Heading for Tonga 16:39.131S 152:31.373W

South Pacific Familyadventure 2008
Claes Brodin
Sat 22 Aug 2009 12:06
We left Bora Bora at 17.15 local time (-10 hrs UTC),after a day of preparations and clearing out of French Polynesia with the Gendarmes at Vaitape(main settlement).Before leaving we said goodbye and arranged a SSB frequency for daily watch at 18.00 hrs local ships time(04.00 UTC)with Colin and Paul onboard Windriver.
Gribfiles,buoyweather and passageweather.com predicts light winds from NE,but reality is for the moment(04.00 local time)light winds from SSE of 6-8 kts.Martin and Thierry are sleeping and there´s a clear skye with an immense Milky Way.
Our plan will be either heading direct for Neiafu at Tonga(1300 Nm),or stop halfway at the atoll of Palmerston(Southern Cook Islands)weather permitting(anchoring at Palmerston has to be done at the SW side in leeward of the tradewinds but outside the reef since the pass is to shallow.Few boats ever come to this place inhabited by ancestors of the englishman Bill Marster).