The Bligh Water

Sailing through history chasing Captain Bligh 237 years later.

Roam at anchor in Yadua Island's Cukuvou Harbour. Looking out over the Bligh Water.

In 1789, Lieutenant William Bligh, having been cast adrift by the mutineers on the Bounty, sailed through these waters in a small open boat with two canoes of Fijian warriors in hot pursuit. Bligh feared the Fijians wanted him for dinner. Not as a guest¹.

He and his motley crew escaped with the help of a fresh breeze and the cover of a rain squall. But not before crudely charting the area. Early charts labeled the group 'Bligh's Islands'; the passage itself became 'Bligh Water,' and that's what appears on the charts today

William Bligh. *Image Credit: Alexander Huey, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons*

Here we are 237 years later, following his route. Like Bligh, we came to Fiji from Tonga. And like Bligh, we leave it through the Bligh Water, bound for the northern tip of the Yasawas — for us the last leg of a circumnavigation of Fiji, for him the start of 3,600 miles to Timor and passage home.

The Bligh Water defines the northwestern reaches of Fiji.

We enjoyed spectacular sailing through the Bligh Water and around Vatu i Ra reef. The reef defines the navigation challenges of the area. We dug the Code Zero sail out of the sail locker and flew it without the main.

The Vatu i Ra reef dominates the sail through the Bligh Water. We sailed a conservative course around it rather than through it.

We stopped in Volivoli on Fiji's main island, Viti Levu. It gave us a chance to pick up some groceries and fresh vegetables in the town of Rakiraki.

The Volivoli Beach Resort is a famous, yacht-friendly dive resort. It was a nice place to eat ashore. I got a chance to dive the Vatu i Ra marine park with them. The marine park is on the (long) list of highly sought-after dive spots in Fiji. Ra Divers is a well-run operation.

A few days later, we sailed across the Bligh Water again. This time to the island of Yadua [YAN-do-uh]. There we found possibly the most beautiful snorkeling reef in all of Fiji. It rivaled Tahanea in French Polynesia.

The reef in Cukuvou Harbour, Yadua Island. Taken from the surface. Proof you don't have to go deep to find great sea life in Fiji.

We had mixed conditions on Yadua. Two calm days. The rest windy. There isn't much land protecting the main anchorage. Once the reinforced trade winds settled in, we got blasted all day and night. The relentless roar drove us out, and we sailed the final push across to the northern tip of the Yasawa Islands – the northwestern corner of Fiji.

Having now sailed some of Bligh's route, I am suitably awed. We had Starlink, satellite images, an induction cooktop, flush toilets, and an Apple HomePod. Bligh had a pocket watch, a compass, and a sextant. What a stud.

A Few Photos

*Roam* at anchor off Volivoli on Fiji's largest island, Viti Levu. It's been nearly a year since she was here.

The load-out. With nearly 60 divers waiting to board, I wasn't sure how this would go. But it was a great experience. Ra Divers is a well-oiled machine. Two groups of 6 divers on my boat, each with a dive master. We dove the "Garden of Eden" and "Black Magic Mountain" in the marine park.

Even modern electronic charts still pay homage to Bligh's Water. Our track from Yadua Island through the reefs to the tip of the Yasawas.

¹On the 28th of April, 1789, William Bligh was cast adrift along with 18 loyalist crew. Fletcher Christian and the Bounty's mutineers forced him and his crew into a small, overloaded open sailboat near Tonga. Bligh, not one to give up, sailed west and through the Fijian Islands.

He ultimately made it back to England and was promoted to the rank of Captain. He returned to the South Pacific three years later and successfully brought the breadfruit trees he sought on the first voyage to the West Indies. He again set to charting this area, further reinforcing his role in the nautical history of the Bligh Water.