by Judy Handley | Oct 18, 2006 | Sailing Logs Year 1, Tonga, Vava'u |
Day 365, Year 1: Tongan Feast
Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Weather: Another Beautiful, Sunny Day
Location: Port of Refuge, Neiafu, Vava’u Group, Tonga
What a busy day. We got up early and our first visitor of the morning was Tom of Quantum Leap. We wanted to tell us that he and Bette Lee had decided to head out to another anchorage today. We had invited Kathleen, crew on Quantum Leap, to go to a Tongan feast with us tonight, so Tom asked if she could spend the night. Of course, we were more than happy to have her. Tom took our garbage for us as were were getting ready to work on our head sail, and about that time, Bob from White Swan and Doug from Windcastle came over to help us work on our head sail problem. Unfortunately, we immediately found another problem-this one with the stay sail. The set screws have been coming loose in the sections of both the furlers and after taking Mark up and down the mast a couple of times, he was able to find the trouble spots and tighten the screws. We were then able to lower the head sail and do the sewing repairs. Bob and Doug had to leave, but after Mark finished the sewing, Kathleen came over and was able to help us put the sail back up after the repairs. Hopefully we will not have any more sail repairs until we reach New Zealand.
Mark, Kathleen, and I went into town before lunch to run a few errands. It was interesting to see that all of the male government workers had shed their black shirts and had white on today. But the females were still mostly in black. The mourning period for the King has officially ended, but other than the white shirts, I could not see any other visual differences.
In the afternoon, we went to a Captain’s Meeting that Doug from Windcastle and Dick from Wind Pony were running. It was great to visit with all of the other cruisers that will be heading to New Zealand, but we didn’t learn any new information. We are still torn as to when we should check out of here, so I’ll just have to keep you posted on our decision.
At 5:30 pm, it was time to get into The Aquarium Internet Café to board one of the taxis that had been arranged to take us out to Ano Beach for a Tongan feast. And what a feast it was. The music was simply a guitar and banjo player, but they were very good. The dancing was done by the young people, most around eleven to fifteen years old. It is so very different here from the Samoas. No one wears long lava lavas or puletasi. The dress is more like the Cook Islands, but the dance is more like that in the Samoas. There is no hip shaking here, and the male dancers do not do the slap dancing we saw in Samoa. Each Polynesian group of islands seems to have a totally different style. After the singing and dancing, it was time to bring on the food. This was done in style. There was more food than I have ever seen and it was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. We were so glad we went tonight because it gave us a real feel for the traditions observed here.
It was quite a day and it is time to turn in for tonight. Who knows what tomorrow will bring!
By the way, the web site mow has photos of our trip all the way through our visits to American Samoa and Independent Samoa, including Savaii.
by Judy Handley | Oct 17, 2006 | Sailing Logs Year 1, Tonga, Vava'u |
Day 364, Year 1: Happy Birthday to Our Favorite Kiwi and My Nephew Tommy
Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Weather: Another Beautiful, Sunny Day
Location: Port of Refuge, Neiafu, Vava’u Group, Tonga
My nephew Tommy back in Maryland and Kathleen, crew on Quantum Leap, share October 17 as their forty-something birthdays. We love you both. We were with Kathleen to celebrate and can only hope that Tommy had an equally delightful birthday.
We did a lot of computer work this morning-backing up pictures on our extra hard drive and making CD’s for fellow cruisers. By noon, Mark was on deck trying to pull down our head sail for repairs. But he ran into a snag. The first joint in the roller furling mechanism has some problem and will not let the sail down beyond that point. Mark went to the top of the mast, but everything looked fine from there. So we have asked a couple of fellow cruisers to come over tomorrow morning to help us with the problem. When Mark went up the mast today, the sail was furled, but he wanted to unfurl it and then go up and check the mechanism. I told Mark I wouldn’t do this without help. He will be at the top of the mast and then lowering himself to check the furling mechanism while the huge sail is flailing about in the wind. If a good gust comes, I’m afraid we could pull the mooring off the bottom and if that should happen, I’ll need help to control the boat while someone else holds the lines for Mark. He thought I was being too conservative, but I’m glad I won on this one.
