Vava’u was the first group of islands of the Kingdom of Tonga I reached with Shigeo. I needed to get MaRe out of the water to get the shaft seals replaced at the STB saildrive and have the hulls cleaned to be allowed to enter NZ without having her immediately hauled out for cleaning. I understand the need of bio-security but think that the garbage drifting ashore uncontrolled is underestimated. Does NZ intend to reduce foreign yachts going there? This thought went through my mind when I did all preparations for going to NZ.

I learned from friends, SV My Destiny, about the inbound clearance procedure and where to dock that all can be done in Vava’u.

Via VHF CH 16 I got permission to enter the harbor and dock at the Fishery Wharft, which is also used for inbound clearance. The problem was that there was no space to dock MaRe. The space between 2 local fishing boats was shorter than MaRe is long.

I called the harbor master and was advised to drop the anchor and go to customs office. Leaving the boat without being cleared in is normally not allowed. However, when the harbor master advised to do so, it should be fine.

I took the tender to go ashore. Climbing up the wall was almost a challenge. The wall was pretty high and no ladder was mounted somewhere. Asking the next people I saw, I could easily find the customs office. It was a desk at the entrance area in a large warehouse and a room or two behind.

The friendly lady asked me to dock MaRe at another place stuff she advised. It turned out that this is the real customs dock not the inbound and outbound clearance dock used by customs. Sounds a bit confusing but I followed her advice.

For customs clearance I went to the office again and found that they all were on lunch break. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I returned at 1330 and a part of the inbound clearance could be done. The lady apologized for the delay of health and bio-security clearance but the officers are still at the airport. However, they will come be in about 30 min on board of MaRe. And indeed they arrived after about 30 min. Filling in a bunch of papers passing the fees and all was done. I could go back to customs for the final inbound clearance.

After being cleared in, I decided to leave this dock and go to one of the buoys where all the other boats where hook up. Anchoring is not allowed and at a water depth of 30 + m not feasible even with a hundred meter chain. Hooking up to a buoy here is much easier than it is in Croatia. Thus, we quickly got this thing done, cleared up the boat, and took the tender to the dinghy dock at the restaurant Mango; the best dinghy dock I ever used.

While the formed breads rest a last time before being baked, I’m catching up again on Tongatapu.

After leaving SY Donella and her crew to go and see Bigmama, Christian and his crew lifted the hook and left the anchorage for the Minerva Reef. They sailed through another passage, which I decided not to use as it didn’t look so safe to me. However, it’s the shortest way out and can be sailed with easterly winds.

We met Bigmama, who was sitting under a tree, and asked her what interested us. First thing we asked if she can deliver a 200 l drum of diesel to our boat for refueling. It turned she doesn’t do that. So this information we got was wrong. However she offered us her 2 20 l jerry cans, which we used next day. Asking about the possibility for a Tonganese dinner, she also declined. Since the last cyclone hit her place she doesn’t run her restaurant anymore. A pity, but we could understand.

Next we went from Bigmama directly to the little harbor to look at and dock our dinghy there. The little harbor is about 1 1/2 NM away. After a 15 min tender ride we arrived in the harbor and docked the tender in the “Little boat harbor” inside the little harbor. Docking the tender was easy, but my first impression about docking MaRe in the little harbor was very negative. Luckily Renate saw us coming in and called us. Later I looked around and could not identify a place to dock MaRe safely.

We started asking our way to the customs office. The people were very friendly showing us the right way. Along the street, which had better days, they are a few shops with one selling also groceries. Under a few trees some people sold sweet and other southern potatoes. A kind of market which we passed had booths selling all kind of things but no fruits and veggies.

We confirm and found the Port Authority Office and went into ask for the procedure we have to do here and learned that at the day before departure we need to come and pay the harbor fees also we only anchored 1 1/2 NM outside the harbor.

Finally we found the right customs building and the right counter. We asked what we need to do and got several forms to be filled in and the advice to come next day at 1400 h to do all procedures at once.

We also went to the fuel company and got there a paper, which needs to have a customs stamp to get duty free fuel. The company would deliver a 200 l drum to the harbor and provide us a hand pump; the rest is with us.

With this information we walked back the dusty road towards the little harbor where our tender is docked. We passed again the brand new building of the Tonga Navy and I wonder what kind of navy fleet rings has.

