Tag: South Pacific Islands

Kingdom of Tonga, May 2019, South Pacific, The South Pacific, Vava'u, Vava'u Group

The Treacherous Path To Nirvana

While we loved the anchorage near Mafana and Ofu and really wanted to visit the village in Ofu, we are so incredibly intrigued by Kenutu, Lolo and U’muna. Just watching the waves crashing over Lolo Island made us want to visit it. Also, the SV Soggypaws Compendium that we use for information about the islands says it is a must see so decided that one night here was enough and we headed out to Kenutu.

Just 9 feet of water and lots of coral upcroppings!

I don’t mind telling you that I was a bit on edge as we left and headed that way. Kenutu is on the very eastern edge of the Vava’u group of islands. The outside edge means there are reefs everywhere. And when I say everywhere, I mean EVERYWHERE! The cruise over there is a short one…maybe and hour, but the path getting there is fraught with danger. There are a couple of shoals you have to cross that get as shallow as nine feet. Dazzler only draws six but with the way bommies grow and crop up out of nowhere you never know what you will find until you are there.

Dan got on the radio with another boat that was anchored in the Kenutu anchorage. We don’t know them but can see on them on the AIS. We also see that they are almost sixty feet, which means they have a deeper draft than Dazzler so he wants to know how they got there and what they thought of the reefs. Their Captain was very kind and offered a few suggestions but none were anything Dan hadn’t already thought about. 

By 1100 hours we had pulled our anchor and were making our way toward Kenutu. Dan could see that I was a bit nervous about the passage so he made his jokes and did his best to keep me at ease. I did my best to calm down and not show the true extent of my anxiety. After all, I’m the one he puts on the bow to see the things he can’t see from the cockpit. Yes, he has a lot of trust in me. I said a few prayers and quietly asked our guardians angels to watch over us as we cruised along.

The first few twists and turns through the reefs were not so bad. I was on the bow with my headset on and Dan was calling out the depth. The shallow spots were not as shallow as we expected since we were there near high tide. Once past those spots there was a pretty decent channel with about sixty feet of water. Of course a couple of hundred feet on either side of us there were these huge, shallow reefs with waves violently crashing on over them but I was just trying to stay focused. I knew the real test would come when we turned off to the east and started toward the anchorage.  

As we start to near our turn I climb onto the bowsprit so that I have a bit of a higher advantage to read the color of the water. Ironically, I have gotten pretty good and telling the depth by the color of the water. Who’d have believed I would ever have that skill in my bag?

Fortunately as we make the turn the sun comes out and it’s high in the sky. That always helps to see what’s under the surface and of course the crystal clear water doesn’t hurt either. Also it appears our charts are deadly accurate and we are moving through a perfect channel in between the reefs. It’s not a deep one, only 9-12’ but it’s a channel and it’s enough water for Dazzler. Of course the entire time my sphincter factor has gone from a cheery yellow to a blazing fire red! It won’t get better until we have an anchor firmly set into the ocean floor either.

Before I know it we are dropping the anchor. I put Dazzler in reverse and give her some throttle to back down on it. I’ve got a little ritual I go through as I watch the instruments…speed and depth mainly. Soon I let off the throttle and let Dan know we are secure. Today it’s not an anchor down beer for me. Nope, I went straight for a vodka drink…a well earned vodka drink at that!

As we sit in the cockpit congratulating each other on a smooth passage we are simply astounded by the sights and sounds around us. We are anchored in front of Kenutu Island and just to our right is Lolo Island, the huge rock we’d been watching last evening. Here we are now just 300 yards away and we are watching and listening as the Pacific Ocean crashes around and over it. There are blowholes in the middle of the island and it’s amazing! The sound the ocean makes as it forces the air from the blowholes is incredible. It reminds me of an angry elephant huffing and puffing. The water around Lolo is deep blue in places and clear, pale green in others. It’s such a sight that I could sit and look at it for hours and hours and never get bored.

