We coordinated our Fiji arrival to be there in time for old friends—Gary, Anna, and Allison—to fly out from the US to visit.

Fiji has an interesting layout. Fiji itself is one big island, but to the west side of it there is a large high shelf peppered with islands separated by just the right sort of distances for perfect cruising. Hopping between two choice islands is a matter of a few hours sailing. The snorkeling isn’t fantastic in comparison to previous locations, but here the islands themselves are the attraction. We island hopped with our friends, giving them a nice calm sailing experience in the cruising grounds to the west of Fiji. It turned out to be ideal for hosting friends this way. The got a good sense of boat living but without the tedious open-ocean passages, and the associated rollers and squalls.