Whangarei - Savu Savu
Whangarei - Savu Savu in Google Maps (web browser) und in Google Earth (separate application)
Whangarei - North Minerva Reef
It’s a relatively uncertain weather forecast: A tropical depression may or may not cross my path, but I should make it to the Minerva Reef before it arrives. With this I’m heading out into dying North-Westerlies and a quite sizable swell. I’m making good downwind progress on the first day, but when I want to reef at night, my mainsail wouldn’t drop. I can’t help but sail with the one reef I have through the night and entering up the mast the next morning. It’s throwing me around quite a bit, but the view over the rolling seas is fantastic, too!
Juvenile wandering albatross
The wind soon comes down to 12-15 knots on a reach and broad reach and life on board is pretty good. I’m watching a wandering albatross drawing its majestic circles over Blue Bie, dolphins jumping around the bows and catching a lovely tuna. After a few days a trough is passing, the wind backs and goes up to 18-20kn with a rougher sea is. I don’t feel too motivated to cook, but enjoy snacks and a soup. I’m missing my sea legs a bit after a long time onshore. A shakedown cruise to Opua would have been better …
Mahi Mahi with diving lure
North Minerva Reef
After 5 days I arrive in the North Minerva Reef, where I find two Tongan Navy vessels and 5 other yachts on anchor. I’ve just arrived in time: The tropical depression is taking its south over Minerva Reef. Within 12 hours the wind starts to pick up, first 20 knots and then for three days between 30 and 35 knots.
Storm in North Minerva Reef I
Life in Minerva Reef comes to a stand-still and I take the time to clean the boat. But the wind dies down and the sun comes out eventually and we’re socializing and celebrating 3 birthdays.
Alene's birthday on Migration
Minerva Reef is pretty unique: a circular reef with 3 nautical miles diameter a few hundred miles from the next inhabited islands. The reef surfaces at low tide, but is awash at high tide. The reef itself is some 300m wide and surprisingly flat as I find out on a hike. Who would have thought that you can go for a hike in the middle of the ocean!
North Minerva Reef
There’s plenty of tropical fish and good snorkeling in lagoon is full of tropical fish. The reef drops straight down on the outside with some dramatic formations and excellent trawling for pelagic fish. No day without fresh fish from someone trawling with the dinghy.
Remainder of wreck on North Minerva Reef
The Tongan Navy is re-erecting a lighthouse destroyed by the Fijian Navy last year. You wouldn’t believe, but these two countries are fighting over this desolated piece of non-earth (see article). It’s worthless in itself, but it extends the respective Exclusive Economic Zones and hence the revenues from fishing rights dramatically. The Tongan Navy couldn’t be friendlier, offering us drinking water and inviting us cruisers to visit their ships. On their last day, a boat of the Fijian Navy arrives. Both Navies arm the guns, don the flak jackets and disappear in the night… This article shows the incidence from Fiji's point of view. You might guess by now with whom the cruisers' sympathies rest...
North Minerva Reef at low tide
North Minerva Reef - Savu Savu
I’m leaving this paradise after ten days without further provisioning – there isn’t any shop or any other form of inhabitation :) The passage to Savu Savu is very quaint, my sea legs have grown and I even delay the passage for a day more than the other boats to have some more wind. It’s beautiful sailing in 5-12 knots and I’m steering the boat with the remote control from the trampoline. The waves are passing underneath the net like molten gold and the boat is so quite that it feels like the water passing underneath a beach chair. But no doubt, I’m getting closer to Savu Savu by the minute arriving on the second day and anchoring at the Cousteau Resort to avoid overtime charges.
Blue Bie leaving Minerva Reef
Savu Savu
Arriving in Savu Savu, I’m taking a mooring at the Copra Shed Marina and clear in. It’s the first time I have to pay customs duty on alcohol – they wouldn’t allow more than 4.5 l wine and beer combined. But every official has been quite lenient in his part and I eventually pay only half the duty. I quickly get re-acquainted with Savu Savu, having been here already last year. Returning to a place a second time is pretty new experience for me. It’s a small and easy town and within a day I’ve done the clearance, stocked up on fresh fruits and have organized the communication.
Copra Shed Marina
Cousteau Resort
I’m heading out to the Cousteau Resort for the weekend to go diving and to meet my good friend Wayne, who is arriving on his yacht Learnativity from the Marshall Islands. We catch up on our adventures over a wonderful meal at the Cousteau Resort and are planning to sail on and off together for the next few weeks. There's also a good article "From Hawaii to the South" in the latest magazine of the Cruising Club Switzerland (in German & French) summarizing my journey from a different perspective.
Cousteau Resort
Vanua Levu road trip
Wayne, his partner Linda and I are renting a car to tour Vanua Levu. A gravel road takes us through verdant rainforest with small fishermen villages to beautiful sugar cane fields. People are waving and greeting everywhere and we stop several times to give people a lift. It is very rural and the difference even to the laid back Savu Savu is startling. We are staying overnight in Labasa and stock up on Kava, fruits and vegetables in the market.
Wayne changing tyre
It’s the first time on my journey that I’m returning to a place. As beautiful as it is to get to know something better, the aw of the first visit, of exploring the unknown and unexpected is missing. This feels different for Savu Savu, where I’ve been staying for a while: here I feel home and comfortable.
Sugar cane country
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