TONGA

23/10/10 Haapai Group, Tonga

The 170 islands that make up the Kingdom of Tonga are split into 3 main groups. Most yachts go to the Vavau Group in the north and make their way south to the Haapai Group, ending up in the Tongatapu Group where Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga, is situated. As we were reaching the end of the cruising season, we decided to go directly to the Haapais and head south from there.

The passage from Niue to the Haapai Group took two days and equalled or excelled our previous passage in its roughness. The most surprising factor was the variability of the weather. The wind ranged from zero to 34 knots and switched 180 degrees. The swell started as a long, gentle rise and fall and turned into 16 feet high, short, sharp mountain ranges with breaking waves on top. Jeremy had lots of sail changes to do and sometimes we were motoring, worried that we would not reach the Haapai Group before dark. We had a scary half hour one day when the strong but fickle wind shifted. I was asleep down below, off watch. As the main sail was backed, Jeremy was releasing the preventer (a line which stops the boom being blown across the boat from one side to the other). The fixing that holds the main sheet and the preventer on the boom broke, they fell to the deck and Jeremy was left holding a loose preventer while the boom with a reefed mainsail on it whizzed uncontrollably from side to side. This is a good way to knock yourself unconscious or find yourself swimming in the ocean after being swept overboard. I heard a loud shout, “Kathy!” and I leapt out of my bunk, naked as I was, and rushed up the steps to the cockpit. Jeremy was standing on the side deck avoiding the swinging boom. We managed to get the mainsail down by starting the engine and steering head to wind. Sailors can imagine how rough the sea was as we turned into it. The boom took on a new lease of life without the sail to steady it and whipped back and forth across the roof and cockpit. Jeremy managed to get a line round the kick strut (this supports the boom) and tied it first to one side, then the other side of the boat, rather like you restrain a difficult horse, by fastening pillar reins from opposite sides of the stable to the horse’s headcollar. At last, Jeremy could take a close look at the damage. The boom end had 3 fittings for lines. Two of them had snapped off and one remained intact. He attached the mainsheet to that fitting and we went back on course much relieved.


Lifuka Island
Lifuka is the main island in the Haapai Group. It takes about 3 hours to reach it from a gap in the barrier reef. We enjoyed the peaceful motor on flat water but soon realised our electronic charts were inaccurate once again. Most of the navigation markers were missing and the few big poles that we could see had no colours on them to indicate which side you should pass. We had to rely on our eyes and our depth sounder but we made it to the anchorage off the village of Pangai and anchored amongst several other boats. We had lost 8th October when we crossed the International Dateline so it was now Saturday. Customs and Immigration do not work at the weekends here, so we were confined to our boat until Monday.

We went ashore on Monday, found Sam, the Customs man and he asked us to bring Sal Darago into the harbour and tie up to the wharf. We were boarded by a woman from the Dept of Health, who apologised for having to ask us to pay 100 paanga (about £30). Sam looked around the boat, asked a few questions and told us to come to his office to pay the fee (7 paanga). A man from the Dept of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food came next and we paid him 23 paanga. After about 2 hours, we were able to do our shopping.

One day we hired bicycles, which they called beach cruisers. They had no brakes and you stopped by pedalling backwards. It was OK once you got the hang of it. Our first amusement was the level crossing. We had to wait at the airstrip for a plane to land. Then we pedalled across the runway. We went across a causeway between Lifuka and Foa Island, avoided pigs and dogs and finally reached a small eco resort on the north end. What a lovely location! There were beaches on three sides, turquoise water and palm trees. We walked, swam and went to the small café for lunch. I think there were two families staying there and everyone was friendly. We worked out we’d cycled 20 miles by the end of the day. We were worn out.

Uoleva
Brilliant. This lovely island, about 5 miles from Lifuka, claims to have the 10th best beach in the world (not as good as Seaburn!). It also has a good anchorage, sheltered from most winds. We spent two days here. We found one small eco resort, popular with backpackers. Residents stay in fales, huts with woven palm walls and thatched roofs. They do have a shower and toilet block but everything is hidden in the forest. We enjoyed swimmimg, snorkelling, walking and generally chilling out.

Haafeva
This island was about 20 miles from Lifuka. We were first to anchor, but were soon joined by two other boats, Emily Grace and Sail Away. We were all invited to church the next day and for lunch afterwards by a Morman couple called Caleb and Aifa. Heavy rain prevented us from getting to church, but we all went ashore for lunch in a shelter near the wharf. The rain stopped and we had a glorious afternoon. The food had been cooked for hours in an earth oven called an umu. Caleb and Aifa had started the umu at 3.30am. We ate lamb wrapped in taro leaves, corned beef wrapped in taro leaves, fried chicken and hot dog sausages (Western food, they said!) sweet potato, taro and another starchy vegetable. Knowing the custom by now, we had all taken gifts. We enjoyed eating, chatting and getting to know some local people as well as fellow cruisers Tom, Kim, Emily (aged 9), Dirk and Anne from the USA and Canada respectively.

