To Pangai
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 20 Nov 2013 23:57
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To Pangai, Lifuka Island, Ha’apai Group, Kingdom of
Tonga  At four o’clock, Bear hoisted the main and let go the ropes on
the buoy. We left the lovely bay of Port Maurelle
behind and set off.  On our way out to sea we passed several islands.....  ................we still cannot get over the rugged coastlines.  Suddenly to our left a conference was mid
session.  We passed a small resort with waves
crashing over reef.  The last islands of the Vava’u
group.   One last farewell.  As I pass the last island I report this to the captain, for many
miles yet, the sea is only three hundred feet deep so the swell is a lot of fun
– the old fashioned up and down motion I love so much. Oh on the IPad there is another one to look out for on the
left.........it’s called........hang on a minute, Late (he
pronounced it very professionally latte like the coffee drink). I couldn’t see anything, so once again the IPad came out.
Oh, I had it on a big scale. It’s a little way
away.  I checked on Beez chart
plotter, now concerned that I couldn’t see anything nearby. Try thirty miles away you numpty, I think I can miss it.......
Oh. Have you ever seen anyone
duck as a cockpit chair was held aloft in such a threatening
stance. Bear has Run Bear, Run Tuck your little IPad up with you, close your eyes, don’t
snore and sleep for four hours. Yes Dear Grrrrrr  A bright sunset began the evenings
anticipated excitement......  Bear woke up (ready for his shift at ten) and we both sat
eagerly waiting for Beez to complete 28.9 nautical
miles. This event happened at 21:54 and 46 seconds – marking twenty
thousand nautical miles and nearly half way around the world. YeeHa. Out in deep
water, things smoothed and we flew along. Keep this up and we’ll get in too soon
and we need bright sun in case we have to spot for coral
heads.  Our first look at the incredibly flat
Likufa Island.  Away to our left we could see a JCB
at work on the causeway.  To our right we could see a
freighter making her way slowly in in the western
entrance.  A big, fat marker shows the
reef.  This one we kept to the
right.  Not the other side. The water here gentle shelved from fifty feet to fifteen, just
sand below us.   Our three mile zig to hold off an
hour for the sun to come out and to get the right heading in, timed just right
for our planned nine o’clock arrival after seventy eight miles. Anchored with twelve feet below us between Rachel Patch and
Pauline Patch. The maps here, funnily enough (in comparison to Vava’u where Beez
went constantly over the hard stuff) have been spot on
accurate.  Otuan’ofa was
settled..............  ..........great excitement on the
quayside, all over in less than an hour and off she
went......
We went ashore and asked in a shop where Customs and
Immigration was and where we could drop our small rubbish bag. The lovely lady
took the rubbish and pointed down the road. I sat outside with Jenny whilst the
captain did the brief Customs paperwork. We had last seen Seats and Jenny
(Waka Irie) in La Playita, Panama and heard them on the radio en route
to the Galapagos. Just then, Bear rushed out for the camera to take a picture of
the office, when the official stepped out for a minute. His excitement was a whole in the floor, beautifully danced over every time
the official moved around the room. Silly, but it kept Bear amused. Time for a
cold one. Just around the corner is the Mariners Café. Owned by a Polish couple
who sailed here and bought the business seven years ago. Finally a signal strong
enough to post some blogs. The strange thing is the island has a block on
Facebook ??? I only managed to get on for a couple of minutes (after many
attempts) just to say we had arrived here and congratulate Scott–Free
for their safe arrival in New Zealand. Well done to Chris and Steve, Sheer
Tenacity, Salsa and all the other boats who left Nuku’alofa last
Monday. In the corner slept Sunday, who has taken a
strange shaped affair as his bed (there when the place had been bought), he
kicked the dust until it was just so and snored soundly. We will hire the café bikes on the morrow to explore this small, flat
island.  ALL IN ALL WHAT A MILESTONE
GOOD PRACTICE IN WINDS FROM EVERY
DIRECTION |
