[password] TwinkY6433
[position] 19 50.927S 174 25.019W
[weather] SSE 11 knots, 1017 baro
[speed] Anchored off Uoleva Island, Ha?apai, Tonga.
[heading]
[status] We started the day a bit slowly, and then had breakfast on ?Oyster Reach?. She is a lovely NZ built 54ft Oyster built in 2009. The owners are a lovely American couple who have crewed on yachts (65+ ft) for decades, but have now managed to buy their own, and still pinch themselves that they own a such a lovely boat in the South Pacific. They gave us lots of tips about crewing on 60-70ft yachts as an option for employment when we get back from Site Office. We gave them lots of tips for the southern Lau group and the Yawasa?s in Fiji, and they gave us lots of information for cruising the Med, Caribbean, and French Polynesia. Ian seemed to enjoy our homebrew but we?ll see how his head was in the morning. His stories of meeting Bankie Banks, and a little known (at the time) guy by the name of Jimmy Buffet when in the Caribbean in the 70s (Jimmy?s tender was stolen and Ian ran him out to his boat before Jimmy?s cargo of ice melted, and got a special invite to a concert for his troubles)l. This is what cruising is all about :).

On the down side there?s a bit of a blow coming, so we are thinking of going to Vava?u tomorrow midnight so that we have shelter. It?s not due to ease until tues/weds, but we need to get to Neiafu by the 3rd to extend our visas (because the 4th is a public holiday and we arrived on the 5th of last month, so need to avoid being overstayers. ). All because the Tongan?s didn?t get their sh*t together to give us extensions until after we left Nuka?alofa by which time it was too late! That?s bureaucracy for you!

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