Caleb and Aifa run a small store, so on Monday, we walked to the village and bought some things from their store. It was the only shop. Most people go fishing and work on the land growing fruit and vegetables. As a parting gift, Caleb sent all the boats lemons, limes and mangoes.

Nomuka Iki

Kathy spotted two hump backed whales as we motored the 30 plus miles to Nomuka Iki, a small island south of Nomuka. It used to be a mini “Alcatraz”, but there were no prisoners now. Some friends of ours on Callisto had dragged onto a reef here one week earlier, so we carefully anchored and snorkelled to check it was dug in properly, pleased that we were the only boat there. By five o’clock, four more boats had anchored behind us (no skinny dipping here then).

Up early on the second day to bake two loaves, we dinghied ashore by 10. First we explored Tokau, a wreck on the beach. We walked to the East of the island, battered a coconut off a tree and broke my Sowester knife getting a drink. It did taste good and we now eat the very soft white flesh with teaspoons, which is much kinder to our teeth than the mature coconut. We found evidence of habitation – a large water tank, and separately, a bath and toilet pedestal, both these surrounded by jungle! Finally, at the West end of the island there were two pretty goats. The Billy goat was pretty Awful and we both got sticks to defend ourselves. It rained almost all afternoon. In the evening, we had fried eggs, corned beef and pasta cheese source, eaten to the sound of The Beatles Double Album.

We crossed the mile and a half over to Namuka in the dinghy, as it was flat calm. We found the bakery only produced bread on Sunday (J suggested it might be for Communion). The “shop” was Spartan. Sal Darago might have more supplies. But it did have a freezer. Kathy asked for a kilo of beef. About this time a squall hit the island. Monsoon-like rain lashed down and visibility vanished. We sheltered under a corrugated roof. On our way back to the dinghy in sandals, we noted that the dirt road had neither gutters nor drains, but it did do a good impression of a river. Emptying the dinghy, we set off in a stiff head wind for Sal Darago. We arrived safely and had a couple of hours on board Stella Maris, a NZ boat (they suggested we sat on towels). Later we spent an hour snorkelling around a reef, made the three day stew and prepared for the 60 mile journey to Nuku’alofa on Tongatapu. We were both surprised when the beef turned out to be HAM? We were to leave at 0500 the next day, so it was early to bed.

Lifuka and Foa

Jeremy riding his bicycle on the causeway between the two islands







...And with that the pig got up and walked away

Nuie

Pig butchering at hair cutting and ear piercing ceremony







The Pacific

Niue

Tavela Arches

Aitutaki and Niue

041010

Aitutaki, Southern Cook Islands

The passage to Aitutaki from Mopelia took 3 days. The winds were light to moderate and dead behind. The swell was uncomfortable. We lost VHF contact with Gryphon II after one day and found out later they had decided to go to Raratonga. We arrived at Aitutaki, with about one hour of light left to negotiate the shallow pass through the reef. We knew we could anchor off until morning. Once again we found our electronic charts were not accurate. We couldn’t see any beacons or markers, the reef seemed to be a continuous line of breaking waves and we didn’t know whether it was high or low tide. We would have to sound our way into the anchorage and leave the pass until morning. Then a voice called over the VHF. It was Arthur from the yacht, Aquarius, and he was in the harbour. He told us it was nearly high water and to look for some sticks, which marked the north side of the pass. I could see some sticks further in but nothing at the entrance. Jeremy saw a stick marking a narrow gap in the reef and in we went. We ran aground twice and the second time we were next to the pass marker. Arthur was great and talked us through the pass and into the harbour, where his crewman handed us a bowline and we dropped our stern anchor. The bowline was secured to a palm tree ashore. At last my heart rate returned to normal as darkness began to fall.

We later learned why this port of entry to the Cook Islands was marked by sticks. Aitutaki was hit by a cyclone in February and suffered 90% damage but no loss of life. When we saw all the roofless and demolished buildings and many people still living in tents, we felt humbled. Everyone was very friendly and they all spoke English. Clearing in was easy, the bank exchanged our French Polynesian francs for NZdollars and we soon found our way round the few shops. We had run out of fresh produce days ago in Mopelia but could only find tomatoes and lettuce. There was no fruit, as the trees had been flattened in the cyclone, except for a few bananas and papaya.

