Aboard Dignity (Lagoon 420) Blog

We were expecting wind and we sure got it. Our plan was (and remained) to be tucked in this small gap between the islands anchored in shallow water over sand. The area we were in was quite tight so we figured we’d be protected from the wind when it came. For most of the morning we were indeed well protected from the wind. Another boat showed up early on and anchored in sight of us and were being swung this way and that while we just hung on the hook. By early afternoon, however, the wind shifted and came pounding in waves into our small hide-hole changing our feelings about where we were completely. Where we had once felt secure and protected we now felt boxed in with nowhere to go should our anchor slip. We spent much of the afternoon with the engines on and ready to go should we slip and start closing the scant few feet to the nearby rocks.

With all the nearby terrain it was hard to figure out what the wind was doing as it was evident what was happening at the top of the mast where our instruments are was often at odds to what was happening down at water level where the winds seemed to be compressed between the islands. Gust after gust pounded the boat and our nerves. Each time the wind would settle and we would wonder if that was the last blast but, except for the last blast, it wasn’t to be. As night fell things did calm down a little so we shortened the chain in case we swung completely sideways in our narrow channel and came to close to the rocks to our side.

With all the wind throughout the day came rain so we stayed in all day reading and playing cards. I solved another couple of Euler problems. At least I think I have but I can’t check the answers until we’re back connected in a few days time.

Today is my Birthday. No real plans. We may hang around here if the weather’s nice. If not, we’ll probably move on around midday. Favourite foods are on today’s plans. A big fry up breakfast / brunch is on the cards and curry this evening.

The weather continued to be grim throughout the morning so we waited until 10 before raising the anchor. It was still drizzling as we left Daliconi but despite the grey clouds, we could now see the patches of reef that we needed to avoid. We motored for about an hour before reaching the area known as the Bay of Islands. The area is very much smaller than it’s namesake down in New Zealand but has an incredible charm. The water is flat amongst these tiny but tall islands and the passages between some islands is only about 3-4 boat widths making it an almost surreal experience. As we were anticipating strong winds on Monday we found a place to anchor where we felt there was sufficient room to swing on a long chain.

The weather calmed down in the afternoon but remained delightfully cool – relatively speaking. By the late afternoon the waters had completely settled and cleared. We could see the coral patches clearly beneath us and huge trigger fish flapping through the water.

Early this morning the strong southerlies have picked up, as expected, so our plan for today is to sit tight and maintain watch.

In the morning I took a look at the phone charger I’d been left the previous day. It had a couple of screws in it with triangular shaped holes which I’d never seen before. I needed to make a tool to open it as I had nothing that would fit. Once opened I could see there was no hope of repair. A section of the circuit board was burnt out and the top of a small chip had blown off.

Around 10:30 I went ashore to drop off the charger and see if the DVDs we’d made and given were working. There I met Aaron again. He didn’t have any info on the DVDs and he took the charger to return to it’s owner. I’d left it open so the internal damage could be seen. He also mentioned that word was getting out and there were another two homes with problems they’d like me to look at. I said it would be best for me to come back at 6pm when the power was on. I also confirmed that 4pm was when they would visit the boat.

Before I left he asked if I could give three of the locals a tow out to the nearby reef to go spearfishing. I agreed to not only tow them but to go with them. We all rendezvoused at Dignity where I picked up my gear. Two of them boarded the dinghy and one stayed on their boat to help steer if necessary. The reef was not too far away and soon we were anchored. The two guys on the dinghy donned masks and snorkels while the third remained aboard the boat to hand line. We snorkeled the area for some time but the pickings were small and few. I bagged a smallish grouper.

After a while the two suggested I take them over to a nearby island which I agreed to. We tried there for some time. This time I picked off a few smaller fish plus one parrot fish which I think ended up being the biggest catch of the day. We returned to their boat off the first reef and I towed it ashore. They expected me to keep a few of the fish caught but I insisted they have them all as I’m pretty sure they need them far more than we do.

When I returned to Dignity I was shocked to see it was already 3 O’Clock. Time had flown.

Shortly after 4 I dinghied ashore to pick up our visitors. Aaron and his wife Biu, Isireli (who gave us tea on our first day) and his wife Eleanor and Semiti (after a bit of Fiji time) all boarded the dinghy and we made our way slowly out to Dignity. Aboard they were delighted to be shown around and see the boat. After the tour we sat outside and gave them cakes and drinks. They were not allowed beer (as dictated by their minister) but were delighted to learn we had wine as this was allowed in moderation. We shared our salon and conversation for an hour or so before it came time to head back ashore.

I took my box of electrical things and some screwdrivers in case they were needed and Aaron took me to the first house. They had a non-functioning TV. I opened it up. It was fairly clean inside. Very few cobwebs and certainly no roaches. I tried my usual things but that didn’t work. There was no sign of life at all so I traced the mains voltage in and soon found a blown fuse. I didn’t have one the right size so I temporarily soldered on a larger fuse holder that I had with me. I explained that when a fuse blows it’s often due to something else being wrong but sometimes it’s just age or a temporary short-circuit. With the things that get inside TVs here the latter proposition was not so presumptuous I thought. Saying that things may go bang I asked if they were ok with me plugging it back in. They were fine. We plugged in. The lights went out. All but one. Looks like something else in the house had a weaker breaking point than the 10A fuse I put in. I felt really bad about this. I found the main breaker but it had not gone. There was nothing obvious for me to change. They were really good about this and were thankful I’d made the attempt. There is an electrician who can help out on Monday so I reluctantly had to leave them worse off than when I visited.

After clearing up and putting everything back together we visited the next home where they had a working TV but the DVD player was not working. They seemed to know how to connect them all up but the test DVD I put in showed up an error. They said this is what happened with any DVD. Knowing that there was little chance of screwing their home up by opening the DVD I proceeded to do so. This time with a full audience. The whole family watched. Aaron and Biu (who’d now showed up) watched as did Samu and his wife who’d also shown up. In the audience were the two small kids of the household. You could see everyone was really hoping for a fix and I felt under a lot of pressure.

The player had obviously been opened before as the screws were all missing. At least one symptom of the problem was immediately obvious. The disk was not spinning. There was no friction so it was not something stuck. I removed the DVD tray and checked the underside. There was no voltage to the motor when it should have been running so I checked the ribbon cable that connected the tray to the main circuit board. I removed one end of the cable where some wax had been placed to hold the cables in place. The cable appeared intact. I cleaned the wax away from the connector as this could have seeped in and created a bad connection – particularly with all the heat and humidity – as it was at the end of the cable where the wires connecting to the motor were. I reconnected it and powered up. The disk span. The DVD was ‘Happy Feet’ and soon their TV was alive with dancing penguins. After my own personal misery for screwing up the first house I felt I’d broken even by seeing the faces beaming around me, in particular the two small children who were delighted with the movie. I put everything together and retested. It still worked. Phew. We watched a bit of the movie together just to make sure things were ok. I had to explain what the movie advice “Don’t eat yellow snow” meant. For people who find 15C evening’s cold, concepts such as eating yellow snow are far beyond their immediate understanding. After a brief explanation they thought it hilarious.

That was it for my amateur repairs for the evening. I don’t think I could take any more stress. I bid everyone farewell. They knew it is our intention to leave today but to return in just over a week to say goodbye.

And that is our intention. At least it was. I know a front is approaching bringing some strong weather and I want to be tucked into a small bay for when the southerlies come in this evening and strengthen tomorrow. However we seem to be in the leading edge of the system already and it’s peeing down again and looking grim outside. As soon as we get a break in decent light we’ll try and move.