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Smoke and Roses - Living on the Hard is Hard



June 26 – July 6                                

Vuda Marina to Musket Cove, Fiji

I was surprised when Vuda Marina said they could haul our boat out the very next morning at 6:30 am, during high tide. Unfortunately the tide was misjudged and they could not get the trailer under our boat. The next morning the haul out was successful.  Although the boat was on the ground for seven days it felt much longer. Things fell into place at the end but took way more time and effort than it should have.

The people at Vuda Marina were great but they did not work on boats, so we got prices from several contractors including Yacht Help, Yuve Marine, Yacht Care, Summer Electric Services and Baobab Marine, who we had contacted nearly two months ago regarding our Yanmar engine which quit oiling. It was Thursday and Friday was a holiday so Baobab would not schedule work again until Monday. The manager encouraged us to use another company for our bottom work so it would be completed over the holiday and weekend. Baobab’s workers spent the day taking our engine apart and discovered the oil pump was not the problem. Claudia was coming from Florida to Join us from Fiji to Australia and we ordered a new oil pump for her to bring with. Due to delayed flights she arrived Friday instead of Thursday, but now the pump was not needed anyway. We ordered an inverter/charger form the US and it was also delayed due to shipping. Joseph from Yacht Care and his workers completed the bottom work over the weekend and when the owner of Baobab Marine found out that another company was working on the same boat he was, he went ballistic. The guy was insane, after taking our engine apart; he refused to fix it and threatened to knock Dan’s head off. The company was incompetent.

While all this was going on, Claudia and I did shopping for groceries, meat, wine and beer. (No liquor as the average bottle cost $100 US). One morning we visited the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. Nestled in a mountain valley there were acres of orchids and flowering plants. Walking through the Garden was the perfect way to enjoy some of Fiji’s tropical splendor and escape the chaos of the shipyard. Another day we borrowed paddleboards from JoJo’s Circus, although there was a lot of wind and current, I know under the right conditions I will enjoy paddle boarding.

The oil pick up had broken and needed welding and in spite of their boss the workers got it done and helped Dan put the engine back together. The inverter/charger showed up the day before the boat was scheduled to be put back in the water, so in addition to other numerous smaller repairs both the engine and new invertor are finally working.

While the boat was on the hard (on land) it was not level, so the interior doors did not close properly and still do not. The marina/boatyard was very dusty and dirty so every time we climbed the stepladder to board the boat, we brought lots of dirt on board. We could not use our bathrooms as we had no water to flush with also limited water for dishes or showers and the water would run out under the boat. The nicer, more secure bathroom facilities were a long walk from the boat. Dan purchased a transformer to convert the 220 power from the marina to 110 power for the boat but it did not work properly so we had limited power (electricity) on board. All this plus the stress of trying to get things done that we had no control of made a very hard week on the hard. The one thing that made it all bearable was having other ARC cruisers, whose boats also needed repairs, to socialize and dine with. Here we said goodbye to Roger and Elizabeth from Sweden, we will miss them.

It was great to have the boat floating again and we made it to Musket Cove in time to meet up with the fleet. Located on Malolo Lailai Island, just 15 nautical miles from Vita Levu, Musket Cove Marina/Yacht Club was within walking distance of many secluded beaches and beautifully protected bays. In addition to final preparations for the leg to Vanuatu, World ARC kept us busy with lots of fun activities. After evening Welcome drinks and BBQ, the next morning started with an early walk around the island, followed by fun afternoon games with blindfolded kayaking and volleyball. That evening was a Fijian Feast at Dick’s Place where we said goodbye to about 10 boats in the fleet who will not continue the circumnavigation. They are going their separate way, some with trips home and several planning to explore New Zealand. After sailing together for seven months we have made some great friendships, they will be missed.


Agnes Long


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