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Mast Yoyo

by steve, on August 15th, 2011 (Fiji, Leu Cat)

With my acquired 24V power supply I was set to install the Bullet2HP up the mast in place of my old set up. In doing this I wanted to make sure that the location was indeed a good one. The first thing I did was to go up the mast and put the Bullet2HP in place of the old box. All I had to do was switch the IP cable and use the old antenna. The antenna wasn’t left vertical but that would be enough for a test. The first test was not successful. I couldn’t see the device on my network. I tried a few things and then went up the mast again to check the unit. It showed it was receiving power. I went back down. It was working.

Having saved a few instances of the signal strength of the nearby stations I compared readings. They were not so good. However, I was not comparing like with like. I went up a third time to switch antennas (using the spare one I had for earlier use) and to position it vertically. Back down again I ran some more tests. Some of the stations were coming through more strongly but most were coming through weaker.

My guess is that proximity to the mast and spreaders is having more of a negative effect than the elevation is helping. This suggests that the mast placement, at least where I had it, is not so good after all. I went up a fourth time to retrieve the Bullet2HP and newer antenna and put it back where it had been, hanging from the job sheet away from the mast, to retest. The earlier, better, signal strengths were again being reported.

A fifth trip up the mast was then in order to remove the old network card, antenna and network cable.

In the afternoon, using the long network cable now retrieved from the mast, I had Helen walk about the top of the boat with the antenna/Bullet2HP while I compared signal strengths. Dangling from the jib sheets turns out to be one of the better places. The best was far aft above the bimini. This would suggest a permanent mount back there somewhere. This will require some thought. For now we can just stick the antenna out through the forward hatch and hang it on the jib sheet. We can even close the hatch over the cable if it rains so it’s ok for now.

Later in the afternoon we went for a walk around the local area popping into a couple of the beach front hotels to look around. They were nice, if you’re into that sort of thing, I guess but not our cup of tea.

The Leu Cats showed up in the afternoon in their dinghy having just arrived in the anchorage. They’re shaping up for a departure for Vanuatu this coming week which will mean more goodbyes/au revoirs. We’ve agreed to meet up for dinner ashore Monday evening.

Now it is Monday we plan to go to Lautako to properly clear into the western district. We’ll have a look around town before heading back to Nadi and doing our main provisioning for the next month. Tomorrow we may well be out of here. We like the idea of going round to Treasure Island and waiting there for the weather to settle before heading out to the western islands.

Category: Fiji, Leu Cat | Here is my comment

Back to Nadi

by steve, on August 14th, 2011 (Fiji, Passages, Tyee)

After a very slow morning Helen and I took the shuttle bus into Nadi. Although not quite. We walked up the road to the roundabout where we could catch the shuttle bus avoiding the round trip to all the nearby hotels. While we were waiting, one of the hotel vans picked us up and took us into town for the same fare as the bus. All the same to us.

We checked out the Italian Deli and the nearby butchers before walking into town. We stopped at Mamas for a very tasty and filling pizza. We continued our exploration of the town finding a lot more to it than we previously understood to be there. We picked up a few provisions saving for Monday the big effort to provision for the next month. I did manage to find a variable input (ie AC 100-260V) power supply which could supply a range of output DC voltages. This, hopefully, will solve my problems installing my new network device up the mast. We’ll see. That’s a project for today.

In the evening we went to visit John and Pam on Passages. Just before leaving John and Lucy from Tyee popped by to say hello. They’d just arrived in Denaru and are not staying long intending to head off for Vanuatu next week. Another parting of ways for us. A lot of the boats we got to know crossing the Pacific last year who ended up in New Zealand for the cyclone season have now headed west for Vanuatu. Most of those who are still left are those that have decided to stay for the season and return to New Zealand.

Today we have nothing planned. We’ll probably do a little clean up and I want to try out my new wifi gear up the mast again. If it works, I’ll remove the old one and permanently install the new.

Category: Fiji, Passages, Tyee | Here is my comment

Aux Revoir Anne and John

by steve, on August 13th, 2011 (Fiji, Passages)

Another fine day with mostly blue skies.

Anne and John spent the first half of the morning doing most of their packing. With this complete we headed ashore to catch the shuttle bus into Nadi. Once there we walked the high street looking into a few stores but buying nothing. We eventually made it to the colourful Hindu temple at the far end of the high street. We took off our shoes, paid the small visitors fee and took a close look at all the colourful artwork of, presumably, Hindu mythology adorning the temple.

