Location: Savusavu. Fiji
Today began dark and early for most of Argo’s crew. We had good wind and nice sail for the last 12 hours of passage that gave way to light rain as we approached Savusavu. Despite the conditions, all the watch teams endeavored to safely bring Argo into the harbor at first sight. Once anchored, there was no rest for the weary as the full crew was mustered to clean up the boat during boat appreciation. We cleaned the boat above and below decks and buffed out all the annoying rust streaks that had formed from salt spray during the last passage in hopes that we would make a good impression on Fijian customs. Evidently, our hard work paid off as they were quite courteous and gave us no trouble clearing in. As that process was underway, the crew had a bit of downtime to either decompress from the last passage or work on their literature reviews for Oceanography. Shelby, Jack, and I spent some time discussing their respective topics, Sea Turtles, and economic opportunities pertaining to deep-sea hydrothermal vents. However, I’m not sure my input was entirely helpful. We then had optional shore time. The students wasted no time in locating the best local milkshakes and ice cream. The town is quite small, but the setting is picturesque, and everyone seemed to find what they wanted to satisfy their after-passage cravings. We then had a nice Asian stir-fry dinner prepared by chefs JJ, Hayes, Margaret D. The crew is now preparing for a quiet evening with an optional movie and some much-needed R+R.