Monday, November 14

November 5th – John is leaving the boat today to be off on his next adventure. He helped with all the hard work of getting INTENTION ready for departure. He seemed like a permanent crew and I certainly will miss him our friendship and our many wonderful conversations together. The airline is not too reliable. It is run by the King’s son and John was worried about making his the plane connection from Neaifu to an international airport for his flight from Fiji. So He actually did make it all the way to Fiji as he had planned.
November 6th – So both of my crew left within a week of each other. I posted signs and put it out on the VHF morning cruiser’s net about needing crew to Fiji. Took some locals out for a day sail and a swim at anchorage #7 and met some friends there on their boat SYLVESTER.

November 8th – Took to the boat and interviewed two Tongan guys, CI and Celino nicknamed Lino, as crew. CI is a musician at the local Cruiser’s bar & restaurant, the Mermaid, and speaks good English. Lino is younger, a big rugby player & security guard at the Mermaid, has family in Fiji, and understands but does not speak English well.

November 9th – We all met and checked out the boat the two Tongans and another prospective crew, a Fijian lady. She seemed very nice and quite flexible and we all thought she would be a great addition to the crew. Her problem was getting her Passport sent from the capitol of Tonga, Nukualofa. Friday, when it came time to check out she hadn’t received it and will need to fly there to get it. We were sorry to have lost a good
crew member to paperwork.

November 11th – Checked out of Tonga. Teaching my new crew how to sail while traveling to Anchorage #9. We had a swim and BBQ on the Beach. They are learning quickly and are very willing and fun. They have been showing me how to do things the Tongan way. For instance, opening a green coconut by smashing and splitting it against a rock to drink and eat its delicious insides. Or BBQing on the beach by using a green
branch with the bark pealed off as a spit to hold the meat over the fire. I was disappointed they used matches to start the beach fire and didn’t use the old Tongan method of wood friction with bow and sticks or my dad’s old method by rubbing two Boy Scouts together. HA HA!

NOvember 12th – My month in Tonga started out with a great exploration of the Anchorages with cruising friends. I have recently gained a greater understanding of the culture & people by a making friends with lots of locals. Tonga has become a place of caring and loving relationships even to the extent that I could see the locals were taking
care of me in very special ways. I can see myself easily visiting this place again.

November 13th – After saying goodbye to all our many friends we made an afternoon departure from Neaifu. On this Fiji crossing I will also be learning to eat lots of taro, breadfruit, bananas, boiled mutton and beef they cooked aboard before leaving. Crew was talking and kidding around with their friends at the Mermaid Bar on the VHF for hours in Tongan until finally we moved out of radio range. We started three hour watches for the three of us during the the evening and night sailing. The winds are a little abaft the beam and are blowing an easy 10 Kts. INTENTION is moving through the water easily at five and a half to six knots.

November 14th – Lat. 18 deg. 21.24 minuets Long. 175deg. 58.05 minuets @ 0:00GMT 115 NM from Neaifu. Lino does not feel so good. Winds and boat speed about the same.