21deg 20min South, 175 deg 41min West
Final day � walk into town to immigration to have the passports stamped and fill in forms. Vatuni picked me as I was leaving and off to the Harbour Authority to pay money and get a receipt and then off to customs (yet another building) to show stamped passports receipt for harbour fees, and get our clearance certificate to show to customs in NZ. We filled the advance arrival form for NZ and asked Vatuni to fax for us. Sad goodbyes to Vatuni as he and his family have been very good to us. We cast off our stern lines and picked up our anchor and off we went to Pangimotu to anchor and swim and clean the hull. Josh and the kids went ashore to have one last tropical island experience (first for Josh) and we weighed anchor for the last time in Tonga 1:15pm (TST). The winds are South Easterly and the sea still rough with swells 4 to 6 meters with a few cross swells. The winds are 25 kts gusting over 30 and we have settled into the night with a triple reefed main and a storm jib making a good 6kts. We all feel a bit sea sick and so no dinner just something to drink and some snacks. We are aware of not so good weather up ahead � our plan is to go to Minerva to show Josh if we pass in daylight. Then make our way to a position 30South 172East above NZ and hopefully thereby be in a position to handle the Westerlies we are expecting (which no doubt will become Southerlies in due course)
Skipper
oh and thankyou grandad and granny jo for the caterpillar juice. its going down a treat. just what we needed.
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