Tonga Cruising Blogs

Cruising the Islands of Tonga - We had a great day in a lovely anchorage, with some good snorkeling around the fringing reefs. Also got some work done - Michael gave the engines an oil and oil filter change and I did a bit of cleaning, washing and tidying. The islands have incredibly lush vegetation and as the sun went down there was a cacophony of noise from the shoreline - frogs, bats and others. I was amazed to see the size of the giant bats that slowly circled over us as evening came. It was still a very grey day. However, this morning the sun came out and we have had some real sunshine for the first time since we arrived in Tonga. We left our first anchorage outside of the main town and carefully threaded our way around islands and reefs to reach another lovely spot. Picture shows us leaving Harmonie behind as we left this morning. En route, we passed two enormous and not shy turtles, I have not often seen any as big as these were. Now sitting having a G&T as the sun goes down.

Lady Kay Update - Chilling

Second anchorage next to an uninhabited island called Vakeitu. Good evening last night - made Mahi-Mahi green curry with last of that fish, and had Don and Anne over. Today, Michael and I went to explore this island, which theoretically has a path running along the crest and from one side to the other. We took the dingy over, see 'photo, and then worked our way inland, trying to find a path. We got terribly lost in thick wet jungle type foliage and when we tried to retrace our steps, we found we had emerged on the opposite, unprotected side of the island. We eventually made it out, thank God, and walked around to another point where we found the original path to where the now defunct eco hotel originally was. Climbed up this path for the view, but too overgrown to see through the foliage. After a late lunch, we did little else except rescue our last remaining lobster pot which had got stuck around coral, and do a bit of snorkeling. It's a hard life. Plan to move to another spot tomorrow.

Cheers from Lady Kay - we are the second from the right in the picture, and Harmonie is first on the right.

Yacht Cleone in Tonga Part 1

Wonderful, funny place, Tonga.

We've sat here now for several days, with the rain pouring down for much of the time and squalls of wind lashing around us, and all of us rather at a loss as to what to do. Luckily we are in a well-protected stretch of water, with plenty of secure moorings. But competition for them has been fierce - it's the law of the jungle out here - as well as World ARC, the Blue Water Rally and a third (from New Zealand) are also congregated here. To be fair, it is us who should have moved off by now, but there is really no reason for us to do so. This is the only really secure anchorage around, and conditions outside the island group are appalling. Quasar, who have happily just managed to rejoin us after major but successful repairs, reported winds gusting to over 50 knots and big following seas. But apart from keeping track of our friends, what, you might ask, have we been up to?

This is difficult to answer without seeming negative. This is a great place to be. It's a yachtsman's heaven - the whole place is geared to us. The people are very friendly and have been outstandingly welcoming. There has been lots of socialising in the bars and restaurants that surround the yacht moorings. There is the Bounty Bar. The big sign outside said "The Bounty Bar welcomes World ARC", and they did. Simple food properly cooked, a variety of beers (sadly all tinned or bottled and from New Zealand (and is there anything wrong with that - my wife's grandmother was a New Zealander - Ed)), a great guitarist (ask Will) and ample opening hours made this a winner. There is the Vauva'u Yacht Club (AKA the Mermaid). It is full of friendly folks, has good food, generous opening hours, and welcomes all of us and is full of people with good advice. There is the Aquarium - more good simple food, internet and a wireless internet at your boat - everything we need. There are quaint boatyards with people who can improvise a solution to most repairs. There is the Paradise Hotel. We are moored on one of Beluga Divings moorings just off this place - it was where the great welcoming party was held. There is Beluga Diving itself. Where else can you get a solid mooring in a Hurricane Hole for only TPF (Tongan Dollars) 10 per night (about £2.50)? And where else can you dive the coral gardens teeming with tropical fish for only £45 for two dives, with such competent and friendly staff?