Tomorrow afternoon we have a captain’s meeting to share knowledge of the passage to New Zealand. We then plan to go Ano Beach by taxi for a Tongan feast, but it is possible that it will be cancelled. We’ll report on that tomorrow night.
by Judy Handley | Oct 16, 2006 | Sailing Logs Year 1, Tonga, Vava'u |
Day 363, Year 1: Back to Neiafu . . . Again
Date: Monday, October 16, 2006
Weather: Beautiful, Sunny Day—Still Windy
Location: Port of Refuge, Neiafu, Vava’u Group, Tonga
It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like I really didn’t have much to say in a nightly log, but that is the case this evening. We reluctantly left the anchorage between Pangaimotu and Tapana Islands and returned to Neiafu to do serious provisioning and fueling for the New Zealand passage. Part of me wishes we had stayed out one more day, but the other part said it was time to get back to where most of the other boats are and start serious networking. Doug on Windcastle and Dick on Wind Pony have set a captain’s meeting for Wednesday afternoon at the Yacht Club to share information-who’s going where and when. Some of us are going south to explore the Ha’apai Group before heading further south. Others are going to Nuku’alofa in the Tongatapu Group. Others are heading straight from here to Minerva Reef. And still others are heading from here straight to New Zealand. We haven’t figured out what group we are in yet, so the next couple of days should help us in the decision-making process.
After returning to Neiafu, we had lunch at the Yacht Club with John and Janice from Splashes. When we got there Steve and Cindy from Oz were there and asked us to join them, so we did. Later, Sylvia and Doug from Windcastle stopped by, so we had a “working” lunch-all talking about our plans. Today was Janice’s birthday in Tonga (tomorrow in the US), so we had a bit of a celebration in her honor. The afternoon slipped away, and by the time Mark and I headed to the internet café, it was almost time for the local shops to close. Sylvia and I got in a little shopping and then it was back to the boats.
We shared dinner preparation with Windcastle and ate aboard their boat tonight so that Mark could work with Doug on understanding how to use Max Sea, a navigation program. Mark has found it very useful for trip planning as well as navigation. Doug had tried to use it but hadn’t gotten to “first base” according to him. After tonight, I think he is ready for a home run.
Tomorrow we get the SailRite sewing machine out and repair the head sail once again. The Sunbrella edging keeps coming unstitched in different places, so we will take it down once more and repair again. We have never repaired the Sunbrella edging of the inner stay sail that was damaged in the very beginning of our voyage, so tomorrow might be the day for that as well.
I’m sure there will be a fair amount of passage planning going on tomorrow as well. The New Zealand passage is a very tricky one and you need to get the weather just right. The problem is that the weather changes every few days and is almost impossible to accurately predict over a ten day period. We’re all studying the patterns, but this year has been one with no patterns, so we expect that to continue until we reach NZ. Drogues, storm sails, and sea anchors are coming out of lockers in anticipation of sailing south of the 30th parallel.
by Judy Handley | Oct 15, 2006 | Sailing Logs Year 1, Tonga, Vava'u |
Day 362, Year 1: Halalu’ia Chorus in Tonga
Date: Sunday, October 15, 2006
Weather: Beautiful, Sunny Day—Still Windy
Location: Tapana Island, Vava’u Group, Tonga–Anchorage #11
We’ve just returned from attending a special church service in Neiafu for the new King. The service was in Tongan, so we didn’t understand much, but it was beautifully done. And the singing was absolutely spectacular. As cruisers from all over the world filed out of the church, all of us agreed that our national choirs could not top what we heard this morning. From the impromptu singing before the service to the final “himi”, the beautiful voices of these people were just overwhelming. The service ended with a full Halleluiah Chorus that brought tears to many eyes. It was certainly a service fit for a king and we felt truly blessed to be able to join in this occasion. The voices of the Tongans will fill our hearts for many years to come. Now for the details.
Early this morning we dinghied into Ano Beach and took a taxi into Neiafu for the special church service for the new king, Siaosi Tupou V. In English, Siaosi is George. I was dressed in black from head to toe and Mark in navy blue as he has no black. Dick and Lynn from Wind Pony went in with us, none of us really knowing what to expect. We knew this was a multi-denominational service in honor of the King, and we knew everyone would be dressed in black and wearing their ta’ovalas or woven mats. That’s as much information as we had.
We were very early and our taxi driver, Sam, told us that we would not be able to enter the church without a ta’ovala, but that we could sit under the tent very close to the windows. So that’s what we did. Even though it was only 8:30 and the service didn’t begin until 10:00, the church started filling up quickly. There were two huge tents on either side of the church, and before the service started, the church and the tents were filled to overflowing. At about 9:00 impromptu singing began. We have heard beautiful singing all throughout the South Pacific, but this was just a notch above. While we were listening to the singing, an older woman came out and invited us into the church. She was pretty insistent that we come in, so we did. Just before the service began at 10:00, the King quietly arrived and took a seat on the side in the front of the church. It was a carved wooden seat that looked like a throne. Other than the fact that someone was constantly fanning him, there was no ceremony attached to his entrance. Once he was seated, the service began. A little more than halfway through the service, the King rose and spoke. He was very soft spoken and it sounded to me like he was telling the people that it is time to be happy again. He smiled and laughed and encouraged the audience to do the same. Then came a rousing speech from someone in the front row that we could not see. We think it was the Governor of Vava’u. And then the minister from the LMS Methodist Church hosting this service spoke. At the end of his speaking, people in the audience all started talking at once. They were giving praises aloud and as their voices rose to a crescendo a lone voice started singing. Others joined while others continued praying. It was almost impossible not to be caught up in the emotion. The final touch was a full Halleluiah Chorus with voices so beautiful that it is impossible to describe.
