Roxy and I started that day with a forty-five minute cab ride to the GCC currency exchange in Nadi. There is always some challenge, today it was finding the shop. Google was no help, their Facebook page no help, hell even their website was no help. Luckily, I dialed the phone and someone answered who could give the driver directions. Once inside they asked for boat papers. Huh, that wasn’t mentioned earlier! Thankfully I have slow data and could call Carl who emailed them to us.
On the drive back the driver asked to stop for break, seeing it was a Bread Kitchen location I joined him and stocked up on some sausage rolls. One more stop for a lady selling roti before we were back aboard with the Vanuatu currency we needed to check in and for the volcano hike. Our Fiji checkout was pushed back to 2pm, so with time to spare I called my parents and Jean before we got the word that we could fuel up (oh yeah I forgot to mention the marina was out of diesel this morning but the truck did arrive), and then tie off to the Q dock.
All the work done, Carl and I enjoyed a Latte (a Flat White for Carl) and some internet time to download programming before the customs agent arrived. Paperwork stamped, we were ready to leave. The marina staff met us on the dock and sang a moving goodbye song. It was a special moment and shortly after the dock lines were dropped and the passage was underway at 2:50pm.
It was not the start we had expected with 25 knot winds pretty close to the direction we needed to go in order to exit the south pass. Rough but not terrible, the worst part was the dismal 3ish knots of forward speed. It took us five and a half hours to cover the 18 nm miles to the pass but once through it, we raised the sails and turning on the rumbline to Vanuatu.
Due to the rough seas the dinner plans were changed and I whipped up a bead/veggie salad with grilled cheese sandwiches. I’m not sure if everyone was just starving or if they really were that good but there was a lot of raving going on around the table.
I had three hours before my first watch and headed down to try and sleep. With the very frequent loud bangs and stiff vibrations as a wave would slam beneath my bunk, it was less sleeping and more laying there. OH well, we were on our way.
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