Port Denarau
28 June 2017 | Musket Cove, Malolo Lailia Island, Fiji
While the Fiji Weather Service was still calling for High Wind Warnings through-out Fiji, we had noted when we went out snorkeling on the reef at Robinson Crusoe Island that the wind and sea-state was not as bad as it had been in previous days. With that in mind we decided to "ignore" the forecast (Cindy felt they had simply forgotten to change it) and make the approximately 30nm trip west along the coast to Port Denarau. Going back out through the pass is always a much less stressful event since you have your original "track" displayed on the chart. All you have to do is follow it back out and you know you are going over familiar water. Once we were out of the pass, we were surprised at just how much the winds had fallen off. We hoisted the main and set the screecher and motor-sailed to keep our speed around 5kts. Seas were less than 1m on the aft quarter, so we had a comfortable (but slow) trip. Around 11AM we entered Navula Passage and what seas there were went away. As we turned more northerly the breeze went forward and came up just enough for us to sail. Smooth waters and light winds inside a reef like this make for magical sailing. We ghosted along at 5-6kts in less than 10kts of breeze. Looking around, we realized we were the only boat sailing - everyone else was motoring!
We were lucky to get an email back from Port Denarau Marina informing us that a space had come available on a mooring ball, so we were able to go inside vs staying out and anchoring in the open bay. On the way in, we received a Securitee call over the VHF that Reef Endeavour was exiting the channel. I stopped and we held our position as the cruise ship left - there would have been no space for both of us and this was one of those times when the Big Boat has the right-of-way. As we waited, we got a good view of Dragon Fly (a Google Executives) megayacht that was at anchor. Once inside, Ali from the Marina met us and escorted us to our mooring buoy and helped us get hooked up. Port Denarau is used extensively by all the commercial yacht operators and has berthing for the larger megayachts, so it is very busy. They are booked up well in advance and many of their mooring balls are owned, and only available when the owner is elsewhere.
We had heard both good and bad reports, but found the area very enjoyable. The Marina staff were very friendly and helpful. They explained that we could wait until the commercial boats left the commercial dock in the mornings and then take our boat to the dock to wash it down, etc. We just needed to be off the dock before the late afternoon when they came back from their charters. With the commercial operators and large yachts, re-fueling was easy - though we didn't need much. Mary was really helpful helping us get the paperwork from Customs/Immigration (we had to go to the airport to do this) that would allow Cindy to come back into Fiji without an outbound plane ticket - it was obvious that she had done this before! They connected us with Marshall Sails to have a more permanent repair made on our jib, where we had a small tear and delamination from our passage to Fiji. There are numerous restaurants, shops, etc, right there at the Marina. There is an associated resort area and golf course as well, which makes for nice walks. Then there is the dollar buses that take you into Nadi and beyond. Nadi has it's own feel compared to the other towns in Fiji. We enjoyed a day of seeing the sights, including their market. And, Cindy got to go to a Catholic church service in English!
The one downside of our visit was that they were burning off the sugar cane fields. It was an amazing sight at night to see the hills aglow. This meant that the air was full of ash, that covered the boat. Before we left, we washed the boat down in an attempt to get it off. While I was somewhat dreading Port Denarau, it was a pleasant surprise, and I would not hesitate to return if space was available for us.