Heading North -- Tuvalu Arrival

Location: Funafiti, Tuvalu
Position: 08°30.94' S 179°11.57' E
Next Dest: Kiribati (in 2-4 weeks)



We departed Savusavu, Fiji early Saturday morning. After four days of rocking and rolling we arrived at Funafiti, Tuvalu (arriving before sun up on Wednesday). The passage was uneventful, which we figure is probably a good thing. After 4-1/2 months filled with only day trips (in Fiji), it took us a bit to get into the groove of a passage making!

We enjoyed buddy boating with Island Sonata on the way up ... it is always nice to see another boat out there and know you aren't alone!!! We spent our first day in Funafiti checking in, and then talking around the town. Atolls are always interesting to explore, considering they are long and narrow strips of land (in about 20 seconds you can walk from the inside of the atoll to the outside!).



The people seem super friendly and we are very excited about spending some time here. Our first night (as typical after a passage) was heavenly (solid sleep in an non-moving bed!). More to come as we explore our first atoll on the way to the Marshalls!
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New Route for Billabong

Current Location: Savusavu, Fiji
Next Destination: Funafiti, Tuvalu

We find ourselves once again in Savusavu. Not much new to report; we have been busy visiting with old friends (from our first season of cruising), and preparing Billabong and ourselves for our next passage (including a side trip via airplane to Suva).

We have FINALLY confirmed our plans for the remaining months of this cruising season. Instead of continuing west to Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Australia, we will head North to the Marshall Islands. This will include stops in Tuvalu and Kiribati. We should be arriving in the Marshalls around Dec/Jan and will sit the cyclone season out there. By going north we will now have an extra season in the South Pacific. Next year (April/May 2006) we will head back down to Fiji and then west, ending in Australia around Dec 2006. We should be heading out of Fiji by the end of the week (hopefully before our Visas expire on Sept 18th).

We'll continue to stay in touch via the website and Blogs. Stay tuned!!!

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