Cruising Guides - Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia

[Wannabe 0]

Heading off to the islands soon and haven't had the time to read up on where we are going... I'm keen to obtain some reasonably current cruising guide/s for Fiji, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia.

 

I have Jimmy Cornells cruising destinations and some online stuff, but nothing I can sprawl out on the deck and read on passage.

 

If you have something lying around that you would be willing to part with let me know what you want for it.

 

 

Thanks! 

[Jon 359]

I just cut and pasted everything I could find online from sites like noonsite, cruisers forum etc plus wiki that I could find for the next few countries I was heading for

Saved them on my IPad but laptop would do also, then I'd just read up when on watch the last few nights out

Saved having to buy and carry all the paper versions

 

But beware that not everything on the internet is always 100%

Unbelievable ah, I know

[Wannabe 0]

Yep, I've got all the Noonsite pages and a bunch of other stuff saved... but nothing beats actually browsing through a book...

I've just noticed that the 2016 "Fiji Shores & Marinas" book is available for free from a few places in NZ. I'll pop in there and pick one up.

[too_tall 15]

Rocketguides for Vanuatu and New Cal come highly recommended. I hope they are good - will be there in a coupla weeks ex Fiji. Looking through them having installed them on Monday, they have a lot of information on both navigation and also a "what to do" guide in the various places, lots of information to sift through.

 

For fiji, use OpenCPN with the google earth "charts" as they are more accurate than most charts we had. Specially more so than the Navionics or Cmap ones for our plotter and on tablets which would have had us high and dry many a time.

 

Nothing beats a keen set of eyes and a conservative speed through the reefs though. 

 

On that note, does anyone know of OpenCPN charts for Vanuatu or New Cal ( be they proper charts or the google earth "charts"?)

[Wannabe 0]

Thanks. From memory, the Rocketguides for both is something like $500, and what I really want is something with pages that I can relaxedly browse through. I get sick of staring at a computer screen - especially in the tropics.

 

I have OpenCPN with SOME GE 'charts'. I haven't gone through the complex / laborious process of creating my own, but have sourced some from other people. I'll have another looksee while I still have Internet available.

The legitimate source for OpenCPN charts is LINZ and has charts for FIji and New Cal.

Most of my GE 'charts' come from here: http://www.svsoggypaws.com/GECharts/index.htm

 

I have Navionics charts on a tablet, and older ones on the plotter.

 

I must say that cruising around Fiji doesn't sound very relaxing... by all accounts you can't move a mile without a cloudless sky and a hot wife on the spreaders.