1994 Hanging out in Tonga

August 9, 1994

Our boat finally arrived in Tonga and is anchored in front of our hotel.  We can’t go aboard until it clears customs.  It was a 5-day passage with four days of motoring and 24 hours of heavy wind and high seas.  There were 8 people on board and they had to motor all but 24 hours of the passage.  The delivery crew said all everyone did was eat and sleep.  We can’t wait to get aboard.  Robbie has enjoyed Royal Sunset.  He had complete freedom and the owner’s son was his age.  They hang out together.  Randy is reading a lot (unusual) and sleeping.  He probably grew again.  It’s high tide right now so I can’t go for my morning walk.   I’m going to pack after I shake out all my clothes and suit cases.   I found a cockroach in a snorkel in a suitcase.  Gross.  We don’t want creepy crawlies on the boat.

August 14, 1994:  Tonga time

We boarded Locura on Tuesday thankful to get out of the Royal Sunset Hotel.  It was filthy there and the mosquitoes feasted.  I had to ask for toilet paper daily, ask that the sand be swept off of our floor, that they fill the footbath so we could wash our feet before entering our fale, etc.  Our sheets weren’t changed the whole time we were there.  The beaches would have been spectacular except for the broken glass, dead batteries, pottery and more that was lying around.  What a shame.  It shouldn’t have been that difficult to get the villagers to clean things up.  They just need to be taught.

Anyway, that is over with.  Our first sail was spectacular.  Unfortunately, I hated it.  I was miserable, bored and finally seasick.  Tom thinks I was scared.  I don’t know.  The boat performed spectacularly.  The designer and his wife are on board and they were thrilled. The skipper and his wife were amazed at how fast this boat goes.  We were going over 11 knots and heeled 10 degrees.  I hate any heeling.  While we’re sailing I can’t read or do anything.  Sitting and enjoying the sail absolutely isn’t my thing.  I hope I can get used to everything.  Once we tucked inside a reef and the waters were protected the boat stopped heeling, I was able to eat and start to enjoy myself for a while.  I am still more than dreading the two-day passage to Fiji.  On our sail Tom saw the tail of a marlin and we all saw hump back whales feeding.

The weather hasn’t been too great.  It looks like it’s clearing again.  This anchorage has been blowing over 20 knots frequently with rain squalls coming through.  During a break in the weather we are going to try going to another island where maybe it doesn’t blow as hard, so we don’t rock as much.

I was finally able to take out my sewing machine and sewed the whole day yesterday.  I’ve almost completed the front of one vest for one of my nieces.

Randy is in 7^th heaven.  He is working very hard with the men and learning how everything works on this boat.  He reads the manuals and can program much of the electronics.  Robbie says he is bored and can’t find anything to do.  He doesn’t want to read, play piano, etc.  I hope he’ll settle down soon.  The boat is wonderful but still going through birthing pains.  If it can break it will…again and again.  Things that were repaired in New Zealand are all broken again.  Everyone is working hard to keep things running.  As we live on the boat we are learning what should have been done differently. We’re learning for the next boat.  Much of what we learn will have to stay the way it is…i.e. 3 toilets work off of the same pump.  To repair one head means closing off 3 heads which leaves us with only one which works (ours).

By the way our crew is fabulous.  They work very hard and Marja is an incredible cook.  You don’t get meals like this in restaurants.

If you come visit plan on weather which has everything, from rain to hot and humid.  The rain isn’t real cold, just a light wrap for evening.  i.e. sweatshirt and sweat pants.  The boat isn’t cold at all.