At the temple a group of workers recommended the Indian restaurant next door for a meal. We ended up with far too much to eat for not a lot of Fiji dollars. The waiter called a taxi for us which we used to visit the supermarket and head back to Port Denaru. We were able to negotiate reasonable deals with the taxi driver for Anne and John’s trip to the airport and for our trip to Lautoka on Monday.

Back on the boat we relaxed the rest of the afternoon. John helped me up the mast to try out a new wifi unit they brought with them. Unfortunately the trip up the mast is too far to carry a 12V supply so I’ll need to source a 24V supply to fit it permanently. The new wifi unit is a Ubiquiti Bullet2HP which I first saw on Passages (here in the marina too). It works much, much better than my old setup. We are using it now.

Shortly after 5pm we took Anne and John ashore to meet the taxi driver who showed within a couple of minutes of our agreed time. Not bad for Fiji considering the roadworks between here in Nadi. We said our emotional goodbyes before showering and heading back to the boat for a quiet evening.

Category: Fiji, Passages | Here is my comment

Port Denaru

by steve, on August 12th, 2011 (Attitude, Endless, Fiji)

Finally, after 2-3 weeks of mediocre weather the skies cleared and we had a beautiful sunny day. We stayed the morning moored off Treasure Island using the time to go snorkeling a couple of the nearby dive spots. Using the Subsurface Fiji dive map it’s reasonably easy to locate the red buoys that mark the dive sites. We first visited #3 – Jimmyies Reef hoping to find some of the advertised giant clams. Our next stop was #4 – Fannies Fan hoping to get some clearer water. Unfortunately, both sites had less than clear water but both were interesting. The latter had a couple of swim throughs at about 20-30 feet down which I enjoyed.

After lunch and a rest we cast off the mooring ball and had a very pleasant blue sky sail to Port Denaru where we found a mooring ball close to both Endless and Attitude.

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We agreed to all meet up ashore for a meal out. Cathy and Neil were off to the airport with their grandson so they just stopped for a drink while Petr joined us for dinner. We went to Cardo’s which promised both Chinese food and meaty dishes. The boys all went for steak ribs and the girls went for Chinese. Unfortunately, being handled by different kitchens the Chinese arrived long after we’d finished our steaks.

Today is Anne and John’s last day aboard. We’re planning a shopping trip into Nadi this morning and no doubt a certain amount of time will be spent packing.

Category: Attitude, Endless, Fiji | Comments are closed

Treasure Island

by steve, on August 11th, 2011 (Fiji)

The poor weather continued through the morning. I did end up enlisting John on a boat project – that is to replace the port, primary bilge pump(s) and to put in a second switch. The current, normal, set up is a primary pump with a built in switch which also leads and triggers a second pump. Good that you have two pumps but bad that you only have one switch. Avid readers may recall that in the port bilge I have two primary pumps, one with a failed switch and one with a cracked pump. Bit of a bodge job. So out they came and in went the new, larger primary pump with an additional sensor. All was tested before installation. The port bilge is easier to access than the starboard so the lessons learned here will serve well when we come to doing the work on the starboard bilge which is less urgent.

As we ate lunch the weather cleared. We decided to hightail it out of Musket Cove and find somewhere different. Given that we had only one night away and wanted time on Thursday in the new location we couldn’t go far. In the end we selected Treasure Island to the north of Musket Cove.

Before departing we went ashore and paid our dues and picked up a few provisions. Anne and John took a shower. I asked a few people, four in fact, whether Lautoka or Nadi would be better for souvenir hunting and provisioning. The results came out two in favour of each with one justifying their choice by saying the transportation options were better in the Nadi area.

Our trip to Treasure Island was a straight motor into wind which Dignity labours at. We did have the fishing line out and caught a 3-4lb green jobfish. Initially we failed to identify it. It was clearly a reef fish so in the end I recommended dropping it overboard as our destination was a resort island. I regretted this decision later as a lot of the off duty staff were fishing. We could have given it to them.

We initially anchored off Treasure Island but were soon told to use their mooring ball. I called in to ask about fees. It was $10 for the night but I had to come in to pay. And that would cost $5 per person landing fee. Oh well. Anne and Helen had no desire to go ashore so John and I headed in and paid the fees. We took a short walk around the island resort then stopped at the bar for a beer.

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Our evening was filled with dinner followed by a movie.

Today we’ll hang around here then head over to Port Denaru. I didn’t want to go there originally but Nadi narrowly won the shopping survey. In the end this will be good as Helen and I will need to go to Lautoka next week so we’ll get to know both and will know which is best for us for future stops.

Category: Fiji | Here is my comment
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