WEsailvideo
Our First Official CYCLONE After 7 Years of Sailing
June 3, 2026 · 29 min · 34K views · Fiji
Outboard motors float beside catamarans in calm marina
What this video covers
Erica and Warren aboard their sailboat ride out Category 1 Tropical Cyclone Vianu at Vunda Marina on the western side of Viti Levu, Fiji, on April 6, 2026 — their first official cyclone after seven years of cruising.▶ 7:53 They had been provisioning for a month-long trip to the Lau group when the warning issued; they left Denarau Marina and returned to Vunda specifically because it offers better protection than Denarau.▶ 1:29 The marina's central cyclone-prep procedure requires every boat to remove its anchor and pay out chain to divers, who attach it to a large central cinder block mooring.▶ 2:29 Warren rigs fenders with lines strung between neighboring boats to prevent fenders from popping.▶ 2:08 The cyclone tracked roughly 300 km offshore west of Nandi before shifting slightly east; the closest approach came around 3–4 p.m. Peak gusts at the marina reached 50 knots, with sustained winds of 45 knots, heavy rain, coastal inundation warnings, storm surge, and wave heights up to 4.5 meters forecast for open water.▶ 16:42 PredictWind provided the track data they monitored throughout.▶ 14:32 The marina reached capacity and held a pre-storm briefing covering expected conditions and evacuation procedures.▶ 6:31 Erica notes that marina staff's proactive chain-rigging protocol and the protected berth made the experience far less severe than several previous open-anchorage storms they had endured in stronger winds.▶ 22:24
More from WEsail
From WEsail — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.