So we've visited the hotels, shopped mildly, but not for the trip to Fiji, dived our fill, spent a wonderful evening in a Spanish restaurant (La Paella) on a lonely island and done all sorts of other things. The Spanish Restaurant trip was typical. With our friends from Jus'doit, we took a minibus along a narrow, winding, rutted track and were dumped in the gloom on a sandy beach with the promised ferry boat nowhere in sight. An hour or so and several frantic phone calls later, and we heard (amidst the pattering of rain on the tin roof of the only shelter around) a small inflatable came puttering out of the gloom. Then we were (damply) transported to a different world. Tables full of friends (Talulah Ruby and Strega, plus our own group) and - magically - two other crews who the Skipper had met in Papeete and here in Vauva'u were already enjoying a glass of wine or beer. Then came the starters - Pate, devils on horseback and other delicacies - followed by the Paella itself. All was washed down by copious quantities of red wine or beer, and followed by our host (big beard, big voice, great guitar man, Spanish and Jazz) entertaining us. Talulah Ruby's current crew are from the Canaries with fine voices and a repertoire of songs, and they joined the host's accompanyment with some wonderful singing. And this was interspersed with some Jazz standards that kept our Skipper wonderfully happy. At the end of this wonderful evening we set off into the darkness in the damp inflatable, this time to find the taxi home waiting patiently for us. What a great evening.

Today, maybe to atone, we went to church. They take church seriously here, and to support our hosts, a long line of yachtsmen wended their way up the hill to take their places in either the Roman Catholic Cathedral or the Wesleyan church. Cleone's crew chose the latter. Although we could not understand the words, the singing in perfect harmony, the brightly coloured clothes and the warm words of welcome spoken in English by the officiating Church Elders were truly uplifting, and we really feel that we are being made welcome here.

The poor weather continues, with a promise of a break tomorrow or the next day. So soon we will set out to cruise around this group of islands before departing for Fiji and other wondrous places. We wish you could be here with us.

Yacht Cleone in Tonga PART 2

The weather broke, the sun came out, and off we went.

But we did not move far. The Vauva'u Group is a collection of funny shaped islands, in the crater of what must have been a gigantic volcano. We slipped our mooring quietly and sailed off back through the dog-legged entrance to the harbour, and went round to a nearby bay. On the way, we passed two huge caves and a series of pretty islands, and when we arrived, many of our World ARC friends lay already at anchor. A long sandy beach lay at the head of the bay, which was surrounded by what looked like impenetrable jungle. We just had time for a beer and lunch before half the crew assembled on the beach to gather firewood for a bonfire (under the masterful direction of Ian from Jus'doit, who sat sipping a beer whilst we dragged longs and brushwood into a suitable space already ringed with blackened stones - we were not the first). Such intense labour brings its rewards, and soon we, too, were sipping ice-cold beers whilst making sure the fire was properly alight. Before we knew where we were, it was starting to get dark, and the balance of the crews began to arrive. They had been labouring too, and varieties of kebabs, steaks, sausages, salads and puddings were soon being unloaded from the dinghies. Talulah Ruby's crew had been fishing, and these lay wrapped in foil waiting for the right moment. Strega, Talulah Ruby, Jus'doit, Akoya, Andante, Northern Sky (including Gerry's guitar), Maamalni, Windflower and of course our old friends from Quasar V were all anchored in the bay, and plus a few friendly strangers (from WMD) we were a large and merry (soon much merrier) crowd. Gerry started the music, but Talulah Ruby's Spanish trio were in there, and Wolfgang from Windflower showed that he too knew how to entertain. The party dispersed rather late and rather slowly. Sensibly some retired to their own bunks. Not so sensibly (especially for her crew) several carried on late into the night aboard Strega.

