POST

Tuesday October 2, 2007
Monday only lasted until 9:30 AM and then suddenly it was Tuesday. We feel like we have
robbed of 24 hours although we will get it back when we fly home from New Zealand on
October 28th.

The morning started as the day before. Bella Donna is rocking from side to side slipping
over the swells as they come at our port side. It is raining; bad weather has set in. Sure
enough the weather forecast says there is a big storm between Tonga and New Zealand.

We pull into Vava'u to a place called Rescue Bay. This is a large very well protected bay.
As we make our way into the bay the sea state becomes flat. For the first time since we
left on Saturday Bella Donna is planted firmly in a horizontal position. However, it will
be several hours before our bodies quit swaying and the affects of almost seasickness
subsides. A radio call to authorities tells us we are to go to the town dock for customs
and agricultural check in. In no time at all there are Tongan officials aboard Bella
Donna. They usually confiscate all fruit and vegetables, but we don't have much and they
let us keep the small amount that we do have. We are told we can go anchor and dinghy into
town to show our passports to immigration.

The bay is deep, over 100 feet in most places. It takes us a lot of time to find a good
spot shallow enough to anchor safely. With a storm on its way, the last thing we want to
have happen is to drag the anchor in the middle of the night. There are several boats in
the anchorage and tied to moorings. Many of them we have seen along the way starting in
Panama where we met the crew on Vivid. Another boat, Southern Cross, is planning to go for
New Zealand about the same time we are. John met some of their temporary crew when he went
to New Zealand to fetch our new prop.

Rescue Bay is well protected and even provides 11 cyclone moorings that are used during
the feared cyclone, hurricane, during the summer months starting in November. In 1777
captain James Cook landed in the middle of the Tongan Island group, Ha'apai, looking for a
protected harbor. Chief Finau told Captain Cook that there were no protected anchorages to
the north in Vava'u. Cook sailed south through difficult convoluted reefs. Upon reaching
Tongatapu in the south Cook learned he was deceived and Vava'u had the best anchorage in
the kingdom.

We went ashore to find a lazy typical Tongan Village. One main road makes its way along
the shoreline. The village looks a lot like the Caribbean. The Moorings has a base here
where they charter sailboats mostly to New Zealanders, but you do meet people from several
different countries. We spent most of our time near Moorings at a couple of bars/coffee
shops/cafe that also serve food, seems most if not all bars in Tonga are also restaurants.
Like I said the bars are very colorful and simple like in the Caribbean. They have names
like Aquarium, Mango, Mana'ia, Mermaid, Ciao, Salesi's, Tropicana, Tongan Bob's, Dancing
Rooster, Sovereign Residence, Pangai Villa, Tongan Beach, Mala Island, Mounu Island, Blue
Lagoon, Treasure Island, La Paella, Ika Lahi, Crow's Nest, La Vela, Paradise Hotel,
Puataukanave, and Compass Rose.

We had cappuccino at the Aquarium owned by Ben and Lisa. After leaving San Francisco
aboard s/v Waking Dream in 2002, owners Ben & Lisa saw many pacific ports between North
America and Tonga, but fell in love with Vava'u and have been here since 2004. Having a
pretty good idea of what the cruising community likes to do while in port, they've set up
a few small businesses. The Aquarium Cafe and Internet is at the southern end of the town.
Aquarium has awesome espresso coffees (While in Central America they found some great
coffee, 100% Costa Rican Arabica!) They also have thick & yummy milkshakes, fresh
smoothies, great meals and more. Be sure to ask about their new Hawaiian Shaved Ice.

Following veggie appetizers in the fly bridge, we sat down to grilled ribs with a glass of
good southern Australian Shiraz, and then enjoyed the movie Fracture.

God Bless Bella Donna.