Position: 19deg 56 min South, 174deg 43min West �Ha�afeva Island
We said our final good byes to Sis Manu Fanoa and family, Josephine & Leisi and co � who gave us some warm corn cobs and a necklace for each of the girls. They have been so generous and kind to us. We cleared customs, and got some drinking water from the Tongan navy � we are so grateful! (We had filled up with water from Nuku�alofa but it tastes awful and, although it hasn�t made us sick, its just not nice to drink � despite adding chlorine and being passed though our carbon filters � we have to mix it with Raro juice to disguise the taste and it�s still not great) so the Navy�s rainwater from their roof, is just so good by comparison! A pleasant 4 hour sail has found us at this very little island � Ha�afeva. We are anchored off with 2 others � Liberation and Avante Garde. We�ve been ashore and explored. We have sorted the chart plotter on one of the church vessels, met more friendly members � played games with the local kids, watched the bats flying at dusk in the trees, and checked out the pig sitting in a �crate� (made of sticks & shaded in coconut leaves) on the wharf waiting for the evening ferry to Nuku�alofa. We swam and washed. Mom and Dad spent the early evening chatting with Colin & Marion aboard Avante Garde (a beautiful Dickson 60ft sloop), along with Bill & Hazel from Liberation, and came back to find a delicious dinner made by the crew � with the cockpit and saloon all neat and tidy, they even did all the washing up, Mom wasn�t allowed to do anything � I like this!
The anchorage has a bit of a roll. But we are well anchored in moderate South Easterly winds in the lee of the island, and we are all exhausted after another full day. Matthew and Emma have baked a cake and are icing it (500g Chelsea icing sugar cost us the equivalent of NZ$5.50 at the local asian run dairy � quite well provisioned for such a small community!) we are celebrating Tom�s last day of being 12. It should have been for tomorrow but me thinks they will eat it tonight. Interestingly they�ve grated fresh coconut and added it to the cake � it tastes fantastic.
Oh I nearly forgot � Matt caught 2 tuna � I think that�s what they are � they�re in the freezer and will become dinner in due course.
We shall explore the reef tomorrow and do some more fishing
Skipper
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