Category Archives: Repairs

Tired and Worn Out

After our amazing experience in the Musket Cove Regatta we head to Denarau to provision, fuel, and tend to other necessary matters.  As soon as we leave Denarau we will head up wind to the eastern Ringgold Islands and Taveuni which will take us approximately 2-3 days.  But the universe had other plans for us when our main sail decides she is worn out and tears 7 meters across – from being just tired and worn out.  How did that happen….read on.

Denarau

We are lucky enough to secure a mooring during our brief 2-night stay in Denarau.  There is a lot to do in a short amount of time.

We hired a taxi to take us shopping in the main town of Nadi.  Stops include:  2 grocery stores, the fresh market, the butcher, and a pharmacy.  We were able to replace several expired medications for our onboard medical kit including antibiotics, ear and eye drops, anti-malaria pills, and a few other key medications (without a prescription).  I had hoped to purchase an Epi Pen and my chemo pills but alas they did not have those in stock.

I know it must sound odd for me to write about running errands, but please remember we can only do this in a few villages on a few islands.  Out of the 332 islands in Fiji there is really only 1 place where we can do ALL of this in one place, so it is BIG day when we can check these errands off our list.  Sometimes we go months without seeing a grocery store and certainly longer for a pharmacy, butcher, and doctor.

Doctor Says “It’s a Perforated Ear Drum”

One of our priority items was to have a doctor look at Matt’s ear.  A few weeks ago, he free dove down to 45’ to retrieve our dinghy anchor that was stuck.  Typically, he would clear his ears several times when going down to this depth.  Clearing your ears is easy.  You pinch your nose and blow out – which gently relieves the pressure in your ears.  However, this time, he was using both hands to scale down the dinghy painter to get to the bottom faster.  He only cleared once and when he got to the bottom, he heard a loud pop in his left ear, and then felt pain. Not good.  He retrieved the anchor, came up, and we rushed to the boat. 

We had hoped it was just water in the ear so we put swimmers ear drops in and that hurt like hell (so we did not do that again).  Next, we started him on antibiotics and he stayed out of the water until we could get to a doctor (2 weeks later).

We stopped in the Emergency Clinic and saw a lovely physician who told us that Matt had a perforated ear drum.  The good news is that it was not infected (probably because he stayed out of the water and was on antibiotics) and it was healing.  The doctor prescribed 2 more weeks of antibiotics and 1 week of antihistamines.  He can’t go in the water for 4-6 weeks (which is the rest of our stay in Fiji).

Chores and Errands

  • Laundry (3 loads at the marina’s laundry facility which is awesome!)
  • Bank (more Fijian funny money)
  • Extend Visas (lots of paperwork and visits to customs and immigration)
  • Farmboy delivery (fresh produce we couldn’t find elsewhere)
  • Taxi run to town: Markets, fresh market, pharmacy, butcher
  • We say goodbye to our friends on Sea Jay and Anima as they head to Vanuatu
  • Fuel (644 liters of diesel and 105 liters of gasoline)
    • We had not fueled since we left French Polynesia (over 3000 miles ago!) Of course, a lot of that was sailing from FP to Fiji.

After several busy days, we are a bit work out, but we are ready to leave.   Yea, a new adventure and new islands.  Our plan was to head NE around Viti Levu, then cross the Bligh waters toward Vanua Levu, then make our way back to Taveuni and the Ringgold Islands.  However, the universe had other plans for us.

Tired and Just Done with Us

Our main sail and jib are 21 years old and are original to the boat.  This is actually incredibly surprising since most sails last about 10-12 years.  We have been very lucky that they have held up for so long!  For several years we have been “making due” with the poor sail shape which impacts the boat’s performance and speed. We knew they were tired and worn out, but it did not make any sense to replace them in French Polynesia or Fiji where the options were limited and very expensive.

We knew the sails had to be replaced and soon, but we were hoping to do it in New Zealand where there are several sail makers to choose from.  And frankly, it is a huge expense at almost $20,000 that I was hoping to put it off as long as possible.

