November 19, 2012
Our next destination was Tongatapu, the southernmost island in Tonga. It’s in a group of islands known as the Tongatapu Group and includes the capital city of Tonga: Nuku’alofa. We would have to clear in with customs when we arrived (you’re supposed to check in and out of each island group even though it’s all the same country); then we would check completely out of the country when we departed for New Zealand.
Unfortunately the trip from here was one of those dreaded “overnighters.” This particular overnighter needed careful timing in that one needs to leave Ha’afeva in daylight as you are going through an area riddled with reefs and islands. You get somewhat out into open ocean for the passage south, although there are still islands around, then you enter into another area of reefs and islands to get to Nuku’alofa (on Tongatapu). Naturally, you want to enter this area in daylight. We planned to leave around 4:30pm, which would get us out into reasonably open ocean by dark, and then arrive in the area around Nuku’alofa around 7am or so – assuming we could keep our boat speed down to 4 knots through the night.
The winds were predicted to be light, and since the other boats hoped to sail, they left earlier in the afternoon to give themselves some extra time. By 3pm, everyone had gone, and we were Tiger Bait once again, all alone in a usually-busy anchorage. By now, we were used to it, and it didn’t bother us. Actually it was pretty neat to have the place to ourselves!
We pulled the anchor and headed out around 4:30. It had been a hot day, and it was just now getting cool enough to be out in the cockpit to keep an eye out. The trip out through the rest of the island group went fine. Maybe it’s the medication, or maybe we’ve just gotten used to this, but Rich and I are much calmer and more matter-of-fact when it comes to going through these reefy-rocky-islandy extravaganzas.
The passage itself wasn’t too bad, although the wind was stronger than predicted and our problem became making Legacy go slow enough. Rich took some sail in, and she was still flying! We managed to slow her down just enough. Unfortunately, the boats ahead of us had the same problem and were now hove-to (had stopped their boats) and setting off our radar alarm as we caught up to them. Luckily it was getting light as we approached the Tongatapu group and though we were arriving earlier than planned, we wouldn’t need to stop and wait. We ended up passing all three boats as we made our way straight in. -Cyndi
