Life on Fiji.

If only it would last forever :-)

 

Part 6 from 01-07 to 01-13 2008

 

Carina is my home – absolutely and in every sense of the word, - maybe irrevocably?  I always make her nicer. She is small and sometimes uncomfortable, but she is mine and I like her. I constantly make her better, nicer. I started to do this in May with the drawings in the cabin, or maybe I started to do it three years ago in my grandfather’s garden?

01-07-2008 (day 471)

I have to examine myself very thoroughly, because what I show of myself is probably not me anymore.

I slept late this morning, but later with the help of auto-stop and a bus-ride I reached Lautoka in pouring rain. After a short time spent on the Internet (1 hr. = 1 FD) I met Zaki. We went to a few repair shops to get an estimate to repair the shaft. Had a few beers (4.5 FD) and then had a few pictures developed (19FD).

Sweet stuff from India: 1.6 FD, 2 rottis (2 FD). I bought several DVDs, and this purchase has two goals, one is to practice my English and two to exchange them with someone or give them as gifts.

In the afternoon I smoked a “suci” (local cigar) with the guys. Navy, my friend, is going to be a father today so we drank a little kava too.

In the evening I took a bus to the city and met some friends there. The get-together started as a beer drinking party, but at the end it developed into a marriage proposal and a long bash that lasted into the morning hours. I don’t understand why these people drink so much? Although I start to understand why – nobody took the time to teach them how to handle beer drinking. Maybe I should do it?

When we had a few beers in the city even that became extreme. We stopped by at Cave. This happened on Monday and on this day there were only whores around (10). This became a rather interesting party. The women’s  dances were comical, but mostly they were not.

At 5 in the morning I started to go back to the city. They said that at that time it was not too safe to travel, but to me the safety issue is better here in Fiji then it was in South America and if the tourist is cautious then there is nothing to worry about.

Maybe to understand Fiji the best, one has to have party experience. I’m talking about those parties where about 60-80 people get together and they do not want to end it. (See the Hitch Hikers Guide for the Galaxies.) Fiji is like a big party; you cannot take anything seriously :-). Everybody is accommodating and everybody is so flippant and they joke all the time. There are no conservatives here :-).  

2008-01-08 (day 472)

The morning/ dawn in Lautoka is a marvelous experience. For breakfast I stopped at a bakery and bought a pastry for1.5FD and after that I took a bus back to the marina.

Somebody asked me why people invite me to different places? There might be a number of reasons and maybe the most important is that they think I am an interesting person. People are looking for somebody who is interesting and have new ideas. I do not know what makes somebody interesting, but I hardly meet up with interesting people.

 

Because of the rain the tap water is lousy, so if that happens I drink bottled water. If I did not do it then I would usually come down with stomachache. I have quite a few bottles of water left over from different places The neighboring ship’s captain gave me 4 mutton sausages, which I fried and ate for supper. This was my best supper in the past month.

I watched a few DVD in the evening and after that I went to bed.

01-09-2008 (day 473)

After spending a short time on the Internet I went to the Marina to wash my clothes (3.5FD). I do that twice a month. I did it today because the sun was shining.

Some people even asked how do I do the dishes. Well, next to the boat there is a shower stall, which I use as a storage place and from here with a water hose I transport the water where I do the dishwashing. I do not pay for electricity.  It comes from the pier and the cost would be 3FD/day, but my friends are my security and they do not put my boat’s name down on the checklist.

I took a bus to Lautoka where Dan’s Outboard is. I bought an 8 HP engine’s main shaft for 60FD.  I bargained it down from 80FD. David was very kind ad even invited me for a kava. I am sure that he made some money on this deal. I have to shorten this shaft from 80 cm. to 42 cm and then I have to have somebody to mill a few ribs into it. I am looking for a shop for this and I found it. David’s brother-in-law did it in his machine shop. It took him 2 hours and the charge was 30FD.

Lunch: Fish and chips and kasava for 1.2FD. The cheapest eatery in Lautoka is a Chinese place. It belongs to a Chinese family. The place is not too clean and the food is just about never fresh and the portions are small, but I like the place. This is where I go all the time!

I bought a few things: 200 g. coffee 12FD, soft drink 1.2FD, chips 0.6FD, onion 1.4FD and DVDs 4.5FD.

