Nordlys
NORDLYS
David and Annette Ridout
Sat 29 May 2004 04:21
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BACK IN THE KINGDOM OF
TONGA
Nuku'Alofa 29th May
2004
In the early hours of the morning of the 26th May
Nordlys was reaching at 6 plus knots under double reefed main only. The
genoa was rolled as I was not prepared to be within five miles of land until
dawn was showing itself. The loom of the lights of Nuku'Alofa were visible
off our port bow but otherwise all was absolutely black due to complete cloud
cover. The GPS and most importantly our now working radar showed us where
we were but with the chart saying 'reefs reported up to four miles south of
the island shore in 1942' the idea of bowling on into the blackness
did not appeal. Four hours after sunrise we dropped the hook just off the
town of Nuku'Alofa on the island of Tongatapu. It was seven days almost to
the minute since we had left Opua. We had sailed some 1085 miles through
the water to achieve 1025. The difference being mainly due to the erratic
wind direction causing us to 'wander' around the course and also in two cases we
sailed off in the wrong direction to avoid particularly nasty looking black
squalls. We had motored exactly one day out of the seven and had all winds
from close hauled to running and from nothing to forty knots. Generally a
mixed bag. What is more important is that both of us are now back into
that delightful state where we can walk around both inside and outside and do
what is necessary even if blindfolded. We can also read even in the
wildest motion without feeling ill. With such varied conditions
we were forever changing sail sizes and combinations and for some days hand
holds were essential all the time. The nights were very dark due to much
cloud and a new moon. The sails and rigging are fine but took an awful
hammering mainly due to lots of running over a disturbed sea and only ten knots
of true wind giving about five over the deck.
Tonga itself is a bustling hive of activity.
There are fourteen boats in the harbour, another twelve anchored outside with us
and two miles away there are some ten plus anchored off Pangaimotu. This
in contrast to the five in total that were here when we left last October.
Four large Tongan men with their skirts and mats wrapped around them were
ferried out to Nordlys by Annette to complete the paperwork. Unfortunately
because Jago and Claire are coming here on a one way ticket we have had to spend
two sessions in the immigration office in town getting the necessary letter of
authority to fax to them. As I write this Annette is at the airport
meeting them so hopefully our efforts will be successful. Our own social
life has been most enjoyable as apart form Kitty and Simon Van Hargen on Duet
(RCC) one day after our arrival our Norwegian friends on Embla sailed in.
We hope, all three of us, to head north into the Haapai group on Tuesday.
We had last seen Embla in the Society islands and it was great to catch up with
them. Annette also has a chance to 'practice' her Danish as Norwegian and
Danish are very similar.
Tonga, the country, is in a slight crisis as its
airline, Royal Tongan, has gone bust, due we are told to very poor
management. This has left many of the islands without communication and in
the case of the Vavau group it is a financial disaster. Moorings the
charter operation cannot get its clients there. The hotels, whale
watching, diving and other tourist operations are in a state of complete
crisis. We have heard that Fiji has offered to let their airline provide a
service but that the King of Tonga has refused this offer. What the truth
is we really do not know but if there is not a resumption of services to Vavau
soon there will be a lot of financial hardship and in the case of many of the
small islands there will soon become a shortage of needed goods and medical
supplies. We have just this morning heard that the only interisland ferry
is stuck on a reef and while not in danger is out of action with the crew and
passangers running short of food and reduced to one working lavatory. This
is all we know at this stage.
This is not the place to talk politics but it is
interesting to note that with all this cruising activity there are no American
boats here at the moment. Apparently they are tending to keep together and
to not often fly their ensigns at the moment. How long before we have to
re-register under the Danish flag!
Our very best wishes to all our friends who read
this, always assuming that some do! I will write with photos in about
two weeks from Vavau when hopefully we will have experienced some more basic
island life in the Haapai group.
David and in absentia
Annette
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