November 18, 2012
We set sail this morning for our next anchorage, Ha’afeva, a few hours away. The anchorage is well- protected by reefs, which means it takes a bit of maneuvering to get in there. I don’t know if we were getting used to the process or the medication was kicking in, but the whole thing was pretty stress free.
We were now catching up with the group. Our friends from Picara were there, as were Sockdolager and La Luz, both of whom had come straight here from Vava’u. (Taima was there, too, but they were opting to head back to Neiafu for cyclone season.) There were four boats here in all, but once we got through all the coral reefs the anchorage had lots of room, and we had no problem finding a spot. We had the hook down by lunchtime.
Ha’afeva has a more rugged beauty than some of the other islands, even feeling slightly desolate in a way I can’t quite put my finger on. There is a town on the other side of the island, but the only sign of human habitation here is what looks to be an abandoned, decaying concrete wharf. The sun shines, the palm trees sway, the sea is teeming with life, and yet the decaying wharf makes this feel like the earth after the human species has come and gone. It brings to mind the “Forbidden Zone” on the Planet of the Apes, and it’s a little unnerving. It was beautiful, but I was glad for the presence of other boats around us. -Cyndi
