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End of sailing season: we're leaving the boat in Fiji... Vlog 120
April 17, 2026 · 26 min · 5K views · Fiji
Sailboats moored in Fiji marina under rainy sky
What this video covers
Tom and Anissia leave their boat at Vuda Marina in Fiji for the cyclone season — roughly four months — and walk through the full layup procedure. A marina inspector visits two days before departure to verify a point-by-point checklist: the engine must be operational, the anchor chain rigged and ready for marina staff to use as a cyclone mooring, and all seacocks closed.▶ 0:17 Tom explains how to manually operate the electric water pump with shore power off, and leaves two keys — one at the marina office, one with a caretaker who checks every two weeks.▶ 5:47 Mooring lines are doubled at the stern and secured to chain on the dock; the dinghy is lashed as if underway.▶ 7:41 Dehumidifiers go in the sinks, toilet bowls are rinsed with fresh water and filled with a layer of oil, and a cockpit cover is fitted to protect the varnished cockpit.▶ 11:27 Tom compares in-water storage to hard-standing: the marina charges just over €400 per month afloat, roughly 20% less than the yard; in-water storage runs cooler, reducing condensation, and eliminates termite risk for the boat's wooden structure, though rigging is more flexible in the water than on the hard.▶ 3:58 The boat carries no cyclone insurance in Fiji — a known, accepted risk.▶ 2:24 The return flight via Los Angeles and Frankfurt arrives nine hours late, triggering a potential €600-per-person EU compensation claim.▶ 19:46
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