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Did Kirstin run off with Barry Gibb?
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OK L'ORIENTals, we are sorry. August 20 until now and no news from us. Did we stop sailing? Did we sink? Has our early 1990s laptop given up the ghost? No, no, and no. We're back with another promise we won't likely keep (reminds me of election season). We will try harder to stay in touch.
So, let's begin. We had been off the grid doing what we call "village life" for months. Small remote Fijian islands, lovely people, but little food, no stores, no boat parts. We needed to turn the page, but before that we needed to get L'ORIENT to Savusavu so that we could fly back to the USA for a visit. Savusavu was quite a slog, and when you are time pressured in sailing, bad things can happen. We were forced to motor more than was optimal but we arrived in one piece. L'ORIENT tucked away for a month; all seemed good. So America here we come! Until the shit hit the fan.
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| Our Fijian friend Millie- entrepreneur with the energy of 3 sugared up toddlers |
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| The Savusavu reef system |
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| These reefs and the poor charting make sailing at night suicidal |
As Kirstin and I tried to board our plane from Fiji to San Francisco, we (specifically Kirstin) were pulled out of the immigration line. We were told to sit in a room and wait. And wait and wait and wait as our plane started boarding. It was explained to us that Kirstin had overstayed her visa. Impossible. You get 4 months in Fiji as a tourist and we had used 3 1/2 months since arriving back from New Zealand in April. But on Kirstin's passport, some deviant immigration officer had inexplicably made an illegible notation that Kirstin could only stay 30 days. Why? No idea. A totally arbitrary decision. And why wasn't my passport treated the same way? We arrived together and were processed by the same guy, yet I got the normal 4 months. This was never explained. The really frustrating part was that back in April we verbally asked this immigration official to confirm how much time we had and he stated four months.
So what's the big deal? Kirstin was banned from Fiji for one year for allegedly overstaying her visa. Imagine how much fun it is to be on an eleven hour flight with someone who just got that news - I can assure you, not fun. Cyclone season was approaching. I had to move the boat from Fiji to at least Vanuatu (about 500 miles) without help. Yikes. So I began interviewing potential crew to help me while Kirstin hired lawyers to overturn her immigration ban. We succeeded with 2 days to spare.......cost- about 1.2 kilo dollars and the cost in stress I won't discuss in this blog. Suffice it to say this was costly in mental health as well.
And word travelled so fast in the L'ORIENTal community we would encounter at the wedding later. Kirstin had to explain why she was banned from Fiji at least 15 times. And I had to recount the ups and downs of video-interviewing crew candidates.
The first family wedding in years was happening in Columbus and we were A-listers. Actually many people who read our blog were going to be there. A hilarious problem we had was a complete lack of clothes to attend a wedding. A suit, dress, or anything like that would quickly get terminal mold on a yacht and be ruined in a matter of weeks. Ask me how I know. So after the flight from Fiji to San Francisco (and a quick rest stop) we flew to Chicago and drove to Omro to visit with Herb. It was there that I made a lightning raid to Men's Warehouse, a store I never shopped in as a business tycoon (in my own mind, at least). After dropping more than a kilo-dollar there on spiffy duds I was set. Kirstin chose a different approach.........just in time acquisition. In fact, at the rehearsal dinner Kirstin was wearing a dress she had bought a mere 2 hours before........and hadn't bought her dress for the wedding. Ugh. I hate time pressure but you have to pick your battles.
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| This water park is catnip to children.........even 53 year old children |
On the agenda for Omro was also a meet-up with Kirstin's jet setting brother, sister-in-law and his water-park addicted children. They had so much fun at the Wisconsin Dells last year, they successfully staged a family coup and persuaded their parents to bring them back.
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| Nieces with Grandpa Herb- his anti-stress beer is just out of the picture |
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| We look like the Corleones discussing "family business" |
This was to the delight of Kirstin, who uses the two nieces as convenient stunt-kids. Since adults look creepy on water park rides alone, Kirstin uses the two nieces as cover to do all the rides herself........even rides that are so scary she has to persuade the little ones it's OK. What am I thinking when I see this? Have you no shame, wife? But I just smile.
This visit involved us driving all over the US in our rental car. And I mean all over. Chicago to Columbus to Nashville to Jacksonville to Miami to Naples to Miami. But Columbus and the wedding were next. My nephew looked dashing and put on a very tasteful wedding ceremony. Kirstin and I were very surprised at how many of my brother's cohort knew of our travels. L'ORIENTals everywhere.
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| The happy bride and groom |
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| Silly picture machine at the reception- great innovation |
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| The nuclear family |
The trip to Nashville and our son was fun also. We met his girlfriend, her cute dog (who keeps Heidi- our grand-puppy company), and we, of course, went to play mini-golf. Ryan's table hockey set got a workout as Ryan insists on beating the pants off us in every imaginable sport, being hyper competitive as he is.
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| Great seats at the stadium- and 60,000 soon to be booing fans |
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| Rocking our free Jag-swag |
From there we drove to Jacksonville and Princess Emily. Readers may recall she works for the Jacksonville Jaguars, an NFL team. We got free club level seats for the game and had a great time there. We also dined all over town with her and played Top Golf, which we recommend. It's an elevated driving range serving alcohol. Suffice it to say it was a great time. What's next in the American South though? A shooting range with beer on tap?
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| Putting some hurt on that golf ball |
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| A bit of history in St. Augustine |
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| Emily has become a beach girl |
So, with Kirstin sprung from immigration detention, we were free to move the boat. Savusavu to Scarborough, Australia via Vanuatu. Roughly 2000 miles. In Fiji we had gotten a bit soft, as the trips between the islands aren't particularly long or challenging. Australia's approaches are windy, dangerous, and very crowded with shipping vessels. We hadn't had a challenge like this since the approaches to the Panama Canal way back before Covid.
