Nananu i Ra back to Port Denarau

Our next day diving with Papoo off of Nananu i Ra is a change up. We head out into extreme current and claw our way along a rocky outcropping to a spot where sharks are known to feed. Just reef sharks, so we are not afraid of being the main course. There are quite a number of sharks there and lots of other kinds of fishes who are attracted to the extra food that the swift current brings. Luckily - in my mind anyway - we didn't have to watch the sharks chewing their way through the other fish. I guess they were already full before we happened on the scene. Our second dive was a lovely maze of rock tunnels, passages and outcroppings, lavishly covered with plump soft corals in every color and magnificent fan corals. I have not yet found a sea horse here and no frog fish. All of the local divers tell me they are here in Fiji, but maybe it is just their habit of saying "yes" to everything

Papoo and his shop sponsors, Jane and Charles, held an impromptu party/feast in the evening. Glen, I and Abbie picked up the couple we dove with the first day from their resort in our whaler and made our way to Papoo's shop. Another boater, Philip, and his friend were there too. We brought the beer, Jane and Charles brought the food and Papoo brought the kava. It was a fun night of good food and good conversation. This is our final exploration destination in Fiji as tomorrow we will make our way back across the north side of Viti Levu Island to Port Denarau and that was our starting point two months ago.

It takes us the better part of 8 hours to make the trip from Nananu i Ra to Denarau. The day on the water is one of the finest we have ever had. It is dead calm, the water is so flat that the boat barely causes a wake as we make our way. The reefs are completely visible, such that we could make our way through all of the narrow channels without our charts (a real rarity). Obviously we are on the upper deck soaking all of this finery up. If you appreciate and enjoy the wonderful days, I think they last longer and become more memorable. Glen, not one to spend over long romancing on the splendid surroundings broke the calm by catching a little skip jack ( a type of tuna). A short time later we were all savoring fresh sashimi for lunch and we'll have seared tuna on the BBQ tonight. Yum!

Back at the dock in Port Denarau it is the usual wash the boat and get everything stocked back up and any little repairs taken care of for our next foray into the ocean when we return after our month at home. So it is a couple of busy days before we fly. One of the tasks we need to have done is increasing the percentage of glycol in our air conditioning system so that the compressors don't freeze up should we ever decide to turn on the AC. Two Indian/Fijians from a local refrigeration company come to the boat to do the work along with Glen. So they have to pump the glycol into an already pressurized system. Glen's little on board pump turns out to not be strong enough so the fellows go and get one of their own. They get it all hooked up dockside where the container of glycol is and Glen is monitoring the input down in the lazarette. On goes the pump, BOOM! There is sticky glycol everywhere, all over the back cockpit,floor, walls and dripping from the cockpit ceiling, the hatch to the upper deck was open and the glycol erupted through it to spray the whaler and half of the upper deck. Glen sprang out of the lazarette hatch with a loud "WHAT THE ____!", thus shocking several passersby and causing all of the adjoining boat crews to pause in their work and catch the excitement. Standing on the dock, the two technicians are drowned and dripping with glycol, their stunned expressions convey complete confusion and befuddlement. The one guy is slowly shaking his head as he stares at the blown seals in his pump. Glen is ranting about the mess and this poor fellow still can't believe what has happened to his pump. Remember that these guys are supposed to be the experts!!! Well that particular job did not get done and luckily glycol is easy to clean up. We had quite a giggle afterward, mostly about the tech's stupified reactions.

Our time at home was Aug 18 to Sept 18. Fantastic weather at home too.

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