James Brown use to be billed as “The Hardest Working Man In Show Business”, and he did break a sweat, but the folks here at the Robinsone Crusoe Resort did that and then some tonight.

We had another 40 mile plus day today. Another 7 hours at the helm because we stayed so close to the coastal reefs I didn’t want to use the wind vane. It’s accurate on long distances-amazingly so-but in the short run, it can wander. Anyway, we left Vananui at 0800. Put up the main sail inside and sailed out the reef in about 15 knots. It was a gorgeous “blue water” kind of day, but the wind kept building. Around 1100 I put in the first reef and sometime after lunch, it was getting too hard to hold our course so I put in the second reef. We were still doing 7 knots by this time with the second reef. As we closed with the southern most tip of the island, I didn’t want to gybe, so we furled the jib and went DDW (direct down wind) and even a bit by the lee and were still hitting sevens with 6-8 foot waves about 1/2 mile off the barrier reef. Pretty exciting sailing! I even had Ann put the companionway boards in as I was concerned one of the waves might break down into the hatch.

Finally we got around the point and were able to ease up a bit toward Likuri Island. But, there’s not a lot of protection and at the entrance to the pass we still had some sizable waves making taking the sail down a bit of a chore. All managed though and through the pass in the reef, although we had a few anxious moments trying to determine the correct course to take. It was fairly cloudy and we couldn’t see the inner reef until we were almost upon it.

Finally inside, dropped the hook in 20 feet over sand. Thanks for that; it grabbed hard and is set well while we’re sitting in mid twenty knot wind a couple hundred yards in the lee of the island. Windy, but at least flat water.

So, the show…it turned out to be great. Lovo cooked dinner (delicious) and an hour long Fijian dancing show for only $25 Fijian (about $12 US). There were about 6 woman and 8 men and they really worked up a sweat. It ended with an amazing fire dance where each performer had a turn twirling batons with the ends lit and several also did “fire-breathing”. Spectacular! They even had a guy stationed at the side of the “stage” (really it was just in the sand in front of the tables) with a fire extinguisher!

...just in case...

Hula and fire. Don't try this at home.

A nice show...

These guys really worked it.

We have now seen the hardest working Fijians in show business. It was a great show.

We’ll go ashore tomorrow to see what else there is to see, then in a day or so head to Musket Cove, a very famous gathering spot on the western side of Fiji (you’ll have to Google it, I’m too tired to write more for now).