David did the lesson and then was going to take Andrea to the 5m water to see the giant clams on scuba using my tank and regulators but first we had a rescue mission to perform. Yesterday evening the plunger from Stray Kitty's cafetiere was lost overboard. Chris marked the spot with GPS knowing we were coming over with dive kit this morning. David was in the water and Chris told him 70" off the stern in 14m depth and then we had the bright idea to use the dinghy and the dinghy anchor to mark the exact spot on the sea bed. All OK until the anchor goes over the side not attached to the dinghy. We now add one anchor to the recover list.
This time I asked Chris to hover in the dinghy and I'd descend. Visibility wasn't good but as I dropped through the sediment things cleared. It was a clean, sandy seabed with the occasional rock so I began the classic grid search – 20 fin kicks in one direction turn right and 5 fin kicks, turn right and 20 fin kicks until I see the largest Triton trigger fish looking mean and coming towards me. Quick change of angle because these boys can attack viciously if they have a nest. Mr Trigger may have been helping and not intending to hurt because as I turned away I came straight onto the rope attached to the anchor and as I smugly picked up the line I saw the coffee plunger lying on the sand 3m away. Double smug successful rescue.
Andrea did get her dive and then it was quick back to t the boat and pull up the anchor for a super fast sail west to Rukuruku bay on the north west coast of Ovalau. We were the only yachts in the bay and went ashore to do sevusevu with the village chief, that is a present of kava root in exchange for permission to anchor and visit the village. Unfortunately Chief was unwell and we promised to come back tomorrow after we'd been in to the main town of Levuka to do customs clearance and provisioning.
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