with the white capped waves because it's the trendy place to be. We are anchored out of the wind about 600m away in a bay that was all to ourselves (another yacht just came in). It's much nicer here, not crowded, lovely water, some nice reefs to snorkel and just a short walk around to Musket Cove if you wanted to use their facilities (we joined the yacht club so can use facilities if we want to).

Nothing much to report. We have just been chilling out and swimming. Oh and been feeding the fish. Funny that some locals have come out a couple of days in a row, anchored about 150 meters away and they caught all the fish we'd been feeding!!! Spent some time today working on a client's website.

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Saturday 17th August Well we risked our lives again. We caught a local bus into Nadi. Sue was a little concerned about the loud bang every time the bus sped up or slowed down (faulty universal on drive shaft or shackles on rear springs). The bus could have done with new (or even old) shock absorbers. It would have stopped the body roll and bouncing. The automatic door flew open every time the bus slowed down and close when speeding up. I can say it went into gear smoothly, at least twice during the trip. The buses are quite cheap $1.11 per person each way to Nadi, but you do need to have purchased an "ecard" before you get on the bus (not as easy as it sounds in some places?). Bus drivers are not supposed to accept cash although some still do but there are heavy fines if one of the inspectors catch you paying cash. Although the driver seemed to be very friendly with the few locals that had forgotten their bus card and shook their hand.

Anyway we survived! We got more provisions for the trip and headed back to the boat (we chose a better bus this time although Sue would dispute that as the seat didn't quite have all the screws it should have to secure it!) Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

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Image;snake.

Image;Bula Bus.

Thursday 15th August We are now in Denarau. We left Musket Cove this morning in beautiful sunshine but not much wind so we motored the short distance to Denarau. We put the dinghy in the water to go ashore and Andrew was just stepping down the ladder to wash his foot as a bit of petrol had spilt on it when he exclaimed "oh shit" as he just about stepped onto a black and white sea snake (see picture) which had it's head raised towards said foot! These snakes are one of the most venemous snakes but apparently they can't open their mouth wide enough to bite anything more than your little pinky but who wants to test that theory! Had a look around Port Denarau complex and sussed out where to fill up with diesel. We also saw where to catch the buses including the Bula Bus (see picture) Tomorrow we will take the bus into Nadi and visit the markets.

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Tuesday 13th August Hi guys. We are on the sunny side of Fiji. We left Suva yesterday and sailed overnight, to arrive here at Musket Cove first thing this morning. It was a good sail with the wind behind us Imagine sailed from 5 to 7.5 knots making good headway until about 4 this morning when the wind speed dropped to 6 knots. We need 10knts to get Imagine going. So it was motor time. Musket Cove is a resort and marina on Malolo Lailai island just west of Nadi.

This anchorage is very popular as there are about 30 boats here at the moment. Week of 12 September this year they will hold the annual yacht regatta which is extremely popular and there will be a load more boats then. Fortunately we should be in Vanuatu by then! First thing we did when we arrived was go for a swim off the back of the boat. We haven't been swimming in the water since we left Wallis due to either being in port where no one in their right mind would go swimming or due to bad weather. Last night we witnessed "green flash" phenomenon. It is something sailors talk about, but don't all see. Out at sea on a calm clear evening as the sun goes down and disappears. There is a green flash. Well we wouldn't call it a flash that lights up the sky. But as the sun disappeared over the horizon, for about a second the small bit of sun left turned green.

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Saturday 10th August 19 Slight delay, we are still in Suva - looking at departing Monday morning to western side of Fiji. We decided there was a few jobs we wanted to complete before setting off again. Andrew spent most of today working on making the lazarette (black hole) flush with the rest of the stern deck, giving more space and less likely for people to trip up. He also worked on the water tank breather pipes, some of them seemed to be split and the system wasn't working as it should. A few other odd jobs and some more tomorrow. One of our neighbours is a 3 masted tall ship which was built in Scotland (100 years ago). She is sometimes based here and sometimes Nelson. They say there us a lot of work to do on her but are travelling to Vanuatu, NZ, Australia and then to Scotland maybe February or March next year to celebrate the 100 year anniversary. One of the crew we see quite often has been on the vessel for 7 years. He did tell us the name of the boat but we didn't quite hear him and don't like to keep asking, but picture is attached.