When the service ended, it was quite a site to see all of the people exiting the church in their mourning dress. It appeared that different congregations attending dressed differently. The Methodist women all wear a bright red scarfs hanging down the front of their black blouses. Other groups of women wore fancier black dresses, some decorated with sequins, and black hats-no woven mats and no red scarves. In the front yard of the church, all of the ministers that have been part of the service were adorned with elaborate flower wreaths and they were interviewed for quite some time by the press. In the meantime, the women of the church started giving flower leis and flower capes to some of the cruisers who were gathered watching the ministers being interviewed. This started a flurry of palangi picture taking. Afterwards, many of us went to the yacht club for lunch, though this small harbor-side restaurant is a long way from what one might usually consider a “yacht club.”
By early afternoon we were headed back out Pangaimotu Island to Ano Beach were we had left our dinghy, we were still a little overwhelmed with all we had seen. But as we drove to the top of the hill and looked down on the anchorage and sparkling turquoise water, we changed gears and got back into cruiser mode. We did a little work on the boat this afternoon, took a dinghy ride around the reef, and that was about it.
Tomorrow we head back to Neiafu to continue our preparation for the passage to New Zealand. There’s much to do and time is running out.
by Judy Handley | Oct 14, 2006 | Sailing Logs Year 1, Tonga, Vava'u |
Day 361, Year 1: Move to Tapana Island, Anchorage #11
Date: Saturday, October 14, 2006
Weather: Reinforced Trade Winds Are Still Blowing
Location: Tapana Island, Vava’u Group, Tonga–Anchorage #11
We left our secure mooring off Kapa Island early this morning and headed around the southern end of Kapa and on to Tapana Island. Although we didn’t feel it in our anchorage, once we got out into the water between the islands, we could really feel the impact of the wind. It is still blowing about 20 to 25 knots, but the skies are starting to clear and we had lots of sunshine today. It only took a little over an hour to get here to our new anchorage. There are a few inexpensive mooring balls here, and we picked up one of those rather than try to anchor in the wind. Once we tied up to the mooring ball, we were snug and secure. The mooring balls here are maintained by the owners of the Ark Gallery. This is a floating art gallery that looks like a little blue box floating on the water. We were delighted with our location as we are not far from shore and the reef between two islands. Quantum Leap and Wind Pony are here and it is always fun to see good friends. We are in about 18 feet of crystal clear water and you can easily see the bottom. It is the kind of anchorage that beckons you to jump into the water and explore.
We had come here to attend the Tongan feast tonight, but it has been cancelled. That was disappointing, but they canceled so they can do one mid-week after the mourning period is over. That means that there will be dancing and singing, so we have already made our reservations for that. We will either come back here by taxi on Wednesday night, or came back by boat. Tomorrow afternoon or early Monday morning we head back to Neiafu to get fuel and provisions for the New Zealand passage. Once we have done that we might come back here. We’ll just have to see how things go-mainly the weather.
We took advantage of the sunshine to do a little outside maintenance today. Mark worked polishing the stainless and I cleaned the rubber dinghy and put on two coats of UV protectorant. About the time we were finishing up we heard from Kathleen on Quantum Leap that it was time to take a walk, so off we went. We walked on the big island of Pangaimotu. We walked through grass up to our waists along a farm road. It appears that much of the island was clear cut to make fields and the green grass in those fields were swaying in the wind today. It was very picturesque.
When we returned to the Quantum Leap, Kathleen picked up her snorkel gear and invited us to follow her to visit Nemo and his family. We snorkeled from our boat as it is nearest to the reef, and sure enough, lots of beautiful little clown and tomato anemonefish live not far from Windbird. We also saw beautiful feather stars, lots of big brown sea stars, as well as the beautiful bright blue ones. There were Moorish Idols, lots of butterfly fish, surgeonfish, neon blue chromis, little black and while humbugs, and a host of other small fish. We saw one “crown of thorns” starfish-not a good thing. There were these tremendously long things that looked like sea cucumbers, but we’re not sure what they were. And closer to shore, there were quite a few sea urchins. All in all, it was a great snorkel.
