Initial Take on Tropical Cyclone Winston

On Saturday, February 20, 2016, Tropical Cyclone Winston roared over Fiji.  By the time it made landfall, it was a killer Category 5 storm, the worst one to have ever hit Fiji and the worst one ever in the Southern Pacific.  We were in New Zealand at the time reading the reports with great concern.  Sustained winds at almost 200mph slammed down destroying buildings and island infrastructure.  Whole islands were awash with villages leveled and swept out to sea.  How can a poor island nation like Fiji recover?

From a purely self-interest perspective, we were faced with the question:  Do we continue with our plans to sail to Fiji in April or should we choose another island nation?  We talk to our Kiwi friends, especially to Lyn and John Martin who will be running a rally to Fiji in May.  Should we go?  Not only do we not want to be an added burden, we do not want to endanger ourselves in any way that might be called foolhardy.  The answer?  Go!  Within 48 hours of the cyclone, the Martins were receiving emails from their Fijian contacts who were expecting the rally to arrive.  “Come, please.  We want you.  We will be ready for you.  We need you!”  A vital part of Fiji’s economy is its tourist industry, and the annual influx of cruisers is a part of that economy, especially on the smaller, more remote islands.  We are also told that, for Pacific nations, dealing with cyclones is a way of life.  The people are resilient, and they get themselves and their nation back to working order far faster than we would imagine.  With some minor reservations, we stay with our plan to sail to Fiji.

Not all of Fiji was hit equally by Tropical Cyclone Winston.  Viti Levu with the tourist-oriented city of Nadi and its several marinas was relatively unscathed.   We find out that Denarau Marina, where we will be leaving Avante in June, was open for business as usual the next day.  It was on southern Venua Levu and the islands off its south coast that the full force of Winston was expended, and it will be to Savusavu, on the southern coast of Venua Levu, that we will sail for initial Customs clearance.  We hear there was destruction in the town and on the many boats that were moored in its harbor, but we have no first hand accounts.  Two months will have elapsed by the time we arrive.  The Copra Shed Marina, which we will use, is fine, we are told, and mooring balls will have been checked for holding.  We are told that local restaurants will have gotten their doors open, for they need business.  The small grocery stores will have been restocked and the daily “Farmers’” market will be up and running.  We should be able to obtain the produce we will need to cruise for 2 months.  It may take a while for the tree fruits like papaya and bananas to come back, but they will.  All this we are told, but we know nothing for certain.  What we will find when we get there remains to be seen.

——————————————————————————————————————–

Friday, April 15th – 1800 – At the end of our passage, we rounded the reef into the wide bay where 5 miles down the coast lies the city of Savusavu off which we will anchor pending Customs clearance.

Grey fades into black, but with radar showing the shore line, we are comfortable slowly motoring down it.  Our concern is not our course.  Could there be debris still from Winston floating out there unmarked and unseen?  A loose mooring ball, a hefty piece of wood from a construction site, a partially sunken boat that had not been cleared away yet?  The First Mate is sent to the bow with a high-powered flashlight to shine on anything she sees amiss.  We continue slowly across the dark and quiet waters.

To our surprise, the coast line is strung with the lights of homes and businesses, and we can see cars moving down the roads.   Not recalling that much civilization from our first visit here 5 years ago, we wonder whether this is a sign of economic growth or our faulty memories.  Either way, the bright lights are a reassuring sight.

2000 – We arrive safely at the anchoring spot.  We are wet, tired, stinky dirty and hungry.  First order of business is gin and tonics to celebrate our arrival.  Second is to take 2 much-needed showers.  Third is to make dinner.  No pasta mush tonight!  Chicken breasts, buttered potatoes and broccoli.  Simple, but elegant.  Fourth:  to bed for a full night’s sleep.  In the morning, we will get our first real visuals of the impact of TC Winston.

The various Customs Officers start arriving almost immediately.  There’s the Ministry of Health, the Customs Boarding Officers and Bio-Security.  Each time talk about Winston enters the conversation, and each time we learn a little more.  As expected, broken glass, siding and roof parts were everywhere, but an amazing sight was how brown everything was after the storm.  The whole area was practically denuded of green vegetation.  Brown, nothing but brown, is what remained over the countryside.  Blown palm fronds, no leaves, no grass.  Winds such as they endured will do that.  The surprising thing is that 2 months later, the green is back, and everything looks just about normal.  It is amazing how the vegetation on these cyclone-prone islands has adapted to survive.  

Over the following days, we hear confirmed that 44 people died in the storm.  Many were injured, and as happens through negligence or stupidity, many of the injuries were avoidable.  Tourists at a nearby hotel up on the hill were badly cut by flying glass when they refused to heed instructions to shelter in the enclosed bathrooms.  Instead, they chose to lay around on their beds, in their rooms, watching the storm rage until the plate glass windows were blown out and into their rooms.  Flying shards led to deep cuts and stitches. 

We hear accounts of the smaller, remote islands where the destruction was most severe.  Many were completely inundated.  Towns were washed away.  Resorts were flattened with not a stick remaining when the waters receded.  The island of Koro took a direct hit erasing whole villages.  Many of its residents have fled to Suva or other main land spots with no intention to return.  There is nothing to return to for them.  With so many dead animals on the island, health officials were forced to put it under quarantine, and it was 8 weeks before that could finally be lifted.

.

.

.

.

.

Around the world, there are spots where cruisers, especially those on a shoestring budget, tend to hang out, and Savusavu is one of them.  We would never leave our boat here during the cyclone season because the risk is too great and our insurance provider would not cover us here.  However, most of the cruisers hanging out here don’t have insurance. It is too expensive so they take the risk, and what a risk they take because, for most of them, their boat is their only home!  They have sold their homes in whatever country they are from, have minimized their ties back there and are spending their lives just cruising with no plans to return until health makes them, and that is an eventuality many refuse to think about or for which to plan.  This is mentioned because some of these damaged boats will either never get fixed or just get marginally fixed because the owners do not have the money or the resources. We see sides scraped of paint, stanchions torn out, windows broken, etc.  It is truly sad, but this is the gamble they take remaining in a cyclone prone area during cyclone season.  Living is cheap and easy here, and that’s a good part of the reason for the decision.  The “herding” instinct probably comes into play, too, for the social community of cruisers living here is quite active and strong.

Thus, 2 months after horrific TC Winston, it is business as usual in Savusavu.  We are mightily impressed with the manner and speed at which the residents of Savusavu got themselves, their homes, their businesses and their lives back up and  going after this deadly cyclone.  We are welcomed here in Savusavu.  “Bula”, Hello, they all say with a wide smile on their faces, and we readily respond the same.