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Thursday 8th August It's a good job we do these blogs. It's the only way we know what day it is! First thing this morning Andrew went up the mast and fitted the new pulley and halyard and reset the staysail while there was no wind. I'm beginning to think he likes it up there - he went up 3 times! It scares the bejeebers out of me whilst I'm left hanging onto the rope that is making sure he won't fall - well too far that is! After breakfast it was off to smelly, dirty, crowded, noisy (a city) Suva. The bus trip as usual was very amusing, the traffic terrible - almost as bad as Auckland and the bus driver thought he was in a xbox game, tearing off down the road, forcing his way around the roundabout then blaring his horn for others to get out his way. We got some fruit and veg then got out of there. This afternoon we went back to Lami to do the rest of the shopping.

This evening we treated ourselves to dinner out. We went to the yacht club where there was a couple of guys playing 80s music so we had a nice meal and live entertainment to boot. Tomorrow more maintenance work on the boat and some general cleaning. Due to lack of wind we will probably set off from here Saturday to go to the other side ... ie the dry side of Fiji. Today though we had our first bit of sunshine for what seems like an awful long time! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

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Image:air conditioned bus.

Image:boats rafyed together.

Image:rainbow kori island Tuesday 6th August First thing this morning we had a police boat pull along side. Police and Bio Security came onboard to do a spot check. First time we have had this after we have already been through entry formalities, but in a way reassuring that they do keep an eye out on who is coming and going in the harbour. I should point out they went to all the boats so it wasn't just us looking suspect! Today after Andrew climbed up the mast, we went to get the halyard replaced. The rigging place was in a town 2km away called Lami. Of cause we had to take the bus. An air conditioned island style bus (no windows).

The bus driver we had from Labasa to Savusavu drove fast but did stop for passengers. The one we had today didn't stop for passengers. There were road works some kilometers ahead and there was no way the bus driver was going to get out of the line of traffic to stop at bus stops. He did slow down but he was not going to stop. Luckily at our stop the traffic had come to a stand still for a moment and we ran into the traffic and got on. Others had to run along side and jump on. Any stops where there was women with babies or any older people he just didn't bother even slowing. Again luckily our stop to get off was just past the road works and he stopped to let people off.

This afternoon we were flagged down by one of the neighbouring yachts. He wondered if I could help. He couldn't start the boat motor. I went across to have a look and took our start battery and multimeter. His batteries were low from trying to start it. With our battery connected smoke started pouring out of the starter motor. He then told me it had been smoking in Samoa and he had someone look at it and say it was ok. So I left him pondering how to get the starter motor replaced as there was nothing further I could do. He is being towed across to the Royal Suva Yacht Club tomorrow where he can tie up to one of the pontoons and hopefully will be able to get some help.

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Yes we are in sunny Suva, well Suva. It has rained most days since we arrived in Fiji (although apparently we are on the "wet side" of Fiji!) The water is cold 28 deg. We haven't been game to go for a swim yet. We have been spoiled by Wallis Isle. Anyway back to Suva. We arrived this morning and found an anchorage outside the Royal Yacht Club. The trip was eventful. We had calculated that it would take about 26 hours, so we didn't set off early. This meant that averaging 5 knots we would be in Suva about lunch time. Wrong. We had the main reefed right down and ran with the small staysail and we still were reaching over 7 knots. So we arrived in the dark and had to wait around outside the reef as the pass was not marked well and is not lit. In the early hours of the morning the halyard for the staysail broke (worn through) and the sail came down. A quick wet rush out on deck secured the sail. So we ran with just the main. When we got to Suva reef we had to motor back and forth to kill time till sunrise whilst manoeuvring between half a dozen fishing boats, ferry and cargo boats! We knew we were low on fuel but couldn't tell how low because the fuel gauge died.

But we made it (with no sleep). Today a big sleep in. Tomorrow is a trip into town to get a new stainless halyard made and to stock the boat. The fuel gauge is repairable but getting fuel not so easy. The fuel pier is only 2.3m at high tide. We draw 2.5m, so it's lots of trips with a Jerry can. The port/harbour is very busy with boats (some of the fishing boats and others are rafted together). Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Image Saturday 3rd August This morning we went ashore to see David and Jhoty. Andrew had made a loaf of bread for them. We also took some rope, fishing lures, caps and a couple of life jackets. We stopped and had a chat with them and their grandkids. Jhoty said they would be collecting firewood, coconuts and other food, and preparing this for tomorrow - Sunday. On Sunday the day is based around church with one service at 10am and the other at 3pm. Nothing else much is done on Sundays so Saturday is the day they prepare the food etc.