I went to a place where they manufacture PVC tubes.   I need a 41 mm diameter tube to strengthen the mast. I found it but to be sure I asked for a sample, which I got. This way I can check if it fits.

In the afternoon again I took a bus ride back to the Marina. I have to find somebody who would transport the engine free of charge to a shop. I could not take it on a bus. There are a few things to check on this engine. In the Marina Ilisa used my laptop to get on the Internet and I drank a few beers with Messz.

Supper: scrambled eggs with onion and biscuit. The biscuit is enough for a month.

Evening: Beer drinking and Skinny invited me for a soup, we talked with a few friends and after all this watched DVDs.

01-10-2008 (day 474)

I have arrived at Fiji two months ago, but the time flies here. Actually it flies too fast. I’m still not done with my stomach problem, so today I started to take Lopedium akut ISO fizzing tablets.

In the morning I went to the Marina to get on the Internet. The connection was not too fast. Then I went to dive at the beach and tried to spear some fish, but the fish got torn off from the spear. Later I picked up coconut on the beach then picked chili in the Marina. This is how my days are spent on Fiji. I try to find a friend who would help me to transport, free of charge, the engine to an engine mechanic in Lautoka.

1.      Grinding

2.      Primer APCO + 199 sealer + 603 thinner – two coats (10 minutes waiting between coats and use sandpaper between coats). Topcoat APCO + hardener 343 + 604 thinner.

After drying it for a whole day the boat can be put in the water, but before that she has to be treated with algae eliminator. I put on two coats of that.

The factory was in Lautoka, next to Tavakuvu village. I was there before and I was familiar with the surroundings. Here I can get the necessary materials for half the price I would pay somewhere else. Lio offered to help. He would do it for 4FD/ hour. This is his trade, but I do not think I would need him.

 I purchased a few things like vegetables (1.5FD), a dozen eggs (3.95F), a beer (3.5FD), Fruit for 1.2 FD, cooking oil (2.5FD).

Evening: cinema in the Club, then I watched a DVD on the boat. It was a quiet evening.

01-11-2008 (day 475)

This morning I connected to the Internet in a coffee shop, and then I hitchhiked and walked to Navy. His child has been born not long ago and I was curious how things were going.

In the afternoon I talked about my mast’s repair with Hans. He gave me lots of good pointers. Then I talked with Paul and shown him Carina. He suggested a simple wind-steering method. He said to tie the pole of the wind-rudder’s sail to the wheel. He is not the first in this. When the boat moves then the wind-rudder’s sail catches the wind and moves the wheel from its previous position.

After 4 in the afternoon it started to rain, but that happens every day. I made up a few e-mail addresses for a couple of local friends, to Sam and Mesa on Yahoo.com.

The sailors slowly return, because the holydays are ended, but the majority will wait till after March.

Supper: scrambled eggs and toast.

During the night I downloaded Hungarian books from the Internet, and that lasted a few hours. Thank you Andras, now I can read in Hungarian again and after two weeks I could even talk with my family.

01-12-2008 (day 476)

The morning hours were spent with packing and inspecting. My mast-light fixture gets wet so I have to insulate it again. Early afternoon Bobby and I, next to the nearby hotel’s swimming pool and under a beach umbrella, started brainstorming about finding sponsors. He helped a lot. I do not know why, but he understands me.

In the afternoon I went scuba diving with Paul. He tried to fish with a spear gun but without success. The visibility was not too good and it was raining.

In the evening I had supper with Paul. The super was “bulgur” and roast beef with beer (the meat was given by Bobby who had too much and had to be eaten).

Paul invited me to sail with him on his 42 feet long trimaran to the northern islands – to Savusavu. The boat’s owner would meet us there. So this would be a boat delivery service, but there is no rush. I’ll see how it will develop.

In the evening: Internet                         

01-13-2008 (day 477)

Around 9 in the morning Paul woke me. He came over to check up on me. Yesterday I have told him that he has it too good in this world and that this was his problem. He kept thinking about it and came to the conclusion that I was right. I do not like to butt in people’s lives, but sometimes I just tell them my opinion thinking that I may help.

For lunch I had canned halibut with onion.

