Setting Sail from Suva
It’s been a great stay, but the sea is calling
After 6 months in country, we are getting ready to leave Fiji. Or at least we’re leaving our anchorage in the Port of Suva to spend a few weeks on the west side of the archipelago before setting sail for Vanuatu, our next island nation destination. The point is, we’re getting moving again.
Sailing tradition has a lot of sayings, one of which is “Men and ships rot in port”. Attributed to Admiral Lord Nelson, the 18th century British naval commander, it has both physical and psychological relevance. Ships literally decay if not used and maintained, and people lose their edge if they sit idle.
Six months may not seem like a long time to live somewhere, but for us it is. We are voyaging sailors who love to sail, and staying in one port for months at a time is not our norm. I have written about my neophilia – a strong attachment to, or fascination with, what is new, novel, and different. It’s an affliction I bear joyfully, and right now I’m itching to see what’s over the next horizon.
So why have we chosen to stay in the Port of Suva for so long?
The main reason is that we decided that Suva was a good place to weather out the Southern Pacific cyclone season, which lasts from November to May. It may seem counterintuitive to spend the season in a group of islands that are known for frequent tropical disturbances, but it was a calculated decision on our part. While the Fijian archipelago does get frequent storms, the major ones are rare. The Port of Suva has good holding for anchoring, and the mountains between this harbor and the prevailing direction of tropical cyclones provide excellent shelter from wind and waves. We determined that the odds were in our favor, and we made the right call. It was a very quiet year for storms in Fiji, while those sailors that chose to leave the cyclone zone and spend the summer in New Zealand got blasted by storm after storm after storm.
Secondly, we discovered to our delight that there are some good ship’s services available here, and our ongoing upgrade and maintenance list never really ends. We do most things ourselves – it’s the only way we can afford to maintain our 80-foot sailing yacht, but there are some things we need to contract out. Our 25-kw generator on SV Duende has needed a rebuild for some time, and up until now we’ve never found a machine shop that was willing and able. Without going into all the details, suffice to say it was a major endeavor that took a significant amount of ingenuity to maneuver the 470-lb piece of machinery out of the engine room, off the boat, into a skiff, and into a workshop. We had the time, they had the muscle, the project was successful, and our 30-year-old genset has a new lease on life.
For those two reasons alone, our time here has been well spent, but a lot of other goodness has come from it as well.
We’ve had time to make some Fijian friends – some who were born here, some who came for work or other reasons – but all of whom we are happy to add to our collection of connections. We’ve fully explored the city of Suva and I no longer get lost on the jumble of streets that make no sense. I know which vendors in the municipal market have the juiciest pineapples, the freshest eggs, the best hand-blended garam masala. I found an excellent third-generation Chinese grocer for every noodle, sauce, and condiment under the sun. I know the best butcher and where to buy fresh yellowfin tuna. I made friends with the wheelbarrow men, gained a healthy respect for the city buses, and had a custom rubber stamp made for Duende (which I can’t wait to use on our paperwork when we check out of Fiji).
Six months is enough time to really know a place, and it’s been so interesting to get to know the history, the culture, and some of the traditions that make Fiji such an interesting corner of the world.
I don’t by any means feel that we’ve been here too long – it seems like it was just long enough. I will miss the friends we’ve made here, but rather than thinking of leaving them behind, I prefer to think that they are all now part of our crew, and with us in spirit as we continue our adventures.
On Tuesday morning, we’ll raise the anchor, sail out the pass in the reef, and point our bow westward.
We’ll leave Suva in our wake, and every mile we cover will be unexplored territory for us. There are countless new islands, new experiences, and new people around the next headland.
We’re excited, life is good.
Sail on fearless crew! - LJ
About Shellphone Chronicles
I write weekly essays that feature tall tales from the high seas, beautiful photos, original artwork, and occasional poetry. We are a crew of two, enjoying countless adventures on SV Duende, an 80-foot expedition sailing yacht on a multiyear ocean voyage.
To all my constant readers, thank you for coming along on this voyage with us. I love sharing our stories with you.
If you are new to the crew, welcome aboard! I’ve put together a Start Here page on my Substack website — a roadmap to guide you through some of our most popular essays and provide a few binge-worthy series suggestions. It’s a fun introduction to the themes that we weave through our life on the deep blue sea.
Exciting times ahead! Can’t wait to follow the Duende’s journey in the high seas!
Looking forward to hearing about your new journeys.