Western Fiji
NORDLYS
David and Annette Ridout
Thu 21 Jul 2005 06:03
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Some gentle times in the Southern Yasawa
Group
Musket Cove
21st July 2005
It was never our intention to cruise the Yasawa
Group this year but after being joined by Patrick my nephew who had flown to
Nadi tired and worn down after his final term at Cambridge we decided to settle
in Musket Cove for a few days. The sun shone, the wind was gentle and
Patrick slowly got used to the time change and life on Nordlys. Apparently
Cambridge College rooms are cleaned and tidied by someone called a
'Bedder'. Such a person is not present on Nordlys and I think he misses
her greatly! However he did have much fun doing a PADI open water diving
course while I passed the time doing several two tank dives on the outer reefs
with friends. In true yachtie style we 'negotiated' a rate with the local
dive outfit. In this way yachties and aircrew have a lot in common.
Both sets of people always fight tooth and nail for a good deal. Life was
social as there were many long term friends doing much the same.
All good things must come to and end and we decided
that we would go north for a few days. Calm winds prevailed and Patrick
was able to get a good insight into Fijian Island village life including a Sevu
Sevu. Unfortunately he also got a lot of experience of rolly anchorages as
there was an annoying SW swell which kept us up many hours tracing noises aboard
as the old girl rolled rather too much for comfort. He slept through most
of this, we did not. In the north of Naviti we found the lagoon and the
WWII fighter that ditched there. After some sixty plus years the fuselage,
wings and engine are still very visible in about four meters of water. The
nose cone and one blade of the propeller are also there some fifty meters
away. The aircraft is a P39 readily recognised because of the engine being
behind the cockpit not in front as in most fighters of the time. Lots of
reef navigation and after one short passage where I stupidly felt we were
okay with the sun in front of us as we had done the same bit last year and
Patrick very much understood why such actions are to be avoided. I hasten
to add that we did not bump anything but we did find it necessary to come to a
halt to sort the situation out.
Back in Musket Cove we are now in the hands of the
weather gods again. Instead of being on our way to New Caledonia we are
sitting here with 25 to 30 knots of wind blowing from the SE. This would
give us a beam wind of at least thirty knots and as there is a high coming off
Queensland the isobars are going to be squeezed further in the next few
days. The easy lotus life of book reading and swimming plus the odd
evening drink will just have to continue.
When things have changed and there is more of
interest to write about I will pound the keys again. Meanwhile all the
best from a very relaxed and rather idle Nordlys and her crew.
 A typical village house with almost Marquesan
style hills behind this village on Waya
 One problem of the Fijian islands. What looks like
marvellous walking country is not so.
 Not alas me on left base for runway 12 but puffed having
climbed the hill behind the
Musket Cove anchorage/resort. Nordlys is the second from
the left. It is low water.
 Musket Cove and its many reefs. The Mainland as it is
know, i.e. Viti Levu in the background
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