Day 16

Saturday 16h May 2009 19:00

Position: 21deg 05min South, 175deg 09min West � anchored off Fafa Island

The guide book says that the resort on Fafa is the best island resort in Tangatapu group, and I concur � a bit of a pain to approach in a yacht because its surrounded by a large reef. We have anchored on the south side in about 9m of water about 50 meters from the reef. Matt and I snorkeled over the anchor to check � looked well set. This feels like quite an exposed anchorage.

The island resort is immaculate and just out of the picture books. They have guest houses (called fales) each with their own peace of beach and little veranda. They have high ceilings with clinker wooden roofs and traditional walls for the buildings � The bit I liked most was the bathroom which sported a reasonably large area half covered - the shower was actually outside and merely protected by a traditional coconut palm woven courtyard wall.

We met up the plastic surgery team (Zak, Martin and Graham and their 2 OR scrub nurses) that were taking a break from their week at Viola hospital. This was just fantastic � we had a great morning as their guests and returned to Carenza for lunch and a nap at about 2 o�clock. Zak and Graham snorkeled over to the yacht for a visit and eventually we snorkeled back with them and ended the day enjoying some cocktails � time went very rapidly and we ended up having to negotiate the reef in the dingy in the dark (fortunately I had left the anchor light on so we could find the yacht� the overcast conditions made it all very dark)

Abby found a nice dry coconut which we pealed off the husk and cracked it open and removed the hard coconut (shown to us by Graham) which is actually really nice. Actually the place is full of coconuts but they by rights belong to the owner of the island.

Another day in paradise. Unfortunately you really need money to enjoy paradise and we are on a tight budget. We would have loved to have had a meal but that would have represented a weeks provisions.

We are still watching the weather and unsure about whether to leave on Sunday or not. There is definitely a low developing over Fiji that threatens to disturb the settled south Easters with a bit of a blow from the west in the next few days � not good for exploring the Hapai group.

We have found a nice dry empty coconut � and brought it back to the yacht and have named him �Wilson�

We are far enough north now for the skeds on 4429khz to not be so good anymore so we had a sked with Des on 13101kHz which was infinitely better.

Its so warm that we are having to run the freezer for 2 to 3 hours a day to keep it frozen (between -5 to -12)

Skipper

Day 15

Friday 15th May 2009 19:00

Position: 21deg 07 min South, 175deg 09min West � anchored in 20m off Pangaimotu Island

We spent the day on Pangaimotu Island � small enough to walk around in 20mins at a leisurely pace. There is an island resort and most of the Island Cruising Association yachts were there. This is where their Tongan rally meets. Yes we have met up with other children. Young Abigail is Matthew�s age and is from Kairos (a 40 odd foot island packet) very nice yacht and nicely kitted out. Abby is sailing with her mom and dad, Clint and Janet. They have 5 children and have been cruising for many years. The older children are either on other vessels or back in the USA. There is also a big cat from Whangarei called reflection with a family with 2 little girls with 9 year old twins. As much as we have been enjoying the company on the island we are not part of the ICA and we have felt a little isolated. Fare enough this is business for them but �.. Our kids have had a great time though interacting with the other children. We are itching to get going up to the Hapai group. We hear that there is a low coming up in the next few days which might make the Hapai group difficult for us. We also want to keep in touch with Kairos as we are enjoying their company. We shall download some weather files and check the long range forecasts � we are mindful that we have cleared the Tongatapu group and our next port of call is Lifuka in the Hapai group.

skipper

day 14

Thurs 14th May 2009 19:00

Position: 21deg 07 min South, 175deg 09min West � anchored in 20m off Pangaimotu Island.

I see I made an error in the previous date � proof that island time is different.

