Monthly archives for April, 2016

Epic Sail back to Savusavu & WE ...

April 29, 2016 Written by El Capitán
We had an awesome sail back to Savusavu with Jason and Eric, our new neighbors. Despite the impressive lure spread of half a dozen teasers and a variety of lures we didn’t catch fish – we all agree that our spread was just TOO good and the fish were so impressed that they couldn’t even bite. We covered the 58nm during daylig [...]
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Tropical Depression 17F Decided to Te...

April 17, 2016 Written by El Capitán
Technology is very useful when it comes to weather forecasting….until it isn’t… Well, last night we were reminded the hard way that unsettled weather is just that…and when the barometer drops we best be on high alert for weather from ANY direction. Well, the GFS model was calling for the “eye” of the TD to [...]
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Rough Passage North – Back in B...

April 15, 2016 Written by El Capitán
Monday afternoon we decided we’d had enough of Suva and put to sea into stiff trades and rough seas. We had to choose the lesser of two evils: sail into stiff trades but have settled weather, or wait for the low, bringing a break in the trades, rain, poor visibility, and a roll of the dice…. We chose settled weather. With that dec [...]
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Spared the Wrath of Mother Nature ...

April 6, 2016 Written by El Capitán
Spared the Wrath of Mother Nature – TC Zena has Passed without Incident
Zena approached Fiji as a Cat 3 cyclone and we were battened down and ready for battle. Luckily for Fiji and for us Zena took a turn south and also weakened on approach due to upper level shearing winds. She weakened to a Cat 2 then 1 before moving away. We had gusty winds in the anchorage but nothing over about 30 knots. There was lightning [...]
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Well Sh*t…Here Comes a Cat 2 Cy...

April 5, 2016 Written by El Capitán
Category 2 cyclone Zena just finished lashing Vanuatu and decided to come pay us a visit. The forecast is calling for her to pass just south of Viti Levu between midnight and daybreak. We are still in the Tradewinds anchorage off the Novotel and are secured well to the mooring but two things make us uncomfortable. One, we haven’t person [...]
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Staying Put in Suva – Not Putti...

April 2, 2016 Written by El Capitán
Staying Put in Suva – Not Putting to Sea Just Yet – Go Away Cyclones!
The wind was howling over 25 knots today and we know it was over 30 outside the reef with very rough seas. Instead of beating Ellie and crew up out there we weighed our options and decided to stay put. It would have been very difficult to push into those seas. Of course we made the decision after sweating all morning prepping the boat for pas [...]
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Float Plan – Overnight Run R...

April 1, 2016 Written by El Capitán
After two (mostly productive) weeks in busy Suva the unsettled weather is forcing us to retreat north. We have one more day of easterly trades before the SPCZ descends on us and with it brings tropical depressions and the potential for another cyclone. Currently Windy.ty is forecasting a 996mb low pressure circulation; and that’s enough [...]
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