Another quiet night, but the morning was not so quiet as the sky lit up by lightning followed by the rumble of thunder and rain. B made use of the bad weather by preparing meals with the defrosted meat from yesterday freezer failure. By lunch time the rain had stopped, so we headed off in the dinghy to a nearby island. The snorkeling was a lot better. Large starfish and a all range of fish hiding in the rock and coral.
Not a good day
Last night was caped off with a beautiful sunset over glassy waters. This morning was again nice and peaceful. Just the sound of birds in the trees.
Later in the morning I went to climb the mast to repair a light when we discovered some wasps hanging around the main sail. It looked like there was about a dozen trying to make a nest in the folds of the sail. I carefully sprayed the sail with vinegar and water. That dispersed them for a while, but they came back. So we hauled anchor and raised the sail. We sailed for half an hour around to the next bay, but they still hung around. As I dropped the sail I sprayed it with vinegar again. It seemed to keep the wasps away. No they just moved to the mizzen sail! It took about an hour of spraying but they seemed to have left.
Just after lunch B discovered that one of the freezers was not working. All our meat had defrosted. So the next few day will be precooking lots of dinners. Just what we want to do in this heat. At least the batteries will charge quicker with only one freezer running.
Otherwise it was usual live aboard stuffs: morning swim, snorkeling, taking the dinghy for a rowing ride ashore, story telling, cooking dinner, and sundowners.
So quiet
The sound of the water dripping off the oars with each stroke could be heard over the slapping against the hull as the dinghy glided through the water. The piece and quiet of the surroundings was broken by the occasional bird call coming from the vine covered jungle. The impenetrable greenery draped all the way to the water. We rowed along the edge of the bay. An old derelict house broke through the jungle at one point, with a track leading into the undergrowth. We didn’t venture in, just returned to Imagine and spent the rest of the afternoon on deck watching the ripples on the water and the sun getting closer to the horizon.
This bay was a vast change from this morning.
First thing this morning was peaceful before the other boaties woke up. We had already had our our swim and was having breakfast when it started. First one boat then another started chattering loudly and then the boat behind us started his on deck dive compressor. That was enough. We quickly packed up, hauled anchor and off.
It wasn’t long before there was fish on the fish finder, so we stopped and tried our luck. It didn’t take long before we realised the fish finder must be a computer game, as it was showing fish but there was none to be had. We anchored at the nearby island, Sissia and Nolwenn and Fabien went for a snorkle while B made lunch.
We had just finished lunch when the rain came down and the wind went up. By the time we hauled anchor and made our way to a sheltered bay the sky started to clear alowing us to explore it.
Entertainment
After a quiet night it was the usual early morning swim before breakfast. Then we all climbed into the dinghy and headed ashore. We followed a track to a small settlement with a church and a schoolhouse and a few houses. Each house had beautifully kept gardens most growing fruit. Nolwenn was upset that her hight restricted her from being a garbage collector in the town.
Back on Imagine we had entertainment as we sat on deck having lunch. A boat full of young people came in the bay and spent almost an hour trying to anchor. They had no winch, so each time they had 7 people on deck hand feeding and then pulling up the achor. They eventually found a place. The afternoon was more relaxing and swimming. After a last snorkeling to the closest shore, as Fabien wanted to see again the over 1meter black tip reef shark that he saw this morning, we had drinks on deck the bay filled with more boats and a beautiful sunset.
Fish and Chips
Yesterday after the boats left us we thought we would follow them into Neiafu Harbour and the big city. We had to book in with Customs once again to let them know we would now be sailing around Vavau. We also had to see about extending our Tongan visa. It was quite an easy process once we had found there office and paid $400 for the two of us. We found a laundromat and left a small pile of washing. Next it was off to the fresh veggie market. By the time we had got there there wasn’t much left. It’s not yet whale season but there are whales around every corner.
Fabien and Nolwenn spent the afternoon at the Tropicana Cafe with free WIFI while we went back to Imagine. Last night we went out for dinner at the fish and chip shop. It’s a barge with a cabin on it anchored in the middle of the bay. A few people can eat dinner there but most order takeaway. They have a vast menu of Fish, Chips or Fish & Chips. We all chose fish and chips!. They have wine, beer, and make margaritas.
