Leaving Tonga behind

Monday November 6,2006
current coordinates 21 18.180S,175 41.418W

Thankfully Cyclone Xavier fizzled out before he made it our way, did any damage or caused troubles for anyone we know. We waited out the remainder of our time in Tonga waters anchored out in front of the island of Pangaimotu in the Tongatapu island group. In the town of Nuku' alofa we were able to clear out of customs, provision well, do some much needed projects, cleaning and organizing for the anticipated crossing to New Zealand. Just so you know that it is not always (if ever) drinks on the beach with umbrellas in this cruising life, we were joyfully repairing the head in the back of the boat. That means hours of tearing up beds and cabinets in order to remove and replace stinky, clogged hoses, the day before departure. aahhhhhh.

On the fun side, we were able to celebrate Halloween, Tristan's birthday and enjoy our time with friends in "Big Mama's". As close to a yacht club as any, it is a friendly establishment that provides yummy fish n' chips and great games of darts. Rather than cut a rug, we decided to kick up some sand one night and ease the emotions as we were all beginning to realize the end of our season here. Run by a local Tongan gal Anna and her husband, the boys spent their afternoons playing with their son Andrew on the beach and swinging from ropes in coconut trees. As we left out of the anchorage this morning we were sent off by sirens and big waves from them. They are a friendly bunch.

Here's a quick recap of the other islands we visited and some of the adventures we had.
Ovala Island 18 45.034S,174 04.329W Between here and the cove of Port Mourelle were our best opportunities to see whales. Finishing out their breeding and calving season you could be assured to see at least their spouts somewhere during the day. Bruce took one opportunity to learn how to kite board from some new Dutch friends about their boat Pelikaan. We did have a spectacular day as well while aboard our pals boat Sarabi. A group of us were making another run at our favorite Mariner's cave when we came upon a few whales just relaxing in the sun. We shut off the engine and drifted upon them. Bruce and a few others were able to jump in the water with snorkel gear and watch a mother and her calf below the water while the rest of us were treated to a few singing playfully above. It was an amazing scene that although it only lasts a few minutes will be with us for a lifetime. That evening a few more whales, possibly the same ones entered our anchorage while feeding and came remarkably close to the boats anchored until unfortunately they were frightened off by a whale watching boat.

A few more stops in our favorite anchorages filled with potluck's and swimming and we took a quick trip back to the town of Neiafu for checking out of customs, provisioning and the special occasion of meeting the prince of Tonga and witnessing a special church service with the new King. In honor of the new King they held the first annual Royal Regatta. Any boats in the anchorage were invited to race in a fun loving challenge in the bay. They included the children in a sailing dinghy race which if you can imagine, took place at the same time as the big boat race and even had to cross each others course twice. Kelly girl and I(Lisa) raced in their dinghy and let me just say how big and ominous those big boats looks from the water line when they are trying to dodge innocent children. We crossed the Prince's path a few times and they took our picture as we were sailing by. We got the opportunity to shake hands with him later and thank him for the great day. That following Sunday in the Wellesley Church they held a service for the King. Nothing short of tears and chills when they sang the most beautiful rendition of Hallelluia.

We did get the opportunity to take out a Moorings 47' Catamaran for the day before we departed. With 20+ of our closest friends we put that girl to the test and tried to squelch any cat fever that the big boys had. No luck. They have it worse than ever. Maybe next time we decide to cross some oceans it will be on 2 hulls instead of 1. I have to admit the extra space is awfully nice.

On to the Ha'apai Island group of Tonga. 19 40.270S,174 17.395W
We had the chance to stop at 5 of the dozens of islands here. Each one a quick trip but very relaxing as there are no large towns. Definitely off the beaten path, just the way we like it. Ha'ano, one of the first islands you come to in Ha'api. It was a quick stop over to get a nights sleep before checking into the customs here. Lifiku, a roadstead of an anchorage. Apparently they are watching you closely with binoculars and we gladly obliged with our check in there. Uoleva, we spent a few nights and days there. A wonderful mile long stretch of beach we enjoyed lots of shell hunting, bon fires and yep, another potluck. See the pattern here, sailors love potlucks! You make one dish and feast like Kings!

Ha'afeva 19 56.409S,174 42.912W
One of our most special stops in Tonga. Our pals on Sarabi had already made a connection with some locals on shore. We got to tag along for the next day or two. An island of approximately 100 people and 5 churches. whew. Our hosts Afa, her husband Calebi and their baby boy Nefi were gracious enough to give us a tour of the island, invite us to a special children's service at the local Mormon Church and cook a traditional style Tongan feast in the umu. We gathered our other boating pals in the anchorage and each of us prepared a dessert for the feast. Our new friends gobbled up our chocolate chip cookies while we dined on various meats, fish and kasava wrapped in taro leaves, seasoned with coconut milk and cooked over stones in the ground. We were all fat and happy so we rounded the day off with some great games of bacci ball, swimming and diving off the pier. We each gave a few new friends some quick tours of our boats and all were satisfied. One thing that impressed us was their amazing pride for their homeland and tradition. After having traveled to the US for a few years on mission. Calebi was even more resolute on returning to Tonga to continue to nourish his home and town with his knowledge. If you ever stop by though they would love to have some pizza.

Tomuku Iki 20 16.718S,174 48 073W
Our last stop in the Ha'apai group. We stayed another couple of days trying to wait out the 25 knots winds that had been following us everywhere. We did enjoy a wonder snorkel there and the boys spent all afternoon exploring and climbing on a ship that had wrecked on the shore years ago. It was one of the rare places where we could anchor in only 12 feet of water, amazing.

One more overnight sail and we arrived at our first island in the Tongatapu Island group named Malinoa 21 02.139S,175 07.953W. Our very own private Gilligan's Island. We stayed only one night but had a great day there collecting the most shells we had ever seen and practicing our coconut husking skills. Pristine white beaches with pure turquoise waters. The Kelly's and we had a marvelous time. Only miles away from the main town and capital of Tonga but we felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. Next stop was Nuku'alofa and it was time to leave Tonga behind.

Since I started this letter to you we have already had a change of plans. Under way to Minerva reef we have received some weather information stating that a low pressure system is heading our way. We can easily get out of it's way and the challenging weather it brings but it will prevent us from stopping to experience this sunken reef in the middle of nowhere. Better to have a safe passage and good winds so we are on our way. We should make landfall in Opua, NZ in approximately 5 days. It is an unbelievable thought that we are leaving the islands behind and heading to firmer ground for a while. It's all about the journey!
until next time,
Lisa and the boys