We have successfully avoided marinas over the past 10 years–the last time we had to go in was in the Cape Verde Islands to have a shroud replaced. It’s not just a matter of saving money, we just don’t enjoy being in a berth: creaking lines, noisy neighbours with clanging and banging halyards, it’s hot, you can’t go swimming, the wind’s never from the bow and mosquitos invade the boat… We always find it astounding how many people spend lots of time (and money) in marinas and actively seem to enjoy it, even call it a “treat”.
Vuda marina is far away from the next town, there’s only one (badly stocked) chandlery and no supermarket, so going shopping means taking the bus (inconvenient with bags), or an overpriced taxi, but we got lucky and found a private taxi and did our shopping tours with Wise (nice and reliable guy, whatsapp +679 988 2254).
After we splashed we still had to wait for our watermaker that was being serviced, so we anchored outside Vuda point, but it’s an open anchorage and usually bouncy in some swell or wind-eddy over the mainland. We tried anchoring further inside the bay behind the pipelines and coming and goings of tanker ships (also noisy) and also spent a few days just north of the marina in Saweni bay, which is nicely protected in anything from E, S to W, but open to the north, so we had to flee a few times. In between we went back into the marina to go alongside and have our watermaker delivered as repaired–only to send it back with new/old/more problems. Yesterday we sailed over to Musket Cove, even though the watermaker issue is still not quite resolved, but we simply wanted to get away for a while.
