Back at Vuda Point--Already

March 30, 2010—On the 22nd we left Vuda Point Marina and headed out to Musket Cove in order to find some cooler temperatures. We have been there several times, so it was no problem getting through the reefs and into the mooring field.

After picking up a mooring ball, we sent ashore to register and walk around. The last time we were here, it was filled with cruisers, but now there was just one boat in the anchorage with us. We planned to relax, but, unfortunately, our refrigerator was still giving us trouble. That kept Steve busy trying to figure out what the problem was.

We spent five days out at Musket, and most of them were still pretty hot. We enjoyed buying ice cream (an Eskimo Pie type), but we had to eat it so fast that it was not much fun. We both lost large pieces of chocolate in the sand because pieces would slide right off the ice cream that was melting just a bit faster than we could eat it. We also swam every day in water that was a warm 88 degrees. On two nights we went in to barbeque at the Island Bar with some fellow cruisers who had come out to Musket.

Late on Friday we decided that we had a definite problem with the reefer. The freezer compartment was thawing, and we had quite a bit of meat in it, so we left on Saturday morning to return to Vuda Point in order to deal with the problem. We pulled into a slip without any problems and got the boat all tied off. Steve then proceeded to research the best way to order in a new refrigerator. It is never easy when one is in a foreign country. Millie, who owns the general store here, was kind enough to let us put our meat in her freezer—right below the ice cream. I think she had a plan to get us to buy ice cream every time we got out some of our meat.

We also began work on a stainless-steel arch for the stern of the boat. The solar panels are a hazard on the side rails, and the back deck is quite cluttered, and since we received a good estimate to have the work done here, we decided to proceed with that work as well. Today we had to turn the boat around in the slip—always an entertaining venture as our boat does not back up worth a darn—so that it would be easier for the workmen to place the arch on the deck. Steve and I then removed the solar panels and the wind generator.

We hope to have the arch by early next week. We also want to take a trip to Suva to handle some business and do some shopping. We are able to rent a car from the taxi driver here at the marina so we will drive ourselves there and back, and that should be an exciting adventure.