Lautoka (Vuda Point Marina) - General Info
Fiji's Favourite Yacht Haven: Vuda Marina is the official Noonsite marina partner for Fiji. Vuda Marina is the largest marina facility in Fiji and provides 150 inwater berths and over 150 hardstand spaces. It is now serviced by a 63 Tonne Wise Travel Hoist and a 40 Tonne Roodberg Multihull Trailer.
The Marina is also home to The Boatshed Restaurant - a restaurant popular with both the locals and visiting yachties from around the world.
Contact Vuda Marina on Ph: +679 666 8214 M: +679 776 8214 or info@vudamarina.com.fj. Visit us at https://www.vudamarina.com.fj
CloseWhere is Lautoka?
The town of Lautoka lies on the northwest coast of the main Fijian island of Viti Levu. It is in the heart of the sugar cane growing area which gives it the name of ‘Sugar City’. Lautoka is a big city by Fijian standards and has many large supermarkets, hardware stores, and department stores.
Most yachts base themselves at Vuda Marina which is about 20 minutes out of town. This is a unique commercial marina complex, operating as a hub for yachts traveling throughout the South Pacific. It is conveniently located at Vuda Point, which is situated on the western end of Viti Levu between Nadi International Airport and Lautoka city.
Entrance Notes or Cautions for Lautoka:
Vuda Marina is accessible through a reef channel 25m wide, the marina entrance is marked with beacons and green leading lights and is easily arrived at by approaching the highly visible British Petroleum storage tanks from the southwest. It is not recommended that a night entry is attempted unless familiar with the approach.
Before you enter the Marina channel, contact the Marina via VHF16 and call clearly “Vuda Marina, Vuda Marina, Vuda Marina. This is vessel “xyz” and await further instruction. Fluent English spoken. Once you are advised that the channel is free of any traffic, enter the main basin and pick up the white buoy while you wait for berthing instructions.
Lautoka Wharf is about 7nm NE of the marina entrance channel.
Cruiser Highlights for Lautoka:
Lautoka has much to offer in the way of chandleries and hardware, maintenance and repair facilities, and shore services. Vuda Marina has a lively bar and restaurant that is a good place to meet other cruisers, swap stories, and enjoy live music.
Vuda Marina has a Severe Weather Preparation Plan and cyclone pits for cyclone season.
Position:
17º41.04’S, 177º23.02’E ( marina entrance channel).
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We will arrive to Vuda soon and will store our sailboat in a cyclone pit for the season. Yard manager is telling us that using a dehumidifier is unnecessary.We loved the results of having one last year in Raiatea. Has anyone used one, or not used one, at the cyclone pits and has advice for us on this matter? Thank you!
Geoff s/v Un Mundo
A note on vendors and services at Vuda. There are many to choose from, some more skilled than others but none are boaters but claim expertise, so be aware. The rates are currently about the same as in NZ but quality isnt, even though cost of labor is quite low. The only vendors that are truely experienced marine professionals are the rigger and the canvas/sailmaker. Their rates are also surprisingly reasonable. The local mechanic is OK. Capable for most tasks but a bit rough handed. His background isnt marine but most likely heavymachinery/buses. Good for an emergency fix but lacks the background or knowledge for proper repairs. . Fiji is a good place to work on the boat just don’t expect much and you won’t be disapointed.
Kevin Rush says:
Jan 18, 2019 02:16 PM
Vuda Marina, I am happy to give a very positive recommendation to Ritesh Kumar, an independent mechanic. For us, he did an excellent job servicing and repairing diesel engines and finding an issue with an outboard that the local authorized dealer had not been able to diagnose. He stays with the job until it is complete, working late and on weekends if necessary. His rates are very competitive and he is straightforward to deal with. See listing above for contact details.
I would like to recommend KRISHNA YACHT SERVICES as diesel engine mechanical In Vuda Marina Fiji. Director/engineer Ritesh Kumar made a very professional job on my sailing boat, finding and resolving a problem which other mechanical didn’t could resolve before. So, we are really happy with his job (Ritesh Kumar contact details listed above).
