Hi
from Clare, 1-2019 Returning to Fiji 23rd
May 2019
We
are very glad to be back in beautiful Fiji enjoying wonderful sunny
skies, sparkling seas, a warm breeze and the friendly Fijian people.
We are now at anchor in Saweni Bay three miles north of Vuda Marina
where we left Eye Candy in a pit for the cyclone season.
It
took three weeks of hard work to get Eye Candy back in the water. But
rather than bore you with all the details, I hope the following
photos will tell the story.
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| The deck then |
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| The deck today |
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| The Saloon then |
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| The Saloon today |
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| Bird nest in the cockpit then |
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| The cockpit today with new cushions |
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| Polishing |
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| Changing the sail-drive seals |
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| Removing the masking tape - very satisfying |
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| Ready to launch |
WHAT
WENT WRONG
We
had some ups and downs along the way but everything worked out OK.
It started the first day we arrived, the heat and humidity hit us as
soon as we disembarked from the plane. I commented to Andrew how
glad I was that we had paid for five nights accommodation in a room
at the marina. At least we would have that time to get the boat in
order, acclimatise to the heat and humidity and retire at night in
air conditioned comfort. Great plan but wrong. Somehow the Marina
Office had double booked the room and it was not available and all
other marina accommodation was fully booked. I was very down and just
getting used to the idea that we were stuck with the upheaval on the
boat when the Manager discovered a three day cancellation for one of
the marina cottages. He was most apologetic for the mix up, he
refunded our money and let us have the cottage free of charge. It
was an absolute blessing.
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| The cottages |
HARD
YAKKA
Work
on the boat was hard as we are not getting any younger. We found the
tropical climate exhausting but fortunately Eye Candy was one of the
few boats in the work yard that was shaded by a large tree. We think
the shade of the tree during the hot summer helped considerably.
When we returned the condition inside the boat was perfect with no
mould, mildew, bugs or unpleasant odours. The shade also meant we
could work on the boat all day where as many others had to quit
during the heat of the day and return again later in the afternoon.
Labour here is very cheap and so we employed some help to sand off
the old anti fouling before we painted the bottom of the boat with
one coat of primer and two coats of new anti foul. The local guy who
sanded Eye Candy used to play Rugby and has a reputation for being a
very good player. He had huge shoulders arms and legs and worked non
stop. Andrew said he could just imagine him on the Rugby field, he
would go all day and never give an inch. One of the other workers
told us he e was a very dangerous man on the field. He was a new
worker in the yard and a thoroughly likeable guy. Eye Candy was the
first boat he had sanded, he took photos of the three of us in front
of his sanding job, but I think he was a bit miffed when after all
his hard work we spent the next two days repainting his sanding job
with anti foul again.
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| The road behind our boat after a tropical downpour |
HOW
TO SURVIVE
A
tropical downpour brought more humidity and mosquitoes. My memory is
being bitten every day but Andrew commented that the mosquitoes
weren’t too bad. Thanks to screens on all openings, a large can in
of Mortein and fans on the boat we managed to sleep peacefully each
night. We also used three cans of Aero guard in three weeks, that’s
a record for me:) I didn’t cook on the boat for the three weeks as
this would have heated the boat up too much. Fortunately the marina
restaurant sold wonderful meals at reasonable prices and there was a
special every day at lunchtime. The marina cafe also sold three
different types of delicious salad each day which we often purchased
for dinner. We enjoyed the company of Dutch friends Hanny and
Jacob who were also busy working on their boat, Jonas. We sometimes
met for a meal at the restaurant and often for a cold beer in the
late afternoon on the verandah outside the cafe. They left the marina
about a week before we did but I am sure we will meet again before
long.
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| Andrew with Jacob and Hanny waiting for lunch |
A
FEW PROBLEMS
Andrew
has been working on a leak in the water maker which he has fixed for
now. It may require a new part from the US but we have had good
service for thirteen years so we can’t complain.
The
Mercury outboard is lacking in power and although Andrew and a well
regarded local mechanic have exhausted every possibility including
replacing parts, the problem still remains a mystery. The local
mechanic said it is the only outboard he has not been able to fix.
As a result, he didn’t want to be paid for his labour.
Refreshingly he took responsibility for solving the problem. Andrew
insisted on payment and eventually they came to an agreement.
DAILY
LIFE IN FIJI
I
have been busy shopping and re provisioning the boat. The bus trip
into town is quite something. The Fijian roads are muddy when wet and
dusty when dry. Some buses have no windows and so on dusty days
white slacks are a disaster. The bus stop in Lautoka is chaos.
Around thirty buses angle park and then have to reverse out and drive
along behind the parked buses to leave the area. When angle parked
they don’t turn the engines off, I think for fear they may not
start again, instead they sit idling and revving the engine. The
diesel fumes are overpowering. It is quite confusing as some of the
newer buses have electronic signs displaying their destination,
others have nothing. However we have received lots of help from the
Fijian people to ensure we catch our correct bus. I suppose we stick
out a bit being white, but the Fijian people are very helpful and
cheerful.
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| The Lautoka fish market |
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| Fruit and vegetable market |
The
daily market is packed with local fruit and vegetables. Some vendors
have a counter, other just spread out a cloth, arrange their produce
and then sit on the ground. The prices are very cheap eg 4 pineapples
$3.50 AUD, 5 papaya $2 AUD, passionfruit 10 cents, apples 30 cents,
bananas $1 for a bunch of 10, most root vegetables $1 a kilo.
However imported goods in the supermarket are sometimes two or three
times more expensive than at home. The local products are much
cheaper but not always to our palate. I haven’t found any pork or
beef, no packaged bacon or tinned shoulder ham. We have been living
on frozen chickens and fish from the fish market.
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| Peaceful Saweni Bay |
SO
WHAT’S NEXT
We
are currently anchored in Saweni Bay on the north east corner of Fiji
in flat calm conditions. There is a tropical low causing rough seas
and high winds on the south east side of the island. However we think
we will head out tomorrow and find another quiet bay and a change of
scenery. Once the weather clears we will make a plan for the season.
Until then we will just relax and enjoy.
Love
Candy xx
