Last night we sailed 63 miles south to Ha’apai. We were sad to leave Vava’u behind. The wildlife there is phenomenal, underwater, on the beaches, and chirping from the treetops. It is the kind of place where snorkeling is accompanied by whale songs, arugula is bountiful, and the anchorages are filled with friends.
Read MoreFlying foxes are the local name for fruit bats. Despite ample caves, these flyers like to spend their day hanging in the bright sunshine among the top of the canopy. A few hundred will take up residence in a series of trees, and they loved the peninsula south of our last anchorage in Pangaimotu. They seemed like restless sleepers, occasionally stretching or screeching if a neighbor got too close. If we looked closely, we could find a bat with a baby clutching to her abdomen. Around dusk, one or two would cruise to more fruitful grounds. They had enormous and iconic bat silhouettes, but instead of short, darting flight patterns, they had long wing strokes and direct routes, much more like eagles of the night than the bats I’m used to (or foxes, for that matter).
Read MoreThe collared kingfisher is one of our favorite birds to play peek-a-boo with here in Tonga. They’re a frequent friend, usually hanging out alone in large trees along the shores of small islands around Vava’u. They’re silent until disturbed, at which point the belt out a surprisingly loud screeching sound.
Read MoreAfter spending a few blissful, sunny days in the protected anchorages near the race’s end, and saying goodbye to our buddy boats that are headed on to Fiji this season, Dominic and I made our way to Kenutu, the eastern most island in Vava’u.
Read MoreDominic and I had our first racing experience on Wednesday, and it was absolutely thrilling. We were hesitant to get involved at first—38 feet long and 14 feet wide, with a full keel and weighing 14 tons, Helios is built for comfort and not for speed. We considered crewing aboard our friends Greg and Kaycee’s 41 foot catamaran, Oceanna; we considered leaving early and designating ourselves finish line photographers;
Read MoreSo much fun and so little time to blog! The weather remains dismal: we’re going on our third week of clouds and rain; I think I’ve seen the sun for a total of 45 minutes in the last 16 days. But the good news is an informal flotilla of boats filled with cruisers under 40 pulled into Vava’u, so there has been a serious party vibe going on.
Read MoreOne morning last week we woke to a knocking sound on our hull. Two kiddos from the village on Nuapapu were out peddling bananas and coconuts from their outrigger canoe. Dominic was thrilled as our fruit supplies were depleted; I don’t eat bananas, but I enjoyed the opportunity for an early morning photo shoot, as did they—these two were much more adept at posing for pictures than they were at bartering. Dominic asked how much the bananas cost, one kiddo said $10, the other said $2, and we settled on $4 for half their bushel (the exchange rate is roughly 50 cents Tongan to the US dollar; a steal for organic bananas of ample size!).
Read MoreIt's hard to imagine that this weekend will already mark three weeks in Tonga. We've spent most of our time soaking in the lazy island pace, enjoying the bountiful fresh vegetables (arugula!), and trying to stay dry as a finger of the South Pacific Convergence Zone has been hovering over the region, keeping us covered in clouds and providing one brilliant lightning storm and over five inches of rain in one night.
Read MoreAnother spectacular snorkel report from Vava’u: just beyond the point northwest of Port Maurelle, two caves are carved into the low limestone cliffs lining the shore. The northerly cave is more open, with a skylight shadowed by tree branches and a pool lined with boulders. The rocks are covered with neon blue and pink flora, and the mouth of the cave is guarded by a five foot tall mass of brain coral with a school of bait fish circling it like a halo.
Read MoreYesterday was full of sunshine, so we started the day with an easy hike from Port Maurelle, our anchorage, to the neighboring beach. Everything was birdsongs and piglets until Dominic came to a dead halt, seeing a four inch spider skitter across his field of vision, just inches from his face. Its web, woven with electric orange thread the thickness of high-test fishing line, stretched across the path in front of our noses.
Read MoreWhales have been tantalizing us since we left San Francisco. We spotted a few whale tales and a little barrel rolling in Monterey—enough to appreciate how they epitomize awesome—but they were always at least a football field away, and we just saw enough to know we would love more. The calm, protected, warm waters of Vava’u, Tonga, are a nursery and breeding ground for humpback whales that spend much of the year feeding in Antarctica, and on Monday we took a whale watching tour in the hopes of joining them for a swim.
Read MoreWe got up at 6:30 am (!!!) this Monday morning for a majestic day in the water with humpback whales. More to come, but now it’s time for dinner and a long night’s nap.
Read MoreI’m sure it’s a surprise to no one that Tonga is amazing. Tonga is a geographically large, sparsely populated kingdom comprised of four island groups running along a north-south axis between Samoa and New Zealand. We’re currently in Vava’u, the cluster of 20-plus, beach-lined, wooded islands second from the equator. Vava’u is a cruiser’s paradise: in addition to having 41 anchorages and many Eden-like islets to explore, there’s a lively town with restaurants, friends, and yacht services never more than a day’s sail away.
Read MoreToday is my mom’s birthday! We’re on different sides of the Dateline, so I get two days to celebrate (yesterday was the ninth here) and I could be the first one to wish her a happy birthday. We’re out of internet range, so I called her on the sat phone. It was so good to hear her voice, and stories of her recent adventures in Burning Man, and what she wants for her birthday: a picture of my smiling face on the blog.
Read MoreWe left Thursday evening for the 320 mile sail to Tonga. Just under two weeks after our arrival in Samoa, we found ourselves in and out immigration offices and bustling to and from the grocery store, yet again.Our efforts were rewarded with our most pleasant voyage to date. The winds were stronger and lasted longer than predicted, and our sails were full with 20 knots behind us until the last six hours of the sail.
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