Position  18:41.95S  173:55.73W    Kenutu Island, Vava’u, Tonga
Friday 25th October 

After the exciting events of the regatta we spent the next week in town again hanging out with friends on other boats and exploring the main island more. The weather was more windy and showery so it was a safe place for Sea Monkey to stay through that.

I got out for a few hikes, one to a little cave in Toula with freshwater pool in the bottom that I had a swim in to cool off, one up to Mt Talau for great views over town and the rest of the main island. On Sunday I visited Ene’Io botanical gardens and beach and had a delicious Tongan feast for lunch there.

Connolly was mainly partying out in town and on various yachts through this time! He did make it out for a dinghy ride one day with some friends from the boats Foxy Lady and Carina IV to visit Swallows and Mariners caves again. We both went to a fun big leaving party on Carina IV complete with disco ball and Tongan feast!


By the next Monday (21st October) the weather was looking better and it was time to escape town and head back out to the islands. We had another great sail, mostly upwind, in flat water and a good breeze out to the eastern most islands in Vava’u and dropped anchor in the shallow turquoise waters in the shelter of Kenutu. It felt more like Ha’apai out here than anywhere else we had been in Vava’u with the beautiful anchorage, uninhabited island, no one else in sight and the waves breaking on the reefs either side of the island. A perfect peaceful getaway from town. Kenutu was a great island to explore with a beach right in front of us and trails leading up through the island to the cliffs on the other side with the ocean waves breaking right onto them. I also took the dinghy up to the next island of Umunu and explored the trails across it and found the large cave in the middle of the island. We had another beach bonfire yesterday night. Now it is time to pull up the anchor for another sail through the islands back to town for some fresh supplies.

Phil