Well, as we started crossing the Bligh waters our sweet sail finally was worn out and she blew a spectacular 7-meter rip along the seam just below the second reef.  Not a little tear mind you, but a massive one.  We quickly turned into the wind and dropped the main to prevent further damage.  We looked at each other, then at the instruments – we were in 12kt of steady wind, no squalls, or wind puffs, just a steady breeze.  I wish I had a photo to show you but we were so shocked she ripped that we went into salvage mode to prevent further damage.

We had no choice but to turn around and head back to Denarau – 2-day motor.  The good news is that she blew when we were close to land and only 2 days away from “town” vs tearing while we were in the middle of the Pacific under passage to New Zealand.  Thank God for little blessings.

The Hunt is On

It was Sunday, but I started emailing companies and checking resources to see what our options were.  Not many.  There is only one sail maker in Fiji, Marshall Sails.  There are several canvas makers but they don’t have the machinery big or strong enough to go through two layers of heavy dacron material (our main sail is double layer). 

By Monday morning at 0900, the owner of Marshall Sails tells me he can fix our sail and get it back to us in 10 days.  This is a huge blessing as we are scheduled to leave for New Zealand in 2-3 weeks and we kind of need our main sail!

Taking the Main Sail Down

It is no small chore to remove the main sail.  First of all, she weighs in at over 300lbs!  Matt does most of the work as I am sick with the flu and a fever and am tasked with manning the helm.  Steps to remove the main sail:

  • Remove the halyard (we tie it off to a port cleat)
  • Move the boom to the side so Matt can reach the reefing lines (upper right corner shows the red, yellow and green reefing lines around the boom)
  • Remove the cars (while not losing the very small pins while underway) that raise the main at the mast
  • Remove half of the lazy jacks holding the sail bag (lower photo)
  • Remove the other half of the lazy jacks and the entire sail bag

At this point we can see the severity of the damage.  It appears the stitching gave out but the majority of the sail is fine.  The only part of the sail that needs a dacron patch is the end (upper right corner photo).  The rest should be an easy, although long zig zag stitch to fix the tear. 

Together, we flake the sail and put her in her bag and ready it for delivery.  We managed to get to Denarau by 1400 on Monday, while the owner was still there.  We had to use the halyard to get the sail from Sugar Shack into the dinghy.  Again, not easy to do with the winds and chop in the anchorage, but we succeed.

Marshall Sails to the Rescue

Alan Marshall, the owner of Marshall Sails meets us, helps us get the sail into the truck and takes it back to his loft.  The next day he sends me a quote which floored both Matt and I. We anticipated it being well over $2k USD to repair the seam and to re-stitch the other seams which are probably just as worn out as the torn seam.  But he came back with a quote of $500 USD.  Most excellent considering, we just need it to last long enough to get us to New Zealand (2 more months or 1500 nm).

Alan had to confirm that our sail was truly 21 years old.  He was surprised that it was in “such good shape” for her age and thought she would have been “more worn out” than she actually was.  If you might recall, in Q3 of 2020 we had the entire sail examined, repaired, and resewn in Tahiti (blog post).  They checked all the seams, reinforced the corners, and verified that she was in good shape.

The Results

We got our sail back (a day ahead of schedule), for the quoted price, and they did really good work.  It was a process getting the sail back to the boat.  After all she is 300lbs of dead weight!  One of the guys from Marshall Sails helps us load her into the dinghy and we make the 2nm jaunt across the bay.

Installing the Main Sail

Then we use the halyard to hoist her onto the boat.  Thank goodness we have light winds and very little swell.

Matt spends about an hour installing the sail bag and lazy jacks.  Next, we unroll the mighty beast and lay her out so we can prepare to install her back in place.

We have to start installing the sail before we can evaluate the repair.  First, we put the batons in from top to bottom (short to long). There are 6 of them.