Next morning the bay was strangely hushed. Anchor lights remained on late into the morning. No merry greetings rang around. But soon a small party of diehards was seen scouring the beach for bits of rubbish, missing shoes, damp hats and half empty bottles of mosquito repellent. The party was over. A few boats left for other similarly delightful spots. Accompanied by the Quasars, we piled our snorkelling gear into the inflatable and made our way to the caves we had passed on the way in. The largest had a cill about eight feet deep, which once crossed led into a huge cave. Inside, the water was probably over 40' deep. It was spooky enough in the dinghy, but when we came back in our snorkelling gear few of us penetrated deep into the cave! Outside, the shelf dropped away into the blue - the chart showed depths of 80 metres only a few feet off the shore. Myriads of brightly coloured fish swam in and out of the caves and along the reef, and there were massive coral heads along the shelf. Adjacent to the big cave was a smaller, lighter friendlier one, and this too teemed with marine life. Dinghying home, we diverted into the adjacent bay. Here was the only village on our little island. There was little sign of life, but there was a long sandy beach, off which were anchored many of the Blue Water Rally yachts, and one or two of our own World ARC boats. But we decided ours was the prettier and more secure. So we stayed a second night (quiet evening on board, with John from Quasar enjoying a gin and a bottle or two of rather rare tonic - we still have lots of the former, but nothing to dilute it with. Better than the other way round, though).

And the next morning, we sailed back to Neiafu to clear customs, load up with duty free fuel, beer and fresh foodstuffs for our journey to Fiji. Clearing out was the usual bureaucratic nightmare - for a place which thrives on the yachtsmen (and looks after them superbly), the endless form-filling is not a good welcome or farewell. None of us spent less than two hours clearing in, and none of us spent less than two hours clearing out.

But refuelling, which had promised to be difficult, was a pleasure, with two friendly Tongans efficiently transferring 1700 litres to six different boats in a couple of hours. The last of our Tongan dollars changed hands, the miserable balance (boo) was transferred to Norfy to spend on beer (hooray) and there was time for a short walk ashore (Will and Elizabeth) and a short nap (the Skipper) before our 5pm (local time) departure.

What delightful people, what a great place. But we could have done with a few more weeks so that we could have visited the other island groups. Never mind, they will still be here for the next time.

All well here, and best wishes to everyone.
James, Chris, Elizabeth and Will
Yacht Cleone - Vauva'u - Tonga

Yacht Graptolite - Speaking in Tongs - Tonga

18:39.49S 173:58.94W Port of Refuge, Neiafu, Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga

Saturday night we watched the England/All Blacks game in a waterside restaurant with Nick & Rosie and others.

Sunday morning saw the faithful called to prayer and dinghies raced ashore with smartly clad sailors to one of the local churches. Not me obviously. I'm still recovering from Ebola or leprosy or whatever and anyway communing with deities is not my scene. Having said that I was curious to see what damage the missionaries had done to these unfortunate people and I'd been told that the singing was good.

After lunch Heike, Colin and I strolled down the near deserted main street following the sound of bells. The big Catholic church didn't appeal. Too much S&M and ritual cannibalism for me. The Wesleyan Methodist place we found up the road had some good singing coming out of it. All in Tongan. People were still flocking in, dressed in their big pandanus overskirts but as we were fairly immodestly dressed for the occasion, we sat outside for a
while listening.

Heike went to another church for an evening service but it turned out to be something like a Rastafarian disco. Big herds of pigs running up and down the road in the dark apparently made the walk back to the dock less than interesting.

M

Yacht Jus'Do It 3 - Tongan feast indeed! - Tonga

Having just crossed the International Date Line we will now be ahead of you all back in Blighty . It’s suiting us just fine here at the moment as the customs don’t open in Tonga on a Sunday, so we would have been stuck on the boat for Brian’s last night!

