Sailing to Tonga was a bit rolly so we took plaster behind our ears to prevent seasickness. The scopoderm works wonder and I know that Rob agrees. We had lovely sunset and sunrise. Simple food as halfmade chicken soup and Swedish knäckebröd works perfect when you dont want to be to long in the kitchen fixing dinner although I did prepare dinner the first night that just hade to be warmed up.
Reaching Tonga Rob hoist the yellow flag and the Tongan underneath. Our ETA didn’t hold. We came in 3 hours early this time but that was good then we had good time to check in and find a buoy before dark. We say bye and thank you to Rob who join us from Niue to Tonga. It was a pleasure having you onboard
After having the bio-, custome, ect on board we are ready to find a buoy and it looks like this is going to be a very calm place to stay at, no rolling so we will sleep well here.
Some maintenance works has to be done as some washing and cleaning as always. After so long time on the boat in this humidity the boat gets salty, mouldy in some places and the brass and crome in side the boat needs extra care.
We have some great days with our friends in the village Neiafu on Vava’u island before we explore some of the others island nearby . Lunch at Bellavista sundowners and dinners at Kraaken. Both very nice places.
Only a two hours motoring from Neiafu we lay anchor next to some of our friends and do some snorkelling and a tour to Swallow Cave. That cave is fantastic with the this huge shoal of fishes that hover in the cave. The light inside and the colours of the stone in the cave. So sad that there are those that have to mark that they have been there though.
Even if there is no restaurant near by we still don’t need to cook food our self. David and his family made food for us and we had a great dinner and evening at Vaka Eitu. It was extra nice to meet up with Chris and Anne.
The day after some of us went snorkelling on the reef wall at the end of the island. It was very colour full and lots of different corals. A bit scary to get in and out due to the swells on the coral reef. My friend did heart her self and destroyed part of her west suit when she went out of the water the day before. We all came safe in and out the water with help from each other.
Time to get back to the village Neiafu and meet up with all the Arc sailors to visit the botanical garden and have lunch at their restaurant. They have just opened up again after covid and we where the first visitors. This guy is around his eighties and have traveled around the world meet the Pope 3 times if I remember right. He even have been in Sweden with some students. After lunch the children had a dance performance for us and we was thought how they make walls, rugs, basket ect out of palm leaves. It was very interesting and there is a lot of hour behind this nice work
The gathering continues with a dinner at a Bellavista where Marco is doing one of his dreams to serve food in Tonga in there traditional skirt. This was arranged by him and the crew from Enalia. The best was that almost all of us came for the dinner that night. Think the restaurant was very pleased as well. The owner is Italian and so is all from Enalia. Marco did a great job and the food was delicious!
We also hade a lovely dinner, prize giving ceremony and dance performance at Mango cafe. This time there was no price for fastest sailing since we all didn’t end up doing the same sailing via Suwarrow and Niue. We ended up getting a price for being closet in the amount of age of the fleet that left Bora Bora.
A stroll around the village to find some last things before checking out and filling up diesel. Here runs the animals around free so I was not surprised to see pigs, piglets and chickens walking around .
Filling up diesel at the pier direct from the thank truck.
The last days before sailing to Fiji we spent them with our friends padel boarding and enjoying the beauty in the bays. Learned me a lesson when I feelt of the board and lost my sunglasses. Not good at all but Clare found them. From now on they will have floating rope or something else that floats. Thank you for great days .
Hugs Eva
Sailing with Saphir 