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With litle wind predicted for the day we headed off to the outer edge of Vavau. The western side is rugged with no Reef protecting it. There was very little swell and no fish. We trolled along the coast for while then tried drifting and fishing, but didn’t even get a bite. Last we anchored in two different spots, but it seems like the fish know about Imagine and run away!

We were able to sail back inside the island when the wind came up. High winds are predicted for the next week so we returned to a bay we new had good shelter.

In the bay the water was like mirror reflecting the sky, as we swam in the clear water. The only sound was the birds calling to each other. I took the wind generator apart and fixed it. We had the bay to our selves all afternoon untill 4:00pm. Then they came six boats one after the other. They all lined up as if they were about to charge us.

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Its been a while since we we have been on our own. The routine is still the same, a swim before breakfast, then a few maintenance jobs. This morning I fixed the outboard motor. We had it service just before leaving NZ and it’s been playing up ever since. This morning I stripped the carburetor and cleaned the sticking float valve. Hopefully that fixes the problem.

After lunch we went for a ride in the dinghy and a snorkel that was quite amazing: we have been snorkelling through thousands of little fish. Then late afternoon we had another snorkel catching with the camera a couple of multicolor fish first time we have seen those since in Tonga.

Time is flying and it was already 5pm , wine time, sitting on deck watching another beautiful sunset.

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It wasn’t a special day because we dropped Nolwenn and Fabien ashore at Neiafu for the last time. They were leaving us to go on another boat to Fiji. it was special because Bérengère (B) was getting another year older (only 28 though).

Being for the day in the big city we took the laundry to “Bubbles” the only one laundromat and went to the market for fresh fruit and veggies. Hannah (a young lady at the market) gave B her first gift, a little watermelon. After that I took B to Mangos restaurant for a birthday lunch. we also got takeaways ( paella) so we didnt have to cook dinner.

The laundry was done by 3pm so we headed out of town and found a sheltered anchorage. With the sun beating all day it was nice to have time for a swim before having drinks and dinner on deck and watch the sun go down.

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We had just finished breakfast when we had a visit from Lofa the Fisherman Representative collecting $20 for anchoring here.He mentioned that we could swim and walk on the island but it is a no fishing aerea, However B noticed that he had some fish in his boat so she asked if we could buy one. That was a quick catch …Mackerel for dinner.

I fileted the Mackerel while B did some cleaning. Nolwenn and Fabien did more snorkeling. The rest of the morning was a lazy time. After lunch we took the dinghy all the way around the island, stopping a couple of times to snorlke. Then we walked along its beaches for a while. Returning to Imagine in time for drinks on deck and watch the sun go down.

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After our morning swim and breakfast we followed all the other boaties in their dinghies heading to shore. It was a 9:00 am yoga class. A lady from one of the boats is a yoga teacher and offered a free class to everyone.

On the beach was a reminder of the storms that go through Tonga. It was someone’s pride and joy not so long ago, a 26ft yacht.

After the yoga class we all dispersed, most leaving the bay. We also hauled anchor to look for another anchorage. Not fare away we found Nuku island. A postcard setting with great snorkeling and a white sandy beach.

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Yesterday (Sunday) we did a little snorkeling and then went shore where we met Colio who lived on the island with his family. After a short walk around we returned to Imagine to relax for the afternoon. B continued with her crochet, finishing making herself a little handbag.

This morning was work time. Nolwenn and Fabien started cleaning the barnacles off the hull. B cleaned the stanchions and I did a few other jobs. We had seen Norla and Sansabar (two boats we had met in Nukualofa) had anchored at a neighboring island, so we hauled anchor and went to join them. This evening the crew from both boats joined us on Imagine. Samuel from Norla brought his guitar and played a series of his own songs while we sat around with drinks and nibbles. Then we all chatted and exchanged stories.

