Adventures of Orcinius

11 September 2015 | HOME - Vancouver WA
24 August 2015 | 46 11.4'N:123 51.4'W, Port of Astoria Marina
22 August 2015 | 46 42.0'N:132 09,4'W, 330 West of CR Bouy, Astoria
21 August 2015 | 46 41.8'N:136 13.8'W, 500 West of Astoria
20 August 2015 | 46 22.82'N:140 28.00'W, East end of High
20 August 2015 | 46 22.80'N:140 28.32'W, Middle of High Same as Fish
20 August 2015 | 46 22.79'N:140 28.57'W, Middle of High
20 August 2015 | 46 22.7'N:140 30.2'W, 675 Miles West of CR
20 August 2015 | 45 57.6'N:144 54.0'W, East End of the High
18 August 2015 | 44 38.2'N:147 57.0'W, 1000 NM to Astoria
18 August 2015 | 43 31.0'N:150 28.0'W, 1126 NM to Astoria
17 August 2015 | 41 40.1'N:153 00.1'W, 1200 miles West of Astoria
16 August 2015 | 39 30.1'N:154 53.1'W, West end of the North Pacific High
15 August 2015 | 37 34.5'N:156 00.0'W, 1011 North of Oahu
15 August 2015 | 37 04.5'N:156 23.0'W, 983 North of Oahu
14 August 2015 | 34 12.3'N:157 26.1'W, 800 North of Oahu
13 August 2015 | 31 50.0'N:158 06.5'W, 650 North of Oahu
12 August 2015 | 29 02.0'N:158 51.0'W, 330 North of Oahu
11 August 2015 | 26 32.0'N:158 59.0'W, 330 North of Oahu
09 August 2015 | 23 44.1'N:158 49.4'W, 140 N of Oahu

Long Time - Remiss

14 June 2014 | 19 8.94'S:178 33.99'W, Fulaga Island, Southern Lau Group, Fiji
John
It is Saturday, June 14, 2014 and I am about three days behind on the blogging. So what has happened?

Wednesday evening we had dinner with Bob and Ann on Charisma which gave us the opportunity to say our goodbyes until we meet again later this year. The next morning we woke early and headed down the creek and out the pass from Savusavu towards Paradise on the South tip of Taveuni some 45 miles away to meet up with our friends, John and Pat from The Rose. Once we were really heading out the creek we put the hand lines out for some fish. Not much luck until we turned the corner and pointed towards Paradise. Some 10-15 miles off the point I see a boil of fish jumping that must have been at least 100 yards in diameter. I head directly for it and put out a third line on a pole. It was a large school of tuna. Before I could get to them I am looking back at the handlines when I see two Dorado coming from different (180 degree) directions and 90 degrees to my bait (lures). We are not even in the tuna yet. These Dorado are skipping along the surface at at least 40 miles per h our and diving at our lures. Just then I see the fishing pole take a big bend and the line is stripping off. I can�'t get to the engines to shut them down but had the pole in my hand. Just then a 30-40 lb yellow fin tuna jumps 10 feet out of the water, dives and then back up again. Just then the line on the pole goes slack �... lost him. Put the pole down and I see a Dorado on the port side hand line running back and forth behind the boat. I go to the other side of the boat and finally haul him in, gaff him and tie him up on the cleat with a lot of Lisa�'s help. I manage to get the line back in the water after about 15 minutes and add another lure to the pole and get it in the water. Once back at the helm I start looking around for the school. Wow we had turned completely around and were heading back to the reef point entry to Savusavu. I spot the boil again and it was back towards Paradise so I turn and head for the school. We are really looking for some tuna but when we get back to the school of boiling fish what happens is amazing. The second time approaching the school the Dorado do their 90 degree flight towards the lures. Wham, one then another.A double header on hand lines. I get the pole line in and then start to tend to the crazy fish and leave the docile one alone. Docile one decides to be not so docile and escapes but I land the other one which happened to be a big male. Now I have two big Dorado on the port side bottom step, no tuna and the hand lines are back in the water but decide to keep the pole dry unless we are really into the tuna. Two hours out of making land fall at Paradise we get another Dorado and about one hour out we get a small yellowfin tuna. Pull the lines in and put them away. Just before making landfall I proceed to filet the smallest Dorado and the little tuna to keep for ourselves. When we arrive at Paradise we turn the two largest Dorado over to Allen, the owner to use for a dinner. While we ap proach the warf with our dinghy, one of the Paradise boats come in with some guests that were out fishing for Tuna. What a load. At least 10 yellowfin tuna that averaged 10 lbs each.

So we head for the bar for the 530pm cocktail hour. Order our drinks and see John and Pat walking up the walkway with a couple of their friends to meet us for dinner. After a couple of drinks and some glad handing to get reacquainted we are seated for dinner. On the menu was a four course meal of local foods but the topper was several trays of Sushimi with wasabi, soy sauce and ginger as an appetizer and several tuna steaks with the main course.