We returned to Windbird and another neighbor that came in today stopped by for a visit. Franz is from Holland and his wife is from England. Dillon, their little boy, is not quite two. They are in their early thirties and have been sailing between New Zealand and the South Pacific for seven years now. Dillon had a great time exploring the deck of a new boat while we had a nice visit with his parents.
The day came to an end and I found that I was exhausted. My snorkeling fins are very heavy and when I snorkel for a long time, I find out just how out of shape my leg muscles really are. We decided not to go into the Le Paella Restaurant tonight and have a quiet dinner on Windbird. Early tomorrow morning we are going over to Pangaimotu Island by dinghy and take the Road Runner taxi into Neiafu for a special church service honoring the new King. I think I will just sit back and people-watch as everyone arrives in their mourning dress. I can’t wait until the mourning period is over on Tuesday, so see how things change here.
by Judy Handley | Oct 13, 2006 | Sailing Logs Year 1, Tonga, Vava'u |
Day 360, Year 1: The Value of a Dry Cockpit
Date: Friday, October 13, 2006
Weather: More Wind and Rain
Location: Fangakima Cove, Kapa Island, Vava’u Group, Tonga–Anchorage #7
Friday the 13th combined with very windy and rainy weather kept us on a safe mooring in Fangakima Cove here at Kapa Island today. We really wanted to go around to Tapana Island at anchorage #11 so we could have dinner at the Le Paella Restaurant, but it is a very popular place and we were afraid that in the windy conditions, it could be crowded and unsafe. Thirty to thirty-five knots have been predicted. We know the mooring we are on here is secure, so we spent a quiet day here and hope to go to Tapana tomorrow morning.
The new King of Tonga and Prince ‘Ulukalala Lavaka Ata came to Neiafu this afternoon and will be staying through the weekend at the King’s Palace. We have heard that the King will be at church on Sunday morning and will then be attending a huge feast. We know it is possible to get from Anchorage #11 to town by road, so we will hope to make it to town on Sunday morning. The mourning period for King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV ends on Tuesday, and the new King has come up here to the Vava’u Group to make it official. He will return to the capitol of Nuku’alofa in the Tongatapu Group for the final ceremonies ending the mourning period. We are planning on attending a Tongan feast tomorrow night and will be interested in seeing if there is a return of singing and dancing. Both have been banned since the King died in early September.
We just returned from having a delightful dinner aboard Jade. Idunne, Runae, Hedda, and Marita from Blue Marlin were also there. Idunne made a great chili, Vivian and Cam made a sausage spaghetti, and I brought fresh salad and a chocolate cake. The cake didn’t rise properly, but it was still a big hit with the kids. It was a great evening. We learned a lot about Hong Kong from Arni and discussed a possible sail plan for years two and three of this voyage that would include the Philippines, Hong Kong and Viet Nam. Runae is interested in doing that and we enjoyed listening to the possibilities.
It has been raining off and on for the last 36 hours, sometimes a torrential rain and at other times just a drizzle. I mentioned in yesterday’s log that I spent part of the afternoon cleaning the mildew spots off the inside of the cockpit overhead canvas. It seemed like a really good idea until the canvas started leaking like a sieve. We have only a little bit of 303 High Tech Fabric Guard that is the water repellent that we use and we have looked everywhere in the South Pacific for something to replace this to no avail. We tried to order it from West Marine and have it sent to American Samoa, but it is illegal to send it via airplane. So last night for the first time on this voyage, we had to clear the cushions out the cockpit to keep them from getting soaked. Then we started thinking about the voyage to New Zealand and realized that it could be absolutely miserable in a leaky cockpit. It was then that we began to appreciate the wonderful luxury we have. Many have admired it and now we realize why. We have plastic curtains in the cockpit that can be rolled down to provide a complete enclosure. In the cold, wet weather we sometimes experienced in New England, it was a life saver. We didn’t expect to need it in the South Pacific, but we have had a very wet season and have used the enclosure since we arrived in the Society Islands. We have had passages when others have been miserable, but we have been fine because we have been dry. I was so sad to think that my eagerness to clean could cause us to have a soggy passage to New Zealand, but this morning, once the inside of the canvas dried, the leaking stopped. We are going to check with the Moorings to see what they use on their charter boats and hope that they have 303 High Tech Fabric Guard or something similar. If not, we are going to hope that things continue as they did today, not like the drippy conditions we had last night. Those conditions gave us a whole new appreciation for Windbird. She has kept us dry and happy so far on the voyage and we hope she can continue to do so for one more month until we are tucked away in New Zealand.
