Passage to Tonga and many firsts

We've just arrived in Vavau, Tonga after our most boisterous passage yet. We had 15-18 foot seas with sustained winds of 25 knots gusting to 35- and Krister says the squall that gave us our first pooping knocked us at 40. Pooping sounds messier than it really is- it just means we had a wave break into the cockpit with enough green water to fill it 6 inches. The real mess was bestowed upon us by our hick-hiking booby birdie friend that I named Albert. He settled upon our solar panel and rode with us for several hours- until we were within sight of land. While there, he squeezed out a few juicy, milky treats that splattered our companion way and into the nav station and galley. It's alright though- I loved having him around.


Albert our boobie buddy

The crossing from the Cook Islands to Tonga gave us many "firsts." Our first boobie, our first sail change underway, our first pooping, my first time across the dateline (yes we are living in tomorrow now), and in the middle of the night, the first time we had to change course to avoid a collision at sea. Fortunately for us, the boat we were on a collision course with was Piko, and as Lauren and I debated how we should alter course, Krister took the wheel and tacked behind them. I had no idea how close we came to each other until I saw their stern light swing swiftly to our port side.



Tall following seas


Our yankee-cut jib used for heavy winds

To our delight, our radio traffic woke Barb on What Cha Gonna Do (Who we thought were long gone to Fiji, but have actually been waiting here for better weather.) And so, at 2 in the morning, Krister woke from his off watch nap, giggling with happiness to talk with Barb and make plans to catch up with them as soon as possible.

We arrived at dawn and cleared through customs, immigration, agriculture and health quickly and easily. Finding an anchorage was much more difficult. We eventually settled on picking up a mooring ball for $13 Tongan (like $8 US). There are several boats here, some waiting for better weather, and some waiting for the regatta, which we are joining too. We'll be racing on Piko, trying to pick up a few pointers from Lauren, the racing pro.

The town is lovely and everyone is very friendly. It kinda reminds me of La Paz Mexico, very cruiser freindly. Happy hour is about to start, and even though the internet is painfully slow, at least we have each other and a cold beer.