Matt connects the sail to the mast at each baton point.  He will connect the bungee points as we lower the sail (hard part first).  Look how he has to balance to reach the halyard.

The Repair

We are finally at the big repair seam.  It looks good.  The used special sail tape to connect the seams, then they stitched 3 times with a 3-point zig zag stitch.

Marshall Sails also used the 3-point zig zag stitch over the other seams that run across the sail.  Extra reinforcement as they are just as compromised as the one that actually tore.

The overall repair looks strong and ready to test out!

After we attach all the cars (so she goes up and down the mast), we (meaning Matt) has to attach the rest of the sail bag, the reef lines, and the main sheets.

It took 3.5 hours the first day (we worked until dark).  Then it took another 3.5 hours the following morning to complete the install. 

Our anchorage was blessedly calm with light winds and no swell as we are protected from 3 out of 4 directions.

Thank goodness that is done.  Now all we have to do is test her out!

Here she is happily flying again, albeit, still out of shape, but getting us to where we want to go.

The events from this blog occurred in early September 2022.  Our blog posts run 6-8 weeks behind actual events.  Matt tries out a new sport in our last blog post – did you read it?

On the Hard: Raiatea Carenage

It is that time again – time to haul our beautiful boat out of the water to do some general maintenance and repairs.  It is always nerve racking to pull your boat out of the water, but the team at Raiatea Carenage really take care of you.

We pull into a narrow waterway (which will be expanded this year) with rather large boulders on either side.  Several team members grab our lines and slowly direct us toward the travel trailer.  In addition, there are guys in the water watching our rudders, dagger boards, and props to ensure they play nicely with the boulders.

The Work List:

  • Repair Port Bow (damage from another boat)
  • Repair Port Hull (damage from coral head)
  • Port Rudder Repair (damage from coral head)
  • Re-fix Port Hull side (fix color match from previous work)
  • Sand down all bottom paint to gel coat (22 years of paint)
  • Apply barrier coat (sigmacover 280) and 3 coats of bottom paint (Carboline AF 3000)
  • Apply Peller Clean on sail drives and props
  • Rudders: replace bushings (DIAM 67 JP3)
  • Sail Drives: change oil and replace sealing and O-rings)
  • Drill hole in new anchor shaft
  • Weld/Sauder lifeline
  • Rebed starboard large window (leaks)
  • Rebed deck and hull (about 60% of it replaced)
  • Complete wash and wax of entire boat
  • Spinnaker Repair (taken to Marina Apooiti)

Dominique, the owner, expertly uses a remote control device to maneuver the state-of-the-art trailer.  It is frightening and yet so very impressive to watch them pull Sugar Shack out of the water.

The first thing they do is pressure wash the boat to get all the grime and stow away critters off the bottom.  Then they remove both of our rudders which need repair and service.  The photo shows them removing and installing the rudders.

Next we are placed in our new temporary home.  Dominque is able to squeeze us in right up close and personal to other boats.  Thank goodness we won’t be onboard for the entire stay.

Repairs

The bottom of the port hull needed some extra love.  We had the yard sand down to the gel coat, apply fearing and fiberglass, barrier coat and paint.  Just like new.

The port rudder needed additional love.

While in Huahine, another boat lost control and hit our port bow.  Causing about $3300 worth of damage.  Lucky for us he was insured and covered the cost.  

When we returned, we had lots of beautiful sunsets.  The waterway at Raiatea Carenage.

Our view from the hard at Raiatea Carenage.

Splash Day

The day has come to put Sugar Shack in the water – exactly 1 month from the haul out date!  We are so excited to go back on the water!!!  Dominique is driving or should I say using the play station remote control while 3 guys are in the water and 2 guys are on port waiting for lines.

The team expertly maneuvers Sugar Shack’s wide back side around the many boulders on both sides of the boat.  She slips by without a scratch or bump!  That is how good this team is!

The Team

Dominique is the owner and such a sweet, fabulous man!  Fa’ura is the office manager and she always had a smile for me.

