Port Vila - General Info
Description:
Port Vila, the Capital of Vanuatu, is a sheltered anchorage for yachts with one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the world. It lies on the SE side of the island of Efate (Shefa).
Cruiser Highlights:
Marine businesses here have worked hard together to make Port Vila a yachtie welcoming place with good repair facilities. The Port Vila boatyard has recently been upgraded and offers DIY options as well as full service, plus cyclone proof moorings. Old oil can also be disposed of at the boatyard.
There are good local medical services and Yachting World provides diesel, potable water, laundry and a dinghy dock. The Waterfront Bar and Grill ( on the Marina ) will be your ‘Home away from Home’ and the Cruisers Corner is the place to meet other sailors.
Vanuatu has banned single use plastic bags, straws and takeaway food containers. Make sure you have suitable bags with you when going shopping.
Entrance Notes and Cautions:
A +- 5 meter deep +- 50-meter wide channel has been dredged through the previously shallow area south of Iririki Island, between Iririki Island and the Port area. This Channel is to the south of Iririki. This means that yachts with a draft of over three meters or a mast taller than 20 meters can now get access to the inner harbour from Pontoon Bay and around the south of Iririki Island through the new deep passage, also bypassing the overhead power line which was previously restricting access (for tall masts) to the inner harbour and also to Yachting World’s seawall and mooring area. The new deepwater channel now has channel markers fitted.
Note: Due to increasing commercial activity, in Pontoon Bay and also the South part of Paray Bay, any yachts intending to use the channel must obtain permission from the Harbourmaster by calling Port Vila Harbourmaster on VHF Channel 16 or 12 prior to entering Pontoon Bay and/or prior to making use of the channel from either side.
The new international wharf and container terminal has now been completed as have the improvements to Port Vila’s seafront.
As of July 2019, all vessels were banned from entering Havannah Harbour due to an infestation of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle. Click here for more details.
Position:
17° 44.51’S, 168° 17.52’E (entrance to the bay)
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Port Navigation
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More from Yachting World Marina:
Thank you all for your well wishes after the devastating hit we took from TC Judy and Kevin recently.
Whilst damage was sustained to a number of our buildings and roofs, as well as trees down etc., our wonderful staff have all chipped in and we were able to reopen #waterfrontbarandgrill which is very good news!
Whilst our old fuel pump should be functioning soon, we have a brand new one arriving in April.
Our sea wall is fully operational (we have a few yachts stationed comfortably on our sea wall right now) and mooring check/diving will be re-commencing in the hope of having all our moorings reinstated by the beginning of April.
We, as well as the Government authorities and resorts here, are all moving quickly to ensure Port Vila is cleaned up and repaired in time for the tourist season to begin at Easter.
Rest assured that all will be in order in time for the arrival of cruising yachts and our first rally in May. We are so looking forward to welcoming you all back in 2023.
Feedback from Elsie of Yachting World Marina, Port Vila, post Cyclones Judy and Kevin:
Gosh – you would never believe the devastation!! With one Cyclone followed by another – which was much more severe – most of our Staff have lost their houses! As it’s cyclone season there are no yachts around, so no damage there – I would not know the situation in the outer islands for yachts coming to Vanuatu. Here at Yachting World – in Port Vila – we hope to lift all our 37 moorings in the Harbour – and all of our moorings on the Marina – as soon as is possible – hopefully by 1st May – to accommodate yachts
arriving in Port Vila. The Yachting World Office building has lost most of its roof – but staff are
tying large tarpaulins – until we can repair it.
Port Vila customs are definitely NOT open on Saturday mornings, and if you arrive on Friday after 5pm expect to stay on your boat all weekend until they open the office again on Monday morning!
I found out the hard way, “check with Noonsite, before getting work done here”. A sail repair I had done here in Port Villa from a sailmaker OTHER than the one listed, turned out to be a very expensive affair. Recommendations following the job came too late. Erik has a good rep, go with him.
Mele Bay – Hideaway Island is not a safe anchorage.
While it’s fine in good weather overnight or as a day Anchorage, unless one gets very close to shore it’s actually too deep to anchor there, then if a westerly comes through a vessel will then get dangerously close to shore. Not a place to leave a vessel unattended.
The Beach Bar is great fun but they now do have a jet-ski operator there.