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| When your taxi driver needs to stop to refill his water bottle |
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| Savusavu for the last time |
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| We saw a lot of change in Savusavu across our two years visiting |
Mili- her last name defies spelling and pronunciation- has become our fast friend. We met her at a restaurant in Savusavu two years ago and gave her the idea to start a boat watching business. She's been fairly successful. We also invested a small sum into her home-grown perfume business, and bought her a smart TV because hers broke. It's fun to give to people in need, and Mili despite juggling a lot of jobs lives virtually hand to mouth. Pictured also is Pisa, her husband. He and I clicked like we had been friends forever. Just two really nice people.
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| Mili and Pisa- the chair pictured is rare in a Fijian house- they like to sit on the floor |
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| Tina with Pisa and Mili |
After backtracking through Fiji, we arrived in Vanuatu. We needed a pit stop, and Vanuatu was perfectly located to the West to position us for the trip to Australia. Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides) is a lovely place without a lot of tourism. We were there for Vanuatu/Fiji Day, a national holiday of sorts. We were one of the very few cruisers or tourists in attendance.
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| Vanuatu revolution? Nope- just celebrating |
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| Museum of Vanuatu- interesting place displaying some spooky art |
As we write this Vanuatu has just experienced a 7.3 magnitude earthquake and we are seeing just heartbreaking pictures of Port Vila - including the heavily damaged US embassy which we walked past several times on the way to our favorite restaurant. We hope that the below market was not damaged as it would have been full of people during the day.
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| Port Vila's central market- better fruit and veg than we have seen in a long time |
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| Definitely not a touristy market |
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| Our favorite lunch spot on the beach- we expect to spend much more time here next year |
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| Boring Conferences - a worldwide phenomenon |
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| Band hawking their album for Christmas sales at the market (seriously, that is what we were told) |
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| We thoroughly enjoyed our initial visit to Port Vila |
After a lovely time on a mooring in Port Vila, we set out again. L'ORIENT had been at this point a long time without a chandlery and technicians and the damage report was piling up.........mainsail leach-line damaged, anchor chain counter out of action, instruments failing, fuel contamination, etc. We were quite relieved to arrive in Bundaberg (Australia).
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| The home stretch - could use some wind |
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| Sunset on a passage- still a magical time after 13 years |
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| This stowaway was there during 30kts of wind and torrential rain - a tough but free ride |
In Bundy (as they call it), we checked in and spent a handful of days recuperating from a very tough sail. The other-worldliness of Australia began sinking it. While surrounded by water, Australia is also surrounded by deadly critters of every type.....crocs, jellyfish, sharks, snakes, etc. You name it. If it can kill a human it's probably here. The people are wonderful (as soon as we started speaking their language). You can go to Macca's to get schmicko chips, or in American english this would translate to "go to Macdonald's to get good french fries". The "ER" in every word is pronounced "AH" as if you have a tongue depressor in your mouth. "I'm going to see my mothaaaahhhh". It's quite charming, after you get the hang of it.
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| Of course we had to visit the Bundaberg rum distillery |
The very first store we visited (after the marina's chandlery) was Target just for the novelty factor (unlike the USA Australia has loads of Kmarts too). The last time we were at a Target (in San Francisco) we spent most of the time finding staff members to help us get minor items like body wash and razors out of the locked plastic cabinets. In Australia the Target has no locked cabinets and is entirely self checkout. Enough said.
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| OMG- a Target ! Now we're cooking with gas |
But we needed to move the boat one more time. Scarborough was another 250 miles away so we let it rip. Can't say that one was the best trip as we were nearly run down by a 1,000 foot car carrier outside of a fairly narrow shipping channel. The marina approach was also both hazardous and confusing. But we made it. And then the real fun began.
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| Goodbye propane oven (and old dishwasher) |
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| We've blown up the boat- our lithium system going in |
L'ORIENT needed everything. So we began a bunch of super expensive boat projects simultaneously. New and additional solar panels plus new lithium batteries (and all the technology that is inherent in that project) was just a start. We tore out the dishwasher (broken anyway), and removed the old propane oven. We thus have no galley. But that was solved with a new 4 in 1 oven. Our new fancy induction cooker and electric stove are coming in January. We are still pinching ourselves that Australia is a first world country. Need an appliance? Go to the appliance store! We hadn't experienced that since St. Maarten so many years ago. Bunnings Hardware is bigger than Home Depot. Woolworth's Grocery Store is a match to Whole Foods. Restaurants are everywhere. And we joined the gym. Kirstin is in heaven as she has dreamed of a gym membership since we left Bonaire.
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| Careful- that's 10 kilo dollars of batteries; 800 amps at 24 volts |
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| Out with the old |
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| In with the new |
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| Where the rubber meets the road- 10,000 watts of power |
And who knew? Nearby Redcliffe is home of the Bee Gees (which was a surprise because we did not know that the Bee Gees had anything to do with Australia - not that I had given this topic a lot of thought). We hear Bee Gee songs every day on way to gym because we have to walk down "Bee Gee Way", a street lined with everything Bee Gees; it also has a never ending Bee Gee soundtrack going which can drive you crazy if you have the misfortune to live adjacent to Bee Gee Way.
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| And crazily- any time you walk through here there are tourists |
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| Kirstin enjoying some time with the band |
We will be spending time over the holidays in downtown Brisbane playing tourists before the boat projects resume in January. Thanks for following us again this year and we wish you a very happy 2025!
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| They take Christmas seriously here- and Australia is closed for about 3 weeks |