Spinnaker Repaired

We took our spinnaker to be repaired and they did a great job.  She was efficient, reasonably priced, and on time!  We flew her a few days later to see how she looked and we were very pleased.  Sure some of the colors don’t match, but hell she is a 22 year old sail!

We spent a lot more time on the hard than anticipated but it is always better to get the job done correctly rather than quickly.

Dominique at Raiatea Carenage certainly took good care of us. We are so very grateful for his help, patience, and care!

We finally say Toodles to Tahiti in our last blog post.  Events from this blog in April and May, 2022.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind our adventures.

Boat Projects

We have time on our hands as we wait for a weather window and as we wait for storms/squalls to pass.  So, we fill those gapes with a few boat projects and general maintenance.  Just in case you are wondering, we do work as well as play. 

Jib Roller Furler Pin

There is a rather large shackle that holds the tack of the jib to the furler (very important).  The pin inside the shackle had weaseled its way out and was almost lost.  Thank goodness we caught it.  We had to unfurl the jib to release the pressure from the shackle in order to get the pin back into place.  Once inside, we zip tied it to secure it.  Yes, the bottom shackle is twisted as it is designed to be a 90 degree shackle.  Although, we never did understand why there are two shackles here.

Jib roller furler pin

Jib roller furler pin

Sail Bag

Our sail bag (which holds our main sail) has a panel with “Sugar Shack” stitched on each side.  The letters were starting to come off so we decided to take off the two panels and stitch the letters back on.  A lot easier said than done.  The panels were stitched on to the main sail bag and had an adhesive 2” tape around all four edges.  The stitching was rather easy to cut and remove, but the adhesive was a mess. 

We removed as much of the adhesive as we could (we did not want the sticky stuff on our sewing machine).  Then Matt began the slow process of sewing on each letter.

We had to remove the sail bag in order to sew on the repaired panels..  That is another huge project as we have to secure the main (which weighs in at 300lbs) using the lazy jacks, then remove the sail bag.  The sail bag needs some reinforced stitching and then we can put the panels back on.

About a month later, we had calm weather conditions and began the process of removing the sail bag.  Matt secured our heavy dacron main using the lazy jacks (the lines that hold up the sail bag).  He had to remove the reefing lines and a lot of other stuff to get the sail bag free. I must say hat it looks so naked without the beautiful sail bag!

Matt sewed the sail bag’s weak spots and made a few small repairs before sewing on the two panels.  We laid out the sail bag on the deck in order to properly place the panels.

And she is all repaired.

Washing Machine

Yes, we have a small wash/dry machine on the boat.  It is a 2001 Splendide WDC 1024C.  I have to be honest I love it.  We don’t use the “dry” portion of the machine as it takes too much energy/power to dry the clothes.  The spin cycle is so good that I can hang the clothes in the sun and they will be dry in an hour or two.  Having a washer is a true luxury on the boat. Well, frankly anything beats washing clothes in a bucket!  The only downside to the washer is that I can only run laundry when we have full sun (it takes a lot of power), full water tank (which means running the watermaker), and light wind (to dry the clothes).  It’s a lot to ask of Mother Nature. 

But I can usually do a full load of all our clothes every 2 weeks.  Of course, we do wear our clothes several days in a row (don’t gross out – we live on a boat!).

The Problem

There is a small 110v water pump that evacuates the water from the machine.  It has been on its death bed for about a year and we keep it limping along.  The machine is 21 years old after all.  Matt took it apart 8 months ago and fixed the fan that keeps the pump cool.  Each time I use the machine I test the fan to ensure it works before starting a new load.

However, during my last load, the machine would not evacuate water.  Fiddle sticks!  We had to drain the water into a bucket and out the window, spin the clothes, and then remove them. The machine is bolted onto a 1” piece of wood which can’t be removed.  So, in order to access the back of the machine, we have to unscrew the wood from the cabinet. This after I remove all the cleaning products from the cabinet of Course.

