The Western Pacific - Pacific Crossing Notes: A Sailor's Guide to the Coconut Milk Run - page 364

Clearing In
Most sailors coming from Tonga or New Zealand aim for one of three ports of entry on the
east side of Fiji. The southernmost port of entry is Suva, a busy industrial port. The main
attraction of this unattractive port is that it cuts a day off a New Zealand to Fiji passage, no
small consideration for sailors ready to cry Land Ho! As capital of the island nation, Suva
hosts a number of embassies, a practical consideration for those wishing to apply for visas
for Indonesia or Papua New Guinea.
Levuka, on the other hand, is reputed to be one of the most interesting colonial towns in the
South Pacific and offers all the basics, too: supermarkets, gas stations, and restaurants.
However, the anchorage is too exposed to be comfortable in southeasterlies above ten to
fifteen knots.
Savusavu, the northernmost of the three, has become many a cruiser's favorite, thanks to its
good shelter and services. It is a medium-sized town with a big heart and everything the
post-passage cruiser needs, from fuel stations to large supermarkets and a good selection of
shops and restaurants. Savusavu's friendly inhabitants - both native Fijians and Indo-Fiji-
ans - provided a lovely welcome in our first Melanesian destination. However, one limita-
tion of Savusavu is space in the narrow confines of the deep water creek, where moorings
are a must. Ideally, you'd email ahead to reserve a mooring in Waitui Marina, Copra Shed
Marina (which also offers docking space), or Savusavu Yacht Club. Savusavu is the home
base of Curly Carswell, who runs a morning radio net and offers weekly seminars on cruis-
ing in Fiji - a great value, as are his cruising notes and way point packages.
Take note that the charge for clearing into Fiji on a weekend is far above and beyond the
F$170 charged during weekdays. Wherever you clear in, stock up fully before heading out
to quieter corners of Fiji. Vodafone and Digicel are two excellent phone / Internet pro-
viders; we were able to connect to the Internet in nearly every corner of Fiji (one notable
exception being the southern Lau group).