Samuel and Emma have a sailing blog https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9o2Ge-eCVUp1ZrwlKhpOHw please check it out and subscribe. They are trying to get 1000 subscribers.

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During our circumnavigation of Euakafa Island on Thursday, we came across a beach full of clam shells. So Friday morning we went back there to have a better look. B made a sculpture out of some of them.

When we left Imagine the bow was in 35m of water and at the stern it was only 4m deep. When we got back I was aware that the wind and tide had changed and now Imagine was facing the other way, with the depth sounder saying we are now in 40m of water. As lunch was being prepared, I was sitting in the cockpit when Imagine turned away from the wind. I knew immediately that the anchor had let go. There was no way the anchor was going dig in again as we drifted further off the steep ledge. We started the motor, hauled up the anchor and headed for Neiafu.

Our crew were leaving us Saturday so we decided to spend the night there so they could leave in the morning and so we could get to the fresh fruit and veggie market early.

This morning it was a goodbye to Fabien and Nolwenn as they thought they found a boat to take them to Fiji. B and I went to the market took the laundry to be done and walked to the petrol station on the edge of town to fill our jerrycans. We will fill them every time we go ashore to keep our fuel tanks topped up.

As we got back to the dinghy we met Fabien and Nolwenn. The boat that will take them to Fiji can’t take them onboard untill the 27th. So they are back onboard for another 5 days.

We have found a place to hide from the southerly winds for the next few days. Lape island is well sheltered and has some reefs for us to explore in the next few days.

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Yesterday we headed off in the dinghy to explore a sandspit we could see off in the distance. Upon arriving we declared it Imagine Island and raised the flag. Well, a bikini top and a sarong!The only in habitants of this island were a few crabs.

After lunch we went across to the next island where there use to be a resort, but now there was only Jerry. He was an American looking after the resort for the owners.

That evening we were invited ashore to a birthday party. All the boats in the bay had gathered on shore to celebrate Penny’s birthday.

This morning we hauled anchor and looked for a more sheltered place as the wind is going to swing to the south. We have anchored off Euakafa island. We went ashore and met the two locals. Then someone had a great idea “let’s walk along the beaches and around the island”. Several hours later and having to swim one third of the way, we made it back to the dinghy before the tide washed it away.

Back on Imgine we had sundowners and dinner on the deck watching the sun set.

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This morning we went ashore on Kenutu Island and eventually found a track that took us through the bush to the other side. The Eastern side of the island is very different from where we have anchored. It’s very rugged because it’s open to the Pacific, with no Reef to protect it. The red soil was reflected in the cliffs towering above the crashing waves.

After lunch we headed to Lolo, an island only 50m south of Kenutu. We climbed to the top only to be sprayed by the waves crashing on the eastern side of the island. The west side was so calm we could snorkle and the east side sounded by powerful 3m waves.

While snorkeling along the western side we came across a saltwater waterfall, being created by the waves on the other side.

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Sunday we changed location. We thought we would try the eastern bays. We stopped on the way to fish but we are still convinced that there are no fish in Tonga.

It was low tide and we tried to cut through the Reef to the eastern bays. The charts were saying 15m deep water when in reality the scattered bommies were making it less than 1m below us, so we had to turn back. This meant we had to go outside the main Reef and back in further north. I had a line trolling out the back of Imagine as we went.

Wow! there is at least one fish in Tonga. I pulled in a Mackerel and that made a nice lunch for the four of us.

We made our way back in through the Reef and ended up in a bay behind Neiafu (Vavau’s city). It was a quiet night.

This morning Fabien and Nolwenn went ashore to Neiafu to get some bread bananas and beers, while B and I did some maintenance. Once they were back we set off for Kenutu island. I was on the helm, B was up the mast and Fabien on the bow guiding me through the reefs and bommies.

This evening we went ashore to have sundowners on the beach, where we picked a couple of coconuts for the breakfast. After a walk along the beach the bitting insects drove us back to Imagine to have drinks on the back deck.