Passage to Fiji
This was a trying passage.
We had a few days of light weather - pleasant passage making but bedeviled by malfunctions.
All on one day:
• The new seal on the the waterpump that had been repaired in Moorea, suddenly started leaking badly.
Yo had bought a new pump in Oz. We changed the pump at sea and had surprisingly little problems removing the pulley from the old pump and affixing it to the new.
• Then, we had a leak into the engine bilge.
We tightened the stern gland. The leak continued. Eventually, on the hidden side of the engine we discovered a u-shaped metal pipe had been vibrating for years, against the side of the engine. Probably many years ago it had been badly installed by a mechanic.
We cut a length of hose and affixed it with a worm hose clip on the precise leaking point. Victory, but had to grease the arm to get into the confined space.
• Then the toilet lost suction. We had a back up plan. Out with the anchor wash hose. You simply pump seawater in with the hose while pumping out of the toilet.
A tropical trough had quickened up. We knew that by the 4th day we would face a strong nor' wester, smack on the nose.
Instead of sticking to Jimmy Cornell's recommended route we angled north and on dusk glided through the Oneata passage, with 2 steaks on the BBQ.
In our opinion this passage is perfectly safe. It cuts miles off the Cornell route, and in our case gave us 57 miles northing.
Once inside we angled rapidly to the north in the lee of the reefs and Lakemba island. It was a magic close reach in flat water.
From then on the wind kept increasing and backing. We close reached for many hours.
By the next afternoon, it was nearly hard on and a steady 25 and gusting to 30.
For the first time in our 33,000 odd mile world cruise, we decided to hove to and have a comfy dinner and sleep.
Jacana hove to well, with 2 reefs and a backed staysail, staying in her slick, and drifting to leeward at about 2 knots.
After 5 hours the slugs and bolt rope pulled out of the track. A bit of slick work saw the main down safely. We continued on under the staysail.
Our roller reefing system furls around the boom. The sail is flat and the shape comes from a Dacron insert, that slides into a metal track, and on the other has a plastic track to take the bolt rope. The bolt rope pulled from this plastic track.
At dawn we raised the main again. After an hour it blew out of the track again. No more main for this passage. We'll have to deal with this once we get to Suva.
Without a main it was a slow frustrating 30 hours to Suva, with the wind remaining on the nose for 20 of those hours.
Eventually the wind disappeared, the seas became as flat as a shit carter's hat, and we could motor direct to Suva, entering the well lit passage at 2100 hours and dropping the hook into top holding mud in the quarantine anchorage, adjacent to the Royal Suva Yacht Club.
Out with the tinnies, and pop the cork on a bottle of red and then bed. Now feeling ready to receive the Fiji customs and immigration welcoming committee. Everyone is most efficient. The Suva Yacht club was up early on the VHF organising those of us who needed clearance.
Already written our job list for the next 2 weeks. Who says you don't work your way around the world on a yacht?