We did a bit of maintenance on Imagine. This afternoon we did a bit of fishing with left over steak for bait. Yes they have classy fish here (only eat steak). Sue caught a medium size fish. Not quite big enough for filleting , so it's in the freezer for bait for next time.

This evening just before sunset the evening shower displayed a full rainbow over Imagine.

Tomorrow morning we are off to Suva for a few days.

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Image Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Imaged Sue

Thursday 1st August Image We awoke to a beautiful day. After breakfast we lowered the dinghy into the water and headed ashore. We were met at the shore by David. David is the village chief's right hand man. He took us to see the chief to present him with sevusevu, but he was away visiting another village. David being the right hand man was able to perform a small ceremony receive the sevusevu and make us part of the village, granting us access to land and sea. He then gave us a tour of the village showing us where cyclone Winston had created havoc although it hit harder on the other side of the island. David's wife didn't know that her photo was in the Fiji cruising guide, so we left her a copy. The photo had been taken last year by a journalist writing a bit about the island and the Americans that took 3 attempts to land there in WW2. We went ashore with kava roots for sevusevu and came back with coconut, pumpkin, bananas, and more.

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Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Wednesday 31st July 19 This morning felt a bit strange having the boat to ourselves after having crew on board for 3 months. Despite that we set sail for Taveuni but the wind had different ideas so we headed off to Koro Island. It was a pleasant full day's sail with the only sealife encounter of a single dolphin. Tonight we have anchored at Vatumataua. As we have not long since arrived we will go to Nabuna village in the morning for sevusevu. More about that tomorrow! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Tuesday 30th Jul In to town for the last day. Stella and Tony getting their last bits and pieces before departing. Andrew and Sue getting a few fruit n veg.

The businesses in SavuSavu don't put all their eggs in one basket. The diversification is wonderful. The furniture shop sells seafood as well. The barber shop is also a pawn shop that sells icecream and repairs phones and tablets. The fish shop is also the pool parlor. This evening we have just said goodbye to Tony and Stella who have caught the ferry to Suva. Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Monday 29th July This morning we went to immigration to sign Stella and Tony off the boat. We then split up and Tony and Stella headed off to Labasa on the 9:30 bus. Andrew had things to do in Savusavu then joined Sue on the 11:30 bus to Labasa. Labasa is the capital of this island, the big city. Sue was a bit concerned when two guys got on the bus with machetes in their hands. The carrying of machetes is quite common here.

Everyone met up for the interesting ride back. The bus driver was on a hurry to get home as he was going rather fast. Unlike Samoa where the buses were interesting to look at, here it's the taxi's.

This evening Tony and Stella took us out for dinner as it was our last dinner together before they depart on the ferry tomorrow.

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Saturday 27 July 19 Due to weather conditions predictions and to ensure Tony catches his flight back to NZ in time and Stella her flight to Tonga, Stella and Tony have booked a ferry ticket from SavuSavu to Suva departing on Tuesday. They'll then have 1 or 2 days in Suva before catching the bus to Nadi.

Ferry tickets were booked this morning whilst Andrew organised for a fuel top up tomorrow. After a bit of shopping at the market and wandering around town, Stella and Tony are currently at the Captains bar at the Copra Shed Marina enjoying some cold beers, some bar food and watching a few rugby games - the last one being All Blacks vs South Africa. Tomorrow will be a catch up day for all of us and then we have to take Imagine over to the jetty by the marina so we can get the fuel.

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Thursday 25th July Bula! We made it! Arrived at 1:00pm and were guided to a mooring ball outside the marina. 16 pages and many $$$ later, Customs, Immigration, Health and Bio security cleared us into Fiji by 4:00pm.

A quick trip into town turned into a long trip into town, as we discovered we had a can of bad petrol and the outboard wouldn't run. We then rowed ashore to find the shops closed at 5:00, guess what it was now 5:30. So tomorrow is a trip to get a new fuel filter, internet sim card, food supplies, etc.

