Category: Fiji

Fiji, Malolo Island, Monuriki Island, September 2019, South Pacific, Tavua Island, The South Pacific

Keep Trying

With Dan back from the states and our watermaker fixed it was time to do a little cruising in the Mamanuca and Yasawa Island chains here in western Fiji. We’ve heard they are amazing and we wanted to see for ourselves so on a gorgeous, sunny day we set out on yet another adventure.

The first stop for us was at the northern end of the Mamanucas at Monuriki Island. This is where they filmed the movie Cast Away with Tom Hanks. The island itself is absolutely beautiful but unfortunately for us the day we arrived there was too much swell to anchor so we did a drive by, took a couple of pics. Of course we had to take one with me and Wilson. We were both a bit disappointed about not being able to stay but sometimes you just have to keep moving if you want to stay safe.

We made another stop in a beautiful anchorage on the north side of Tavua Island. It appeared to be the perfect spot and we had it all to ourselves. The water there was really clear and on the beach we watched as villagers from the other side of the island were searching the rocks for crabs and fish. We even had a fishing boat come by with several men in it. Behind them were three or four young boys snorkeling and spear fishing. Yes here in the islands the kids work just as hard as the adults. Maybe that’s why they turn out to be such awesome people. You know, they aren’t sitting around being handed everything. But wait, I’m getting dangerously close to discussing politics here so I will just move along.

We really enjoyed this marvelous little anchorage but when I said,“It appeared to be the perfect spot”, appeared is the key word.  After about two hours of relaxing and enjoying the views the wind and swell kicked up and we just weren’t feeling good about it. The anchorage is not well protected so it’s one you really want to stay in when it’s fairly calm. So, with daylight fleeting we hauled anchor and raced to the northern end of Malolo Island where the Likuliku Lagoon Resort is located. They are not cruiser friendly but they do have a wonderfully protected bay with crystal clear waters and since we stayed here before we were sure it would be the best spot with the most protection from the wind and swell.

When we say they aren’t cruiser friendly it means that cruisers aren’t welcome on shore at the resort and quite frankly if they could keep us out of their bay they probably would. The first time we stayed here their island boat was taking one of their guests waterskiing and was doing circles around the three anchored boats making it pretty uncomfortable. It was almost as if they were doing anything they could to get us all to haul anchor and leave. Of course when you look at their website and see that an over the water bure runs almost $11K USD per week it’s easy to understand the exclusivity and reason for their “no cruiser” policy.

We arrived at Likuliku just as the sun was going down. With all of the coral reefs around here traveling these waters at dark is never advisable so we were delighted to have made it just before dark. That evening Dan cooked up some wings on the grill and we sat back and enjoyed another beautiful night in Fiji. It may have taken three tries to find the right spot for the night but we found it. One thing we know is that if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t so you need to move to another spot.

Next we head north to the Yasawas…check back to find out about our wonderful adventures in these amazing islands.

Until Next Time…

Jilly & Dan

Fiji, Lautoka, South Pacific, Supplies, The South Pacific, Viti Levu

Miracles Happen

If you’ve been following along our journey you know that several days ago our water maker sprung not one or two, but three leaks! We’ve been limping it along while we tried to figure out where we could get a replacement cylinder. Dan was able to repair leaks one and two but the threads in one of the Clark pump cylinders had a small fissure in it which meant we’d need a new one. Finding parts like this in a place like Fiji was surely going to be an issue and we were prepared to order one from the states and have it shipped here.

The morning after the leak was discovered Dan went to shore in Denarau and stopped by Baobab Marine to discuss the best way to get one of these cylinders. They carry Spectra parts but didn’t have the cylinder we needed. They told him it would take a couple of weeks to get one in. Okay, that’s not a horrible thing as we could continue to limp along with it but he was pretty certain we could get it sooner if we had it shipped to someone in the states and had them ship it to us. It would have gone to our “go to” person, Dan’s sister, Tina. She’s a gem and always there to help with stuff like this.

Dan came back to the boat and because it was the weekend and Daily Watermakers in San Diego was already closed so we had to wait until Tuesday to call them and place the order. We’re a day ahead of the them.

Tuesday came and Dan got on the phone right away to see what we could do. They know him well at the Spectra store and after hearing Dan’s diagnosis they were certain he was correct. They also had some potential good news which is that there is a store in Lautoka that may have a cylinder in stock. Lautoka is not far from Denarau so we were excited at the prospect of being able to get one locally. Dan place a called to Oceania Water Group. Miracle of miracles happened as they told us they not only have one, but two in stock! The look of relief on Dan’s face was fantastic. 

The next morning we took the boat up to Vuda Marina and anchored outside the marina. We went to shore and took a taxi into Lautoka to find Oceania where they indeed, had the cylinder we needed. The people there were amazing and incredibly helpful. They carry all sorts of water maker parts and filters. We will certainly keep them in mind if we ever have an issue again and we are in the area.

So, what was the final cost? Well, ironically we found that we paid less for it here in Fiji than we would have if we’d have had bought it in the states and had it shipped to us. We figure we actually paid about $50 USD less. BONUS!!!

Total time from the first leak to completion of the project…5 days!

Total Cost: $300 USD (This includes our taxi ride into Lautoka!)

After picking up a few other provisions in town we were dropped back off at the marina where we had a beer to celebrate before returning to Dazzler. Within two hours Dan had the new cylinder installed and there wasn’t a drop of water to be found.

The most important part of it all is we are making water. Dan took me to shore where we celebrated with a yummy dinner of Mongolian Beef at the Boatshed Restaurant overlooking the water. The sunset was beautiful, the food spectacular and the beer ice cold! Yes, all is right in the world of Dazzler again!

Until Next Time…

Jilly & Dan