At the grocery store, which had one double sided shelf for food items and a few more for other things, we bought some things we could not get in Vava’u. That shops have no electrical light inside but only the daylight from the entrance, appears to me as a typical feature of the Chinese run shops in Tonga.

The evening on board was relaxed. MaRe was perfectly anchored.

2200 and I started my first watch duty. With my first view out of the salon door towards the stern, I saw a big wave rolling onto MaRe from behind. The about 4 m wave was beautifully illuminated by the full moon. MaRe lifted her bums and let the wave pass below her. When the wave was gone, a glittering moon river was shining behind MaRe and another wave, less in height, rolled into MaRe. Above the clouds above MaRe are looking more 3 dimensional in the moonlight than in sunlight. Sailing in s full moon night is just wonderful sailing highlight!

My main task in this watch duty is forming and baking bread for breakfast.

A few minutes ago I optimized the sail trim for the new conditions. With 12 – 15 KN TWS, 097deg TWD, about 100deg AWA, 229deg COG, she runs around 7 KN STW, giving almost 6 KN SOG. Sails are genoa full and main with reef 2 because later the wind is forecasted to increase to 25 KN. ETA (Minerva Reef) 17Nov around 0800. Perfect time because we will have daylight to go through the passage. No need for a heave to and wait until the sun is up.

Boh just said, that sailing today is so much nicer then last time. She is right! No rain, but sunshine. Waves are not really much above 2 m. MaRe rocks much less and the slamming of waves at the tunnel is also much less.

Before, I can write more, I need to continue making my bread dough. About 6 h of autolyzing is sufficient.

Now my dough is in the next phase and I need to stretch and fold it every 45 min.

Therefore I can write more about our arrival inside the group of islands of Tongatapu

As I had no other information, I considered to go into the little harbor to see what’s the situation there. I also had some ideas already for anchoring outside if I can’t dock inside the harbor.

Being just at the NW corner of the big inner reef, I heard that someone calls MaRe on VHF. I was surprised. Are they observing the traffic inside the island area of Tongatapu on an AIS system? Only from AIS they can know that MaRe is here.

It turned out it was Renate, who sails with Christian (92 years old!) and Jason, on Christian’s boat “Donella”. They left Vava’u a few days before us but I didn’t know they want to stop over at Tongatapu. This was a very nice surprise. It turned out they had valuable information. The situation in the harbor is not good at all and around them there is more space to anchor and good anchor ground.

With Renate’s explanations I could identify their anchor spot and went there. It was an excellent spot. Well protected from prevailing easterly wind and nice sandy bottom for an excellent hold of the anchor.

Once MaRe was secured at her anchor we went over to them. For a chat and more information. We learned in about half an hour all what’s needed to be known about Big-Mama, David the taxi driver, customs procedure, and the way to get duty free fuel.

Back to sailing at MaRe right now. In between the wind was up to the range of 15 – 20 KN and she ploughed with peaks in the 10 KN range through the water. Wind changed a bit and currently we have an AWA of 110 – 120 deg PRT. Although the wind is down again she still runs around 9 KN. Excellent for this non-bumpy ride.

At 0900 we lifted the hook for sailing to the Minerva Reef were I intend to drop the hook in the northern reef. Being in the wind shadow of Pangaimotu Island it was very comfortable to motor around the big reef. It’s a good place to wait for the right weather window to take off to NZ.

The northern Minerva Reef is located at 23deg 38.539minS, 178deg 54.679W. Although it belongs to no country, Tonga and Fiji are struggling to take this island into their territory. If I’m not mistaken there could be some information in Wikipedia.

Later, during our way out, we got the wind for most of the time pretty much on the nose. Especially in the Phiha passage into which we comfortably sailed through a few days ago, we had, for a few miles the wind from 10 deg STB. Additionally the current was against the wind, thus the waves were steep. Wave height 1 – 2 m.

In about an NM I can turn more S, thus I hope that we even can use the genoa; maybe we could even start sailing.

A lot happened during the last days! I’ll write a few throwbacks.

As bumpy as the ride was until we changed directions to enter Tongatapu, as comfortable it is going into the Phiha passage. Only with the gennaker and we are sailing broad reach course.

We had a leisure breakfast in the cockpit with freshly baked bread, butter, marmalade, peanut butter, chocolate spread, and gouda cheese. And not be forgotten a can of tea.

