Tribewanted: Vorovoro

It’s been a week or two since my last blog. After posting a picture of the turbine that i have constructed, it has since been under test in the underwhelming weather system of the home counties Hertfordshire region. In 4 days my turbine and off grid system is leaving my back yard in pieces and making it’s way to a packing and fumigation company near heathrow. This is in preparation for a long journey by boat via Singapore to Loutaka port in Fiji. A ceremonial Barbecue was held last weekend to gather the muscle to help put the turbine into an ever so slightly higher wind shear above lawn level using rope and lots of beefburger filled human ballast. Usually I pray for hot, still, bleaching sun at the weekend. In this case a bit of gust and storm would have been nice too. However, the blades have animated enough in the past week for me to be confident that the system will work in a tropical environment. Adjusting the wind speed for the mechanical emergency hurricane protection system will have to be a real time on location activity !. It’s a strong piece of kit so I’m sure it will be ok. I can’t afford a wind tunnel on this project budget.

Pending succesfull commencement of voyage my biggest task is now to provide a home for it on Vorovoro. I need lots of technical support from the island to prepare the supporting tower. To present some idea of what this might involve take a look at the video footage of what it takes to swoop the turbine only 4 meters into the air in my back yard…..