From Savusavu to the Yasawas

It's 6.00 a.m. and it's raining. The first showers had already appeared during the night and gave me a bad feeling for our departure day. A thick haze lies over the anchorage. Visibility is not excellent and the weather forecast is once again wrong. Nevertheless, we decide to go through with our plan. Roswitha and Gottfried from the Tuvalu, who actually wanted to sail with us, prefer to stay put.

It doesn't look good. Fiji

We have experienced a lot on the island. Last week we rented a car again and drove to the west of the island. Almost 100 kilometers of gravel road through the rainforest of Vanua Levu. An adventure that gave us lush greenery, rivers that we drove through, and friendly people who waved at us as we drove past. Pure freedom. Our four-wheel drive Jimmy got through everywhere. Well, on the country road he occasionally grumbled on bends when the anti-skid system cut out and made terrible noises, but that didn't happen that often. 

With Jimmy through the water, Fiji

In the end, we had another two lovely days, during which we also visited another hot spring. It wasn't quite as hot as the first one and you could bathe in it. However, with an outside temperature of 30°C, this was a rather dubious undertaking, but it is said to be healthy. Well, drinking beer in moderation is also healthy.

Hot and cold. Hot springs in the rainforest, Fiji

We ended the last evening at our Indian restaurant. We had another really delicious dinner and I mustn't forget to give it a good rating on Google.

Excellent food at the Indian restaurant, Fiji

The last day in Savusavu is booked up with preparatory work. The oil level of the two engines is checked, the route is checked again and a bird's nest is disposed of under the cover of the main. There were always a lot of birds around our boat while we were moored. We didn't notice that one of them had built a nest. Only when I uncovered the sail did it come to light. The effort was in vain, now the bird has to build a new nest.

We didn't expect the sun to shine today either.

The rain slowly subsides, and we wait for a dry spell before setting off. We detach ourselves from the buoy and head out into the bay. The bay is shaded from the wind by the island, so we only have seven knots of wind. Nevertheless, we set the main and the genoa. At three knots, we sail calmly towards the Nasonisoni Pass. Behind the Savusavu headland, rough weather awaits us. The wind picks up to 21 knots, and we make up to eight knots. Far too fast, as we don't want to arrive in the Yasawas at night. We only want to sail 120 miles in 24 hours. On the other hand, the almost two-meter-high waves are very annoying. After we pass the Nasonisoni Pass, we are back in the reef cover, which makes the wave much more pleasant again. So we put the pedal to the metal. We reach the pass after four hours. We have left the bad weather behind us and the sun comes out occasionally. We can't see the coastline in places, as thick clouds block the view. The wave isn't really any better, probably because we're approaching high tide and the outer reef is being washed over. I've now slowed us down to four knots, but after 40 miles that's still an average of 5.3 knots. The rain slowly subsides, and we wait for a dry spell before setting off. We detach ourselves from the buoy and head out into the bay. The bay is shaded from the wind by the island, so we only have seven knots of wind. Nevertheless, we set the main and the genoa. At three knots, we sail calmly towards the Nasonisoni Pass. Behind the Savusavu headland, rough weather awaits us. The wind picks up to 21 knots, and we make up to eight knots. Far too fast, as we are The wind has now dropped to 14 knots and the ferry terminal in the southwest of the island of Vanua Levu comes into view. 

Gravel roads often present in Fiji

We were here by car a few days ago. At this point, the gravel road coming from the east ends and a paved road leads to the northwest and back to the east at the top, in the north of the island. Opposite the ferry terminal to the west is a pass that leads into Bligh Water. Bligh Water, named after James Bligh, the captain of the Bounty, who was set adrift on a dinghy after a mutiny and used it to make his way home to England. A brilliant navigator and an outstanding achievement that Bligh accomplished. Although this pass is narrow, it is also used by the ferries. So we should also be able to get through. After Bligh Water, the island chain of the Yasawas stretches from northeast to southwest. There are countless shallows in front of it, which we want to avoid at night. So the idea is to cross the 60-mile-wide Bligh Water at night and be on the other side in the morning. Gaby has cooked me some noodle soup and I'm confident that we can keep to our schedule. The challenge now is to find the pass in the dark and then we'll be in open water and I can lie down on my ear. Speaking of ears, I'll tell you what we experience in the Yasawas next time. Until then, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.