Well the morning was spent getting water � we take all this for granted but where people don�t have enough this is a real issue. We were charged $23.00 but we are very glad to have our tanks full again. It appears that our port side tank which I thought was full was only a third full � so some water must have leaked into the starboard tank or is was not a full as we thought when we left home � a mystery that I am yet to solve. We filled our fuel containers (diesel about 2 dollars a liter and petrol a little more, gas cost us $15 for 3.5kg and gas bottle, and did some provisioning. � Food is double the price in NZ and is no where near the quality. Fish is surprisingly expensive. I tried very hard to find an internet caf� near the wharf and eventually found one that would accept my usb stick and the speed made dial up look fast � took 30mins to upload a few photos that were only about 30k � we cleared Nuku�alofa as well as we intend to visit some of the outer islands and then move onto the Hapai group. I can see the value of been part of the ICA cruising fleet as all this officialdom is kind of taken care for you. � clearing out involved lots of walking between various offices and buildings and much stamping and signing and of cause paying. This involved the whole day. We left late in the afternoon to moor just off Pangaimotu. Had a much needed swim and wash and am looking forward to bed. I am starting to get a handle on the pace of life of the Tongan people, I just have to learn to slow down. I am amaised by the number of cars that are here and the amount of driving everyone does around the island. One would imagine that bicycles would suffice for a lot of what people do. The housing is interesting too. Most people live in very humble abodes but every now and then you come across a house that would cost at least $ 500 k to a million � these are nationals that are overseas and have build homes back home either for their own families to live in or in most cases for themselves. There are little stalls everywhere where people sell a few sweet potatoes or a few hands of bananas. The fish market is also interesting lots of people selling bags of fish � priced at about $20 - $50.00 � or groups of octopuses or sea eggs or other shell fish for similar price � no refrigeration and all a bit smelly � still haven�t lost my western desire to see food refrigerated especially fish. I am alarmed at the price of food and especially fish. All the good fish like Tuna and crayfish is exported. Not too sure what you do to survive if you are poor in Tonga � you can subsistence farm and grow your own chickens and pigs but everything else is very expensive.

Skipper.

Day 13

Wed 13th May 2009 19:00

Position: 21deg 08min South, 175deg 10min West � anchored stern too in the small craft harbour in Nuku�alofa.

I spent an hour at Viola Hospital � met the CEO � a very pleasant well spoken man. He has been in contact with Don Mackie at Counties about anaesthetic and other medical support. He is new to the position and still finding his feet in some regards. I went to the operating rooms and paid a visit. They had 3 theatres running at the time. A plastic surgery team from Middlemore (New Zealand) were there and were doing a cleft palate in one theatre and another child in the other. There was a caesarian section in progress in the third theatre. The anaesthetic equipment is basic but adequate � unfortunately they have pulse oximeters but no agent analysis � I did notice that the plastic team had brought there own anaesthetist from Starship Children�s Hospital and they brought their own anaesthetic Monitor. Overall the whole impression was the same as one would find in a little hospital in peripheral Africa � made me feel quite homesick in fact. I think at there is an opportunity for us to do more in terms of establishing some kind of professional relationship between ourselves at Auckland Hospital and Viola Hospital.

Vatuni then took all of us for a tour around the island (in our hurry we left the camera behind) Our highlights included numerous villages � all neat and tidy. Lds chapels (neat and tidy and good looking I may say) in every village. We went to the Temple which is very pretty and saw the Liahona High School. We saw the �Blow holes� � at low tide the huge Southerly Swell bashes against the reef and exits as jets of water and mist from holes in the reef � this happens for a few kilometers along the coast and is very spectacular. We saw Ha�amonga Trilithon - A large Stone Henge type gate way made from coral stone not from Tongatapu, We�ve seen their flying foxes � large fruit bats that tend to sleep in the iron wood trees. We looked at Captain Cooks first landing place and saw and spoke to one of the Tongan Ladies making Tapa ( cloth made from beating the bark of a mulberry tree shoots. � a laborious process that requires hours and hours of beating of the stuff) � this cloth is not only expensive but used in all sorts of ceremonies: births, deaths, burials, marriages etc. The Tongan people are very friendly and we have been treated well were ever we have been so far.

