Fiji's navy says three of the crew are accounted for, but five are still missing.
Local media says their chances of survival have been greatly reduced.
A New Zealand Air Force Orion aircraft has also been helping in the search for the remaining five men.
"How can leadership be so callous and so uncaring about the people?"
Many areas of the Fiji islands had been inundated.
Cyclone Ana has developed into a category 2 storm, with winds gusting up to 140km/h, as it moves onto Fiji's Viti Levu.
The cyclone has dropped to category 1, but the damage is done.
A local man ran with his wife and two kids as the roof was ripped off their house.
24,000 Fijians have been forced into evacuation centres.
