Lifuka

L'Esprit de la Mer
Dr Chris Bates
Fri 18 Oct 2013 23:38
We have sheltered from the strong south easterly winds for 48hrs . The wind is now dropping and has backed east . This means we are at the top of the high . There are four other boats in the bay all hesitating about going on to New Zealand seems to be a sort of ´lemming syndrome ´Some boats from Va´vau were at sea last night and had a rough time of it . Thats what happens when you ignore the weather .
The town here is very small with a harbour and a lonf palm fringed beach . The King has a house here . The way through the reef is buoyed so easy to approach . Even so one yard ignored the marks and my radio warning ans saile in straight over the reef . Fortunately got away with it .
We shopped this morning for souvenirs and fruit . Tomorrow we start on the relatively short leg to Tonupatu (capital of Tonga ) to get ready for our crossing to new Zealand next week . I have renewed the sheet and rigged the old ones through the forward track so that I can use our big genoa in stronger winds .