The sky is only half covered with clouds and the sun peeking through the holes in the clouds makes all very comfortable. What a contrasts to yesterday. Up to 30+ KN of wind from around 60 – 100 deg AWA, rain, very bumpy yesterday, and now, around 17 KN of wind around 150 deg AWA, sunshine, no bumps at all. Sailing from the other side.

This way we will continue for another 2 1/2 NM. Then we need turn almost 90 deg and go through a narrow passage. This I’ll do using the engines until we can sail somewhere again or arrive the harbor.

I could get good information about the arrival procedure and where to go for domestic inbound clearance and will call the harbor master for his advice.

On the AIS layer I can see a few commercial boats and where they are. From that I can image that we just can go into the small harbor. Although the depth given in the Navionics map is good enough, I don’t trust Navionics maps in such areas.

Let’s see what is the surprise of this morning!

2240. Night watch duty since 40 min.

Wind is down to below 20 KN, as forecasted. Will it stay like this? Will the wind follow the forecast?

ETA at WPT Nuku’alofa E at 0520 – if the boat speed remains in average 7 KN SOG. STW is about 2 KN more. We unfortunately have quite a strong current slowing us down in SOG.

In the last daylight we passed Tofua, one of the active volcanos of Tonga. A grey nice volcano cone, weight greyish-white clouds around the peak appeared in the grey of rain and clouds. No nice picture of a sunset behind a volcano.

A Bahamas registered passenger ship passes us on STB at distance of 8 NM. It appeared a while ago on the AIS layer of the chart plotter. This AIS system is pretty good. I’m glad to have it on board.

Now the sea is dark. The sky is fully overcast. However, during the day there were nice glassy heads of big waves to be seen. In between the white horses of 6 – 7 Bft wind waves, these glassy tops of big waves made for short moments colorful dots in the grey of the sea under a grey and dull sky.

For dinner we had the thought about pan fried potatoes with a lot of mozzarella cheese molten over the potatoes. Simple, but a warm meal in the evening of a bumpy day.

Forming and baking breads I decided I’ll do in my next night watch duty. If I’m lucky the bumps in the sea are a bit further down.

Let’s see what happens during this night in a bumpy sea.

It’s 1625 and time for an update.

For most of the time we had around 30 KN TWS. Despite wind waves of 2 – 4 m and a rather short swell with up to 4 m, MaRe was and is still fast. For a moment we sailed 11.6 KN, MaRe’s record in 2021. That time with reef 1 and the full genoa; today with reef 2 in the main sail and the genoa reduced to 60%.

The ride today was and is still pretty bumpy and I decided to form and bake the breads tonight during one of my watch duties. By then the wind is forecasted to be only 15 KN.

Meals are reduced today. We had a muesli with yogurt. Boh mixed chocolate paste and I honey into it. Later we had cheese sandwiches and a cup of tea. Dinner will be mostly the same. However, if it gets less bumpy between the islands, I could make some pan fried potatoes with molten cheese. Let’s see.

Currently, we still have 25 KN TWS with a TWD of 80 deg. During the day the TWD fluctuated between 75 – 105 deg. MaRe still runs with around 10 KN towards Ha’apai, an island group between the Vava’u group and the Tongatapu group. We will sail through this group with safe distances to all islands to STB and PRT.

Ha’aipa has an active volcano, which we leave at a distance of about 15 NM at STB. This will be at about 1900.

Until the next narration.

Shortly after 0700 we left the mooring.

Wind became stronger. In gusts we have 7 Bft.

With 20 – 30 KN, we are running 9 -10 KN at 60 deg AWA. Main with reef 2 and the Genoa only at 60 %. Very safe settings.

After 1.5 NM the AWA will change to 70 – 80 deg.

Later the day the wind is forecasted to decrease.

Let’s see what coming up.

MaRe is ready for launch, and so is her crew.

I expect that within 30 min they will come and launch MaRe. Time needed I guess to be an hour.

Once in the water I plan to go the Fishermen’s wharf on the other side of the peninsula. There I’ll do the national check out of Vava’u, do provisioning, and go for one more night at a buoy of the Mango restaurant.

Tomorrow morning I plan to depart from Vava’u to Tongatapu (about 150 NM) for a last stop in Tonga. This should be a 20 – 30 h sail.