We have been in Fiji for 3 years. Vuda Marina is our home base and we love it. However, it is unique in its design with all the boats being moored in a circle. When entering you will be met by staff in a long boat to guide you to your spot. You will need 2 EXTRA long stern lines, in addition to 2 bowlines. Give the stern lines to the guy in the boat. He will attach then to the mooring ball in the centre. Give the bow lines to the dock staff who will tie them to rings on the wall. Boats are very close together to put out all the finders that you have
We arrived to Fiji early on a Sunday morning and contacted Lautoka Port Control on CH 12. They asked us to anchor just off the wharf and they contacted Customs for us. We anchored in 12ft near the lat/long spec’d above, about 50 meters off the wharf, between the wharf end and the large ship mooring buoy. After a few more contacts with Port Control, they told us no one from Customs was available.
We asked permission to move to the quarantine buoy off Vuds PT Marina for a Monday check-in. In trying to leave we found our anchor was solidly jammed into Lautoka port junk. Had to eventually get out the Hooka and dig the anchor out. Next time I’ll buoy the anchor. Check in at Vuda was straight forward, if a bit long and expensive.
Just returned from delivering a J133 from Melbourne (Aust) – cleared at Lautoka (Saturday, so no clearance at Vuda)and made our way to Vuda, who were expecting us (radioed ahead)- clapped and cheered by restaurant & bar staff as we were escorted into the small marina – staff took our lines and snugged us in.
These guys were fantastic – nothing was too much trouble – they even arranged for our laundry (13 days of serious weather meant everything was wet!) and had it washed, ironed and folded back to us within 3 hrs!! (3 lots of gear for $40!)As stated – staff were really attentive and helpful, organising airport transfers and refuelling without an issue. The restaurant was great, beer was frosty and prices very reasonable – The owner is thinking of leaving the boat there over the cyclone season in the pits – rates were very attractive. Good facilities.Friendly. Helpful. Reasonably priced. Best I’ve marina I’ve encountered in….a long while.
Re: Comments from alexmack sv zangano about Vuda Marina are the result of him not listening to the Harbour Master giving directions and not properly steering, getting 90 degrees sideways in the slip, chopping off our mooring line, and fouling two marina moorings.
Fiji is a great country, and Vuda Marina is very secure (we went through T.CYCLONE EVAN with 110 knots of wind with no problems) and the staff are great, professional and always willing to help. You should visit!
After 3yrs in and out of Vuda Marina, as we tour Fiji, we have found it nothing short of Wonderful. In response to the listed comments about contractors, we have found them to be the same as in the states, you must watch and supervise them all. Yep, parts can be difficult, but aren’t we in the middle of the Pacific on somewhat remote islands? We have had many parts shipped in and found the customs and revenue departments to be honest and forthright about any fees. The layout of the marina can be a challenge if you refuse to listen to the harbour staff, but with their guidance and support, even on weekends, we have never had any issues coming and going from the docks.
Our personal experience while coming and going both on weekends and even after hours has been wonderful, as long as we call in to let them know our approximate time of arrival. I witnessed the incident that Alex is referring to; the lines on the well-marked bouys were not the issue. I do hope they win the awards for service and value because the staff here is one of the best we have encountered in our travels from the states.
The statement made on another post about “family” couldn’t be more accurate. They will always call you by name and give you a heartfelt BULA when they see you and help you with anything you can think to ask. Apologies for the rants, but I felt obligated to reply to such a partial, unfair post about a marina we have fell in love with.
My experience at Vuda Point has been fantastic. The folks here are wonderful to those who use this facility. It almost seems like family. It is not quite as upscale as some of the marinas I have visited, however its just plan good old fashion fun here. If you need help you can count on it from the folks who work here. The restaurant and cafe have great food.
The boatyard is easy to work in and day labour is available to help. Alex says above that parts are difficult to obtain and while that is true, its not the fault of the Marina. The customs agents are slow and freight moves slowly to and from Fiji. Getting parts and supplies is difficult but not impossible. Fiji and Vuda Point is a wonderful place and should be on every cruisers destination list.
The place is nothing short of disappointing. There are some “contractors” which are incompetent even for the simplest jobs, to get one of them to sand some rust and paint over is impossible, better do it yourself, you will save some money, you will do it faster and most importantly, you will do it right! Feels like everyone is just trying to get their hands in your pockets.
The marina itself is not all that good, instead of having fingers for the boats, all the boats go head on to the wharf and the boat is secured by ropes hanging in the water from buoys. There are plenty of leftover ropes for the propellers to get stuck on and if that happens on a weekend, you will have to wait until Monday for someone to come and get the rope out. To get spare parts means to order them from either New Zealand or Australia and that waits a week if you are fortunate. Fiji may be a nice place, but in my experience, feels like a very slow moving version of hell