We carry on motor-sailing throughout the day, it’s sunny and bright so not too much of a chore. The wind has swung round to the SW now, and we could just about sail if not in so much of a rush. We arrive at our waypoint at the top of the island at 3.30pm and start to make our way round the coast. It’s an interesting coastline; very steep-sided with henna red eroding cliffs and caves. There’s a few isolated little bays and dramatic rock islets rising straight up from the sea that we pass on our way. It soon becomes apparent that our C-maps on the chart-plotter are completely incorrect, as they show the little boat making it’s way overland to get to the anchorage. Glad we didn’t attempt this at night! As we approach, we radio ARC control who advise that if we get there within half an hour with our forms completed, we can be cleared tonight. There’s also a bus just about to leave for a “Tongan Feast”. This sounds very attractive so we push on, pick up a mooring as directed and get the dinghy in the water pronto! Ian runs Annie ashore to customs then goes back to shut up the boat and we’re all done and dusted - not quite with our party clothes on – and on our way to we’re not quite sure what! This turns out, for us, to be a bit of a bad move; after a short bus ride we arrive at an awning on a beach under which are 2 long trestle tables laid out with our Tongan feast – it’s dreadful. Big platters of under cooked very fatty pork, little polystyrene dishes of local delicacies ;taro leaves stuffed with corned beef!, sweet and sour fish etc. It’s all cold and awful – we all eat a lot of fruit and not much else. To top it all there’s only coconuts (which are good) and coke to drink – it was BYOB but we didn’t know….very kindly Into the Blue and Andante help us out. There’s some entertainment but as we’re at the very far end of the trestle we can’t really see, or hear it. We can’t wait to leave but as we’re on a dark beach somewhere we’ve no option but to wait for the return bus. Thankfully it’s not too long and we’re soon back in town and dropped at the door of the Bounty Bar. We like it immediately; we meet Lawrence the land lord ,(who went to the same junior school as Ian in Loughton, Essex –
Staples Road) there’s a great atmosphere , people playing guitars and singing, brilliant! We get involved in a cosy wee session with some arc crew and we’re the last to leave, surprise, surprise……

Update Yacht Jus'Do It 3 - exploring the Kingdom of Tonga!

It’s grey but not raining – we decide to head ashore and embrace the Kingdom. Kick off is breakfast in the Tropicana, a buzzing little internet café full of information, good food, crack and home-made pies. We decide to rent a car so Ian and Stewy go to get it organised while Annie goes on the internet to apply for the Ozzie visas. Ian and Stewy get a lift to the car hire place with the local pastor. While on the street, Ian meets a man offering to sell lobsters - Ian orders 3 in the hope that the weather might improve and we can organise a BBQ for tomorrow. We meet Norfy on the street and he decides to come with us. Before we set off Annie takes Norfy to the market to bulk buy some necklaces from Mr Tui he’s delighted. Off we go with a very basic map to explore the Kingdom. We drive through several wee villages, heading SW. There’s pigs and piglets roaming everywhere. The villages are busy with people ; happy, smiling women and children, and men walking around with machetes chatting and working in the fields. Every doorway we look through there are women weaving and crafting. We arrive in Tefisi village where we see a group of women working outside on a huge tapa cloth in what looks like the local basket ball court. Annie gets out and gets chatting – not all can speak English, but one lady speaks good English and explains that the women are working on a large tapa for the Crown Prince’s coronation later this year. The women are very happy to be photographed and Annie promises to send photographs to them all in August when she gets home. Asking if there are any to buy, she is offered a 30 x 10 foot tapa, guess what…….. Off we go further on - lots more villages, friendly smiling people and photographs – no wonder Captain Cook named these The Friendly Islands. That night we’re off to lady boy (billy boy) night at Tonga Bob’s. As in all of the islands of the South Pacific, there continue to be a high number of lady boys and this is a little local show! It’s hugely entertaining , especially as Stewy is right beside the stage – his facial expressions are better than the show itself and we’re soon sore with laughter. Then, to top it all, Norfy decides he’ll also take the stage and ends up pole dancing with the star acts and wearing a very flamboyant head-dress – apparently the photos were up in his local pub in Northamptonshire within 24 hours! Another night of Island culture!

Forgot to mention before that since arriving in Tonga we have heard wonderful singing from St Joseph’s Cathedral above the yacht club every morning at about 6.30am – apparently the choir practices there every day. At 8.30am there is also a daily net, broadcast on channel 26, which is run by Baker, an American who sailed here in 2001 and never left. It’s a great source of information and networking, and starts off each day with a very thorough weather forecast. It’s very well organised and a great idea for cruising areas like this. We’re starting to get very comfortable in Neiafu, Port of Refuge!

