The Roving Roaming Repairmen of Fiji

 A view written from Rick

  The many remote island villages of Fiji often depend on ingenuity to provide conveniences, such as electricity, that others take for granted.  In addition, the inhabitants of his nation of islands, depend on outboard engines for boat transportation and their fishing livelihood.  Generators, solar panels, battery banks, outboards are everywhere, even in the most isolated locations.  Inevitably, these devices require repair which is usually expensive and very far away.

  During its extended stay in Fiji, Starr has visited many of these remote islands. In its desire to see, understand, and interact in a productive way with these lovely welcoming people, the crew of Starr offers its elecro-mechanical expertise and goes to work.

  It usually starts when Don and crew visit with the local Chief during the ceremony of Sevu Sevu.  This is an important gesture where the new arrivals present their greetings and ask for permission to be boating and hiking in the area.  A token gift of Kava roots, used to prepare a ceremonial drink, is presented to the chief.  All of this happens often while sitting on the floor in a circle at the chief‘s home or the village community center. After Don presents his greetings and gift, the Chief gives a formal speech in Fijian that to our ears sound much like a prayer and formal welcoming.  The crew of Starr then exchange pleasantries with the chief and his attending Village elders while inquiries are made about the village population and the local area. At this point, Don asks if there is any help the village could use with the repair of their electrical or gas powered devices.  The first reaction always seem of bewilderment, as if not believing what they are hearing or that they may have had such good luck land on their lap in the form of these strangers from the sea.

  The chief will inevitably say yes. And list his faltering generator and outboard. Then mention the generator two houses down, then the power saw across the village, and the solar panels yet further away. And this is all before the word gets out to the rest of the village.

  Soon Don and Patrick find a suitable place to work and the devices start to arrive. First a few, then a torrent. The villagers surround Don and Patrick, explain their problems, ask for help with great expectation in their eyes.  Often the device hasn’t worked for years, repair or replacement is too costly or much too far away on another island.

  A common denominator with gasoline powered devices is fuel line clogging due to the poor quality of the little fuel available on these wee islands.  Carburetors are cleaned, fuel lines unclogged, spark plugs cleaned or replaced and soon the small motor roars to life and the face of the owner turns into one large beaming smile.

  But of course, many other generators or chain saws have arrived while Don and Patrick worked on the last one. Their attention turns to the next one, and then the next on. Work continues on the next day. But even that is not enough.

Word has gotten out that the big white boat in the bay has people that are willing to help. So even when back at rest on Starr, small boats arrive asking for help with a stuttering outboard engine.  Don will look at the boat, the pleading man, the boat crowded with playful children, a mama with another child in her arms sitting under an umbrella blocking the tropical sun, and grandma by the side; and off he his for a bay ride on the small boat to see how the engine runs.  He works on it and tunes it, and gets it going as best as can be done for a very old engine.  The gratitude is immense.

    And then, a few days later, at another island miles away, at another village, Don and Patrick meet another chief and ask „ Is there anything that needs repair?“ And it all happens again.

The end