We left around noon from Dravuni and sailed over night to Musket Cove, navigating the pass in the reef next to Namotu Island at daybreak. Surfers were out catching some clean waves on the surf break close by and several small fishing boats were trying their luck. We had the lines in the water but did not catch anything.
There is a resort on the island shown below. It might be fun to anchor by that beautiful sand beach sometime.
Namuto Island
We arrived in Musket Cove in the mid-morning and radioed the marina to see if we could get a mooring. They directed us to one but there was a float on it, indicating that it was being held for another boat. Another cruiser radioed us that there was a mooring available in front of their boat. Then the couple from Sel Citron, a yellow Katana we had seen in Fulaga, happened to be in their dinghy and came over to lend us a hand to pick up the mooring. It was nice to see how the cruisers look after one another.
Sel Citron and Kiapa
We went ashore and visited the office. We signed up for a lifetime membership in the Musket Cove Yacht Club for the total price of $15 Fijian.
We did several loads of laundry over the next couple days. They only had one working washing machine which slowed the process down. We took a stroll along the promenade beside the beach between loads. We first saw it at high tide and it looked inviting to go for a swim.
On another occasion, we noted that the beach is on a lagoon that completely dries at low tide. Swimming was better done in the pool.
Beach and lagoon at low tide
We checked out the grocery store and bought some fruit and vegetables. That was the first time we had been to a store since Savusavu about a month earlier. Prices were higher than we had seen in Savusavu, and the selection was limited but it was a resort island, after all.
We had a lunch by the pool and I was happy to order a salad!
Seafood salad with a citrus dressing
I also booked a hair appointment for both of us for the next morning, though Monty was not at all keen on the idea!
We enjoyed a tuna dinner on the boat with a mixed green salad and some green beans. You can’t imagine how good it was to taste fresh vegetables again.
Blue fin tuna fillet
Dinner in the cockpit
After our hair cut, we took a walk to the resort at the other end of the beach.
Post hair-cuts
The Plantation Island Resort was a big resort with a lot of activities and seemed pretty busy. They had a 9-hole golf course, which Monty was keen to try the next morning. He said he was going to beat me, but I had no desire to play in the hot humid weather with old men’s rental clubs. The course just did not “call me”, what can I say?
The closest we got to playing golf in Fiji!
We waved over an Australian from a Gunboat, called Kiapa, that was moored next door to our boat. The moorings were so close together, we could almost shake hands with our neighbours.
Kiapa and Whistler. The moorings were pretty close together at times!
A view of Kiapa from our galley
He dropped by and answered some questions we had about the area. He was from Australia, a keen surfer, who hung out on his boat in Musket Cove for much of the season. He remembered seeing our boat the previous year when Christian and Evelyne owned her. We gave him a tour of our boat and he complimented the workmanship and layout of our Antares.
We took a hike up the hill one afternoon, and got some views of the area.
The cove and marina
View of the golf course from the top of the hill
Looking at the mainland, Viti Levu. Note the reefs surrounding the island.
We had a beer at the bar near the dock and met cruisers we had seen in Viani Bay. They went out scuba diving nearby with their dinghy everyday. Obviously, this cove had a lot to offer to who stay a while. It also had convenient access by ferry to Nadi, where there is an international airport.
We had a downpour one day. The rain was bouncing off the surface of the ocean! The good thing about the rain is it allows us to fill our tanks with fresh water!
A neighbour in the rain
Musket Cove Regatta Week was going to start soon so we were warned we would have to leave the mooring and anchor out after a few days. It was going to get very busy in Musket Cove in the coming week with over 80 boats expected to arrive. Many boats congregate for the regatta on their way to Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Our next stop: Port Denarau.