We don’t stay on the boat long though because we know there’s plenty to see and do here. First up is to stop by the nearby boat and thank the Captain for his assistance and information. Well let me tell you, THAT was interesting. As we near their absolutely beautiful boat we see him drop into their cockpit and do something. We weren’t sure what but soon he comes out and we greet each other. He seems very nice as we sit and chat about the entrance to this anchorage. Soon, his lady comes from the bow. She’s butt ass naked! Yep…naked as a jaybird. She tries to discreetly step into their cockpit but hello, you can’t unsee what you just saw! She did put on some bathing suit bottoms but no top before she comes walking out and sits down with her boobies dangling at the rail just about a foot away from Dan’s head. I’m doing everything I can to avert my eyes but it’s kind of like that traffic accident on your way home, you just want to look at it. Not because I’m interested but because I can’t believe she came to greet total strangers like this. Thank goodness I had on sunglasses so she couldn’t see me looking directly at the dink floor. Dan, the master of observation, later told me he noticed that she had a nipple ring on that had several beads. He must have amazing peripheral vision as I never once saw him look directly at her. They aren’t young people either…probably in their 50’s or 60’s. Maybe it’s just me but there comes a time in your life when you should keep your nakedness to yourself and your mate. And I’m really not trying to be judgmental. I get that nudists exist and really don’t care. I just don’t want to have to see it. Given the environment we made our visit very short but they did invite us back for sundowners. We agreed even though I was a bit shocked and wondered what we’d come back to later in the afternoon. Whatever it is I will just keep trying to remember that we are on an adventure, right?

Next we headed to shore where we found the jungle path that leads to the other side of the island. It wasn’t a long hike but it did take us through a fairly dense and humid jungle. As we exit the jungle on the east side of the island we are greeted with some of the most amazing sights. The ocean is violently crashing on the island, which is made of lava rock. Lava rock is incredibly intense and rugged. It’s sharp and you certainly don’t want to fall on it or you’ll end up needing stitches. 

We spent about forty-five minutes on that side of the island just enjoying the rugged beauty God put there. The jagged shoreline actually reminds us of the California coast. Once our tour was complete we headed back to the other side of the island. It’s sort of crazy when you exit the jungle here. On one side the ocean is so intense and violent that you know she could kill you in a moment yet on the other side, just 300 or so yards away, the bay is so calm and beautiful you feel like you have reached Heaven itself. Heaven and Hell are so close to each other it’s crazy!

We took a little tour on Sparkle before heading back to the boat for a bit. We both took showers on deck and prepared for our sundowner experience. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that I was a bit on edge as we headed out. I was pleased to find once we neared their boat that both were completely clothed! THANK YOU JESUS!

WOW! What an amazing and beautiful boat they have there. It’s easily a $1.5 million yacht. You don’t even have to wench in the lines to sail. It’s all done electronically! And it’s appointed like a suite at the Ritz. They even have a washing machine and a dishwasher on board! It was pretty nice. Of course we are always looking at the potential issues and a boat that is completely electronically controlled means there is a lot that could go wrong. Computers, even marinized ones, are highly susceptible to corrosion and problems in this environment. As beautiful as she is, we’ll stick to the more simple stuff.

We had an enjoyable time with our new friends. They live in Vanuatu, which is not too far west of Fiji. It’s one of the poorest nations in the world. It’s a place we hope to see before we leave the South Pacific. Apparently they live on an island there and they rarely ever wear clothes! They say you get used to it but I’m thinking this southern belle would not! He said that clothes only serve two purposes… 1. They provide protection against the elements and 2. They prevent others from being uncomfortable. I would add that they prevent others from becoming physically ill at the sight of my naked body but, you know, that’s just me.

Anyway, we did have a nice time with them and enjoyed yet another great day in our adventure.

Until next time,

Jilly & Dan

Kingdom of Tonga, May 2019, Neiafu, South Pacific, The South Pacific

What The Sam Hell Was That?

We left Nukunamo around 1545 to make the 70 NM trip north to Vava’u. We’re about 45 minutes into our trip when we decided to hoist the mainsail. Dan put a couple of reefs in it in preparation for the coming winds. He was at the rail in the cockpit checking to be sure nothing got fouled and I was turning the wench for the reefing line. All of the sudden it got super tight and then before I could react we heard a snap and Dan saw a chunk of metal go shooting across the cabin top and over the starboard side of the boat.

“What the Sam hell was that?”Everything stopped as we tried to ascertain what happened. Dan begins scanning the deck and finds a piece of metal near the base of the mast. That’s never a good thing. Within seconds he has located the source of the problem. The turning block for the reefing line broke. It literally just snapped apart. Thank God no one was standing on the deck. That thing shot off like a rocket. It definitely could have hurt someone and if it hit them in the head it could have been lethal. Of course Captain Dan has a spare turning block below and he set off to get the repair made. Within 15 minutes we were back in business. I just love how he can fix anything!

As sunlight dawned the following morning we were approaching the southern end of the Vava’u group of islands. Dan was on watch and I was finishing my post watch nap. I woke up around 0800, just an hour or so before we were to reach the bay in Neiafu. Fortunately for me I got some really calm, peaceful sleep during that nap. Unfortunately for Dan he had a pretty bumpy ride during his 2330 to 0430 nap. Sorry hun!

