First 10 days in Fiji
30 September 2023 | Drawaqua Island
Mike

We arrived in Savu Savu on Vanua Levu Island 10 days ago and got a mooring at the Waitui "Marina" which was not much more than a dock and a shack, but nice folks nonetheless and we were happy to moored in a calm bay right in front of town. We spent the next 6 days resting, drying out, stocking up on supplies and taking advantage of the many cheap and good restaurants within walking or dinghy distance.
Out first stop was the Namena Marine Reserve, famed for it's diving and snorkeling. unfortunately, by the time we got there it was raining and blowing 20 knots, so, after a rolly night we headed west through a couple of reef passes and into an area known as "Bligh Water" in honor of the good captain who sailed through here in a 25' open boat with 19 of his closest friends after the mutiny aboard the Bounty. We made landfall on Yandua Is. after 58 miles. It was rainy, with 25 knots of wind so we made good time, but not much to do by the time we got there but enjoy the calm anchorage and get an early start the next day.
Our next stop was Sawa-I-Lau Island in the Yasawa group. We had a beautiful sail under sunny skies which was helpful as there were a lot of reefs along the way to watch out for. All of the land and all of the water in Fiji belongs to someone and sailors are welcome to anchor pretty much wherever they please, but first you have to check in with the local chief to ask permission in a ceremony called "savusavu" which involves bringing a gift, traditionally a bundle of kava root, and receiving permission from the chief to anchor, snorkel, visit the village etc. We made our way ashore immediately after anchoring and were met on the beach by the chief's representative who took us to meet the chief. When he was ready the chief met us and brought us inside his house where we sat cross legged on the floor and formally presented our kava. The chief clapped 3 times and gave us his blessing to do as we pleased while in the area. After visiting for a bit we made our way back to the anchorage where we met some of the other sailors who invited us to a beach barbecue that night. Finally feels like we are doing something besides shopping for provisions and moving to the next spot.
Which we did the next day, anchoring near a pass where it is common to be able to snorkel with mantas up to 18' wide. We only saw one and it was more modestly sized, about 6', but the sun was out and the coral was beautiful. Later, we went to a local resort for happy hour with our friends aboard the French cat "Molipa" who we first crossed paths with at sea on the passage from Raiatea. We'll give the mantas another try tomorrow before heading south along the Yasawa chain of islands.