More Tuna anyone ??

I had promised to update a bit more regularly while cruising but little did I know that I would be reporting on the giant catch so soon !

Saturday 18 th Tom Liam and I rose at dawn and just pulling out of Paradise Bay on the southern tip of Taveuni we came across a large school of Tuna leaping high out of the water ! Tom immediately put out his line and within minutes was in a big one . He played it like a professional and Liam gaffed it and within minutes we had lunch and dinner for the week ! Tom then filleted him  shortly afterwards leaving an immaculate deck which is always important when you fish on Ruthll 

A lot of excitement before 7am .

 We then passed a lovely day sailing south until we arrived in Makongai an isolated island  on the route south . We had been told that Sevsevu  ( a Fijian tradition to present  the chief of an island with Kava a root crop from which they make a drink which apparently has a numbing effect ! )might be appropriate so went ashore equipped with Kava and sweets ! The beach we landed at was a Marine reserve and within minutes we were surrounded by children offering to bring us on a tour of the graveyard of the former leper Colony ! They also showed us a giant clam and you felt it wasn't the first time they had posed for the photo ! Nonetheless they were charming and their Mum said her husband was boss of the settlement and there was no need to do Sevusevu  but he'd be delighted with the Kava . That night we ate delicious yellow fin Tuna steaks !

The last two days have been spent avoiding squalls on a passage which Tom has described as similar to Dublin to Arklow . The reefs make for very difficult Navigation and we have had the phones in the microwave three times to avoid lightning ! 

We have been promised the return of Sun tomorrow and we are heading to the Blue Lagoon home of the 80s movie with Bo Derek . We also plan to visit a giant Manta Ray feeding station which will keep us fit !