Solo Sailing with Trev White

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The anchor winch needed to be completely rebuilt and we experience some Fiji rubber time.  Tomorrow becomes next week.

We decided to get away from the yacht and do a dive holiday and enjoy some solid ground whilst staying at the Jean Michel Cousteau Resort in Fiji. Leaving the comfort of the resort we arrive back to the yacht and find a rat hobo party on board, I'm now an expert at trapping rats.

With our winch back together and the rats wiped out we make plans for the Yasawas and more diving.

Vuda Marina Fiji
Send them an email but I think contacting them on Ch16 when you arrive is the only positive communication.
tel:+6796668214
[email protected]
https://www.vudamarina.com.fj/

For a very comfortable resort and excellent diving experience near SavuSavu visit Jean Michel, Yachties can book dives here but dont expect to buy a beer or a meal. You can anchor near the resort and the tender vessel will pick you up.

Jean Michel Cousteau Resort in Fij
Lesiaceva Point Road, Savusavu, FJ 9999

+61 3 9815 0379
https://www.fijiresort.com/

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Yes its windy in Fiji and why do conditions get worse when something is broken. In my case the anchor windlass seized at Paradise Resort, I was not able to fix it in Savusavu and need to sail to the Vuda Marina in the South of Fiji to find an engineering shop. 

We decided to spend a couple of weeks travelling to Vuda Marina and also stop and do some diving enroute, however the wind decided to make that a real challenge.

 Anchoring in 25m of water without an anchor winch and recovering your anchor by hand in gusty conditions, not fun. 

We also found an island  where the wind never stops, Yadua Island is quite beautiful but we never saw less then 25 knots of breeze. Be warned. 

However the locals there where great. 

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One of the challenges of sailing is transferring money from currency to currency and paying the bills without incurring large international banking fees.

Four years ago I found a banking product that changed how I pay the bills in multiple countries whilst sailing and travelling,  it saves me between $500 and $1500 in international bank transfer fees every year it also works at every ATM and shop that I have tried from London to Fiji and even in a little truck stop in outback Mexico.

Wise previously know as transferwise is my travel card of choice. This little green debit card works everywhere.  The only place that would not accept it was a car rental in Europe, car rental Tonga accepted with a smile. If you find somewhere it does not work let me know and I'll avoid that location.

If you use the following link you get a fee free transfer of up to 500 euro or the approximate amount in the other currencies.   I dont now how long the offer will remain valid for.
Click here to check out  Wise

This is also a great travel card for young people starting on thier first backpacking adventure.

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Today I discuss the town of Savasavu in Fiji, a yacht first point of entry into Fiji, I discuss the different marina and mooring options, provisioning and where to find a sim card and a cold beer.

Savusavu has most of the requirements fora visiting yachty. The town is also a great spot to conduct crew transfer, as the airport is close by and it only a 1hr flight from Nadi Fiji.

Its also one location where basic repairs can be made and equipment obtained. The new marina is built to cyclone standards, if you need to leave your yacht.

I also discuss diving at Paradise dive resort on the Island of Taviuni its about 25nm or a 6hr passage from Savusavu. Paradise is a great spot for visiting yachts to access fantasic dive spots such as "the white wall" and "Rainbow Reef" we went with the resort dive team on their fast boats, we also dived nearer to the resort using our own tender.  

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After several day anchored in Neiafu Harbour locted in the North of the Vavau Island Group in the North of Tonga

 The crew splits up to chase different adventures.

Crew parts way with little warning and we sail to Savuavu in Fiji. Sailing short handed as a two person crew Esther and I sail close to the French Island of Futuna, 

We added an extra 200nm to our planned sail to avoid a huge storm that was passing over Fiji and bearing down on Tonga.

In hindsight stopping at Wallace or Futuna would have been a smart choice as other cruiser stopped and loved the place.

