Anchorage
ANCHORAGE
All the anchorages are exposed to wind and seas. The bottom is composed of mud and sand and the holding is considered average. The Pilots indicated during the site visit in November 2002 that 30 kt winds or above could cause a ship to drag anchor.
Anchorages are located west of the Port at 17°35.75'S 177°25.5'E and 17°36.65'S 177°24.8'E. Depths at those anchorages are approximately 78.7 ft (24 m) and 65.6 ft (20 m), respectively. The Quarantine Anchorage, as shown on NIMA Chart # 83574, is centered at about 17°36.2'S 177°25'E and is 1.1 nmi west of Vio Island with depths of 72.2-78.7 ft (22-24 m).
For ships at anchor, liberty boats normally take 15 to 20 minutes from the ships to the Fleet Landing at the landward end of Queen's Wharf South Face. See Figure I-3. Small water taxis from commercial companies are used as liberty boats.
There are 5 mooring buoys located in the vicinity of the Port. The mooring buoys can be used by fishing boats and other small vessels but are not considered strong enough for Navy ships during strong winds or hurricanes.
Source: http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/port_studies/thh-nc/fiji/lautoka/text/sect4.htm