Early night for all of us as we're all stuffed! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Tuesday 23rd July We left Wallis yesterday morning with Sue at the helm guiding Imagine through the gap in the reef. I think all of us are sorry to leave Wallis and wish we'd had more time there. It was a beautiful day with light winds and little swell. As the day went on the winds increased to 20 knots by evening. As usual we reefed the sails for the night.

Today has been overcast but pleasant. Not much more to report.

Fiji here we come.

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Sunday 21 July The day started out with Stella and Tony heading off to the motu next to the reef entrance, for a few hours snorkeling. Andrew flew the drone for a few more stunning shots of the outer islands of Wallis.

The afternoon was spent preparing for the trip to Fiji. With everything stowed away and the dinghy strapped to the deck we took photos of our last Wallis sunset. We set sail for Fiji in the morning. Depending on the wind it will take 3 to 5 days to reach SavuSavu Fiji.

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Friday 17 July Not much to report today. We officially booked out of Wallis, although not leaving till Monday morning (before the offices open). We had lunch at a nice restaurant, frequented by locals. There are no public buses on Wallis so there is a lot of walking in the heat or hitching a ride with one of the friendly locals. Then we spent the afternoon under the sunshade on the foredeck pacing ourselves for some more snorkeling tomorrow.

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Wednesday 17 July Guess what? Another day in paradise. This morning all four of us headed off to snorkel the hole in the reef. One of the best places yet. The hole was over 15m deep so clear you could see three stingrays hiding in the sand below us. The hole was an oval shape. About 50m by 200m.

There is not much more to say about it just wow See the photos.

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Tuesday 16th July Still at Wallis, waiting for enough wind to make it all the way to Fiji.

An exciting day today, we went shopping. Tony stayed aboard while Sue Stella and Andrew headed into town. Stella needed internet to finalise her in Tonga to swim with the whales. Andrew and Sue headed to the supermarket for supplies. Overcast but still hot, Sue decided to test out her thumb and within minutes Karl (a local) pulled over to give us a ride. We don't speak French and Karl doesn't speak English, but we were able to let him know we wanted to go to the supermarket. After a downpour while in the shops, Sue and Andrew headed back to the boat with shopping bags on hand. It was only a few 100 meters when a lady took pitty on us and offered a ride.

Back at the jetty you could see another downpour coming, so Sue and Andrew rushed the food back to Imagine. Andrew then returned ashore to wait for Stella who had found the only cafe with internet to shelter from the rain. Unfortunately we didn't make it back to Imagine without getting wet.

Tony had pre prepared dinner while we were away.

After lunch it was still overcast with a few showers, so it was read a book or siesta time. You can't go snorkeling in the rain, you will get wet (it doesn't look as pretty).

Tony's curried chicken smells good.

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Image Monday 15 July Another lazy day. The wind had dropped by this morning, so we headed off to explore a motu on the outer part of the reef. Andrew sent up the drone and we found a hole in the reef a local had told Tony about. We will be back tomorrow with the dive and snorkel gear. On the way back we checked out another couple of motu's. We got back to the boat to find the harbour was getting crowded. Another boat had arrived. After lunch we went for another swim and spent the afternoon sitting on the fore deck under the sun shade and thought about you lot hard at work ? It must be time for a coconut and pineapple drink laced with vodka while we watch the sunset.

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Image Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Sunday 14th July Yesterday was Bastille Day celebrations in Wallis (Bastille Day is today).

We started the day snorkeling off one of the many Motus here. The edge of the reef went from .5m to 40m, which made for a great array of fish and coral. After lunch we moved the boat back into the harbour, so we could go ashore in the evening.

In the evening the waterfront area was crowded with locals (and four boat people). There was a couple of food stalls, a band and 3 groups of traditional dancers. All of which was being filmed by the local (one and only) Wallis TV station.

Unfortunately the night was interrupted by a sudden downpour, which left everyone sodden. At this point we realised that we had left all the hatches on the boat open (wet beds). Being soaking wet and a 10 to 15knt breeze we were cooling down fast. So we decided to head back to the boat.

Upon reaching our dinghy tied up to the wharf and seeing the choppy water, Tony decided not to go back to Imagine. So Andrew, Sue and Stella headed off into the dark, while Tony went back to watch the rest of the dancing.

