After pulling anchor two days ago from our anchoring-after-dark
location, we motored only 6 miles to Vuda Point Marina, arriving around
10:30am. Eric checked in over radio with the marina office; they asked
to wait outside the entrance until several boats had exited. So, we
circled slowly, enjoying the lovely morning, watching the activity
around us. Circling, circling… At around noon, another monohull sailboat
came near; we could hear the captain calling the marina office, and the
staff person telling him to come on in. This is when we realized she had
lost track of us waiting, in all the other hubbub she was dealing with.
Eric checked in again with her, and she let us in immediately, with the
other captain graciously waiting.

Once we were tied up to the dock, we headed to the marina for lunch,
then luxuriated in those Hollywood showers (meaning you could let the
hot water run as long as you wanted) on-shore. Dinner was back at the
restaurant, where we enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

Yesterday, Linda and Kim took the bus to Latouka to do some grocery
shopping and exploring. Since it was Saturday, the town was hopping: the
produce market and grocery store were packed, there were groups of
teenagers out with their friends, and families shopping and eating lunch
out together. We took a taxi back to the marina; our driver was a woman
around our age who enjoyed talking with us about her life and grandchildren.

While we were enjoying the city, Eric and Mark were trying to figure out
why the boat’s alternator wasn’t working (a very important piece of
equipment that charges the batteries). After several hours of sleuthing,
they tried a last-ditch effort�"unplug it, then plug it back in. And it
worked! But that was only marginally comforting, because they still
didn’t know why it had stopped working. Soâ€�"thanks to the joys of the
internet, Eric ordered a new, back-up alternator from a supplier in
Seattle, Mark’s brother Todd picked it up, and will bring it on Oct 11
when he flies to Fiji to be crew for the next leg of Rover’s journey to
New Zealand.

Late afternoon, we enjoyed watching the finish line of an outrigger
canoe regatta taking place; it looked like mostly local teenagers
competing (and cheering loudly for their friends!). Since the event took
over the restaurant that evening, we had goat-cheese quesadillas and
wine for dinner on Rover; the sky was clear enough for some stargazing,
and then one more game of “Up and Down the River”. As Eric often
saysâ€�"the crew’s spirits were high!


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