14/09/2009 2248UTC 17 40.828S 177 23.159E Day 826 Up at 0600, 23C, Mostly Cloudy, Wind ESE 5 Knots.

[A new chapter has been added to Family Voyaging - Ak to nZ.

In 'The Samoas,' Wind Dancer and her crew convalesce from the tempest and embark on a cultural voyage. American Samoa and independent Samoa, though separated by only a few miles of ocean, are worlds apart. From McDonalds to native villages, from reeking canneries to the home of Robert Louis Stevenson, these two island nations represent the best and the worst of Pacific cruising. Come aboard and share the experience of this dynamic, peculiar and intriguing dichotomy.

To read our book, and receive voyage planning assistance (VIP Service) go to the Family Voyaging website at www.familyvoyaging.com.]

An uneventful 16nm passage from Musket Cove to Vuda Point this morning led to at once fading and enhanced memories of Fiji Regatta Week. The recollections paled with the change of venue, but were quickly renewed here by the queries of friends who did not attend and now wanted every sorted detail. By recalling the events, we got to relive the highlights of what 3rd Mate described as, "The best week of my life."

We weighed anchor and were underway on our course between the reefs on the W side of Malolo Lailai Island by 0715. The sky was a mixed bag of puffy cumulous, gray stratus and bright blue. Very light SE wind, less than 5k, took sailing off the options list and we were forced to motor across the open portion of Nadi Waters to Vuda Point. About an hour out from Vuda, we were contacted on the VHF radio by John from s/v Meridian who notified us that there was no room at the inn -- the marina was full. This is a busy time right now as many boats planning to make the passage to Vanuatu (New Hebrides), New Caledonia and Australia, haven't yet left; and there are many new vessels arriving after crossing the Pacific this season.

Undaunted, we kept course for Vuda. Initially marina staff told us we could tie-up along a cement wharf and remain there until a berth came free. We hailed the marina office again when we were fifteen minutes away:

"Vuda Point Marina, this is Wind Dancer," I called.

"Hi, Chris. Just come on in and George will find a place for you."

That was good news. We've been coming to our 'home base' since June and they know us well, so even if the marina was 'full' for others, they found a space for us. And, not just any berth, either. George, in his small launch, directed us to our regular spot on the seawall, where we've been moored on and off for weeks during the past three months.

The good fortune of recent days continued. While other vessels had been turned away, our customary berth was available and we were comfortably settled into it well before noon.

"Crew Quarters"

1st Mate: [Catching up on three weeks worth of laundry, obviously deserving a respite from blog writing.]

2nd Mate: Wildlife seen yesterday and today: frigate bird, brown booby, least tern, squaretail mullet, black surgeonfish, convict fish, rock crab.

Yesterday, we didn't do a whole lot. We hung out on the boat until lunch time. Then, we went ashore with our Scrabble game. We walked over to the Plantation Resort for lunch and some play time. We ate a light lunch at the café and went to the bar/pool room. Grace and I played a game of pool, but it was hard because all of the cues over there don't have their rubber tips anymore (they probably fell off for some reason). Dad and I played a game of Scrabble. About half-way through the game, Mike and Liz met up with us and we chatted while playing. After we were done, we walked back to the dinghies and went to our boats. We ate dinner, played a family game of 'Candy Land,' and watched 'Empire of the Ants' for our family movie.

Today, I woke up at the sound of the engine being turned on. We were leaving Musket Cove again to go back to Vuda Point, which we are starting to call 'Home Base.' This is due to the fact that it is the nearest place where we can re-provision and make good use of the free power and fast Internet. We got in around 1000 and checked in with some of our cruising friends that are already here, including s/v Kairos and Meridian. We hooked up to shore power and got settled in before heading up to the pool. It's really hot today, so we needed to cool off. We also got some really good fish & chips for lunch. We swam for a bit and talked with Clint and Abbey from Kairos. We went back to or boats and I played my Internet game for awhile. We're now resting and trying to cool off. We plan to watch 'The Shaggy Dog' for our family movie tonight.

Today's Fijian word: ika = fish.

Cabin Girl: The weather today: mostly cloudy, light wind, the high was 26C, the barometer is 1009 and falling, the moon is waning towards new.

Yesterday, we went to the Plantation Resort and I swam at the pool. Mom and I played billiards. We went back to the boat and ate dinner. After that, we played a family game of 'Candy Land.' I won!

Today, I woke up and had rolls for breakfast. We went back to Vuda Point and went swimming. I played with the Meridian girls and we played 'Wink Murderer' with some other girls. Somebody is the Selector, and they select the Murderer, which can be anyone, including them. Somebody is the Detective, and they have to guess who the Murderer is. After that, we just played around. We're going to have dinner at the yacht club tonight.