Fiji Customs surprise me on my third rumbo at 1900hrs, yep super keen to work Sunday at my expense when there overtime to be earned.  

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This Gear Talk is about Anchoring, one of the most essential elements of sailing and something people fail at far too often.

Some anchorages in the Pacific islands can pose real challenges to yachts if your gear is not up to the challenge.

Gear Tip: 1 x anchor is not enough for a Pacific cruise. I consider 2 to 3 decent anchors essential and a backup anchor rope with at least 15m of chain .  Lets talk about anchors, chain, anchor buddies, snubbers and shackles.

Good anchors and anchor gear is the best form of self insurance. In todays world it is getting harder to insure a cruising vessel in the Pacific, if you can.

 Its becoming very expensive to insure cruising vessels. Being able to convince and demonstrate to your insurer you have the best gear and your an expert in using your gear may help you obtain insurance and reduce you premium. Many people I know are turning to self insuring and buying the best gear that works.

Click here: to visit the Rockna Website 

I don's have any deals with Rockna just bloody good anchor, that said I'd accept a couple of anchors from Rockna or another anchor manufacturer to test and review. So far my orignal rockna sets like a gem. Its easy to praise something that just works first time everytime. It also recovers over the anchor roller much cleaner than my previous delta, the delta was also a good anchor, just not in hard coral sands.

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On a beautiful morning we leave Nuka Alofa sailing for the newest island on planet Earth, Hunga Tonga. So after 36nm we reach a barren rocky island take some photos then plot a course to the island of Ha'affva in the Middle kingdom its 50nm to the Nth Est.  I cannot say my crew were thrilled at my choice of photo opportunities but how often do you see a new island. 

The crew were rewarded with an island tropical paridise and hump back whales the following morning.  We made landfall and spent the next few days exploring and diving the waters of the Middle Kingdom before we sailed North for the Vava'u group in the Kingdom of Tonga.

I would revisit the Middle Kingdom and I think July to August is the preferred months, it is isolated and exotic in a Tongan way.

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Its been a long hard 12 day ocean sail from Whangarei in New Zealand to the Kingdom of Tonga. We clear customs find and then find an anchorage where it is safe for TinTin. Time to explore the largest city in Tonga called Nuka Alofa.  The Southern Kingdom, its also where the King of Tonga lives.

Sailing in Tonga means I need to obtain cruising permits for the yacht and crew from customs before I depart to the North. 

I will need to find fresh food, top my water tanks, obtain some fuel and also LPG gas. We have been advised its the Kings Birthday in a couple of days,  this means a massive party and a parade.  Count us in for a party and booze.

However the first item on the agenda is a seedy bar in the Port district, meeting the crew of little fish for a beer. The bar is only 100m from the yacht, this requires the dinghy and its Tongan Rum time.

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Crew or no Crew.

This trip has been tuff, the first few days I was basically solo sailing. I was also looking after my 3 sick crew members, Pierre a frenchman has recovered from the worst of his sea sickness by day 3 but his girlfriend was still quite ill, Esther my other female crew member was also  doing it tuff.

 After 7 days at sea I decided to interview my crew and get thier impressions of ocean sailing its a little over half way to Tonga and they have experienced some really bad weather, we also avoided a huge storm by slowing down this adding a couple of days to our journey. Today is beautiful sailing and I'm seeing somes smiles on my crew.

I like solo sailing I also like teaching sailing and meeting new people who have different life experiences,  but sailing with crew can be harder than solo.

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I tore the main in a gale solo sailing from Picton. So now I needed to find a sail maker who can repair my main sail quickly so I can depart for the Pacific. 

UK sails in Whangarei agreed to do the job,  if I aarive in the next couple of days. They also recommended I sail to the Town Basin Marina, its only 400m away from the sail loft and 100m from a really big supermarket. 

I was surprised at how big this town was and the amazing level of services available to visiting yachts. 

A quick night sail had me approaching Port Whangarei for the morning tide.

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