The trio made it back to Imagine soaked in salt water, whilst Tony talked a local family into putting him up for the night.

This morning Andrew picked Tony up from the wharf and as the wind and waves are a bit high, we all have had a lazy day.

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Friday 12th July This morning we all went snorkeling in Aqua coloured water on the nearby reef. Some beautiful coral and fish were seen. This afternoon Tony and Stella went exploring the motu. Upon returning late afternoon we were approached by 2 French men on a jet ski. The one that could speak English explained he was making a short movie where the opening scene was a man falling off a yacht. As we appear to be the only yacht currently in Wallis he asked if he could shoot the scene on Imagine. We agreed and he went off to get his actor. Obviously he had trouble finding him as it's now too dark to film anything and they haven't returned. Maybe we will see them in the morning. Stay tuned! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Thursday 11th July This morning we cleared with customs and the gendarmerie and we headed into town. We went to the island's only bank to get the exchange rate and for Stella to withdraw some money. Once again her card would not work, so she then spent the next 3 hours trying to get internet , to contact her bank. Sue Tony and Andrew looked around the shopping complex (hardware shop, super market, bank, dress shop and coffee shop). The wind had got up by the time we got back to the boat, so we moved south to a more sheltered spot behind another motu. A short dinghy ride to the beach and we were in the water for a swim while Tony headed off to explore the island. We got back to Imagine at 5pm just in time for drinks and nibbles while watching another sunset.

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Wednesday 10 July We made it with 40 minutes to spare before the tide was ripping through the gap in the reef. Again with Sue at the helm and Andrew up the mast, and Stella and Tony on lookout, we negotiated the reef with a side on swell and lots of eddy currents to the inner reef.

Sue is becoming a master at negotiating these reefs saying this reef was much easier than the last although actually being a narrower pass. She just now has to negotiate reefs without constantly repeating "shit shit shit"! Although we made the opening in time for the tide we did not make it in time for customs so will clear customs tomorrow and spend the night next to one of the motus (islands).

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Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Tuesday 9th July Overnight we encountered a few small squalls. The wind slowly went from 22knts down to 10knts. A pod of 5 dolphins swam along side for a while this morning. The sea has been very calm 1/2m swell. At about 10.30am a squall came through raising the wind speed to 18knts Then moved from behind us where it had been all night to directly in front of us and dropped to 6knts. So we have been motoring all day. We have to make it to Wallis by 11am tomorrow so we catch the tide and are able to get inside the reef. If we are too late we have to wait for high tide Thursday, as we can't get in in the dark. As there wasn't anything else to do Andrew thought he would have a go at practicing fishing. So it's baked beans on toast for tea tonight.

Tonight we have been treated to another spectacular sunset.

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Monday 8th July Last night Tony and Stella went to the opening ceremony of the Pacific Island Games. For 5Tala (about 3NZD) they got to sit with all the local people in the mud. It was a joyful upbeat extravaganza. The athletes were doing their cultural dances competing for bragging rights. NZ did an average haka to the crowd. After lots of dancing, singing and speeches the evening finished with a fireworks display that Andrew and Sue watched from the boat, After 7 days anchored in Apia Harbour not being able to swim we were all eager for the break in the weather.

This morning started with a trip to shore for a quick shower and Andrew went to Immigration, then Customs to clear out out of port.

We are now on our way to Wallis. Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Friday, 5th July During our weather forced delay, this week we all did different things to enjoy being in Samoa.

Tony went by bus to the northwest of Upolo to an area called Manono-uta where he was picked up by Leota, his brother and grandson on their family catamaran and taken to their fale resort on the amazing island of Manono. Manono is a reef enclosed haven that takes approx 1.5 hours to walk around. Tony was shown generous hospitality. A highlight was joining in the family's short service before their meal with prayer, meditation and harmonious singing. On return he was so tired out, went to sleep about 9.30pm only to wake at 2am with a very uncomfortable left elbow. Tony had somehow picked up an infection that by 4am had caused the elbow to swell to about the size of an egg. Having to be fit for our upcoming Monday departure for Wallis, Andrew and Tony headed off to get to the hospital asap. After a 2.5km taxi ride and resting in the waiting room until 6.30am, Tony was seen by the doctor and given antibiotics, all up only costing 46 Tala. As you can't keep a good man down Tony and Stella headed off to shop more exploring of Apia, spending time at Robert Louis Stephenson's mansion, gardens and climbing up to the top of the hill to visit his grave. Apart from short visits to the city centre, Andrew and Sue have spent time on getting boat ready for our next lot of travels to Wallis and Fiji.

