We set off from Savu Savu yesterday, heading East. We had a huge amount of rain, monsoon-like, on our final evening in Savu Savu - so much it totally filled up some buckets on the deck - 15 inches at least. The following morning we checked out in the drizzle and then headed up to the Cousteau resort - a trip of altogether 2 or 3 miles and anchored there for the night. We were sad to leave Savu Savu. It has an attractive setting and real energy derived from the mixture of Asian and Polynesian cultures. The small marina has two excellent restaurants and we feasted and feasted again on curries. I think our stomachs said it was time to go. The only thing against Savu Savu was the heat. It is very sheltered and so tends to be windless and the heat can therefore be quite intense.

The Cousteau resort is attractively situated on a point and there is supposed to be some good snorkeling. However, the weather was still very grey and the visibility was poor. Meals at the Cousteau resort are in the $60 to $100 dollar region as compared with our $8 curries.

Quite a few of the ICA boats arrived after us at the point to leave an hour earlier the following day. They are planning to go around the North of the island and eventually arrive at Musket Cove in the South West corner. We are planning to go up as far as Taveuni visit some of the beautiful anchorages here and then return to Savu Savu. We will then head south between the two main islands, taking in lots of little islands en route, and round to Lautoka, pick up our repaired sail and go out to Musket Cove.

We left the point by the Cousteau resort and headed out. The seas were pretty rough and the wind was close on the nose. We were able though to maintain a reasonable speed motor sailing with the mainsail. If we had had our genoa we could probably have sailed most of the way. The wind and sea tend to pile up in this area as the hit the lee side of Fiji. As we approached our anchorage, Fawn Harbour, we had two simultaneous strikes by mahi mahi, one on the rod and one on a trolling line. Michael got the mahi mahi on the road to the edge of the boat but it was too big for the light rig and it got away when the line broke.

The mahi mahi on the trolling line was quite a struggle to deal with in mountainous seas but we got it on board. Jackie made a ceviche and fillets which we ate aboard Story Teller that evening.

Fawn harbour where we anchored has a narrow entrance surrounded by reefs and it was quite exciting going in, with mountainous waves piling up behind us as we wove our way through the long passage. Once through it then opens up into a beautiful series of lagoons - all of which make for good anchoring. The lagoons are divided by mangroves and the bay itself is surrounded by volcanic fractures. There are hot springs there as well. The inner harbour was too wide to make a good photo but hopefully we may retun and visit the hot springs.

The next morning we set off again and by contrast the seas are now dead calm with little wind. We are motoring up between Viti Levu and Taveuni heading for a bay called Boca Bay.