In the afternoon I had a conversation with Hans. He knew so many entertaining stories that those deserve to be remembered so one of these days I might write a few down. He has sailed the Pacific for more than 30 years. He is a true hippie with long hair and earrings (see the picture gallery). Later Bobby helped me write letters, which might attract sponsors. I don’t know if I ever will find a sponsor that wants to help me in the long run, but I’m sure I won’t give up. In the afternoon Paul and I, watched a Harry Potter video on his Yacht Then in the evening we went to a club and had a beer (3FD).

I was on the Internet until dawn and after one and a half year I was able to speak with my grandfather.

 Ideas for the engine’s shaft repair – details (1. week)

“ A broken shaft cannot be repaired (see enclosed picture). The lower part of the shaft diameter measures 12 mm, the upper part 14 mm. The length of the lower part is about 186 mm, the upper is about 225 mm, the ring is about 13 mm, and that makes the entire length about 424 mm. It has 10 ribs below and 11 ribs above. According to my thinking it is best to buy a longer shaft, (644 mm being the shortest) hoping that the dimensions of the lower part equal to the original (has to be confirmed!). The upper part of the shaft has to be shortened and the ribs milled in.”   /M. István to engine mechanic and to Yamaha Hungary/

 “With our colleagues we came to the conclusion that it is possible to shorten the shaft, but after the cut we cannot give documentation on how to mill the ribs. We do not know those people in the Japanese factory who could get documents about this process. These things probably are not for publication anyway. Not even for us. Therefore if the ribs could be milled (copying the original rib placements), the absence of the accurate heat treatment description makes it difficult to imagine that material hardness will be adequate. Then if the completed shaft is already heat-treated then to mill the ribs the shaft has to be softened again, then after the milling process heat-treated again. This could raise the price significantly. It is cheaper and quicker although not so “good looking” to cut the shaft into two with precision cutting tools and then do the welding. I do not recommend working with this piece on a lathe because the material is hard steel. If the quality of the material is adequate and the shaft is completely straight the part will last for a long time.

If the weld does not come out perfectly it still not so bad as a crooked shaft. A crooked shaft can cause assembly problems and strains the material that can cause breakage again. The approximate price of the new shaft is 19 000 (FT). Unfortunately, since it comes from Japan. it would take quite a long time to get to us,  but a delivery to Fiji would be much faster.” /Yamaha Hungary/

 „The way things stand welding seems like a necessary thing to do.

 1 How is it possible to make sure that the two shaft pieces will fit together at the time of welding (need to make a jig). One cannot be sure that there is a lathe or tool that can hold both shaft pieces well and accurately. I suggest building a jig according to the enclosed diagram.

2.      What would be the best method to weld a broken shaft together? According the enclosed diagram a bearing puller might help to pull off the ring. If that is done then fit the two shaft pieces together and mark them.

3.      With a grinder or a hard-edged knife shape a gutter that is necessary for welding. With the jig mentioned in point 1, and with AVI welding join the two shaft pieces together. Then using a file or a grinder remove the uneven protrusions left from the welding process. Smooth the inside of the previously removed ring, then heat it to 200-300 deg. C (best to use electric or gas heating device), then quickly refit it to its original place. Maybe it would be worth while to spray the narrower shaft piece with silicon grease.” /M. István/

“The problem is that Yamaha put together this design including the engine and the necessary documentation for some other manufacturing company. For a short time a company in Holland put this engine together and this is the reason why this version is not in the Yamaha catalogue. My suggestion is that your son have a sleeve made, which should be pressed together while hot and the edges welded using the AVI method.” / P. Feri motor mechanic/ 

“The bearings are placed at 3 different points on the shaft: on the crankshaft, at the water pump and at the lower gear. These three points determine two straight lines and their enclosed angle should be zero. If for some reason this angle becomes larger, then the bearing (brass bushing) at the center is stressed which weakens the material and maybe that was the reason for the break, or maybe something must have happened the last time this engine was put together. This has to be carefully watched. The drawing that you now have will help you quite a bit so print it out.” /M. István/

 

 Many thanks to P. Feri for his useful advice and also many thanks to the people who represent Yamaha in Hungary (K Krisztián and L Ferenc). I thank L Csaba’s help and also many thanks to those who gave their advice and tried to help…

                                                                                                translation: Károlyi-wa6ypp//