Back to the Boat...With Dramas of Course!

Sunday 6th July

Wednesday the 2nd of July, D day for Hugh and Val in Melbourne, ie 10.15 was the visit to see the surgeon to get his opinion on progress for Hugh. All went well initially and then the surgeon said I believe you are returning to the boat at the end of the month, and Hugh said no, we fly out to Fiji toninght! He was surprised, so Val explained how the boat is quite safe with all the grabholds etc. In the end he said to be careful. Back to Fiona and lunch, then off to the airport.

Pleasant flight to Auckland, there for a night in an airport hotel before another flight the next morning to Fiji. At check-in there was some debate and phoning to Fiji as there were no return flight tickets but all was OK in the end. On arrival in Fiji there was a fast ferry ride out to the resort and check in to the Bure in the resort. This is a family bungalow in the grounds.

Our friend and new crew Darryn had a slightly more interesting journey to get to Fiji. He started off from Melbourne on Thursday at 4 AM on a flight to Brisbane. At about 1/2 way into the flight H & V remembered that he had no return flight either - but no letter from the boat saying that he would be sailing on to Cairns. Panic! Many phone calls later Darryn's wife and Fiona had both emailed letters to Darryn to get printed to present to the airline check-in. All to no avail, no way to get them printed! Darryn ended up having to buy a return ticket at great expense. He will be able to reclaim the cost in full thank goodness.

On Saturday contact was finally made with BlueFlyer. It turned out she was further out than expected and so it was decided to bring her to Suva, the capital for Sunday night and that H & V would travel there to meet her. So checking out from Musket Cove a day late and in the wrong place on the wrong island. The itinerary for the WARC is being altered again and the boat is going straight to Port Vila and not to Tanna as there will not be time to meet the fleet there. H,V & D will probably fly to Tanna and see the famous volcano, and leave the boat in the most favourable place in Vila.

All 3 were invited out on the committee boat for the start of the leg. All the boats going gathered in lovely sunshine, but no wind prior to the start. The rain then came down in stair-rods and visibility vanished in seconds. As the reef system is so extensive it was decided to lead the boats out in single file to the outer reef pass for secuity. One of the boats developed a problem and had to anchor and was towed back onto a mooring by the committee boat.

The fleet went off in some wind but into a load of thunder storms and flashing lightning, as well as the rain. There was no envy on the start boat and the forecast is much better for Sunday and even better for Monday!