We’re so excited to be in Fiji, especially after a challenging passage.

The map provides an overall picture of Fiji, plus provides an idea of the time it takes to travel by sailboat. When we’re on passage, we mark a blue pin at 6 AM and 6 PM daily. The pin above “Route” was marked June 19 at 6 PM, and moving up the marks leads to the red arrow, which is where the boat was June 21 at 4 AM, just prior to our arrival to Savusavu.

The country of Fiji consists of over 300 islands in six main areas: Vanua Levu, Lau Group, Koro Sea, Kadavu, Viti Levu, Mamanuca & Yasawa. To the northwest and drier, Mamanuca, home of the Survivor TV series, and Yasawa are more touristy.

We came to Savusavu (on Vanua Levu) so that we could get kava for the Sevusevu… say that fast. Savusavu is Fiji’s eastern-most point of entry and has some lovely cruising and diving grounds. It is also the best departure point for the Lau group to the southeast, which is in the direction of the prevailing winds, so more difficult to sail to. The Lau group’s remote villages cherish their heritage, and it is culturally appropriate to bring a gift of kava to the chief and participate in a sevusevu ceremony. After the ceremony, we can seek permission to anchor and learn the boundaries of access to their island. It is a friendly and respectful way to acknowledge that we’re in their territory and want to honor their wishes. We can’t wait! That’s the good.

Passage From New Zealand

Now for the bad and ugly: Holy smokes, that was something! We definitely didn’t get the smooth passage we were hoping for. We got the rough seas we expected the first night out – no problem! Then we ran into two low pressure systems that brought high winds with big opposing waves and currents for most of the remainder of our nine day passage. This feels like being inside a washing machine, while trying to sail, cook, and maintain a boat. Cooking was simple because Herman fended for himself from the refrigerator and freezer while I nibbled on soda crackers and ginger snaps. Unfortunately, we ended up skipping Minerva Reef, because it was unlikely we could enter and it wouldn’t have been pleasant to stay there.

Tieton is a great boat and kept us safe, and it was also a tough trip for her. In the middle of one night, we took a huge wave abreast of us from the side, which ripped the bimini that covers the helm. The next time we started the engine to charge the boat’s batteries, we discovered the batteries weren’t charging. Of course that also occurred in the middle of the night. I took the helm while poor Herman pulled up the floor panels to discover the compartment for the battery had broken and that with each wave the battery was shifting back and forth, hitting some of the connecting wires for the Balmar alternator regulator. We tacked the boat so that the battery rested on the other side, which allowed Herman to jury rig a fix to contain the battery. We tacked again to get back on course and Herman continued to work on the Balmar unit that connects the engine’s alternator to the charge the battery while I slept for a couple hours. When I got up, Herman took a break and slept while I worked to get the boat ready to possibly be without electricity for the remainder of our journey and alerted our support team. Long story… after sixteen hours, persistent Herman found the problematic detached wire, and the batteries were back charging.

Although the idea of a boat without electricity is scary, we did have a chance to reflect on our preparedness and level of redundancy, and know we would have been fine. We would have hand steered, used our portable devices for navigation, and figured out something for navigation lights. We had to do some of this when we helped deliver a racing boat from Hawaii to San Francisco a few years ago, which was a great training experience. We’re just glad we didn’t have to do it again.

On watch as I write this, the lighthouse for the Savusavu passage comes on the horizon. Soon we’ll be in port going through the entry procedures. Good news is that Herman’s bruised nose and black eye have faded (when did that happen?) and my bruises will be hidden by the conservative clothing covering my knees and shoulders.

Savusavu Arrival

We timed our arrival to Point Passage for sunrise and made our way up Sasusavu Bay, where we called the Nawi Marina office and they sent a boat to guide us to the customs dock. At 8:30 AM, the marina crew caught our lines and we were at the dock!! We patiently waited on the boat for clearance procedures and we started getting used to doing things on Fiji time. We’ve now treat officials like they’re guests, and offer treats and non-alcoholic beverages.

Milena from the Health Department arrived at 11:30 and came aboard to clear us from quarantine. At sea, when Herman was putting up our yellow quarantine flag, it flew out of his hand, so we substituted one of our handy yellow towels. Milena was amused by our ingenuity, and glad she didn’t have to fine us for not flying our Q-flag. She was horrified to see our fridge temperature at 20°C (68°F) until I assured her that I’d just finished defrosting it. We successfully completed our health check, bade Milena goodbye, and waited for the next group, which arrived about an hour later.

Customs, Immigration and Biosecurity arrived together. I’d gathered the fresh vegetables and fruit we didn’t use on our passage, and we invited the biosecurity officer into the cabin for inspection. He confiscated frozen chicken, pork, honey, our garbage, and fresh fruits and vegetables except onions and potatoes. At 2 PM we were cleared to go to our berth in the marina!

Nawi Island Marina

Brand-new, luxurious Nawi Island Marina is located about 200 yards/meters across from the town of Savusavu. The creek was dredged to create the marina. Some satellite images still show the undredged channel, which is somewhat disconcerting with boats resting in it. Amenities include lovely outdoor showers, an infinity pool with poolside and swim-up bar, a few restaurants/snack bars, and spa. The good news about going nine days without a shower is how GREAT the shower feels afterwards – AAAHHH! Followed by a drink, dinner, and some wine, we fell into a blissful sleep at 8:30 PM.

What’s Next

We will spend at least a week at the marina relaxing and getting Tieton back in shape for cruising. Rich & Sharon from Bumblebee, who we first met in French Polynesia, are our dock neighbors, and we look forward to spending some time together. Vanua Levu deserves at least a few days touring, plus we plan to take some short trips to nearby anchorages before heading to the Lau Group.