An abandoned yacht found drifting off Cakaudrove was secured at a nearby village foreshore on Sunday, and villagers have urged authorities to investigate its origin and ownership.
A local diver first spotted the yacht earlier today in waters near Udu Point in the Tawake area, according to a social media post that circulated this afternoon. The post provided the phone contact of the village headman and asked relevant agencies to respond, describing how community members moved to secure the vessel before it washed ashore or became a navigation hazard.
Villagers anchored the yacht at the Yasawa Village foreshore, where it is now under the care of the village headman. Those who inspected the vessel reported that there were no passengers or crew on board. Food supplies and a number of documents were found inside the yacht; the social media post did not specify the nature of the documents nor whether identifying papers were among them.
The discovery has been reported to the Fiji Police Force, the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service and the Fiji Navy, the post said. Village residents are awaiting the arrival of officers from those agencies to carry out a formal inspection, secure any evidence and determine the next steps for the vessel. At the time of the report, authorities had not publicly confirmed a timeline for their response.
Community members said they acted quickly to prevent the yacht from drifting into reefs or creating a hazard for local small craft. By anchoring the vessel at the foreshore and notifying law enforcement and maritime authorities, villagers aim to ensure that any safety risks are managed while ownership and the circumstances of the abandonment are established.
Abandoned or derelict vessels can raise several concerns, including environmental hazards, potential smuggling, or the possibility of missing persons. The involvement of police, customs and the navy suggests authorities will assess the yacht for those risks and attempt to trace its recent movements through documents found on board. Villagers have called for a prompt on-site investigation and clear communication about the outcome once officials have examined the yacht.
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