Intention - A Mechanic's Special

Blog Entry February 29

Happy birthday to Lyle Simpson, long time between birthdays.

So many of the shortcomings of this boat  are just a part of its age and the lack of maintenance over the last two years.  Jim & Alice have been living on board for these two years but now Alice has gone and two new crew have arrived, first Lynda, a 45 year young adventurer with a goal to travel the world and no place to call home.  She moves about frugally and gave up a housesitting job to go sailing.  I’m afraid she now regrets it.  As we have said to each other, this ‘mechanic’s special’ is not ready to go cruising and not what either of us ‘signed on for’.  I know I could stay the month and help Jim fix the boat if he is serious about spending some decent money to do that.  If not, I would just have to go to the expense of changing my flight and come home early.  If Lynda decides to abandon ship, I think I would have to as well as I do not want to be a two person team, the way this boat is set up, navigating through reefs.  When he built this Crealock 37 in the 80’s in San Francisco, it would have been quite the boat and Jim is a capable ship’s master.  It may be hard for him to realize that his boat is in such need.

All running rigging needs to be replaced.  Jim plans to do that next year.

The fresh water pressure system has a difficult to fix leak and therefore it is shut down, no water to the head sink, all washing up, teeth brushing done in galley sink where there is a foot pump.

Galley stove has only one burner that works, doesn’t bother Jim, infuriates Lynda.  BBQ does not work.

Jib sail has significant UV damage and is in danger of ripping.

Wind direction, speed and boat speed gauges do not work.

Auto pilot does not work, hand steering only and no bimini to protect helmsman from sun or rain.

Washdown pump quit on first day meaning this crew member had to lift many heavy buckets of water to the deck to rinse off 110 feet of muddy anchor chain.  Head now in pieces to get at and repair this pump.

Back in port after 3 days out because batteries are old and will not hold a charge.  Need to use solar panels in the morning to charge battery enough to start the engine.

Controller for solar panels does not work so bypassed.

Two dead outboards hang on the aft rail and one borrowed outboard in the dinghy has been spluttering on a long trip up a muddy river in the rain.  That was when Lynda decided to stay with the friends we met and not return for a couple of days as we were to go back to Savusavu for repairs.

Bilge pump disconnected because it kept going off and waking Lynda.  Good job it was disconnected because the engine is leaking a lot of oil and water leaks in from somewhere as well, the bilge pump sends water and oil out to sea.  The local cronies on the dock say the best way to clean an oily bilge is to do it at night!!  (Nobody recycles anything here!)

Bunks are not suitable for guests.  Cushions are too thin.  Bunk space was sacrificed during building for more storage space.  Lots of that, all full of many things.  Lynda, the smallest, has the largest bunk and Don the largest, has a narrow port side seat.  First come, first served.  Neither bunk has what you could call a mattress.

No bug screens, they use mosquito coils which work well but Lynda reorganized storage and Jim can’t find them.

The engine compartment used to be walled off from the main cabin but repeated access has meant that much of the panelling is missing.  Jim says it allows the engine to cool better.  I pointed out that it warms the cabin with a sickening diesel smell.  Tough for whoever has to work below.  Relaxing below while under power is not possible.

Rat lines, which are steps up the rigging to reach the first spreader are required to spot reefs when in close proximity.  But the treads are brittle and cracked wood that must be replaced.  They would not take my weight and when Jim climbs them they slip and slide on the rigging.  It doesn’t concern him.

Low batteries have meant that we cannot run lights or cabin fans when away from the dock.  The last two nights were stifling in the hot cabin, unable to run the two fans.  Jim in the V berth and Lynda across from me both snore.  I can’t lie on my back, bench too narrow so I can’t respond by snoring back.

I was asked to fix the stove which firstly needed serious cleaning.  While I could get a wee glimmer out of it, I could not fix the sealed burner unit.  I did manage to fix one fan and one led light set.  Today we worked on the wash-down pump but the pressure switch is not repairable.

Good stuff though – We anchored Monday night off a small island which contains a native Fijian village.  The guidebook says going ashore is not allowed.  The chief’s son rowed out and after a chat where he scoped out what we had on the boat that they might ask for, we were invited to the village.  Lynda was keen to go and quickly packed cookies as a gift.  Not sure she wanted me to cramp her style but I was welcome to join her and accepted.  Lots of “Bula” greetings and we were led through a primitive village to the house of the “headman”.  We were not required to drink kava probably because we did not have enough money to contribute to buying it.  Between us we had only $5 for which a small amount of kava was brought in and we were all blessed.  We had dressed conservatively, no hats allowed, it is disrespectful, shoes off at the open doorways.  I was given permission to take photos and we were taken to visit the first day of Kindergarten class.  All other schooling is off the island.  About a dozen cute kids lined up in front of their young teacher.

Perhaps it was the blessing that allowed our engine to be running when we returned to the boat.  Although he bounced over a reef leaving the anchorage, Jim was not concerned.  The next day we visited friends of Jim’s who have a beautiful place up the shallow and muddy Wainunu River.  It is written up in Lonely Planet which I had with me.  Joe, a native Figian and his Australian wife Robin were most gracious hosts.  We three arrived soaking wet as it had poured as we took the dinghy from where we anchored far out in the river mouth about three miles to their place in the rain forest right on the river.  Other friends had managed to get their sailboat right to their place at high tide.  The plan was to have Lynda stay the night and we would bring Intention through the river on the morning tide.  Perhaps they could provide a guide as we ground out several times in the dinghy.  No guide but fortunately our engine would not start until the sun recharged the batteries and Lynda decided to stay another day and make her way back to Savusavu with Joe.

So today, Jim and I sailed most of the way back to Savusavu.  The first day we did not have to rely soley on the leaky motor.

We have had lots of thunder and lightning around us but all we were hit with was rain.  It was a colder rain that I expected and I wished I had brought my Helly Hansen gear after all.

Tonight I expect to feel the effects of the day’s sun despite lots of SPF 60 applied today.

Tomorrow perhaps some decisions will be made about the future of this expedition.  I do not think Jim shares most of my concerns about the boat.  He has been quite clear that he does not want to spend much money.  The same buddies on the dock advised to find the weakest batteries in the 4 battery bank, toss them out and keep going with the rest.  Jim liked that idea.  I don’t.  He is not worried about the oil leak, just runs the engine slower. 

Lynda is English and her tongue works well.  She asked me to make a list of all that is broken so that when she parts with Jim, she won’t forget anything.  I would almost bet she has worked out something already with the very well connected and helpful folks, Joe & Robin.

But I am not the ‘nomad’ that Lynda is.  I will need to organize a ferry, bus, taxi, accommodation and change my flights if I am to leave Jim to himself on his boat.  No travel facility in this little town, they don’t get out much.  Of course Jim wants me to stay, he needs my money and perhaps my help.

Wish me luck.