Opua

wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Cruisers gathered near the Opua General Store to await news of their friends. Sadly the news was not always good.

Storm Waves

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Waves, not wind, are the main danger for yachts at sea. This big wave passed us without damage, but several yachts were damaged or sunk during this storm.

Woody Goose

wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

The tragedy of Woody Goose: This once beautiful British ketch, now forlorn and broken, filled with sand and keel ripped off, went aground on New Zealand's North Island when the anchor dragged and the couple on board could not get underway before she struck. One death ensued.

Riding Out The 2nd Storm

Opunga Cove

When the second big storm came we sought shelter in the Bay of Islands. Sitting out 50 knot winds and drving rain, we listened all night to the VHF radio traffic from the rescue attempts off the New Zealand Coast. Just after dawn I heard Mike's transmission from the bridge of the commecial vessel which picked him up that "Julie didn't make it up, she is still on the boat. We're going around to make another pass and get her."

Then, later, he reported that on the next pass they didn't find Julie or Salacia, his Tayana 37 cutter, only wreckage, including mattresses and locker doors. I knew in my heart, after hearing that, that Julie Black was gone.

Judy Jensen

wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Judy

Suva Market

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Under the blue tarps, this outdoor market in Suva had a wierd light.

Suva, The Capital of Fiji

wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Downtown Suva is pleasant and well stocked for provisioning and shopping.

Royal Suva Yacht Club

wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

The Royal Suva Yacht Club is an upscale place, by Fijian standards, and we enjoyed a pleasant stay there, including barbeques on the lawn and cool Fiji Bitter's in the bar.

Ovalau Boats

wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Upon seeing these boats at a little harbor on the back side of Ovalau, we decided the village near here must have had some extra yellow paint. Either that or all of these boats were the product of one builder, and this was his trademark?

Going to perfrom Sevu Sevu

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Entering the village on Naigani Island, on our way to perform Sevu Sevu with the Chief, Bob stops to put on his sulu.

Waya Island, Yasawas, Fiji

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This is a Fijian house in the Yasawa's.

Ba Town, Viti Levu, Fiji

wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

This is the mainstreet in Ba, a sugar town on Fiji's Viti Levu Island, on the North Coast.

Boats on Ba River

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The town of Ba is on this small river. Maybe next time we'll try to find the mounth of the river in our dingy and motor up to Ba.

Road to RakiRaki

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The main highway around Viti Levu, Fiji's main island: on the North Coast the traffic is light.

Mudflats & Mangroves

wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

These mangroves and this disused marine railway were under 3ft of water when we came in here. Now our dingy, well behind us in this picture, needs to be dragged through this mud, and over the rocks and barnecles to the water before we can go home.

Ovalau Church

wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

We drove past this church on our tour of Ovalau Island. We stopped the cab and got this great shot.

Photos From New Zealand

The rolling green countryside, more than anything, typifiies New Zealand's Northland

After a couple of years in the Pacific, This is the big smoke

Tucker B Thompson, a true sailing vessel

We never tired of this skyline

A day on Auckland's busy harbor, Kiwis are boating crazy