Terrible Tasmin, Transit to Fiji and Trashed keel

While soaking up the sun and the best Scotland has to offer with my mum in Loch Melfort, John was bashing across the Tasmin sea enroute from Hobart to Auckland.

It was the advice from the weather router that did not instil confidence as he suggested to John that he took down all the sails, secured everything he could, went down below and hoped for the best. Turns out that Joline can ride the huge waves of a nasty  front very well and with just a small jib out she kept on trundling toward NZ and the happy crew, ( Bill, Tim and Trim the cat),continued to make cinnamon buns and hang on very well.

Less than a month later we were departing NZ for Fiji. Our time in around Northland and Auckland went very quickly with the highlight from me being a quick visit from Luke and Nao which coincided with Luke exhibiting at “Overload”, an anime based exhibition which opened John and my eyes to a whole new world!. we also celebrated Naos birthday with a visit to Waiheke.

Our sail from New Zealand to Fiji, was robust, bumpy, fast sail with a very pleasant stop in Minerva Reef.  We also went and helped a boat which was having a rough time with their young family on board and no engine. We towed them into Minerva and John hobbled together a fix on their engine with a can of chick peas. (He said it was the best use he has ever found for a can of chick peas!).

Our plan was to pick up Darcy (my niece), and Maggie, (our sailing friend), up in Savusavu and head east towards the Lau Islands. It started off very well and our first ten days  went according to plan with gentle sailing, postcard type beaches and snorkelling on the eastern side of Vanua Levu making our way slowly towards the Lau.

We had entered the reef into the  norther anchorage of Rabi Island  with extreme caution – keeping a very good visual on the water and cross checking with google earth. As usual we laid down a track on the chart plotter  of our safe track inbound. On the way out we were complacent and followed the track, (slightly to the north of) and did not have our eyes peeled on the water, instead we were preparing the mainsail and following the track – next thing we knew, WHAM BANK CRUNCH . We hit a bommie! Our starboard keel landed squarely on top of it! After a few minutes John managed to get it off using the engines and I jumped into the water to guide us out of the reef and asses the damage. --- My concern rapidly grew as my  hand went through the keel to an inner skin which was damaged. John went to observe the water tank, (integral keel watertanks), and taste the water --- it was saltwater  in the taps and pressure on the lids. – We headed for the shallows of the beach, as we truly were considering we might sink that hull if the water tank hatches blew.

After a few hours brainstorming, relieved that we were still afloat, John  tried under water epoxy but the hole was big and  we needed a serious out of water repair.  Our best option was to reinforce the lids to the water tanks, which we did, and get  our emergency bilge pumps ready  and then head for a place that could lift us out of the water. This was Vuda Marina – 200 miles away!!.

The first 50 miles was nerve racking for me, watching those hatches slowly leaking but holding. As the hours ticked away our confidence grew and the sailing was good downwind cruising in good weather. We kept the speed below 6 kts to reduce the pressure on the tanks/keel,  and made Vuda safely.

Vuda marina were fabulous; – they lifted us on the first high water with a travel trolley and our biggest luck was finding Mr Prasad, – a seasoned fibre glass specialist who took the whole thing in his stride, and spent the next 10 days working solidly with his team to effect a very professional and thorough repair.

Our learnings –

1. Always always keep your eyes glued and keep cross re-fencing google earth images. We have sailed in far more trickly places than where this happened and after six years of full time sailing we got complacent.

2. It was fabulous to be able to brainstorm between John and I the best course of action and options – we had a few plans up our sleave if those hatches had given way and  it proved to bring out the best in us both.

3. Our insurance  “ Admiral “ were fantastic, we advised them straight away and felt they were there to help us and very supportive of our decisions.

4. Mr Sachin  Prasad  at Vuda marina was a star, even John who is a Marina engineer was impressed.  Usually most people in Johns eyes are Muppets, – this time we were the Muppets!!.

We launched back in the water on the 19th July and are now cautiously cruising the lovely Yasawa islands.

Lets see what  the next few Months bring…