LTY UPDATE: Day#24 –Wednesday, June 15, 2011 - Majuro to Fiji
Day#24 –Wednesday, June 15, 2011 LTY time: 18:15 (UTC +12) = 08:15 UTC
Location: about 55 nm SSE of Rotuma Island, Fiji
Position: 13 S, 177 07.211 E (cut & past this into Google Earth to see on map)
SOG: (Speed Over Ground) 6.6 knots
COG: (Course Over Ground) 167
Wind: 15-20 knots E Apparent
Seas/Swell: 2m/6ft @ 6 seconds out of ESE
Air temp: 90.6F 32.6 C
Sea temp: 85.5 F 29.7 C
Humidity: 64%
Barometer: 1015mm
Distance to Savusavu, Fiji: 300nm
Distance last 24 hours: DAY #24: SPLIT ISLAND and SOUTHBOUND to SAVUSAVU
We thought we might leave Rotuma yesterday (Tuesday here) but the customs and immigration officials didn’t show up until late in the afternoon so woe is us, we just had to stay one more day in this island paradise! We enjoyed our last snorkelling and sunset and were up for this morning’s very colourful sunrise, had some breakfast, got everything ship shape for another passage and Linda had the anchor up by 08:30 and we were on our way. There are about five small islands off to the west of Rotuma so we headed out that way along the north coast of the main island of Rotuma to check them out more closely as we were leaving. There is one particularly interesting island that I refer to as “Split Island” as it has this very unique vertical split or crack that about 200m tall and goes all the way from one side to the other and all the way down below the sea level cleaving the island in two. Even better there is a very large hunk of stone that is wedged into the top of the crack. We thought we’d check it out and see if there might be some shoaling or coral or sand along the north or west sides where we could anchor for the day and spend the night there after exploring this unique bit of geography. However we were thwarted, as the island thrusts its stony walls straight up out of the sea on all sides and there was absolutely no place we could have anchored. So we took our time to circle it slowly from about 50m off shore from the north and around the west side to at least get a close up view. In doing so we could see that unlike the other islands this was not volcanic lava but striated limestone, or so we think, unhindered by any great geological knowledge to the contrary. Our close up view showed us that there were many of these same vertical cracks all along the island and just this one that had opened up to be about 50m wide. We got some great photos and will put these up for you to see when we land and have internet again. In the meantime you might be able to see it for yourself with the satellite images on Google Earth or Bing by looking about 5nm off the far west tip of Rotuma. A bit disappointed that we wouldn’t get to explore the island by foot and have a night anchored off this extremely unique and remote island we enjoyed the rapture of this fascinating rock island and the hundreds of birds that called it home. Some of these birds were unique to this island or at least we had not seen them on Rotuma and appeared to maybe be a type of blue Booby as they had black backs, white undersides and blue beaks. Our curiosity sated for a bit we then turned the bow to 167 degrees that aims us at an entrance about midway along the north barrier reef around Fiji, Linda hoisted the main and set the jib and we were soon off in a brisk Easterly breeze of about 15-18 knots. A bit of tweaking of the sails and we had our SOG (speed) up to over six knots in mild seas (about 2 meters) and settled into another few days of the passage making we both so love. Our timing of leaving today instead of yesterday seemed to be quite fortuitous as the winds had moved from SE yesterday to mostly due East today which helps us a lot as we like to be over 50 degrees off the wind and that’s about exactly what we’ve been able to maintain all day today and therefore stay right on our heading of 167 degrees. We are hoping this will keep up or even move more to the north to help us get in the bit of easting we need to enter Fiji about mid way east/west and then carefully weave our way through all the many coral studded waters between the two main island masses of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu as we head for Savusavu which is about mid way along the southern coast of Vanua Levu. We continue to have mostly nothing but blue skies with scattered smaller white clouds all around throughout the day. There have been several storm cells that have been moving westward in front of us and so the wind has varied in angle and velocity as we go through or near them. Nothing too significant and only one that had any rain in it that we got late this afternoon and once these pass, usually in less than 15-30 minutes we are back to consistent 15-20 knot Easterly winds and quite happy. Best of all today though is that Linda quietly snuck into the galley after her nap and emerged a short while later with two plates of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies!! Not sure life can get too much better than to be sitting in the cockpit, sailing at over six knots in the South Pacific, sitting with your sweetie eating warm chocolate chip cookies and milk! And now (about 6:45pm) darkness is falling as we approach the shortest day of the year down here in the southern hemisphere and we settle in for another glorious night sail. We have a VERY full moon overhead (tomorrow is full moon) lighting up both the sky and the seas off to southwest of us and stars are beginning to pop out across the rest of the night sky. So I’m off to go soak that up for a while and will bid you goodnight for now. We’ll be back tomorrow evening with an update as we approach Fiji and begin the next leg of this great adventure of life, love and learning. Admiral Linda, Captain Wayne & Commodore Ruby (aka the Wonderdog)
Aboard the Good Ship Learnativity
Exploring the world one nautical smile at a time.
