State of emergency

We're running out of beer. A state of emergency has been declared on the Katinka Enjoy. It's been a long time since the skipper ran out of beer. In fact, I can't remember it ever happening before. Well, there's always a first time. There is a liquor store at the Plantation Island Resort, but unfortunately it's outrageously expensive. Six bottles of beer cost 43 FJ$ there. On the large island of Viti Levu, I can get a 24-can carton for just over 70 FJ$. I have to hold out until Tuesday, when we'll have a mooring buoy in Denerau. In the meantime, we're cultivating our social life at the island bar at Musket Cove Resort.

Musket Cove Island Bar, Fiji

But of course we also continue to explore the island. The tidal range is clearly visible on the flat coast of the island. At low tide, the resort's bay always empties, and shell collectors wade ankle-deep through the sand. Between the two islands of Malolo Island and Malolo Lailai Island, there is a strait that falls dry at low tide. At low tide, you can walk over to the other island. You just have to be back in time; otherwise, you have to wait six hours. At high tide, the passage is navigable by dinghy. Even with a catamaran, the area is too shallow. We find a few beautifully designed houses and walk a little way out into the sea on the rocky ground. From here, you can see Vuda Point.

Almost dry at low tide, Fiji

A hill on Malolo Lailai Island catches our eye, and we decide to climb it to see the area from above. Unfortunately, the most beautiful viewpoints are blocked by private homes. The people who live here are to be envied, but of course they also have a right to privacy, so we try to catch a glimpse of the open sea through the dense foliage of the trees and bushes.

View from the hill on Malolo Island, Fiji

As we walk along, I am reminded of our predicament and become quite thirsty. At the bar, we encounter a few New Zealanders, as expected. Like his compatriots, I am immediately drawn into conversation. Gaby withdraws after the first few sentences, as the couple is from the South Island of New Zealand and speaks with a strong accent. I also have to concentrate hard to keep up. The two live in a bungalow and have been escaping the cold winter on the rugged South Island for 40 years. They feel at home here, even though the weather has deteriorated significantly in recent years. This is believed to be due to the eruption of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai, an undersea volcano that erupted on January 14, 2022. In fact, the volcano caused violent eruptions with massive phreatomagmatic explosions. The resulting tsunami reached a wave height of up to 15 meters, and the ash cloud reached the mesosphere, an altitude of 58 kilometers. Unfortunately, I was unable to find out whether the 5 to 10 centimeter thick layer of ash that spread over the island nation of Tonga extended as far as Fiji. However, my conversation partner has noticed a deterioration in the weather here on the island since then. Except for one rainy day last week, we can't complain about the weather. However, with the south wind, we can feel the southern winter, which pushes temperatures down to 25°C at night.

There is also wheat beer available at the Insel Bar in Fiji.

In the meantime, we have also purchased membership in the Musket Cove Yacht Club. We think it's only fair to contribute to waste disposal and use of the resort's facilities. No one checks, but then you shouldn't be surprised when restrictions at some anchorages become increasingly stringent.

Sunset No. 1001, Fiji

After resolving the emergency, at least temporarily, with a visit to the Island Bar, we make our way back to the boat. We begin the initial cleanup, with an emphasis on “clearing.” Our visitors aren't coming until the week after next, but the cabins need to be prepared and converted from storage areas back into living spaces. This means stowing and tidying everything away. No easy task. Once again, it proves true that a larger boat does not necessarily mean more space, or to put it another way: space is always used optimally for living conditions, as far as possible. If something changes, the challenge has to be rethought and a solution found. This is currently happening on the Katinka Enjoy, and once again we are in complete agreement on the solution. And before I declare a new state of emergency, I wish you, as always, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.