We left Momi Bay, Fiji, in company with La Fiesta, Always Saturday, and Charisma at 9am. Only ten knots or so to start. Of course we were in the wind shadow of the big island. We set a single reef in the main as we usually do and rolled our the genoa and took off through the pass. Yeah, that was the last reef of the season. We set the hydrovane up and now 'Vinnie' is steering the boat. After about an hour the wind began to build. Well, by eleven we stopped and double reefed the main and the seas began to build as well. By two or three we were in twenty five knots of wind, gusting to over 30. Dang. The wind is now coming from due east and we are trying to sail due south, so the swells are hitting us on the left side of the boat and it is really bumping. A rolicking sea is the word we came up with. Every now and then a bigger wave would hit us, covering nearly the entire boat with green water. Don's trying frantically to keep everything dry inside the cockpit. I gave up and went downstairs and laid myself on the settee. It's a nice safe place on that tack. We were rocking and rolling and the wind howled all night. The boat seemed to be plugging along just fine, well reefed and moving up and down over the confused seas. Now 'living' in these conditions gets tricky. Going to the bathroom for example can be downright dangerous. And feeding yourself too. It's hard preparing the food with the boat jumping around like that. We didn't want to risk using the stove. Finding a place to sit and eat is fun. And then laying back down in my safe spot, with food in my stomach rolling around, well, uggg. You get the picture. Not a lot of sleep was had either. A tough night for our first night out but at least we're under way. So for now, all is well on board Buena Vista. We are not motoring and we are heading in the right direction. However, we are not yet getting to eat all that lovely food that I prepared and everything is a bit on the wet side. But besides that, all is well. Day one is over, seven or eight to go. As I'm writing this, the seas seem to be calming down a bit and the sun just appeared. Today is looking up!