# 28 Vava'u, Tonga

We had a rolly trip from Niue to Vava'u with winds mostly 20kn E but sometimes 25kn. The 3-4 m swell abated to about 2m by the time we sighted Vava'u. As we rounded the northern coast the wind dropped to abot 10kn. We arrived at the wharf in Neiafu for clearing in.

On Monday we motored to the lovely anchorage off Mala Island and spent two very nice days there. Then we sailed to Tapana for a night and then to Kapa. Kapa is a beautiful and protected anchorage.

We have now cleared out of Tonga but will not leave until Sunday for the four day passage to Suva, Fiji.

# 27b Nuie (depart)

We will be leaving Nuie tomorrow morning (Wednesday local time). Forecast is 20-25 E but still big seas of 4m+. We are heading for Vavau, Tonga. The passage will take about 2 days.

# 27a Niue

We are still in Niue waiting for the right conditions to set sail for Tonga. The winds and seas are unusually high for this time of year. We may be able to leave around Wednesday although we still expect a high swell of 4m+. Meanwhile we are enjoying Niue and the usual social life with other the other cruisers in the anchorage. We are now well behind schedule and need to get moving to get back to Oz by end of October.

The snorkeling is very good. The water is very clear and there are many sea snakes which make Nani very nervous. She almost 'walks on the water' to get away from them and get back to the boat!

# 27 Niue

We left Palmerston on Wednesday 1st September. The passage from Palmerston Atoll to Tonga started well with light northerly winds. On the second night dark clouds spread out across the horizon as a front approached. Soon it was upon us with winds of 20 - 25+ knots soon coming from the SE. The weather files had shown 8 - 11 knots for this period. There was another weather front on its way which we would hit on Saturday. We decided to divert to the island of Niue and hope to shelter in the only anchorage at Alofi. We (Freezing Rain and us) pushed ahead hard to reach Alofi by Saturday morning arriving just as the weather changed with torrential rain and high winds. We were happy to tie up to a mooring. You cannot anchor due to the coral chasms which jamb your anchor.


Our friends on Narid and The Road decided to continue on to Vavau, Tonga, thinking that we were being over cautious. In the evening we spoke with them on the HF radio to find they were in 30 - 40 knots and seas of 4 - 6 meters! The Road had had items washed off their deck and both had had their cockpits filled with water from the breaking seas. They still had two - three days of 25 - 35knots to go before arriving in Tonga! We enjoyed a rum & coke and were thankful we'd made the decision to stop at Nuie.

Niue is the largest raised coral atoll in the world. On Monday we visited the Togo chasm with Freezing Rain and Trim. The weather is looking very bad for the next week or so. We'll stay until it settles down before heading for the two day trip to Vavau. Right now the wind is whistling through to anchorage but we are safe and secure.

# 26 Palmerston Atoll, Cook Islands

After a five day (champagne sailing) passage we arrived at the isolated Palmerston Atoll 0n Friday 27th August, 2010. We picked up a mooring on the west side of the atoll near Palmerston Island. Bob Masters and his daughter Taia were there to greet us and became our host for our stay at the island.

We had a great time at Palmerston. A truly different experience. In some ways the tropical Pacific atoll that we imagine, in many ways, not. We went crabbing, coconut crabbing and bird picking with our hosts and their children. We were made unbelievably welcome by the inhabitants. We helped unload and then load (with frozen fish fillets) the first supply ship to visit the island for about 8 months.

The inhabitants originated from William Masters and his three wives who settled at Palmerston in the late 1800's. There are now 67 inhabitants, all related.

Palmerston is a great stopover and a truly unforgettable experience.

The weather grib files we received via our HF radio and Pactor modem were showing signs of bad weather on the way so we left Palmerston (along with Narid, The Road & Freezing Rain) on Wednesday 4th September bound for Tonga.