Monthly Archives: June 2013

R & R in Fiji

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"Villa Ladoux" where we spent the night with John and Lisa

Our own private pool

"I told you not to drink my beer!"

View from the Villa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight we spent the evening at Lisa and John’s “villa”. Again these guys found a sweet deal on a hillside villa complete with a private “dipping pool”. Spending our last evening together with these guys would have been memorable anywhere, but at their villa it was heavenly! They found this jewel nestled high in the hills overlooking the harbor entrance. Too bad the sky was overcast so there was no sunset.
No worries. We had a wonderful meal prepared by Bob and John after a nice dip in the pool. Followed by a fun evening of cards (did I tell you I- Ann- won?). Very relaxing! And much needed!
We also finally got into town and paid all of the fees for entering Fiji — the Customs overtime fees ($76), the Biohazard fee ($182) and $229 to the Ministry of Health. The current rate is $.54 Fijian to $1 US.
We also went to the Immigration Offices and released Lisa from our crew list. We no longer are “wanted” in Fiji for not paying our entry fees!

Seven Solid Hours

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Partially disassembled...

Injector pump on its way to Suva

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yup, head down on the engine. I’m getting a real lesson in diesel engine rebuilds here. Here’s a list of the stuff taken apart today.
-fuel lines. Not only the four hard lines but about six other soft ones to the fuel pump, return line, etc
-Four injectors, eight bolts and multiple other stuff to get these guys out
-Intake Manifold. Turns out while there are “only” three bolts that hold down the injection pump, one of them is inaccessible without removing the manifold. This also means dismantling the dipstick holder, throttle cable and air intake filter as well. Not part of the plan.
-Timing gear plate. Once I got to the three bolts that hold the injection pump on, I found that the pump shaft is pressed onto a timing gear that doesn’t come out. You can access it through an inspection plate and see it, but it won’t come out with the injection pump.
-injection Pump. Finally got access to this guy. As above, it wouldn’t just come out. It’s pressed onto the timing gear. I had to disassemble the timing gear box nut and then with hammer and punch, bang the shaft out.

OK, I won’t mention that I had to learn how to identify where “Top Dead Center” is on cylinder #1, because if you don’t somehow reassemble the thing with the same alignment when it comes back the engine will explode…or something probably much worse. All you have to do is get a mirror, slide it along the side of the engine to the hole in the bell housing and look for the little etched mark on the flywheel as you rotate the main shaft with your socket wrench. Huh?

OK, so the whole mess is now on its way to Suva. I have no clue where we go from here. I’m trying not to think about getting the thing put back together.

So…tomorrow, we’re taking a break since there’s nothing we can do now until the parts come back–hopefully in a couple weeks or sooner. In the mean time we’re going to paddle board and then spend the afternoon and evening with John and Lisa (at their Villa) before they have to fly back to NZ on Friday. I promise to get some pictures up in the next couple days. It’s just been nonstop the last few…

Still Fixing Stuff

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Contaminated fuel. It should be "clear" but instead was opaque and milky. Saltwater up the vent pipe.

A borrowed transfer pump made fast work of draining the tank so I could clean it and bleed the fuel lines of the contaminated fuel.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, the good news-as they say-is that we’re in Fiji. The bad news is that the entire fuel system has been contaminated with saltwater. Apparently one or more of the waves during the last couple days must have forced itself up through the fuel vent. I know that several slammed Charisma pretty hard. All the fuel is trash. It was a milky white/dirty brown looking mess when I opened up the tank inspection plate. I spent most of today working on draining it and cleaning the tank, while Ann was cleaning out lockers, drying them and cleaning the mold that develops on the wet, salty surfaces. Why do we do this you ask? I have no idea. It is so far from fun right now, I just can’t explain. And the money flows out–turns out I have to remove the fuel injection pump and all four injectors and send them to Suva,which is the closest city with services capable to recondition them. Cha Ching!

I have no idea how to take all this stuff apart much less put it back together, but that will be tomorrow’s problem. For now-sleep. We have had no let up in working on fixing all the stuff that got beat up from the crossing. Interestingly we’re now hearing from some other folks who left a week or so after us and they too are getting hammered by unexpected weather. There will be lots of stories to tell among the yachties in Fiji this year.

Pictures will come in the next couple days as I get sorted out. The key right now is to yank the parts and send them out-then we can chill for a while while we’re waiting to get them back-which I am very optimistically thinking might take a week. If only it goes that fast.

Oh, wait a minute—the head’s still broken. Oh well, we have been taking the dinghy ashore for that business. Requires a bit of planning, but we’re managing…

More importantly, today we celebrated Lisa’s 50th birthday. She volunteered to do the passage with us to document the big year. We think she got the “E” ticket ride, don’t you!

Arrival Fiji!

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Position: Savusavu, Fiji

We promised ourselves a shot of tequilla after we cleared customs. Yippeee!

Squall blowing past our new backyard in Savusavu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Ahhhhh, Fiji"

 

 

 

 

 

 

The seas are calm, the winds are gone. We are safely tied to a mooring ball in Savusavu. We have all had showers and smell much better. The boat is not totally put back together but getting there. We have made it to Fiji! Thirteen days of the toughest sailing we have seen to date. But we are here! We listened to the evening net on Blue Rodeo and heard our friends who are only about a third the way here checking in. How great to not be out there anymore! Our supportive thoughts go their way. Huge thanks again to Lisa who made the trip with us. Still don’t get why she decided to do this but it sure made it fun for all of us. She is a very talented sailor and beautiful person. We love you, Lisa. Thanks for the trip. Glad we could make your big birthday memorable! Our last morning was incredibly eventful but I am just too tired to explain it all. More to come!!

From Bob: We also paid a price on this passage. We broke the head (I have a kit with the proper part and that’s tomorrow’s project), both bilge pumps failed and this morning we found water up to the floorboards (yikes!) and used the dinghy pump and a bucket to get it down and the engine is smoking badly and blowing diesel out the exhaust and almost didn’t get us into the mooring. Oh, and the alternator bracket broke. We were smelling burning rubber (the vee-belt) and didn’t quite know that problem, but the engine smoke had our attention as we were trying to get in past the reef. Wow. I’ve never had so much stuff break in one trip. I’ll tell more detail about what’s is already fixed and what we’re planning to fix.

For now-sleep. Well, we’re actually retelling each other about the trip and drinking wine first. But we’re only going to last a little while longer now.