October 25, 2012
We just thought we’d give you a little tour around the neighborhood here in Neiafu (Vava’u, Tonga). This was the view this morning.
Looking south from our boat, there are a few more moorings and several boats at anchor. There’s also a pearl farm. It has about a hundred small buoys. Some of the cruisers call it the mooring buoy nursery.
Looking north towards town. There are about 50 boats at moorings to the north of us.
Across the bay there are also moorings. The number of boats moored and anchored here ranges from zero to about fifteen. It’s been pretty empty but it’s starting to fill up again.
Across the bay, a beautiful motor-sailor named Ice is moored. I’ve been wanting to talk to them. I’m curious how much fuel they use when under power alone.
We also get some superyachts. This is a smaller sample of the species. It’s anchored out by itself in the southern end of the bay.
Right next to us are a couple of catamarans. The blue one is called Cyber and I think it belongs to a local. Next to that is Segue with Collin and Mercedes on board. They are a wonderful couple who met through one of the crew-finder web sites.
A little further away is Alaeris. That’s Alex and Iris (now you get the boat name?). We first met them what seems like a lifetime ago in the Marquesas where we first made landfall. They have been good friends ever since and we’ve shared a lot of fun times together. They are from New York so we’ve spent some happy times talking about H&H Bagles and Zabars nova and Barnes & Nobel stores that are open all night.
Just back from cruising the local islands are Bob and Linda on Bright Angel. We’ve really enjoyed their company and it’s nice to have them back in the bay.
This is one of the smaller boats in the fleet – La Luz – a Francis 26. Doug and Zulaka met in Panama and are also headed for New Zealand. They are among the people we seem to meet up with in almost every place we visit.
Behind the boats, you can see the Aquarium Cafe where we spend a lot of time eating and socializing with the people we’ve mentioned here.
And as I was taking pictures, I was treated to this school of fish jumping. I wonder what was below chasing them? Here’s a close-up. -Rich