The marina in Apia is pretty full with everyone waiting for breaks in the weather. Although we are anchored out we paid a small sum to the marina so we could leave our dinghy there when going ashore and to utilise their shower and toilet facilities. A note for any boats visiting Apia if you anchor in the harbour you have to pay a fee to the Apia port authority. It has been great also meeting other yachties and their families particularly with so many boats in this week. The Seafood Gourmet restaurant across the road from the marina has had a lot of patronage this week and the adjoining ice cream shop has been so busy they have run out of some TipTop ice cream flavours until the next supply comes in about a month. No it's not just us but Apia has been busier this week with athletes etc arriving for the Pacific games that starts with the opening ceremony this Sunday. They have been rehearsing this week so we have been treated to some light displays and some interesting music! Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

We are still in Apia. Having a look at the weather before setting off, showed the swell was predicted to get higher than previously predicted. This would have made it an uncomfortable trip to Wallis, so Andrew decided to leave departing till the next weather window. A good decision after talking with other yachties just arrived who've had high winds and swells, some even sustained damage on their way here. The next weather window at this stage looks to be next Monday at the moment.

Time to do a bit more exploring of Upulo and to catch up on some work on the boat. The South Pacific games are being held here commencing 7th July so there is a lot of athletes arriving and a lot of work being done by the Samoans to welcome the athletes. Had torrential rain yesterday followed by a stunning sunset last night.

We are getting recognised in Apia - Stella by the samosa guys and Andrew by the homemade lemonade guy! Will keep you all posted.

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Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

lmage:markets Sunday 30th June Arrived back in Apia Friday afternoon. Dropped off some laundry to be done then some supermarket shopping. We went for a relaxing dinner at the seafood restaurant across the road from the marina (mostly frequented by locals). Had a great dinner, sat back and enjoyed the breeze. Stella tried the local delicacy Oka which is raw fish marinated in coconut cream and onions. Tony chowed down on a seafood chowder, Sue had seafood platter and Andrew had lobster mornay (a very late birthday present from Sue!!). There is an icecream shop next door which also happens to be part of the restaurant. They have a wide range of icecream and a good selection of cheesecakes but we were too full to have any dessert that night. Saturday we headed off to the markets early to try to beat the heat. We came across the bus station with the wonderful local buses. After the markets we headed back to the boat to get away from the heat. Tony stayed out for a bit longer to check out the stadium for the Pacific Games which start next week. That evening Sue and Andrew headed back to shore in the rain to check out the icecream shop whilst Tony and Stella stayed on board to watch a movie. Saturday evening the rain started and hasn't stopped since. During the night there was high winds, thunder and lightning. Today, Sunday is lazy day with everyone trying to catch up on photos, emails etc with a slight interruption when we looked out the window and found a big red tugboat almost coming to join us for morning tea! The red tugboat was anchored with a large barge next to us. The tugboat communicated with the boat anchored on our port side suggesting it moved as the barge had dragged an anchor. After a while the boat came back and advised they had to wait for captain and crew to get to the boat before they could move! We were watching as the barge came closer to that boat and Andrew decided we should probably look at moving and giving the tug and barge more room to manoeuvre. Two hours later we reanchored only a short time later to hear the tug advising it had to go out again as something had jammed their prop and only one of their engines were working. They have now reanchored and we are back to finish off today's blog.

Tomorrow we are looking at leaving Apia, weather dependent, for the Isle of Wallis which is about 3 days sail away. Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Imabe:lava2 Savai'i, Samoa is the poor cousin to Upulo with a small port to receive the ferry from Upulo with several villages scattered around the outskirts of the island. The island has a range of tourist attractions so we hired a car for a day and set off to explore some of them. Samoa's information centre in Apia does a good job of promoting all the tourist attractions on both islands. Regrettably they don't all stack up to the hype. As we toured around the island like Upulo Samoan's are not big on signage and the signage that is there is not always correct. Despite that we managed to find the attractions were wanted to see. On Savai'i we started with the rainforest canopy walk. A steel spiral staircase took us up into the treetops to a suspension bridge which led to a large banyan tree which were climbed higher into the canopy for views through the trees. Health and safety would have a field day here with the tree viewing platform and the stairs up to it held to the tree with ratchet tiedowns as the bolts have rusted away.

