Weather & Wanderings in Tonga

Anchored off Ofolanga Island in the Ha’apai Group in Tonga, we spent a few nights enjoying this remote calm-weather-only anchorage.  A sandy walk around the island, watching a turtle streak through the water on a drift snorkel, and enjoying a beach fire with friends and family. 

The Hyer family got to experience the “thrills” of a squall, thankfully in a calm anchorage with good holding.  The lightening flashed in the sky, thunder rumbled overhead, then wily confused seas spun us around in a wave-smashing noisy night.   

A friend got a fishing hook quite deep into his finger, and the Hyer family medical team went into action – Jen using a digital block to numb the finger and cutting a tiny slit in the skin for exit, Chris using his tools to cut off the other barb and rotate the hook out; all topped off with a shot of rum for the patient (to calm the nerves of course). 

All went well and our patient has recovered nicely! 

Happai North Anchorage off Nukunamo Island treated us to fantastic drift snorkels of colorful corals and fish, walks on the beach with lovely sand, stunningly clear water, bottom hull cleaning, eating through our banana tree and piles of papaya, and the start of our cribbage tournament. 

The Captains off a few boats went by dinghy to a nearby town to check in with Customs; we need to check in/out of each major island group in Tonga.

Weather decisions… info from weather routers and other cruisers, discussion over coffee  – big low pushing further north, various anchorages discussed with protection very limited, not wanting to leave this group and go north “backwards” away from our cruising season’s New Zealand destination and the location where we are dropping off/picking up crew…but the low moving only 100 nm away…then 50 nm away on next forecast… Is this a trend?  The captains checked out of this island group in the nearby town by dinghy. 

Next forecast…31 nm away…seems the right decision and moved to nearby Mushroom Rock Anchorage for ease of exit in the following early morning to head back to Vava’u Group…our family getting to see the full cruising experience.   Up at 4am and underway, seas a lovely 1.4 meters and winds favorable for a fast sail north; we found ourselves in a mass exodus of boats all going to the northern island group. 

Looking at the updated weather, the system has continued to evolve with a thumb of increased winds wrapping around and grabbing the middle island group that we departed; so thankful that we decided to move north.  We aren’t heading toward calm, but we’ll take gusts up to 35 over gusts up to 50.  Underway, fishing excitement; kept two lovely tuna, lost a few tuna and a marlin. 

It was a great sail and our average speed was 6.5 knots.  We have one more night before weather moves in and decided to “show-off” one of our frequently visited favorites in Tonga, Kenetu Island, where the kids took the family to see the infamous Rat Camp and do some tow-foiling.

We anchored in Tapana Anchorage 11 for the storm, though questioned our selection with dragging boats in a sleepless night, up checking position regularly.  Thankfully, we stayed put and we were treated to a calm, unexpected sunny day with a beach gathering and walk among cows tied to palm trees the next day.

Off early to Taunga Island Anchorage 24, a “secret anchorage” that I was so proud of sleuthing out…where about 20 boats also thought of with the rare east winds!  We enjoyed epic sand-dollar lined beach walks, Calder and his friend wing-foiled to a nearby island beach, and the kids enjoyed beach play in morning in the high tide giant ocean pool.  At a beach fire in evening, bats flew overhead, and I marveled that we were in Tonga.

New Zealand Biosecurity requires the entire hull to be very clean and the crew has spent many hours working on this; Chris standing on the bottom of the shallow turquoise ocean today as he held onto and scrubbed the keel. 

Appears that there is a weather window to Minerva (then possibly on to New Zealand) with many boats deciding to make the leap but with family still here, crew unable to join, and the warm weather here enticing us; we decided to stay a bit longer and wait for the next window.  The anchorage emptied out of boats and I took photos of our clean hull amongst an audience (or squad) of over 40 squid, social and communicative with their chromatophores in colorful display.  I spent time just swimming with the squid, their large eyes looking curiously at me.

We made a day stop at Kulo Anchorage, just off the Coral Gardens.  The swell breaking on the reef was a bit smaller today and, with the high tides, it seemed a perfect opportunity to dinghy to the outside reef. 

As we dinghied over the shallow inside reef, the waves built up and we hit a set of three waves that made us feel we were in a water ride, splashing over our heads.  But we made it to the outside reef, where we took turns motoring the dinghy while the others jumped into the water to feast our eyes on the living, beautiful multi-colored reef.  What a delight to swim along the expanse of reef; it is appropriately name the “coral gardens.”  Thankfully, our trip back through the breakers was not as eventful due to the wonderful piloting of Capt. Chris.

Gpa and Gma were flying out the next day, so back into Neiafu town we went.  Excellent to eat a few meals out and resupply. 

We finished our Hyer Family Cribbage Double Elimination Tournament – Trav skunked Gpa in the final game, claiming the final win!  Hiked up viewpoint. 

Weather, weather, weather…the talk is always weather.  A huge fleet of boats from Fiji and Tonga took off for New Zealand, clearing out the anchorages; we are all watching and discussing these weather windows.  Many of our friends are leaving with impending deadlines, but we are staying a bit longer in the tropical waters before moving to the land of long underwear to hide out for the cyclone season.  We have the luxury of a later deadline of December 1 to be in New Zealand for boat insurance (cyclone season) purposes.  Back out to Port Maurelle for one night with Uncle Trav and our friends, as we enjoyed a last family swim with Uncle Trav.

Back to town Neiafu for one night where we checked out again, our visit to the Customs officials for the 4^th time!    I was enticed by a local turtle carving, hoping it will bring us luck for the upcoming voyage. 

The market is always interesting with huge piles of whatever is in season – currently cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, and pineapple.  We’ve become accustomed to the little things of Tongan town life, from general stores where rakes are next to dairy, the kids in their school uniforms all saying hello, the colorful clothing, and the friendly people.  One woman, who had helped us out before, drove past yelling “hello Chris!” out her window.  Guess we’ve been here a while, further emphasized by the owner of our favorite frequently visited restaurant teaching us Tongan curse words. 

We enjoyed the quiet Port Maurelle for a couple nights with only 3 boats total.  Chris and I went on a walk that quickly turned into mango gathering, as we gathered nice ones off the group that had just fallen.

Now here we are, up at 5am, sailing the 60 miles back to the middle Ha’apai Group of Tongan islands.  We’ve done this before, but are hopeful this time it will be our stepping stone to New Zealand.  The wind angle isn’t great, but we’re making good time overall as the winds have continued to build throughout the day.  Calder caught a dogtooth tuna, a new one for Terikah. 

It looks like there is a weather window to New Zealand coming up soon…