October 2011 Issue No. 197 - Navigator Publishing

mat and clapping as we passed thecoconut shell, we discussed therising cost of the petrol requiredto reach the market, the loweringprice of copra, and the necessity(due to distance) of boarding thechildren at the nearest school.Despite these hardships, theyremained optimistic and generous.“We don’t go to church much anymorebecause of the price of petrol,”said Bertha, “but we celebratehere with brunch instead. We wantyou to come on Sunday morning.”Sunday arrived and the womengreeted us in the kitchen wearingcolorful Mother Hubbard dresses.We tried to squeeze our offeringsonto the already laden table. Plattersof taro and watermelon filledone corner and lentil curries illustratedthe influence of Fiji’s Indianpopulation. The day before, anothervisiting sailor had joined theyoung men in hunting wild boarwith their dogs and knives; theevidence of their success lay next tofreshly caught fish. Recalling ourconversation the other night, wecould hardly believe the generosityof our Fijian friends.While their kindness camemostly out of the goodness oftheir hearts, it came also from theknowledge that we sought a deeperappreciation of cultures throughthe slower pace of distance sailing.As improved equipment makescruising easier, faster, and safer,voyagers risk becoming more likethe tourists looking for the nextphoto opportunity. Whether ornot the generosity of eastern VanuaLevu endures depends on the valuesand attitudes of current andfuture offshore sailors. Remembrancethat we are not entitledto such treatment, that we are infact guests in foreign places, andconsideration of the place and itspeople, both citizens and officials,is an easy price for such unique andexceptional moments.n—Ellen Massey recently completed a circumnavigationaboard Heretic, a 1968-built,38-foot masthead cutter.www.oceannavigator.comOCTOBER 2011 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 19