Splendide WDC1024 Washing Machine

Splendide WDC1024 Washing Machine

Matt was able to access and remove the small motor (which by the way is no longer manufactured).  There are two problems.  1) The seal is broken so there is a small leak from the water pump.  We can’t fix this as we would have to destroy the pump to get to the seal and we don’t have a seal replacement. 

The other issue is that the fan is moving side to side and it is not supposed to.  The bracket that holds the bearing in place (which holds the fan in place) rusted and broke (see 2nd image on right). Hmmm.  Well, we can’t get a new bracket or bearing so we improvised. Matt stuck two pieces of pvc behind the bearing to keep it from moving.  This is only a temporary fix!

INSERT 5 COLLAGE OF WATER PUMP

We are working with Splendide to find a used water pump for our machine.  We found several on eBay but none would fit our old machine.  The thought has crossed our mind to buy a new Splendide but all of the new models are too big to fit our small cabinet. Drat!  Just our luck, we find one brand new part at an RV parts store.  We buy it and ship it to Wayne who is visiting soon.  Sweet luck!

Watermaker

Another joy on our boat is our fresh watermaker!  We are so darn lucky to have one onboard so we don’t have to retrieve fresh water from shore in jerry cans.  We have two pumps on our Spectra watermaker, but one of them decided it had enough of us.  Matt tried to repair it and it just won’t have anything to do with us.  Lucky for us, we were able to find a replacement and have it shipped to Wayne  as well. In the meantime, we are only able to produce 50% of the volume so we are running it a lot more than usual.

Windlass 

The windlass raises/lowers our 100m of stainless steel chain and our 60lb stainless anchor.  It is fantastic to have this done with a push of the button as opposed to by hand (can you imagine my biceps if that were the case?).  While we were trying to raise the anchor from an anchorage that was 18m deep, the windlass stopped working.  It would not go up.  Farfignugin!

Matt removed everything from the locker and proceeded to remove the motor.  After an hour, he cleaned everything, switched the up with the down (which was working), and put it back together.  This way we at least can use it to bring up the heavy chain and anchor.  To make it all go down we can do that manually in a controlled free-for-all type process.  Not ideal, but a temporary fix.

Matt realized that it was not the motor that was broken, but the relay.  We don’t have a spare one of these.  So, we get back online, order the part and send it to Wayne. Thank God Wayne is coming!!

Small Boat Projects

Table Runner

I decided we needed a new table runner for our cockpit table.  I found beautiful fabric in Papeete and went to work. Of course, Matt had to complicate (and yet improve) my pattern.  Not bad for a small project.

SUP Cover

The new stand up paddle board is very huge and it has been baking in the sun since we bought it about 2 months ago.  We’ve needed to make a cover for it – and now is the time!  We had some extra white fabric under the master bed that would work.  It is not sunbrella, but it will do for now (at least for the first iteration).  The cover fits snugly with a little extra padding on the tip and the side.  We left the fins on and the part of the board showing for photo purposes only (smiley face).

Other Completed Boat Projects

  • Replaced zincs on port prop
  • Cleaned Propellers
  • Repaired window leaks (port large window, starboard above nav station)
  • Salon Fan (this is dead and needs to be replaced)
  • Repaired freezer door trim

Pending Boat Projects:

A boat is always a work in progress (like a house).  In addition to the washing machine, watermaker, and windlass, here is a list of a few more outstanding boat projects:

  • Lazy Jacks – inspect and tighten
  • Main Sail – repair rub spot (port side stern)
  • Paint Bilge
  • Clean Engines
  • Paint Engines
  • Freezer insulation repair
  • Repair master bedroom leak

Keep in mind, that our beautiful home is over 21 years old and she has been across many oceans.  She is truly in excellent condition for her age and we are continually being praised for her beauty and good condition.  So, even though it looks like a lot is broken, it is just “normal” boat projects.

We spend the New Year celebration in Taravai with an authentic Polynesian BBQ in our  last blog.   Events from this blog post occurred in  January 2022.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind our adventures.