We rolled into Nawi Marina at around 2:00 a.m. local time. Just as promised, someone came out in a little boat to guide us in… although they accelerated into the darkness (or back to their own beds) so quickly that we lost them within about 30 seconds. Apparently, “follow me” is open to interpretation. Fortunately, finding the dock wasn’t nearly as dramatic as it first seemed, and about 15 minutes later we were safely tied up and diving into bed.

Five other yachts had arrived after 4:00 p.m. the day before, so we had to wait our turn for the first officials to come and complete the arrival formalities. Given that we still looked—and felt—as though we’d been awake for a week, sitting around drinking coffee wasn’t exactly a hardship.

Clearing into Fiji involves visits from four different departments, all of whom were incredibly friendly and welcoming. Once the official stamps were collected, we were finally released… and the pirates wasted no time launching themselves into the marina pool. With nighttime temperatures dropping to a positively Arctic 17°C (at least by our current standards), the water felt freezing. Amazing how quickly living in 29°C tropical water resets your definition of “cold.”

In the evening we hopped aboard the marina’s little shuttle boat across to Savusavu for dinner and were instantly swept into the hustle and bustle of this little town. What a change from the sleepy pace of the Cook Islands and French Polynesia! We intended to explore… but after about 24 hours of sailing, paperwork and very little sleep, our enthusiasm surrendered before our feet did.

Yesterday, Akuna checked herself into the floating spa. She enjoyed her first proper deep skin high pressure wash and tightening of the trampolines by Mark, and I gave the engines a well-earned massage. After surviving another passage with 30-plus knots of wind, plenty of enthusiastic wave-slamming and still happily charging along at over 8 knots, she deserved every bit of pampering. We inspected everything afterwards and found… absolutely nothing wrong. No creaks. No cracks. No complaints. Frankly, she’s making the rest of us look a little soft – what a fantastic boat she is!

The pirates, meanwhile, were busy reviewing the marina facilities and unanimously awarded Nawi Marina’s showers the title of “Best Showers on the Planet.” Each shower room comes with its own private courtyard, which apparently elevates the whole experience to luxury resort status. The verdict was so positive that the boys insisted on having a second shower after dinner—something I never thought I’d witness voluntarily.

Today’s mission is more boat jobs before hopefully hauling Akuna out next week. Once she’s on the hard, the boys and I will head off to explore the island while Mark supervises the polishing of the hull—a project we’ve been looking forward to ever since we bought her. If all goes to plan, Akuna will come out looking like she belongs on the front cover of a yacht magazine… and we’ll continue looking like the hardworking crew who made it happen.