Went went to Namena for the reef, but we stayed for the birds. Namenalala is home to a rookery for some thousands of boobies that spend their days circling and squawking, preening and roosting.
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Namenalala was our primary destination in the Lomaivitis because the diving in the reef surrounding the islet is famously colorful.
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We spent a week cruising the Lomaiviti Islands as we day-sailed our way between Fiji's two largest islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. The group is small and infrequently visited; there are only a handful of backpacking style hostels slung across the ten or so islands. Our first stop was Naigani. There was a horse-shoe shaped anchorage on the western edge of the island, protected by the land on one side and projecting reefs on the other two.
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Another gem of the Yasawas—the caves at Sawa-i-Lau. One of the northerly islands in the chain, Sawa-i-Lau is unique as a limestone island in a group that is primarily basaltic. The island got its name because the caves within, the island’s primary attraction, are rumored to extend all the way from the Yasawas on the western edge of Fiji to the Lau group on the eastern edge.
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We’ve spent the last five days cruising around the northern coast of Viti Levu. After my parents left, Dominic and I motored south through the Yasawas and back to Lautoka on the main island. We were going on three weeks without seeing groceries beyond carrots, onions, minced beef, and crackers. Not too shabby for outer island provisioning, but we were looking forward to some variety.
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One of the treasures of the Yasawas is the Tokatokauna Pass between Naviti and Beqa Island. The strong current at high and low tide attracts the local manta ray population, who hang suspended in the stream or swim in swooping circles filtering food from the rushing water. The pass is well reported in all the guidebooks, and resorts nearby offer guided tours. As we sailed north through the Yasawas with my parents, Tokatokauna was an attraction we couldn't miss. We anchored in Cuvu Bay, an empty cove about half a mile from the pass.
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My parents are leaving tomorrow! We have had so many adventures in the last few weeks exploring the Yasawas—swimming with manta rays and leopard sharks, diving in caves, kayaking in heavenly blue lagoons. My dad has been with us for eight weeks, an invaluable crew member on our passage from New Zealand to Fiji; my mom has been with us for three, an invaluable source fun as we have cruised between islands.
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We hopped to the north end of Yalobi Bay after a few days hanging out near the village hoping the anchorage there would be less exposed the easterly swell that had caused us a few unsettled nights.
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Our first stop in the Yasawas was Waya, the southern most island in the chain. We anchored in a small bay near the pass between southern Waya and Wayaleilei. There was a village on the beach, and we were planning to spend a few days snorkeling and exploring.
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Since arriving in Fiji, we have enjoyed nearly four straight weeks of gorgeous weather, a nearly unheard of streak in a tropical climate. But the strong gusts have caught up with us, and a small front is expected to roll through in the next 24 hours, so we are relaxing on the boat.
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After enjoying three nights in Mana, we pulled up the hook and headed north to the outer Mamanuca islands. We anchored in Navadra, a semi-circular bay enclosed by small, sandy islands. We had the place largely to ourselves. There was one other boat at anchor when we arrived that promptly left, and a curious flurry of small fishing boats, which seemed to be full of locals carrying some sort of gear on and off the island.
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At 5:50 am on Thursday morning, my mom landed at Nadi airport in Fiji, and since her arrival, life aboard Helios has never been more fun. We had moored the boat in Port Denarau, a harbor on Viti Levu catering to cruisers and a slew of resorts on the mainland, the night before. After picking her up, we brunched on croissants in the cockpit. Mom took a much deserved nap after her 15 hour flight, while we cruised out to the yacht club at Musket Cove.
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The cruising life comes with different phases—boat preparation, passage making, island cruising—the shift between them is swift and their contrasts are striking. In our last 12 days in Fiji, we’ve been enjoying seeing the boat prep and passages recede into memory, and the island cruising begin.
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Okay, okay, no more griping about the discomforts of passage making. We had idyllic tropical sailing for the last two days of our voyage, consistent, 15-20 knot winds from the northeast that felt like an easy, tropical breeze. We had sunny skies, full appetites, whale spout sightings, and enough avian fly-bys to make staring at the sea a worth while activity.
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In the last week, we’ve experienced an incredible array of sailing conditions. Our third afternoon out was sunny and comfortable with 15 knot winds coming from the northeast. We took a northerly course, and held a fast paced beam reach as the sun set, washing the sky in lilac and magenta.
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Two hundred and thirty eight miles north east of New Zealand: Dominic is spooling spectra line on his new reel, Dad is finishing a novel on the starboard settee, and I have no pressing chores, time to sit with pen in hand and write.We are forty seven hours at sea, and all is well onboard. We left New Zealand with sunny skies, calm seas, and 12-15 knot northerlies; we flew the main and the jib, making tight northeasterly progress at six knots.
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