Well, off we go again! After nearly 10 days at Savu Savu Blue Water Rally yachts have started to leave the comfort of our moorings, heading off from Savu Savu on Vanua Levu and making for Musket Cove resort on Malololailai Island on the extreme west of Fiji’s other main island – Viti Levu.

A Leg Briefing and Local Expertise

There are several route choices to be made and one of the great benefits of the Rally are the leg briefings we hold before each passage around the world. At Savu Savu (and many other stopovers) we have the benefit of local guidance and knowledge to assist with our planning. Over 12 years now, Curly Carswell, a major name in local and regional cruising circles has been our mentor on the next leg. We held a special briefing (where else but in the club bar!) attended by all our Rally skippers on Monday and Curly outlined the 3 most popular routes and supplied skippers with a plethora of detail. The only complaint was the average time it took afterwards (reportedly up to 2 hours) to load and cross-check the dozens of waypoints onto their mapping systems!

A big thank you Curly for all your help that day and for your efforts in running the daily cruisers net which has been a mine of information for we visitors.

A Visit to Bligh Water and Cruising On…

Yes it’s true – the Captain Bligh of Bounty fame, (but perhaps not the Bligh of Hollywood) who has given his name to the passage to the north of Viti Levu which is now the favoured route for most Rally yachts. After the Bounty mutiny off Tonga William Bligh and his crew set off in an open boat on an amazing 3000 mile voyage to Kupang in what is now West Timor. (In fact he landed at some steps  where our Blue Water Ralliers will themselves land in early October. But, on with the story…)

In the coming days our yachtsmen will pass through a shoal strewn passages in Bligh Water using modern GPS and chart plotters. Even now the navigation is challenging and it is humbling to think that Bligh sailed through with no such navaids and no Admiralty charts.  In fact, he considered it still his duty to their Lordships to take soundings whilst on passage. Oh, yes, throughout this he was being chased by cannibals in war canoes!  His notes are recorded in his salt- stained log which returned with him to England and is available to readers of maritime history today.. Whatever your views about his shipboard management skills, Bligh’s voyage was a sailing epic and I expect our skippers will raise a glass to him in the coming days!

By the 2nd of July several Rally yachts had started to leave en route to Musket Cove. Miss Styx was first away, followed by Neva and Paramour with recently-joined family members on board. I expect everyone will be underway by the 5th.  Sadly, our happy experience with Fiji Customs here has taken a bit of a dent due to the rigid application of the requirement to check in/out of ports of call in Fiji waters imposed by the Government. (We always used to be able to clear in direct at Musket  Cove, but must now call first at the port of Lautoka nearby thus adding to passage time and bureaucracy.) However, thanks to most helpful cooperation between Head of Customs, Musket Cove and myself our yachts can clear in, at least up to mid afternoon on Sunday, at Musket Cove.  A big vote of thanks to all involved.

Goodbye Savu Savu

Since my last input the Rally programme here at Savu Savu has gone as planned, despite some very rainy days and nights.  We’ve had a Rainforest tour (pretty apt, given the weather conditions!) and a tour of a local village.  Meanwhile this amazing little Club has organised a Curry Night and  a BBQ. Our support for the youth sailors has continued with a sweepstake on the Australia – Fiji rugby game and through some serious efforts to support bar profits. We leave here feeling we have done at least something to help the young people who are the future of the Club.

Tonight the last event is a Seafood Evening at the Surf’n Turf restaurant here in the Copra Shed.  Some of us have eaten here regularly and our team of foodies have awarded it the highly prestigious Blue Water Rally 4 star status for its quality. So, it promises to be a great night.

Thank You

We have had a great time here and the friendliness of the Savu Savu Yacht Club, the Copra Shed staff and the local people will long remain as a special memory of our world voyage. Thank you all and we at Blue Water Rallies look forward to seeing you again in 2 years time……..