Next was the Alofaaga blowholes. Lava shelf just above sea level with a few holes in the lava to allow waves from the sea to surge through and create the blowholes. Travelling on around the island we then stopped at the Afu Aau waterfalls for a refreshing swim in the cool fresh water. Too cool for wimps Andrew and Stella but Sue and Tony had a great swim. After a quick stop for lunch near the port we discovered pigs on the island were quite intelligent as we saw one holding up the traffic as he sauntered across the pedestrian crossing. Our last stop was the Saleaula lava fields. We got there about 4.45pm and they closed at 5pm but the lovely Samoan lady told us to go in and she waited until we came back before packing up and going home. Must say out of all the places we went to this family put some of the entrance fee money back into improving the attraction and upkeep. It was one of the tidiest and cleanest places we went to. Also the only one that took the time to explain how to get around and the history regarding this site. This site is where the village used to be before the volcanic eruptions between 1903 and 1907 when it covered the village in molten lava with no fatalities. We saw where the molten lava flowed through the church and onto the coast. We spent about 5days in Savai'i. We decided that the best anchorage for us was Matautu Bay so we based ourselves there and explored from there. This was also a great spot for swimming, snorkeling and most of us saw turtles at one time or another. Left Thursday afternoon to come back to Apia where we have to clear before leaving Samoa. Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Friday 21st June Yes we are in Samoa. We arrived on Monday went through the arrival procedure and went to the information centre where we were treated to a cultural dance and food. We got all the brochures and spent the next day sorting what to do and see.

After looking around town and getting some internet data, we discovered that when catching a bus, if the bus is full you just go and sit on someone's knee or expect to be sat on. Andrew thought that was great, you find a beautiful samoan woman to sit on his lap. Not so good when a large samoan woman wants to sit on his lap.

We hired a car for a couple of days to get around Upolo Island (the main Samoan island).

Our first stop was Piula Cave Pool. Unfortunately an earthquake a few years ago collapsed the cave stopping anyone from swimming through. We then followed the coast road, meeting some of the locals and getting some fresh papaya straight from the tree, along with some fresh cucumbers. Because of the south Pacific games next month many of the villages have signs up along with coloured flags welcoming the team they hosting. We continued our drive to the eastern side to Lalomanu beach where we had lunch at a resort. Next on the itinerary was Sua Ocean Trench. A giant sink hole with a lava tube creating an underwater cave entrance. The climb down into the sink hole was via a giant ladder. We hadn't taken our masks so we didn't attempt swimming out to the ocean, so we just swam in the clear water (note the steps are very steep and if you enter this attraction and decide you can't do it and go back out within a few minutes, they still charge you the 20 Tala) Day two started with a short Bush walk to the Ma Tree followed by a look at the coastal walk (the heat of the day making it too hard to complete) 2km down the road was Togitogaiga Waterfalls. A great cool water stop. 15 minutes west we found the Ocean Club (between Sinalei and Coconut Beach resorts). This was a delightful stop where we had lunch (one of the best so far) and relaxed before heading back over the mountain to Apia.

Today we left Upolo for the Samoan island of Savai'i Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Image Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Image Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Tonga review NUKALOFA - Liked the town, Tony's family connection, Liz's place, The Waterfront -great.

NOMUKA IKA/MOMUKA- very pleasant islands, beautiful anchorage, great yacht club, complete with canon and flagpole. Very rough tracks passing for roads (Nomuka) HA'APIA GROUP - Anchored in Pangia (capital of Ha'apia), friendly locals, pigs and dogs roam the streets, great snorkelling, typical Pacific island look, and the free papaya whacked from trees. Great local bar, Mariner Bar.

VAVA'U - VHF radio 26 local info & weather, small boat marina to park your dinghy, beautiful clear water of Port Maurelle, weaving through the coral reefs to the outer islands, Swallows Cave, Lisa beach, other than Palungi who owned businesses, the locals in Neiafu didn't make you feel welcome.