When the night was done and we said our goodbyes to John and Pat, put them in a taxi we headed for the boat. We decided to weigh anchor and head for the Southern Lau Group and specifically Fulaga Island. It was 10pm and the passage started out quite comfortable as we only needed the gib and a little help from one engine to make 6 knots. Lisa said she felt real tired and I took the first watch until about 0200 when she came on and held it until daylight around 0600. It was rather quiet and peaceful. We spent the whole next day taking turns dozing and catching up on some sleep, had a nice meal in the evening together and then Lisa took the first shift and let me sleep for 6 hours and then I reciprocated. We arrived at the entrance to Fulaga just before 7:00 am so we put out some lines to see if we could catch some fish to give to the locals. After about an hour we get a call from our friends on Jumminy Cricket, a French boat that could see us on AIS. Florant asked if w e planned on making the entrance soon to which we replied we were trying to catch some fish and were turning towards the entrance to make a pass and scope it out. We had shared the weigh points with Jimminy that Bob and Ann gave us and they said they were spot on so we approached the entrance and headed in. We were on an ebb tide so the water was running through the pass quite fast. At least 4 knots. It is better that it is pushing against you than with you so we made the pass very easily and then maneuvered to the anchorage.

We set the anchor, took our leasure and later in the day we were invited over to Jimminy to have a cocktail and hored�'ovres. It ended up being more like dinner because Sabrina is a fantastic cook and she had made a focatia with calamata olives and then a Spanish tortilla which doesn�'t represent anything like we know of a Mexican tortilla. It was a bacon, egg, potato pan cake. And not the kind of pancake we know in North America but one that was about one inch thick and cooked in a fry pan but on a lower heat so it can raise and finish.

In the outlying islands of which there are many, each island has a Chief or the senior elder of the people living on the island or in the village. Over the years things have changed some but the one thing that still remains is meeting the Chief for a sevusevu ceremony. The Sevusevu ceremony may or may not include the drinking of Kava which is a very potent drink of the Cava root. It is not alcoholic but it does numb your lips and tongue if you drink too much. So think of it as having a toast to your guests. It is formal and a means for the locals to invite you to share with them all their treasures. Early in the afternoon a cargo ship (don�'t think big, maybe 85 feet long) showed up with supplies and people for the island and space on the ship for people and goods leaving the island. It was just a little too busy to force a sevusevu ceremony on the local tribe.

After the cocktail hour last night I tried to write a blog. I am having trouble with my main computer so became very frustrated and gave up to a very stiff scotch on the rocks. After an hour or so, we decide to hit the bed. I wake at first light and get the coffee going. An hour later Lisa climbs out of bed, pours a cup and we leisurely watch the sky brighten. It is about 0830 and we are talking about going into the village to do our Sevusevu with the Chief. The VHF radio blares a call to another boat from Mowari that they are stuck on the reef just inside of the passage. Hearing no response Lisa grabs the radio and hails back to Mowari that Orcinius was here and confirm they are inside of the reef. After confirmation they were inside, Lisa said we will be there as soon as possible. We got some things together and jumped into the dinghy and then went by Jimminy to see if Florant wanted to help. Yep and we made a beeline out to where Mowari was hard stuck on a coral bommy of the reef. We were the second people there to assist. A crowd grew in dinghys from everywhere and there were a lot of differing opinions on how to get them off the reef. A dinghy with a 50 hp motor and three big guys took to the spare halyard of the top of the mast and was able to lay Mowari on her towrail. Trying one side then the other while at the same time we had taken their main anchor out to kedge it off. They had set a stern anchor but that was hindering the recovery so it was released. After about 2 hours with the tide receeding and a lot of special effort we finally get Mowari laid to her side far enough to slip the grip of the coral head. In the process the main anchor chain rhode and anchor had to be released but was tagged with a couple of fenders. Recovery complete and as we sit here tonight no major damage.

The day isn�'t quite over. We still have to go into the village for our sevusevu ceremony. After a shower, clean up and clean clothes we head to shore and the 20 minute trek to the village. We are met by Joe, one of the elders but not the Chief. He takes us in charge and introduces us to the Chiefs representative, Tie who arranges the sevusevu Ceremony. We move in and introduce ourselves to the chief and his other elders. Joe takes our gifts and presents them to the Chief through the Chief�'s representative and after many thankyou�'s and glad you are here and us being happy to be here. We are then taken to our sponsor family.

Don�'t know that any of them have a last name or at least that any of us could pronounce let alone spell but our sponsor family is Joe, Tay, (shortened) the head school teacher, Jasmine (Tay�'shalf sister) and their three children. We had Tea and Scones (again don�'t think Starbucks) with Tay and her sister while Joe was out gathering tara root from the plantation and a few mud crabs for tomorrow�'s lunch after church. The one thing that really stands out it everyone knew Ann (think Charisma) and Bob. They have a lot to live up to when they return. The other boat they remember well from last year was Bright Angel, Bob and Linda so I suppose they have some legacy to live up to also. Tomorrow is another day. Church in the village and lunch with our sponsor family. We have bake a cake to take to the village and one of Tay�'ssons wants us to bake a special treat but we had a very hard time understanding what he wanted and Jasmine couldn�'t quite translate for us so we have a cooking lesson next week on what he wants.
Comments
Vessel Name: ORCINIUS
Vessel Make/Model: Lagoon 440
Hailing Port: Vancouver, Washington
Crew: John LeDoux & Lisa Danger
About:
Sailing since the mid 90's. Prior to this trip, 4 sailing adventures from Vancouver WA to the San Juan and Gulf Islands in the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Bought ORCINIUS in West Palm Beach Fl in April 2010. Sailed her South through the Panama Canal and back up the West coast to home port. [...]
Extra: Lisa is the real captain. I have never been at the helm when docking or anchoring, she has a great touch to docking.
Home Page: www.orcinius.com

Who: John LeDoux & Lisa Danger
Port: Vancouver, Washington