Well, two important things happened yesterday – we left Vava'u, and it went on the list of places I don't want to go back to.
Getting anything done was next to impossible. Even shopping was a struggle. One shop would sell garden forks, tomatoes, tin openers and pasta. The next had washing machines, tinned tuna, bacon and hoodies. The next would have bread, random car parts, noodles and size 6 boots.
Since I needed to get some engine work done and didn't have a dinghy, getting to and from the boat was tricky. I found someone who was willing to rent me some dock space for a few days as he didn't have a boat on it. He came up with a daily rate of AU$900 a night. So that didnt happen.
I managed to hitchhike a few times with people in dinghies, someone lent me what I called a 'wet bum' kayak for three days, and someone else eventually lent me a rowing dinghy. So somehow I managed to get around and get the things done that needed doing.
We had the engine parts we neededshipped to the new crew, who booked flights and flew in straight away but had to transit Fiji. When they departed Fiji for Vava'u. The plane was only 75% full, but buying flights had been like finding hens' teeth, and one of them had to fly business because economy wasn't available despite plenty of empty seats.
Then, just before departure, they were told half the luggage was being unloaded from the flight to save weight which was strange as the flight was only 75% full.
Luckily, it wasn't the luggage with the parts in, but it did mean one crew member didn't have his luggage. So while we got things up and running on board, he spent literally hours on the phone calling the airlines etc., who said, "Don't worry, it will come soon."
Of course, that wasn't good enough, and he entered 'bulldog mode' and phoned everyone he could find, from car park attendants whose auntie was a friend of the luggage handler's mother, the travel agent who booked the flight in NZ, and everyone in between.
Finally, we were told the luggage would arrive at 1pm, 3pm, 4.30pm and 6pm, and that it was in Nuku'alofa, Fiji, and already at the airport in Vava'u. Only Fiji Airways could release it. It had already been released. A taxi driver had it and we needed to go and collect it.
Anyway, we did eventually get the luggage!
Then there was the ATM.
One day I had to go to the ATM and I pushed my card into the slot. The familiar resistance we feel as the card gets in contact with the rollers was noticeably absent, but by then it was too late as my muscle memory followed through with the action and the card disappeared into the slot.
I was staring at it in horror and mounting dread, as in my country, if the machine eats the card you have to get a new one.
A lady came out of the bank and won the 'state the obvious' award and said, "The ATM is out of order."
Apparently, it was easier to watch people lose their cards and then tell them the machine is out of order rather than putting a sign on it.
So she said I had to go into the bank and report it, which received a second 'state the obvious' award.
In the bank, the machine was away from the wall and not even connected to the panel outside. All the sides were pulled off and a line of people were waiting to get their cards back. She rummaged around and gave me my card and said the machine would be out of order for two days because they had to put it back together.
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| Whose is the blue card with yellow writing? |
By the time I got to the door, they said it was fixed and I could get cash out.
We were at Customs at 8am to clear out, but it was "ladies' day" in Tonga, so they started work late.
After a bit of rushing around, we were finally cleared out with the authorities and pushed off the commercial wharf in the 'city' and heading to sea, which I was exceptionally pleased about. As Tonga faded into the distance, I felt better and better.
We motored for a few hours until a bit of breeze picked up from the south around 4pm, and we sailed until midnight, when the wind came aft and died down and we carried on motoring.
The forecast is looking as though there is going to be 15–20 knots from the south in 24 hours, and we have to get through the reefs to the east of Fiji. So currently, we are getting some south in the bank in case we need to bear away to get through a pass.
I forgot to mention the packs of wild dogs that barked and fought all night and were joined by the roosters at around 4am. I down loaded a 'white noise' app and played static on my phone all night so I can sleep.
The important thing is we are going in the right direction, everything is working as it should, we are getting closer to our destination and all is well onboard.