Day#24 –Wednesday, June 15, 2011 LTY time: 18:15 (UTC +12) = 08:15 UTC
Location: about 55 nm SSE of Rotuma Island, Fiji
Position: 13 S, 177 07.211 E (cut & past this into Google Earth to see on map)
SOG: (Speed Over Ground) 6.6 knots
COG: (Course Over Ground) 167
Wind: 15-20 knots E Apparent
Seas/Swell: 2m/6ft @ 6 seconds out of ESE
Air temp: 90.6F 32.6 C
Sea temp: 85.5 F 29.7 C
Humidity: 64%
Barometer: 1015mm
Distance to Savusavu, Fiji: 300nm
Distance last 24 hours: DAY #24: SPLIT ISLAND and SOUTHBOUND to SAVUSAVU
We thought we might leave Rotuma yesterday (Tuesday here) but the customs and immigration officials didn’t show up until late in the afternoon so woe is us, we just had to stay one more day in this island paradise! We enjoyed our last snorkelling and sunset and were up for this morning’s very colourful sunrise, had some breakfast, got everything ship shape for another passage and Linda had the anchor up by 08:30 and we were on our way. There are about five small islands off to the west of Rotuma so we headed out that way along the north coast of the main island of Rotuma to check them out more closely as we were leaving. There is one particularly interesting island that I refer to as “Split Island” as it has this very unique vertical split or crack that about 200m tall and goes all the way from one side to the other and all the way down below the sea level cleaving the island in two. Even better there is a very large hunk of stone that is wedged into the top of the crack. We thought we’d check it out and see if there might be some shoaling or coral or sand along the north or west sides where we could anchor for the day and spend the night there after exploring this unique bit of geography. However we were thwarted, as the island thrusts its stony walls straight up out of the sea on all sides and there was absolutely no place we could have anchored. So we took our time to circle it slowly from about 50m off shore from the north and around the west side to at least get a close up view. In doing so we could see that unlike the other islands this was not volcanic lava but striated limestone, or so we think, unhindered by any great geological knowledge to the contrary. Our close up view showed us that there were many of these same vertical cracks all along the island and just this one that had opened up to be about 50m wide. We got some great photos and will put these up for you to see when we land and have internet again. In the meantime you might be able to see it for yourself with the satellite images on Google Earth or Bing by looking about 5nm off the far west tip of Rotuma. A bit disappointed that we wouldn’t get to explore the island by foot and have a night anchored off this extremely unique and remote island we enjoyed the rapture of this fascinating rock island and the hundreds of birds that called it home. Some of these birds were unique to this island or at least we had not seen them on Rotuma and appeared to maybe be a type of blue Booby as they had black backs, white undersides and blue beaks. Our curiosity sated for a bit we then turned the bow to 167 degrees that aims us at an entrance about midway along the north barrier reef around Fiji, Linda hoisted the main and set the jib and we were soon off in a brisk Easterly breeze of about 15-18 knots. A bit of tweaking of the sails and we had our SOG (speed) up to over six knots in mild seas (about 2 meters) and settled into another few days of the passage making we both so love. Our timing of leaving today instead of yesterday seemed to be quite fortuitous as the winds had moved from SE yesterday to mostly due East today which helps us a lot as we like to be over 50 degrees off the wind and that’s about exactly what we’ve been able to maintain all day today and therefore stay right on our heading of 167 degrees. We are hoping this will keep up or even move more to the north to help us get in the bit of easting we need to enter Fiji about mid way east/west and then carefully weave our way through all the many coral studded waters between the two main island masses of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu as we head for Savusavu which is about mid way along the southern coast of Vanua Levu. We continue to have mostly nothing but blue skies with scattered smaller white clouds all around throughout the day. There have been several storm cells that have been moving westward in front of us and so the wind has varied in angle and velocity as we go through or near them. Nothing too significant and only one that had any rain in it that we got late this afternoon and once these pass, usually in less than 15-30 minutes we are back to consistent 15-20 knot Easterly winds and quite happy. Best of all today though is that Linda quietly snuck into the galley after her nap and emerged a short while later with two plates of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies!! Not sure life can get too much better than to be sitting in the cockpit, sailing at over six knots in the South Pacific, sitting with your sweetie eating warm chocolate chip cookies and milk! And now (about 6:45pm) darkness is falling as we approach the shortest day of the year down here in the southern hemisphere and we settle in for another glorious night sail. We have a VERY full moon overhead (tomorrow is full moon) lighting up both the sky and the seas off to southwest of us and stars are beginning to pop out across the rest of the night sky. So I’m off to go soak that up for a while and will bid you goodnight for now. We’ll be back tomorrow evening with an update as we approach Fiji and begin the next leg of this great adventure of life, love and learning. Admiral Linda, Captain Wayne & Commodore Ruby (aka the Wonderdog)
Aboard the Good Ship Learnativity
Exploring the world one nautical smile at a time.
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