Just as we’re getting up, the lobster man arrives. As Ian is otherwise engaged (!), Annie goes to do the negotiating and thinks she’s got a good deal for 3 lobsters and a couple of loaves of bread. We have a quick breakfast then Ian runs Annie to Tallulah Ruby. It’s a morning for lots of important jobs, except for Annie , who goes diving. Ian and Stewy do gas, replace the topping lift, get petrol for the outboard, then shop for fruit and vegetables at the market. The diving is excellent, a good mixed team – James, Elizabeth, Kuko, Paul and Annie. – they see lots of new things and Annie decides she must go diving more often as so many things get done when she’s away. In the afternoon it’s another drive round the island with Jens and Johanna. We visit a little beachside restaurant where there’s a training day going on - young women are being taught very old basketry and weaving crafts which they will be exhibiting at the local market tomorrow. We meet the local man who has arranged it, and the trainer, and agree to attend the function the next day. At another village stop, we meet an old woman who is weaving traditional mats with her daughter and granddaughter. Annie buys a mat and takes lots more photos, again agreeing to sent them on when she gets home. The villages have very simple ramshackle houses but everyone is smiling, there are lots of lines of washing out and the school children are all smart and spotless. The school buildings look new and well maintained, as do the numerous churches. Everywhere is very lush, and there are several plantations where taro, banana and other crops we don’t recognise are growing. There don’t appear to be so many flowers here as on other islands but there’s lots more bird-life and many large and colourful butterflies. The roads are poorly maintained and we worry that the car won’t survive the trip. Remarkably it does, although not without a few lights flashing here and there and a few scrapes and bangs along the underside! For dinner, Tallulah Ruby crew come over to JDI3 for our joint effort of lobsters and fish. It’s a tight squeeze of 8 round our table but we manage. While enjoying what Annie mentions was such a bargain lobster, Ian says “what do you mean you paid the lobster man ?!– I paid him yesterday”…… Unfortunately it didn’t occur to him to tell Annie this morning so lobsters not such a bargain after all, but delicious all the same! After our own Tongan feast we’re all tired but must go to the kava night in the Bounty bar as Lawrence has arranged it especially. It’s an interesting evening – the famous brew is served by a beautiful Tongan girl in coconut shells (the Kava) from a huge carved bowl. You can have as much as you like and some of the locals - and some of the Arc crews – are going at it big style. There’s all sorts of scary stories that it’s very strong, it makes your legs stop working and it’s hallucinogenic – none of which happens to us ! We have a taste – it’s not as awful as we were told, but none of us take to it particularly – could be something to do with one of the ingredients allegedly being saliva! Nevertheless,we enjoy the new experience and learning something – apparently we have to present kava to the chiefs in the smaller islands of Fiji – we’ll have to stock up!

Yacht Talulah Ruby II - Talulah tours - Tonga

Apart from the rain and mosquitoes, Tonga has been a wonderful stop off, very helpful friendly people. We don't seem to have much luck with hire cars, this time we hired a 4 x 4 but managed to get it stuck in the mud and slid down a slope, reinforcements were called trees cut down and the car was manually lifted back on the track by our giant Tongan helpers (thanks guys) thankfully no damage to the car or us. We had a magical evening in the Spanish restaurant (La Paella) on Tapana island, it made our Spanish crew feel quite at home they all got up on stage and sang a few songs for us,last night we organized a beach BBQ with Jus Do IT and had 8 other WARC boats join us so again more singing from the Spaniards,and Gerry (Northern Sky) sang some good ol country music.Today we are snorkeling in the coral garden, and will leave tomorrow night for Fiji should arrive Sunday evening.

Yacht Kealoha 8 - Goodbye Tonga - Hello Fiji

Well Tonga was lovely except that for the 14 days we were there ,we had clear sky's and sunshine for 2.5 days and no rain for 2 more - so 10 days of rain made it seem like long wet cruise in the west of Ireland , except the sea temperature was 26.7 degrees, and we never wore heavy oilskins.

