From Bottle to Bond: A 4,400-Mile Message Connects Sailors and a Fijian Family

The whiskey bottle, ready to be dropped into the ocean, with a message and a $20 note inserted inside. Courtesy Roxy Podlogar

In October 2022, my husband, Carl, and I were exploring the island of Vanua Balavu in the Lau Group of Fiji. We had anchored our 38-foot Seawind, Sky Pond, in Nabavatu Harbor and were climbing the steep staircase leading to Nabavatu Plantation, where we’d hoped to meet the local villagers.

Our only goal that day was to wander the plantation’s ­rolling fields, edged with perfectly built rock walls. Small herds of cows, sheep and horses roamed freely over the lush green grass. As we climbed the stairs, the turquoise-painted cabins with fresh white trim flashed in the sunlight, and the lively chatter of voices grew louder. At the top, several people relaxing on their stoops waved us over.

In keeping with Fijian custom, we sought out the chief, or head man, to introduce ourselves and request permission to be their guests. Several women greeted us warmly and directed us to Sautia, the plantation’s foreman. He introduced us to his wife, Maria, and his daughter, Tanai, then offered us fruit, carefully weaving a palm leaf basket to carry the gift.

Like all Fijians we’ve met, Sautia was extraordinarily friendly and generous. But he also had something special to share—and a request for help. Disappearing briefly into his home, he returned with a piece of paper preserved inside a plastic sleeve. It was a letter dated June 16, 2017.

Sautia explained that in June 2018, he had found the letter inside a whiskey bottle on a beach just 4 miles from his home. The message read: “If you happen to find this message in a bottle, please contact us.” It also included handwritten lyrics to Andy Williams’ Moon River, the names of a boat’s crew, an email address, and the coordinates where the bottle had been dropped. Tucked inside the bottle was $20. Sautia recounted his excitement upon finding the bottle and the rare treat he allowed himself: a hamburger from McDonald’s the next time he visited Suva, a significant journey by boat and car.

More than four years after his discovery, Sautia still hoped to contact the letter’s sender. Unfortunately, at the time he found the bottle, he didn’t have access to email, and when cell towers were finally installed near the plantation, the email address was no longer valid. His hope now rested with us. 

I took a photo of the letter with Sautia and Maria holding it, and I promised to do my best to track down the sender once we had reliable internet.

Sautia and his wife, Maria, present the message found in the bottle, along with the woven basket of fruit. Courtesy Roxy Podlogar

Back on the main islands of Fiji, I began my search. The email address was indeed outdated. I scoured Facebook sailing groups and finally got a lead. One of the crewmembers’ names matched a profile. I reached out. Soon, I was able to connect with the sender: Charlene Graeber Green.

She had a story of her own, one that began long before June 16, 2017.

An accomplished sailor by age 18, she had raced dinghies as a university student. In 1981, she’d purchased her first sailboat, beginning a lifelong journey of ocean exploration. Her husband, Larry, who grew up in New England, also had a natural love of boating. He’d bought his first boat in 1972, long before he realized that his passion for sailing would one day bring him lasting love.

Charlene and Larry ­married in 2012 during a blue moon. After their wedding, they dreamed of sharing a life on the ocean. In 2017, while preparing to cross the Pacific aboard their 52-foot Tayana, Cailin Lomhara, they welcomed a new crewmember: 19-year-old Stine Bastiansen. Stine, a Danish backpacker on a yearlong break from her studies, was inspired to travel by her parents, who had met while sailing around the world. The trio quickly bonded and set off together.

More than four years after his discovery, Sautia still hoped to contact the letter’s sender. His hope now rested with us.

On June 16, 2017, west of the Galapagos Islands, the crew penned their message. For Charlene, Larry and Stine, the bottle was a simple but ­meaningful gesture—a ­connection that extended beyond that moment in time. They’d hoped, though weren’t certain, that it would be found.

Four years later, when I told Charlene that the bottle had traveled over 4,400 miles to the shores of Vanua Balavu, she was astonished. She and Larry now maintain correspondence with Sautia’s family, including Tanai, who is married and with a child of her own. 

Stories like these remind us why we venture out. As Charlene says, “The journey is better than the end of the rainbow.” From the middle of the Pacific Ocean to the shores of Fiji, the simple act of dropping a bottle into the sea created an unlikely bond that transcends time and distance.  

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