Our time in Tonga was too brief and quickly over. We departed Vava’u yesterday and expect to arrive in Fiji tomorrow morning.
Wind is good and consistent, but too squarely behind us so it is a little bit rolly, otherwise a great sail!
We’ve had a very good passage from NZ, but we are all very happy to be arriving in Tonga tomorrow.
Greg has been a very keen fisherman as conditions permit and today he hooked a meter long tuna who make quite a spectacle as he struck the lure!
This was followed by a magnificent tuna salad prepared by Michelle.
(**Note: Tuna hooked and tuna consumed not guaranteed to be the same fish.)
We’ve had some exciting but uncomfortable sailing since the engine was turned off early yesterday. Last night we experienced a sudden (but expected) wind shift to the SW which brought some strong winds which moderated to the W.
We adjusted heading accordingly and sailed comfortably all night in a moderating sea.
Conditions at the moment are pretty well perfect! Broad reaching on port tack with winds at 10knots from the W. We have put away the main and mizzen and are on genoa and mizzen ballooner achieving 6.5 knots boat speed in 12 knots true wind. Very comfortable!
With the water maker back to full capacity, it will be showers all around today.
One problem to report is that on Thursday night (1am Friday actually) we tried to restart the engine, but all it went was click, click…. After some time spent in the room of pain (ie. the engine room) and trying to make sense of the manual, we decided that the problem related to a safety switch that prevented the starting of the engine while it was in gear. This was “bypassed” and we managed to kick her into life around 2am. Phew! The idea of sailing through channels to our anchorage in Tonga did not fill me with joy.
But, all is good today (well, at this moment!)
Thanks Michelle, Dave and Greg for the orchestra of flavours tonight… the audience could not get enough!