The sun is shining bright and there’s a nice wind but no fetch so the ride through the channel and the islands into Neiafu is beautiful. We arrive to find it pretty quiet here. Last year there wasn’t a mooring ball or hardly a place to anchor in the bay but at this time of year it’s very peaceful.

As we come through the channel into the harbor I look down from the bow and see literally thousands of the Moon Jellies slowly drifting along beside Dazzler. They were here last year too. I decide I’m going to call this Moon Jelly Bay. The closer we get to town I start to notice something isn’t right. Where’s the Hideaway floating bar? What? Don’t tell me they’ve closed! That would be a disaster as I’ve been dreaming of their amazing fish and chips for days now. I keep scanning the area near the wharf and finally I see the blue barge in front of the big hotel. That’s NOT where it was last year. This could be very bad. I hope they haven’t closed up!

We continue on toward the mooring field and do a quick search for the right spot. We check out a few of them and then settle for one not far from where we were anchored down last year. Dan hooks the ball and we are all set. Of course it’s time for the usual….come on, you know what I’m going to say. Yep, “Time for an anchor down beer!”

The morning radio net starts just about the time we pop open our beers so we settle in to hear what’s going on here. Sounds like the usual suspects on the radio. There’s Bear from Falaleu Deli, Barry from Hunga Haven Resort and rest of them. We don’t hear any cruises that we know but then we are a few weeks ahead of most who left New Zealand. We kind of like it this way. It’s nice and peaceful!

Next on the agenda is to drop the dink in the water so we can head to shore and do our inter island check in. Last year when we checked in here we believe the Customs official may have been a little less than above board with us. This year we are hoping it will be a bit different. Apparently no so awfully long ago down in Nuka’alofa a Customs official received a package addressed to him. Inside were drugs and guns! Of course he claimed he knew nothing about it and maybe he didn’t but this created quite the shake up there and we believe it probably did all across the country.

We splash the dink and head to shore. The first stop is at Buluga Dive Shop. They are the ones we have to pay for the mooring. It’s just $15 Pa’anga per day, which is about $6.52 USD. That’s a pretty cheap price to pay to have a secure mooring and not have to worry about fouling your anchor on the bommie filled bottom.

Next we take the dink down to the west end of the village and tie up in the little wharf there next to all the fishing boats. We walk over to the Customs Office, which is just a couple of blocks further west. It’s packed here today. There are people everywhere. Looks like they just unloaded a container and people are here to pick up their goods. Fortunately the cruisers go to a different area to check in so we have no wait at all. A very nice young lady offers to help us. We hand her our paperwork from Lifuka and within minutes we’re on our way. Yes, it was a completely different experience here today and we’re happy for that.

Our next stop is Digicel. That’s where you go to buy a chip so you can have Internet. It’s not a bad deal either. It’s $50 Pa’anga for 15 gigs of data. That works for us. With our Internet secured we take a stroll through the open-air market. There are tables and tables filled with veggies and fruits. Of course they all have the same thing….cucumbers, sweet potatoes, onions, tomatoes, watermelon, bok choy and a couple of other items. Good fruits and veggies are not easy to come by in Tonga. The best you’ll find is in Nuku’alofa and even there the choices tend to be a bit limited. We picked up a few things and then headed into town.

It’s just short walk to town from the Customs and market area. We are looking for our friend, Bear. He owns the Falaleu Deli as well as the Hideaway. I need to know what is going on with the barge and when exactly I am going to get some of that delightful fish and chips. We heard on the radio that he moved his deli into town so we seek him out. We find him under the big mango tree in a very small white building. After hellos and hugs we chat a bit. He updates us on all the happenings since we left last October. He tells us that the Hideaway has moved down closer to the wharf and is not open now but should be within a few days as they were dealing with some issues from the licensing board. Dang! Guess I have to wait a few days but at least I know it’s going to be soon. Anyway, we bought some of his amazing and spicy Italian sausage and then moved on to our next stop.

We head back to the dink and take it up to Mango Cafe. It’s a waterfront restaurant that is big with the yachties. We have a little lunch and a couple of beers before heading back out to Dazzler. By this time it’s approaching noon and we are both completely zonked. Neither of us had a lot of sleep on the passage so it was naptime. I always love a post passage nap! It’s some of the best sleep!

Looks like we’ll sit here for a few days. After all, there’s great food, cold beer and Internet right here in the middle of paradise. What more could you ask for?

Until next time,

Jilly & Dan