Destination TONGA!

by Nancy Knudsen on 26 Jan 2006 The Island Kingdom of Tonga is a blue expanse just above the Tropic of Capricorn and about 3200 km north east of Sydney Australia. It has 170 islands making an idyllic cruising ground. There's line-of-sight sailing, spectacular snorkeling and soft, unspoiled beaches. The people are gentle and welcoming, living in a remote peaceful world reputed to be over 2,000 years old. It is still known only to the world's most fortunate sailors.

The Vava'u Group to the north of the main island of Tongatapu, with its safe anchorages and secluded coves, deep drop-offs and clear shallow lagoons, must be one of the world's finest cruising grounds. With no mass tourism and a small indigenous population, both the waters and sands are pristine. It's a place of brilliant colours, blue lagoons, fine white coral sand beaches and lush green coconut plantations - a picture book tropical dream.
The diving and snorkeling is amazing too - crystal clear water and brilliantly coloured coral and reef fish. In the season, the area is home to huge pods of humpback whales, which often swim with the yachts, accompanied by their newborn offspring. For those who enjoy dining out, Tongan beach feasts are regular functions at the local resorts. There are also a number of island beach bars and restaurants set in magical anchorages, ideal for watching the famous Tongan sunsets.

PROVISIONING:
Provisioning for perishables is sometimes a bit of a challenge and certainly not cheap because everything comes in from Australia or New Zealand by ship. Wine and beer are expensive commodities therefore so bring what you can carry. If you are chartering in Tonga it's not a problem, but it is necessary to pre-order your provisions from a list that is available from the charter company. Local produce is limited to tropical fruits and fish, and if you're happy with these, you'll be healthy as well.

Communication is sometimes difficult in Tonga, so be prepard for a REALLY relaxed holiday, and don't expect to be in touch with your office. The local phone company Tonfon, which of course is owned by the crown prince, is down as much as it is up and even if you buy a local sim card you won't be far from the base in Vava'u before the phone is out of range. This country is an enforced relation site.

THE CRUISING GROUNDS:
Cruising the Vava'u group of islands is a very leisurely undertaking. The whole cruising area measures less than 20 miles from north to south and about 15 from east to west. It is an easy place to sail because there is little tide, no currents to speak of and very few hazards. The islands to the south offer idyllic daytime anchorages in the lee of islands ringed by pristine sand beaches and breadfruit and palm trees. Further to the north are the secure anchorages where you might spend the night if you are on a 7-night charter or a week if you have time on your side. A couple are worth mentioning - probably the best of all is the Hunga lagoon, which can only be entered during a three hour time window with high tide in the middle. Just to the south is another anchorage called the Blue Lagoon, an anchorage that's a little less friendly to sailors than Hunga because at high tide a fair swell runs through the anchorage but a visit no less essential to the itinerary of the visiting yachties.

WEATHER:
The northern-most group of the Tongan islands, the Vava’u archipelago is blessed with a near-perfect climate for year-round sailing. Its latitude is a little over 18 degrees south and given that there is no landmass in the vicinity the climate is truly maritime. The prevailing wind is the southeasterly trade, which blows at 10 - 20 knots most of the time between May and October. There are occasional northwest winds that normally shift to the south within 12 hours. From December to March, the prevailing wind is NW - 13-18kts. Vava’u provides a satisfactory forecasting service and good protection.
During the southern hemisphere winter the average maximum temperature is in the order of 28 degrees C and the relative humidity is in the 70 - 80% range. The water temperature is only a little less than the air temperature.

NAVIGATION:
The buoyage system is international zone A, i.e. red on the left as you enter a pass from the ocean. Otherwise stick to the blue water and don’t take too much notice of your depth sounder because if you are approaching a coral head you’ll hit it before it registers on your sounder.

There are lead markers on all of the major passes into the lagoons from the ocean. If you can’t see the leads go back to the open sea and try again.

Line of sight navigation on the open sea is the norm but normal navigation procedures are necessary in case of a squall when visibility can be dramatically reduced.

GPS is NOT ACCURATE, therefore you cannot depend on your boats position on an electronic charting system either. The area was last surveyed a very long time ago, so the GPS puts you about 1 mile out (and probably on a rock). Line of sight and charts are the recommended navigation methods.

CRUISING GUIDE:
The Cruising Guide to Tonga is the most popular and recommended guide to the area, from The Moorings. Ask at your local marine book shop, consult Boat Books or Landfall Navigation to order it online

WHALE WATCHING:
The humpbacked whale is a delight to watch, but please observe a few rules. If you are approaching a whale on your yacht and there are already whale watching vessels in the location, YOU MUST STAY AT LEAST 300 METRES AWAY FROM THE WHALE AND OTHER VESSELS. If you find your yacht around a whale or a pod, then you can be within 100m of the group as long as there are no other vessels in the area. Don’t chase the whales and don’t crowd them, just sit back, relax, get your camera out and enjoy the display.



ON SHORE:
The centre of yachting activity in the Vava'u group is Neiafu, a tumbledown collection of corrugated iron roofed houses dominated by the churches of the many denominations practiced in this very Christian country. A must-do when visiting Tonga is a visit to church on Sunday- the singing will enthrall even the most avid agnostic.

Right on the waterfront there are slipways and a couple of restaurants - the Mermaid being the most notable, but the hub of all activity is The Moorings yacht charter base operated by New Zealander Shane Walker. The fleet of about 20 yachts compliments the global roaming cruising yachts on their trans Pacific migrations to the temperate climes of Australia and New Zealand for the Southern Hemisphere summer.

Every Friday night there is a twilight race around Refuge Harbour, largely to provide the excuse for the post-race celebrations at the Mermaid Restaurant for those who win and equally those who lose. There's at least one American who drawls that he arrived in Tonga fifteen years ago on his way to New Zealand but has not managed to leave yet. At the northern end of Hunga lagoon is Ika Lahi, a tiny game-fishing resort operated by a New Zealand couple. Even the most avid on board chef will find it difficult to resist the temptations of the Ika Lahi kitchen. The resort itself has been tastefully rebuilt after its destruction during the 1999 cyclone that knocked over the huge Banyan tree that has since successfully regenerated. The Blue Lagoon Restaurant overlooks the anchorage of the same name and its proprietor, a misplaced German called Friedel, is iconic in this part of the world. His credentials could put him in just about any restaurant in the world but Friedel's world these days makes a big deal out of the trip to Neiafu, let alone Tongatapu or Sydn