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Friday 14th June The sun set on Tonga and we headed north disillusioned and down in the mouth with our last impressions of Tonga. As you know we have a fantastic time so far. Andrew had ordered a parcel containing boat parts, a gopro and storage for all these photos and video. The parcel arrived Vava'u within a week via FedEx. BUT we could not get the parcel until the boat papers and passport were copied and sent to Nukalofa to be stamped by the CEO. This took till Friday - 7 days. No, it was emailed not posted. So on Friday we were ready to pick up the parcel and leave for Niuas islands - north Tonga. We had heard quite a bit about these islands, more remote and not as touristy so appealed to us. We were told we could go there so Tony changed some more money to Tongan Pangai and we bought some exercise books and pencils to take for the kids. Then we were told we could only get the boat parts and pick up the rest when we sign out of all of Tonga. This meant sailing 2.5 days to the Niuas, look around there then sail 2.5 days back to pick up the parcel and sign out. Or leave the parcel and sign out of Tonga at the Niuas and carry on up to Samoa.

So we opted to miss the Niuas and sign out at VaVa'u. We were told to come back at 12 noon as the person that signed the exit clearance paper was at the airport and wouldn't be back till then. Back at 12. They were at lunch. Andrew trundled back and was informed that our Visa expired on Thursday. We were unaware of this because when booking in, in Nukualofa we were asked and said we would be in Tonga for 1.5 months and received an official receipt stating we paid for 1.5 months and exit date would be 12 July, but the passports were stamped for 1 month ( didn't see this - lesson learnt check all the documents).

So a trip to immigration and $250 later we returned to customs, and paid port fees.. We finally got signed out. Then we had to pay FedEx $61 for export fee and broker fee All up Tonga has cost over $600 to get in and out of and we missed the two northern islands. It's sad that this was last impression we have of our visit to Tonga.

We are now in Samoa ready for our next experience Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

We are back in Neiafu where Andrew has filled in the paperwork to receive a FedEx package from Auckland and now has to wait 2 to 3 days for the papers to be stamped so he can pick up the parcel.

The World Arc have arrived with a large flotilla of boats, so it's time to leave. After waiting for another good weather window we will be leaving over the weekend (if we get the package). We will be heading north to Niua islands the northern most Tongan islands. Before the end of the month we will be in Western Samoa and back with internet.

From Samoa we will head to Isles of Wallis and Fortuna before sailing south to Fiji. We then have from mid July to the beginning of August for Tony to explore Fiji before he has to head back to work (that dirty 4 letter word) Tony and Stella scored some beer at a good price from a yacht due to leave for Fiji that had over the limit of beer to take in there. Tony went for a walk up Mt Talau this afternoon which was quite steep and strenuous and slippery after last night's rain. We are all struggling with the humidity last night and today. Had a huge downpour last night but not much wind. Looking forward to doing some more sailing.

Bye for now.

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Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Saturday 8th June After sailing to the outer islands and Tony trawling for fish most of the day (practising) we ventured to the Eastern bays of Vava'u maneuvering our way through the coral reefs. Andrew climbed the mast for better view to guide us through whilst Sue took the helm. Tony and Stella also did lookout. Maneuvering through the reef we discovered the channel markers were no longer there and sand banks had appeared which didn't show on the charts. Vital to have lookouts in these areas. Spent two days looking around the islands in the Eastern bay area. Nice beaches but not great snorkeling and at one of them an over abundance of sea slugs (sea cucumbers) which Sue and Stella found most disgusting and it made it hard to walk to the beach. As the weather is predicted to get high winds from the east we decided to leave the eastern bays and seek shelter at Lisa beach.

As the ocean swell has increased we chose to take a different route from the eastern bays. Once again the channel markers were non existent and sand bars not charted. Everyone was holding their breath as the depth sounded counted down from 10 metres to below 1 metre under the boat. With the winds getting up it made it interesting moving between the bombies, passing one as close as 2 metres off the port side. Upon anchoring at Lisa beach Sue required a stiff drink! Tonight we were treated to an amazing sunset followed by as Tony put it "one of the best meals in this trip" - mini spring rolls and a fantastic fried rice dish from Stella that had us all going back for seconds! Night from us all Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

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