Vuda Point, Fiji
July 4, 2006

(Wojo) So, what IS the "dirty old man club" of Vuda Point, Fiji? To get the real story of what it is and how it came to pass you need to track down [the mighty] Quinn Closson from sy Tequila. But in short it's a loose collection of single older guys hanging around the marina and living in the sun and surf of Fiji. They've all come from different places and walks of life but in the end they all ended up in the same place.

You might be asking "how can I join this club??" The hardest part is simply to get here. There are a few different options. You could either buy a yacht and sail her to Fiji -- I highly recommend a leisurely passage through Polynesia, the Cooks and Tonga. But you could just as easily pick up a yacht in New Zealand. The most stress free option, of course, would be to just show up in Fiji with $10,000 USD in hand and start knocking on hulls. You'd find a seller in no time.

What does it cost to live here as a dirty old man? You probably won't believe these numbers but here you go (all data in Fiji Dollars; at this time, roughly $1US = $2Fiji):

$180 Mooring Fees -- based on a pre-paid six month rate

$120 Food -- one roti meal a day from Sarah at Pacific Marine and maybe some Maggi noodles before sundown.

$100 Yacht club tab -- for at least one G&T a night. You'll probably buy a few shouts now and again too.

$100 Misc

$80 Beer money -- for at least two cases of Fiji Bitter per month.

Total montly expenses: $580 FJD (about $300 USD as off time of writing).

That's just the beginning. With a working cruising yacht your expenses go up a little but you'll double your pleasure. Vuda is just a couple hours from the Mamanucas islands (including Musket Cove). If you find you tire of life at Vuda you can easily live on a mooring ball at Malolo-Lailai for about $10 a night (free if you anchor). And if you want to just wander round for a month there are hundreds of islands here.

So the only real question is -- why anyone would want to be a dirty old man in nasty Mexico when you could live cheaper and more happily in Fiji??!!

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