Water is a real issue for us. There are no taps or sources of water in the small craft harbour here. Our only options are to buy water from the ministry of works that will bring a bunker up to the dock, or try and buy some form the fishing fleet base. � we hope to do that tomorrow. Provision the vessel and leave Tongatapu for one of the other islands this afternoon.

skipper

Day 12 - Arrived in Tonga

Tuesday 12th May 2009 19:00

Position: 21deg 08min South, 175deg 10min West � anchored stern too in the small craft harbour in Nuku�alofa.
Well this is the longest that we have motored for in one continuous run � funny thing in total we have used more diesel than water on this trip � we are still on our first tank � 200Liters. To our delight a strong southerly wind sprung up during the night and we were able to increase our boat speed to nearly 8kts and caught up a lot of time. We decided in the face of the stiff southerly wind to make our entry on the west coast, through the Egeria channel. Our original plan was to have made the Piha channel on the east coast that is exposed to the prevailing South Easterly swell. A yacht Wandering Star I got stuck on the reef this afternoon. We were not in a position to help but one of the Super Cats (a 60 foot monster) has a lovely tender like a small tug and went to her aid � we went out to help her come into mooring.

Customs was interesting. We called the harbour master as instructed over a period of 2 hours but there was no answer � you are supposed to go the commercial harbour, but we went strait to the small craft harbour and anchored in the middle and reversed to the breakwater and tied stern too a bollard. � still have to use the dingy though.

I walked to the customs office and handed in our departure documentation that I received from NZ customs. They made some notes and informed me that the immigration and health departments were still on Pangamotu island clearing in the large number of yachts from the Island Cruising Association. We were to remain on the vessel with our quarantine flag raised. Well to our delight one and half hours later 4 inspectors arrived and we filled in lots of arrival forms and they departed with money ($25 for the immigration and $100 for the health clearance (actually they said it was $200 but Joy challenged them on that and they corrected the figure)). A contact we had from church � Vatuni � has delighted us by bringing the most enormous water melon we have ever seen and then took us for a ride around town and showed us the main street, where to get fuel, food etc. We bought our first coconuts ever and bananas and some fresh bread. Vatuni has also organized for me to meet the CEO of the local hospital tomorrow. Its good to have dry land under foot. We have looked back on the trip to realize that this has indeed been a very good trip and we can honestly say we have enjoyed it so far.

Skipper.

Day 11

Monday 11th May 2009 17:00

Position: 22deg 20min South, 176deg 49min West � 120 miles off Tongatapu.

The little bit of wind we have (about 5 kts ) has turned to the north east and is heading us. We have been under motor since 7 this morning. We were doing better than 5 kts but no more � so the idea of making land fall by tomorrow evening is starting to wane. We have been able to observe that stationary front over Tonga for the last few days and we have just started to enter its area. The humidity is suddenly up and there are little drops of rain. There is nothing really to be newsy about except we are all very excited about arriving in Tonga � enough already.

Skipper.

Day 10

Sunday 10th May 2009 17:00

Position: 23deg 36min South, 178deg 39min West � back at sea

Slight variation in plans � joined Black Adder and another yacht Pacific Rose and dived and snorkeled the wreck on the South Eastern part of the inner reef, in reasonably shallow water. Later in the afternoon we joined Black Adder again on the outside of the reef � this time the normally inaccessible outer South Eastern Corner � we snorkeled for a good 40mins over the most amazing coral and saw all kinds of reef fish, two sharks, and a turtle. We then left the reef and have continued to sail to Tonga in very little winds. We have sufficient diesel on board to motor/motor sail to Tonga. We�re all tired so these watches are going to be very tuff. We are now hoping to reach Tonga on Wednesday morning all things being equal. We are delighted with our experience on both South and North Minerva Reefs and can only recommend to anyone who has the opportunity to go. Little Rebekah has managed to put her mask and snorkel on and has enjoyed seeing the fish.

Skipper