September 20-23, 2014
Logbook – September 20, 2014 (Nuku to Lua’ofa to Lape Island)
Passage Log Highlights
- 0940 Engines on, depart Nuku
- 1004 Arrive Lua’ofa
- 1053 Engines on
- 1057 Depart Lua’ofa
- 1130 Arrive Lape Island – Mooring
Daily Notes
- No anchor waypoint at Lua’ofa
- Mooring ball at Lape Island
- Tongan feast & cultural tour
Email to family and friends dated September 20, 2014
Subject: Exodus – Lape Island Togan Feast
We attended another Tongan feast yesterday evening, and this one couldn’t have been more different than the previous one. It was on the small island of Lape in a village of only 27 people (5 families, a teacher, and a minister). They put on these feasts in order to raise money for village projects, like a new wharf, which is complete, and sanitation, or a public restroom, which is also complete, they just need it to rain in order to have water to use it. They greeted us at the wharf with leis, gave us a tour of their village, gave us a demonstration of tapas making and coconut husking, and Brenden was the first to volunteer to try it, of course. There was a little girl who spotted the grandparents immediately and had my dad and Karen holding each of her hands while she jumped and they lifted her off the ground. She was adorable. The dinner, while superior to the previous feast, still wasn’t exactly our cup of tea, but we didn’t leave hungry. The only thing it was missing was the Tongan music, but that didn’t stop all the cruisers from hanging out and having a good time anyway. Today is supposed to be light winds, so maybe we will snorkel the coral gardens again.
Love and miss you all,
-D.
Logbook – September 21, 2014 (Lape Island to Anchorage #40)
Passage Log Highlights
- 1208 Engines on, depart Lape Island
- 1255 Arrive Anchorage #40
Daily Notes
- T/B spearfish
- D/Dad/Karen – snorkel then walk the island. D saw first lion fish & moray eel
- Drinks w/ Novae on Exodus
Logbook – September 22, 2014 (Anchorage #40 to Ovaka to Hunga)
Passage Log Highlights
- 1406 Engines on
- 1413 Depart #40
- Snorkel @ Ovaka (didn’t anchor)
- 1623 Arrive Hunga
Daily Notes
- Whales! Bouncy dinhgy ride
- Frappes and biscotti on Novae (Novae’s guests = John & Rosemary from Toronto)
- Snorkeling at Ovaka – amazing coral
Email to family and friends dated September 22, 2014
Subject: Exodus – Whales, finally
We spent night before last out at Avalau island (anchorage #40), and we all agreed it was the most beautiful spot so far. The water was shallow with turquoise water for about 2km to the south where it met a reef with crashing waves. Best of all we heard whales in the night, and in the morning Karen asked me if it was real or she was dreaming. You see, they’ve been here almost two weeks and the only sign of whales we’ve had are the whale watching boats zipping around everywhere. Then yesterday, as we were getting ready for lunch we spotted spouts and dorsals well off our stern, so Tim took dad and Karen on a rather bouncy dinghy ride out to see them. They didn’t get too close a look, since they got shoed off by a tour boat, but at least they saw whales, finally. After lunch we went to a cove on the island of Ovaka for snorkeling, and it was amazing, definitely giving the coral gardens a run for its money. And we didn’t even have to swim over a shallow reef to get there! However, it wasn’t practical to anchor Exodus there, so since Tim had snorkeled there the day before he volunteered to drop us off and babysit a drifting Exodus. We ended yesterday anchored in the Hunga lagoon, but we’ll need to head to town later today, since, sadly, Dad and Karen leave tomorrow morning.
Love and miss you all,
-D.
Logbook – September 23, 2014 (Hunga to Neiafu)
Passage Log Highlights
- Depart Hunga
- 1240 Arrive Neiafu mooring #2
Daily Notes
- Whale sighting – breaching & flukes
- Lunch @ Mango
- Dinner @ Bella Vista (awesome pizza)
- Pool & drinks @ Marine Wine Bar
Gresham Family Exodus 