The locals were very welcoming - they put a lot of effort in making us welcome - probably the best WARC reception yet.even if all the drink ran out, and a few fun runs ashore - one local publican in particular - Lawrence from the Bounty Bar ( sometimes called "the Mars Bar" could not have done more for the fleet - K8 in particular, everything from organising a private Tongan Feast ( so so food , nice dancing ) to providing us with his own stock of mince meat . The parties continued as ever with including many attempts by the Irish Cultural Attaché to introduce the Tongan restaurants to Irish Coffee - very amusing ( and great to find Jemison's Whiskey ),however a misunderstanding over a missing coffee pot of exquisite design was soon resolved.

Local Mass on Sunday was very different - singing was amazing, beautiful harmonies for the male and females present,plenty of family groups, no hymn books - and then we were told that the regular choir were not present as they were in Australia welcoming the Pope. How nice to have a Sunday were everything is shut.

The locals have an 0830 radio net on channel 26 where they welcome new boats,tell you what is going on and most importantly give you the weather. We also said our goodbyes as we left, to which Laurance of the Bounty Bar replied

"GOODBYE K8, SAFE JOURNEY YOU ARE THE PARTY BOAT OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC,
PLEASE RETURN SOON."

Tonga is worth a further visit, especially when the whales are passing from July onwards, as it is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with them.

For now there is just the 3 of us on board ( Adrian & Jens having a much needed holiday in New Zealand, Mandy & Chris having returned to the UK, Erin & Andy to Australia)and we are trucking along to Fiji, in company with Storyteller and Southern Princess, nice trade winds sailing - and rain jackets firmly back in their lockers - some tricky Nav to avoid the unmarked atolls and reefs - so we are all going well south around the islands and will head up in about 100 miles time - given political unrest and the fact that it reads like a dive, we are avoiding Suva , and will be checking in at Lautoka ( Fijian Customs are the strangest yet in terms of requirements for advance notice of arriving in their country - forms that must be posted a min of 48 hours in advance of arrival - and huge fines if you don?t comply )- no return by sea for sailors within 9 months of your visit to Fiji ( local tourist board must love them )and then heading on to Musket Cove

Rosie doing a great job on low fat food - ( all 3 of us want to loose weight ) and we are reading continuously like a 6th form book club ( we do have the New James Bond Book on board :-) )

We continue to be depressed by the Rugby - both Ireland and England loosing in their southern hemisphere tour .. Although a fun night was had ashore in Tonga watching the England Vs All Blacks.- That coupled with reading the results of the IRC Nationals ( class 1 - won by an Irish boat), not to mention the housing market in the Uk- make us glad we are in the South Pacific not UK.

We have easterly trade winds of 15/20 knots and are promised sunshine tomorrow.

Yacht Kealoha 8 - Fun and Fishing on the way to Fiji

While we are enjoying fun ride down to Fiji - we have, without really trying, managed to catch more fish then we know what to do with - usually in the form of post lunch entertainment - the line goes zing and up goes the cry of FISH ! - even with just the 3 of us on board we have refined our drill - and have no trouble getting them in ( killing them is another matter ) - David has done all the hard work on the reel - although we are convinced that a longer line , coupled with letting them hang out there a little longer while we shorten sail is making it easier to haul them in .

Rosie does and ever improving job in filleting the fish ( we really need more lesions form Adrian on his return ) - and as she had pre prepared lovely low fat meals for each evening - they are of course staying in the freezer - as we are having fresh fish at every opportunity. FYI the Wahoo is a tough fighter - we gave up trying to kill it with the knife and ended up using some (Blended) whisky in the gills – that does it every time !

Not long to go - we think we'll be through the main pass for a late breakfast tomorrow – only 100 miles odd miles - the whole customs palaver is a bit of a drag as we are sailing right past some very lovely looking islands - but cant stop on account of the need to "check in" ..

We know some of our readers will be surprised by this sudden “luck” with the fishing rod – no doubt Fishing Monthly will run a full story in due course J - so well save the trade secrets till then .

- Kealoha 8 (World ARC yacht)