This morning we went back into town to get fresh veggies from the market before sailing back to Port Maurelle. Another relaxing afternoon, swimming snorkeling and walking along the beach.
All the boats in the bay had a visit from a local guy in his boat with a hi-vis vest on. He he is officially collecting anchoring fees. From the Community Reserve each time we asked him it was the Local Community and something else. Possibly a local community scam to support the local community. Along with all the other boats we paid the $20 fee to anchor for at least one week in the bay, then we will have to pay again.
New crew
Friday we sailed to Haano the most northern Haapai island and found a nice sheltered bay. There was several reefs to snorkle around.
Saturday morning we sailed back to Pangai to pick up Fabien and Nolwenn, French couple who join us for a few weeks. We then sailed back to Haano and snorkeled some more.
At 3 am on Sunday we set off for Vavau. It was a nervous time winding our way through the Reef in the dark. Once we were out it was a nice sail despite our Autopilot “Jess” (Just an Electronic Steering System) not working. Fabien and Norlwenn made a good replacement. It took a couple of hours from when we saw land to working our way through the islands to a sheltered anchorage in Port Maurelle.
Within minutes of anchoring in the bay with six other boats, we were all in the water. We had a relaxing afternoon, reading, napping and sunning ourselves on deck.
We must have needed a shower or something because by this morning all except one boat had left the bay.
Bye bye Uoleva
It has only been a couple of nice days and B is back into painting mode. Yesterday I filled the scratches on the hull, made by a mishap when leaving the customs wharf back in Opua. The boarding ladder also had got bent. Then B went around touching up with white paint. After lunch we went ashore again for another walk to the northern side of Uoleva, another no ending beach. That evening we went across to Norla for sundowners.
Today we set off for Pangai, the capital of the Ha’apai group of islands. We stopped on the way to try our luck at fishing. B thought she had a big one on her line, it was so hard to pull in…Of course 27 tonnes pulling on a line it’s not easy to wind it…eventually the hook broke on a rock! There are no fish in Tonga, not one bite, or maybe we are not good at fishing ( well, we caught a tuna the other day).
We anchored outside the Pangai Harbour and we had lunch before venturing ashore. We had to book in with the local customs officer who told us that we also have to book out with her the day we set off for Vavau. This meant sailing to the northern islands and then returning, book out and then sail past them again to go to Vavau. We eventually talked her into doing the booking out papers for Saturday so we don’t have to come back.
We walked around town and bought a few things at one of the many small grocery stores. In 1/2 hour that was all done, as this more a village than a city.
Back on Imagine we carried on with small repairs and touch up painting.
Driveway to customs building 
Customs building 
Main road 
Supermarket building 
Clear water
Today we left the dinghy tied to Imagine and we swam ashore. The water here is crystal clear. From the beach Imagines freshly painted white hull contrasts with the turquoise water and blue sky. I took the opportunity to dive Imagines hull and discovered that a fishing line was wrapped around the propeller. I couldn’t hold my breath long enough to cut it free, so I had to use the Hooker Dive gear. Another job done!
It was then time for lunch, a delicious pasta salad prepared by B. As we were having lunch we saw Norla coming into the bay. She is a beautiful 38ft boat fron Tasmania. We had met Samuel and Emma back in Nukualofa.
This evening they came across for sundowners and a catch up chat.
Blue sky
The sun shone as the clouds parted giving us an intermittent blue sky day. We took the opportunity to walk along the southern part of the beach and around the corner. Once around the corner we realised how sheltered our anchorage was.
Walking back B collected a few shells and I collected a coconut from a short palm tree. Twice we noticed a small shark swiming in the shallows less then a metre from shore. When we got back to the dinghy we had to go for a swim before heading back to Imagine. That was plenty of exercise for the day , so then it was relaxing time.
Uoleva Island
It was another overcast day with scattered showers. That didn’t stop us going ashore for a walk along the beach. There is a resort on Uoleva Island, but it doesn’t open untill the 1st of July. Its main atraction is the whales that arrive and swim in the bay. We now have four boats in the bay taking shelter from the wind.
One of the boats reported that they were at Pangai (the big city for this group of islands) yesterday. They went to the big market day, but there was no fresh fruit or vegetables other than Tarro and Tarro leaves.
The afternoon has had B done a little laundry and then we played cards.
