Long Term Berthing

[Intrepid59]

Trying to decide to sail Tonga - Fiji - Vanautu - New Caledonia - Bundaberg, and leave my sailboat in Australia for several months while I need return to the USA for work, OR, Tonga to New Zealand and leave my sailboat there for several months. When I return will most likely sail north towards Thailand. What opinions do ye have, rrrr.

[JPA Cate]

1. I would not leave my boat in Bundaberg. The Burnett River floods. The sail from NC to Bundy, or anywhere else on the East Coast of Oz is a fast and pleasant one.

2. The Tonga-NZ route would give you the opportunity to move on from NZ at a later time, and we have also sailed from New Caledonia to NZ, so you could work in a couple of other countries. NZ is possibly the prettiest small country we have visited.

In your shoes, perhaps I would let the costs of the boat staying in the countries inform my decision. Remember to balance the difference between the currency you use and that of the country you're visiting. We left our boat on Lake Macquarie in NSW for 7 months one time, 7 yrs. ago. The cost was $750AUD per month, approximately. We left her a similar time in Tasmania, also, at $~450AUD, per month on a monthly rate, 5 yrs. ago.

Also in favor of NZ is that the plane flight is 2 hrs. shorter. It is 12 1/2 air hrs. from Sydney. By the time you figure in the 2.5 hrs. before flight time, the time to get to the departure airport, the times between flights, and to your final destination in the US, it's pretty brutal. One time, from boat to the East Coast of the US, we traveled straight 32 hrs. Pretty tired when we arrived. But then, we travel cattle class. Ymmv.

Australia and NZ are very different places, and of course, Australia has beautiful places, as well. It is almost as large as the United States, and we have certainly enjoyed all the times we have had here. Imo, it would be a shame to skip over either one.

Ann

[fxykty]

Fiji, namely Denarau, has dry land storage available, though a bit more expensive than similar dry land storage at Whangarei in NZ. Leaving your boat in Fiji does save you the trip south and back north, especially if you don't want to cruise or visit NZ and will be heading west and north on coming back. I'm in NZ and considering leaving my boat in Fiji between cruising seasons in the islands rather than doing the round trip to NZ.

[JPA Cate]

There may be insurance issues for people who want to leave their boats north of 22 deg. south. Check the policy for the exclusions.

We have never stayed in the cyclone belt during cyclone season. We had a close brush with a late season cyclone near Raul Island, and that was close enough for us!

Ann

[NoTies]

Forget Denarau. Vuda Marina across the bay were the ones that invented cyclone storage in the SP and they have a wonderful cruiser community with great sailboat servicing skills available.

[fxykty]

Agreed that Vuda Point Marina is a more pleasant cruiser community than Point Denarau. For major boat repair you'll probably be looking to Lautoka anyway in either case.

For cyclone storage, Vuda Point has cyclone pits.

Another alternative for cyclone season is the lagoon at Musket Cove Resort. Also books out early though.

As an earlier poster points out, check your insurance that it will cover you during cyclone season.