Welcome To Fiji

[Trim50]

We pulled into Vuda Point Fiji yesterday. It was quite exciting knowing this was our last crossing for the season and we would soon be flying to New Zealand.

Vuda Point is an interesting marina because it doesn't have any slips, but rather a large round fish bowl with a deadman anchor at the center and everyone moores at the edges like spokes in a wheel. When we pulled into the fishbowl, it seemed as if there was no way we could possibly fit anywhere. They were full to the brim. However, we were motioned by a Fijian in a dinghy to follow him in between two boats and squeeze them apart to make room using fenders. “Yuck...what a situation,” I thought.

As we squeezed in a nice fellow on one of the boats that we were squeezing next to came on deck to help make sure we didn’t scrape his fine new paint. He looked like Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and was wearing a tie-dye T-shirt. I wanted Lori to go get the camera, because I was sure I had found Jerry hiding from all his fans. Anyhow, after we got snuggly settled alongside our new neighbors, Jerry Garcia introduced himself as Kirk. Kirk told us everything we could ever want to know about Vuda Point and the local Fiji Islands in about 30 minutes. It was obvious Kirk loved this place and he seemed to be questioning why he was planning to leave in a few weeks. After a nice conversation, we went about our business of checking in and getting lunch.

Later last night, we wondered over to the neighboring resort which has a nice swimming pool, bungalows, bar, restaurant and everything else you could want. And to boot, we ran into Kirk again at the bar having a beer watching rugby on Cable TV. Lori and I sat and chatted with Kirk for about an hour about all kinds of topics associated with cruising from the States to Fiji. We really talked a lot about the local regatta and how much better it is than the one in Tonga and why.

After about an hour, we needed to get back to our boat because it looked like rain may be coming and of course we left open our hatches. As we were leaving Kirk asked what the name of our boat was.

When I told him “Trim”, he quickly replied “Trim50….hey man I’m Gallivanters!”

What a small world and large yacht club as Kirk would say!

[Lighthouse]

Aah! Fantastic! Enjoy Fiji.

[Trim50]

Originally Posted by Lighthouse

Aah! Fantastic! Enjoy Fiji.

I mean what are the odds?!

[Trim50]

After talking to Kirk for about 3 hours tonight at the bar, I can safely say that he and his wife are the most interesting people we have ever met. Did you know Kirk piloted one of the submersibles that discovered the Titanic?

[JeanneP]

Originally Posted by Trim50

I mean what are the odds?!

When I talk about what a small world it is, I need only go to our own experiences while cruising. The most intriguing happened as we were entering Maupiti in French Polynesia for an overnight anchorage before heading on.

We were hailed on the radio by a boat, "Watermelon, Watermelon, Suevia" I remembered the boat from our stop in Pitcairn Island, and we had seen the boat once or twice after we left Tahiti, but we had not met the people on board. They explained that they were heading for Tonga, and wanted to know where we were going, and whether we'd like to sail in company with them. I replied that we were heading for Beveridge Reef where we expected to spend a few weeks before sailing to American Samoa. They asked about Beveridge explaining that it sounded like a good stop to break up their trip to Tonga, and I gave them the coordinates that we had, with the caution that these coordinates were on the western side of the atoll and they should proceed with extreme care. They thanked us, and went on their way. Their boat was a beautiful one-off steel boat, about 34 feet, and because they were slower than we were, we arrived at Beveridge at almost the same time that they did.

Oh, goodie, people to socialize with. I invited them to come over for coffee and breakfast rolls (Peter loves sticky buns but I won't make them unless there are several other people present to help finish them in one serving). This was a German couple who we learned had never been to the US, and as they came aboard Watermelon, they noticed our hailing port, Boston, MA. "Boston," they asked, "do you know Dekin Banks?"

What do you think? Out of the several million people from the Metropolitan Boston area, would we know this one and only Bostonian that they had met?

Not only did we know him, he used to work for us!

Small world indeed. I love this cruising life.

[redbopeep]

Hi Ken,

I'm so glad that you got to meet Kirk in person! I'm envious. David and I hope that you continue to meet more CL members and continue to enjoy your journey aboard Trim.

Warm regards,

[Trim50]

You can sit with Kirk for hours and never say anything because he has fasinating stories about every country in the world. He and Cathrine are on their second circumnavigation! We are only a third of the way around ;-)