Enroute to NZ!

It's so strange,when you are conscious of an anticipated journey of all sorts,and - voila- its here,your living it now...we are actually ,right now,motoring out of a reefy pass ,we've checked out of the beautiful darling Fiji,heading out for the final passage to NewZealand. Final passage that is,of our first leg in this intension to circumnavigate. 1100 miles to go ...we have all the chart and weather information technically and humanly possible to buoy the skipper and thus this crew for a safe and informed passage.
David has done a fine job,he has choreographed the trip,we work well at this point as a team,Joey,the second mate,primed after his 18 th birthday Sunday ,has preformed handy magic with the main sail winches, they were full of salt ,now spin mellifluously. Olivia went to town with David to do the last minuet market corral. She has drafted a schedule for our night shifts. Yesterday I walked part way from Vuda Point Marina to Lautoka,"sugar city"with Wendy to do the big last shop..And to devour the oozing essence of a city that, at least fifty percent of the population - is joyously preparing for the Hindu Diwali: festival of lights tomorrow. I just loved..the shops! So much alluring colour and titillating Indian music . So Fun!! Its been a long long time,shopping for unnecessities ,that is... one of those things I hate/ love ,therefore,miss/ don't miss.
We had a final dinner at the marina aboard,Beyond,our good Kiwi friends who completed a five year circumnavigation in Lautoka. I just love their boat,she is the proverbial wee yacht,like, a nautical, " little engine that could" -blue water worthy,aesthetically quaint and steely noble.
It is HOT ,so very hot.While David and Olivia went to check out I went for a swim in the 98.6 degree water,I was disgusted to see that when I came back aboard,every hair on my body was accentuated in a fine black soot..the town processes both pine and sugarcane but,ewwww...
Once we get through-out the tricky reef strung pass,the last detail: we must all dive in to clean the hull,the barnacles ,they slow us down..we unanimously hate this job...hate it!

ahem...
6days later
SOG 8.1( speed over ground )
31degrees28.274south
174degrees.53.783east
224 miles to go

"Now",is a very etherial concept,for just before completion of this note ..a note to inform,the skipper became agitated - overwhelmed,and Ive been there before,I'm sure you have to- you know when you try to be cool and level headed to the point where you just didn't rally with enough force and there is that pivot when the mind abruptly changes channels ,sees it all anew and panic obliterates the resolve. To put it simply,the skipper said," What the hell I need help! I'm starving!Stop writing that no longer important email!!"

Therefore,
The now was then and my *now is still in turbulent seas,and this won't be sent until our now is in NZ....
* this passage has been a washing machine but fast, it's a port tac beam reach at60 degrees..bumpy nauseating.. and Its getting colder and colder as we sail south!! How weird is that?? I'm wearing a big Canadian Roots sweat shirt- from Goodwill ,which I miss.Last 2 nights Ive used a fleece blanket!! So odd after months of what feels like perpetual hot flash
I could go on but it will make me queasiest .I'm sure you've got a lot to do. You may even
be doing three other things while reading this,you may be skimming and once you caught the drift of my digressive ramble stopped altogether...that's OK ,I remember..
If you receive this we will be safe and landed and doing loads of laundry and hunting for our buried cold weather cloths...help me God...I haven't put that one pair of jeans on for 1 year this Nov.6,last run ,Nov.7
Miss you
Peg

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Fwd: Fiji newsflash

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Begin forwarded message:

From: Peggy Hill <peghill6@gmail.com>
Date: October 18, 2011 3:12:16 PM GMT+13:00
To: "hilljeremy8@gmail.com" <hilljeremy8@gmail.com>
Cc: jdaziz@dophes.com
Subject: Fiji newsflash

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Ferocious Island Rain on Canadian Thanksgiving

Can't talk on all the phone calls David avidly makes.
Nothing upbeat to say,and I should have chapters of ' thrill ' to narrate...
Is it the rain?
Is it me?
We are staying up the hill, in a B and B,follow me here,up the road from the Fiji town ,Savu Savu and away from The Copper Shed Marina where Rhythm is mooring ...
David met Rod at the upholsterer in town.Rod is from Australia and has this shiny new house overlooking the sea. We are enjoying the mammoth space; kitchen with a multitude of appliances,a large oven,fridge,the works. Washer dryer,hot water showers,solid earth beneath our beds . Why can't this make me happy?
We had a fun evening last night,Sunday here,we initiated a pot luck for our thanksgiving ceremony.I made an island version of pumpkin pie- added shredded coconut,don't worry..Olivia made a traditional one too. We cooked a big chicken and David dressed it and made a hearty gravy. We taxied to the marina where Rhythm and our sailing community were awash in rain.The crews and skippers trickled in and we toasted and feasted. We turned to the Rugby world cup and cheered along side our South African,Australian friends present in team shirts. Olivia has become very entranced with the game,proud to know her bro Jeremy played and keen to learn every rule. We taxied back,up past where the pavement ends ,along the red running dirt road to Rods.
Today,early rise and yoga on the spacious deck right out our bedroom. Cooking here is a pleasure. We made use of what food stuffs we brought. I cooked scrambled eggs and tossed into a spicy cabbage salad...I had a craving. Yesterday I went solo on a cathartic walk along the beach ,the beach was the first of this trip with the grand birth of a very low tide..Today David and walked,but it was brief and very wet.I had a hot shower,i got into my jammies...I did laundry.I made daal. Joey made choc.chip cookies with coconut oil,borrowing Rods sugar. Joey nurses his necrosis..well,it looks very deathly,his athletes foot has turned rotten,oozing,open sores red and frightening looking. it's so very good that he is off the perpetually wet boat.Tomorrow,Tuesday,shops reopen after a holiday Monday and we will take him to the clinic.
Olivia does math.David writes a long long long letter Joey floats Rod floats,I am on the fringe
As usual.
Thinking of Jeremy and Philippa and glad David is so so so good at calling them ,he being always happy and cheery.
Hopefully ,more exuberant descriptive reporting will come to you soon
..whoever actually reads this...hopefully not my Happy Class teacher,Id be failing,
sadly

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