The next day James and Lucy on the catamaran, Snow Leopard, arrived so there were 3 British boats in the small harbour. We had a great time socialising for 3 evenings in a row. Jeremy and I hired a scooter for 2 days. We had to get a Cook Island licence, which seemed to be a formality, but the policeman looked at Jeremy’s driving licence and told him he was not qualified to ride a scooter. He would have to pass a test and pay the charge before a licence could be issued. As we had driven round the island all morning, that was enough to be qualified and a licence was issued for 7.50NZD. We were not allowed to wear crash helmets. There weren’t any. The government had decided they would have speed limits instead of 40kph in villages and 60kph elsewhere. We zipped round the island like a couple of teenagers, stopping to climb to the highest point, from where we saw hump back whales blowing and diving close to the barrier reef. We returned the scooter half way through the second day as the brakes failed going downhill. I got off and walked. Our second scooter was in better condition and there were no further incidents.

We were able to have our propane cooking gas bottle refilled in Aitutaki, but there was no laundry – just a tap near the wharf. The day before we left Jeremy washed all our towels and clothes on board and I took them ashore in 3 buckets and rinsed them at the tap. Soon everything was drying in the rigging. The next day I made a 3 day stew for our sea passage, using lamb chops, potatoes, onions, green pepper, aubergine and green beans. We had our first helping on a rocky rolly sea and all that green slop looked far from appetising. We forced it down.

Niue

The passage to Niue was one of the most uncomfortable since leaving Panama. The swell came from two directions and was short and steep with breaking waves on top. The wind was behind again and we lurched, sometimes violently, from side to side, for hours at a time. After 14 hours, I was seasick on my first night watch. Once I had recovered I took 2 Stugeron. They knocked me out and I slept solidly for 3 hours. I took Stugeron for 24 hours and then I had my sea legs again. We were going to stop at Palmeston, another Cook Island, but realised we would arrive there at midnight and have to gill about until dawn. We did not fancy doing that in the horrible swell so we altered course for Niue and arrived 4 nights later. We entered the wide bay in the dark using our radar, depth sounder and electronic charts, which were accurate once more, and our engine. The “ship’s buoy” I saw from afar turned out to be a large yacht when we were nearer. We called Niue Radio and they told us the moorings were on the south side of the bay. I stood on the bows and shone a torch. Bless Niue Yacht Club! They had put reflective tape on their moorings and they lit up like little beacons. We tied up to the nearest one at 2.20am, drank a toast to our safe arrival and went to bed.

Checking in was easy. We called Niue Radio and they arranged for Customs to meet us on the wharf. We walked to Immigration and to the yacht club, where we obtained a key for the hot showers on the wharf. The catamaran, Snow Leopard, was moored in the harbour and Gryphon II arrived after 2 days. Everyone was complaining about the swell out at sea. We hired a car, which we shared with Chris and Lorraine from Gryphon II. We snorkelled in the Limu Pools which were a mixture of fresh and sea water formed by wave action on the coral inside the reef and we walked to the Taleva Arches. These are caverns with stalactites and stalagmites along with caves and arches carved out of the coral. They were amazing. The most stunning sight of the day was on the walk to Togo Chasm. Thousands of pinnacles of limestone stretched for miles along the coast like myriads of tiny fairytale castles. Suddenly, a ladder dropped down to a sandy cove, surrounded by steep sided cliffs, where palm trees grew but were dwarfed by the cliffs. Beyond the sea battered the rocks the spray creating rainbows as we watched. This was a calm day. Wow!

Perhaps the most unusual sight was a village celebrating a haircutting and ear piercing event. Children aged between 5 and 10 are chosen by their families and afterwards food is given to all the guests to take home. Everyone donates money and the food you are given varies according to the size of the donation. We saw row upon row of taro roots and, quite a gruesome sight to our Western eyes, lots of dead pigs having their heads sawn off and their bodies chopped up into portions for the guests.

I went to the Ekalesia Niue with Yvonne and Danny from the NZ yacht, Ocean Pearl, on Sunday morning. The whole Methodist type service was in the local Niue language. The singing in harmony was a joy to hear but we could not understand a word of the prayers, Bible readings or sermon. In the afternoon, Paul and Marietta from the Dutch yacht, Nije Foam, invited us to go for a walk in the bush with them. After 8km in heavy rain followed by hot sunshine, we were glad to rest at the Wash Away Café, where you serve yourself, order your food and pay whatever you want.

All the people here have been friendly and helpful, especially Jim and Mamata at Niue Yacht Club. Apart from the 2 hour wait for Customs in order to clear out, we’ve had a great time. Our next destination is Lifuka Island, Haapai Group, Kingdom of Tonga. Cheers!