Suva : Profile

Clearance

Contact Suva Port Control on Channel 16 at least two hours before arrival.

Yachts no longer need to go to the King’s Wharf to complete clearance but must anchor in the quarantine area.

On notification of a yacht's arrival, Port Control will inform the appropriate departments. Their officers will arrive at the Royal Suva Yacht Club in a taxi paid for by the Yacht Club. Transport for these departments in the past have always been a problem which added to the delays.

On arrival at the Yacht Club the club's rescue boat will immediately transport the officers to clear the waiting yacht(s) in the quarantine area on the offshore (which is close to the Yacht Club's marina).

All the paperwork will be taken care of onboard including fees. After clearance you must go into town to pay the health clearance fee. The club only charges F$40 for all the transport fees (including boat & boatman charges and taxis) instead of the F$115 it previously cost using the port authority pilot boat.

There are two daily clearance times: Mon - Fri 0900 hrs & 1500 hrs. Yachts arriving after 1500hrs on Fridays will have to wait until the next normal working day, or agree to pay the extra charges from these government departments to clear outside normal working hours.

Yachts arriving at the weekend at Suva have been fined for not notifying the authorities and anchoring at the yacht club until Monday.

If requiring a permit to visit the Lau group, the best course is to visit the Lau Provincial council office (next to the New World supermarket, Yatu Lau Arcade) in person, complete with a list of the islands you wish to visit and your passports. See yacht Cyan's experience in June 2008 here.

Last updated October 2009.

Docking

The Royal Suva Yacht Club, located in Korovou, in the northern outskirts of the city, is welcoming and has expanded its docking facilities to cater for the increasing number of visitors. An alternative anchorage with limited docking is off the nearby Tradewinds Hotel which is also used as a refuge during cyclones.

Tony Philps maintains several moorings (big white buoys) in front of his house & own yacht. Those moorings are put freely at disposition of passing cruisers after paying him a courtesy visit. This protected bay offer a perfect anchorage if one stays a long time in the area (no stink from the public discharge, relatively unpolluted water and calm anchorage).

Tradewinds Marina
Tel:(679) 3362 450, Fax:(679) 3362 455
tradewindsresv@connect.com.fj
Small marina type resort. Well protected anchorage. Water, electricity, bar and restaurant at resort. Dinghy dock.

Yacht Clubs

Royal Suva Yacht Club
P.O. Box 335, Club House, Korovou, Suva, Fiji
Tel:(+679) 3312921, Fax:(+679) 3304433, VHF Channel 16
www.rsyc.org.fj, rsyc@kidanet.net.fj
Close to Suva harbour Short walk to Walu bay (where most marine services facilities are located) and to Suva city. Concrete visitors moorings, dinghy dock, careening bay, 2 cradles and a slipway. The club will hold mail for incoming yachts. Facilities include restaurant and bar, b-b-q, book exchange, water, fuel, money exchange, ice, laundry, and showers. Chandlery. WiFi now available covering the anchorage (F$10 for 90 mins).

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