The final passage of 2007 - Tonga to Fiji

It was a strange feeling setting off after a month of pleasant day sails. I was apprehensive of the trip to Fiji after reports of bad sea conditions from friends who had gone before us. Bobby & I were keen to ensure the final journey of 2007 left us with good memories & that love for the ocean would return after our recent bumpy passages. We were in no rush to set off & willing to wait for a good weather window, despite my itchy feet to get moving. Tonga does that to you. It’s the place where after 9 months of sailing similar paths in the South Pacific to our fellow cruisers we all begin to separate, heading off in different directions & at different timelines. The sound of air horns & ship bells being rung in mooring field was constant as boats bade farewell to friends setting off on their passages to NZ & OZ.

We said our goodbyes on the 11th Oct & headed out of Vava’u’s comfortable calm waters & into the ocean. Thankfully it has been a wonderful 4 days at sea. The weather has been warm & sunny, with no need for the thermals & foul weather gear that I had laid out ready for use in the v berth! Light winds have resulted in more engine use than usual but it has also meant a flat calm ocean – I had almost forgotten what it looked like! The sound of the engine makes Bobby anxious so he attempts to sail even in the lightest winds but the sound of the sails slapping as the wind drops makes me anxious. Needless to say the sails get reefed in on my watches to minimise the slapping & as Bobby takes over for his watch they get let out again!!

I spend my night watches staring up at the stars & Milky Way, watching brightly burning planets appearing on the horizon (we have both mistaken them for other boats!) & then rising high into the night sky, the reflection of the moon on the lake like sea & luminescent particles glowing as Barraveigh gently ploughs through the ocean. My final night watch finishes as the sun begins to rise, a new day silently beginning as the darkness gives way to the warm rays. I attempt to absorb every detail to memory, never wanting to forget how peaceful & beautiful it can be out here at sea. I wish I was able to identify more star formations & planets but I keep myself entertained inventing my own - there is the handbag, the starfish, the martini glass, the 3 sisters, the shopping trolley & the kite which I believe is the Southern Cross! ; )

We have ended our failure to catch any fish in the South Pacific, thanks to the lucky lure purchased in Tahiti. The lure, which had been lost months ago, only to find Bobby had put it in one of his “safe”, never to be found again, places! It hooked us a 4 foot Mahimahi, a beautiful aqua marine blue, so beautiful I had trouble putting the gaff (a sharp metal hook) into her gills to pull her onboard for Bobby to kill & filet. It’s just been too long since we caught a fish & I’ve become a softie, which didn’t go down well with the Captain, who pulled her in on his own! Once onboard she quickly lost her blue colouring & turned various shades of green (I hope she wasn’t seasick!). I hate to admit it but dinner was gorgeous!!

It has been a fun passage & one that will be hard to beat, we have eaten well (mainly due to the fish & the fact the fridge has stopped working so we are attempting to eat everything rather than throw it over board!), played games (Bobby refuses to play cards as I continually beat him, Yahtzee is still allowed as he remains the champion!!), spent each afternoon watching the sunset from Barraveigh’s bow & don’t tell anyone but we treated ourselves to a cold beer/G&T each eve when the fridge worked!, watched movies in the cockpit under the stars (thanks to Gil & Fiona for the new DVD’s) & laughed as we throw buckets of cold sea water over each other to bathe & cool down.

I’m delighted that the final leg of 2007 has been an enjoyable, relaxing time. 5 hours of it remain so I’m off to make the most of them!