The main reason we came to Tonga this time around was to haul out and give Exodus a fresh bottom painting. A new boatyard had opened up, and I think it will end up being a very popular place for people to leave their boats on the hard during cyclone season. The yard has a great protected location just to the NW of the main town of Neiafu. You can see the location of the ramp and the yard on the satellite image below.
So far in our journey, we had hauled out twice: once via a sled on rails (La Paz, Mexico) and once via a travel lift (La Cruz, Mexico). This time we tried yet a third way: on a sled pulled by a tractor. We went in on a Monday morning at slack tide, hoping to be back in the water by Friday afternoon, so it was off to the races. We had the power wash, sanding, and props removed in no time flat.
Approach the sled at the boatyard
Up and out of the water.
With the lift points being on the undercarriage, Tim took extreme care to make sure everything was done perfectly. I never worry about these sorts of things, because he always has everything under control. So, it was a bit disturbing that as we were being lifted out of the water, he had the boys get down in the salon and instructed them to yell out if they heard any cracking!
Exodus being deposited for her short rest in the boatyard
Not a bad view for a boatyard!
Even better at sunset
Being in a boatyard is always fun, and by fun, I mean painfully rushed and tiring, because it’s a mad dash to finish all the tasks that have to be done while you’re out of the water. And then there’s the fact that you have access to unlimited fresh water, so that means there’s another long list of cleaning jobs that you also need to rush to complete. So, while he and the boys cleaned and buffed the hulls, I was cleaning moldy corners in the cabins, flushing out bilges, and washing every blanket, sheet, and piece of clothing on board.
As usual, Tim made friends with the Tongan guy who worked in the yard and helped up with Exodus. His name was Pila, and he and Tim had some long conversations while they worked, mostly about the U.S. Pila wanted to go to the U.S. to work because he knows that wages are so much higher there, but Tim kept trying to tell him that it was much better there in Tonga. Meanwhile, the boys were working their butts off, and Brenden told me today he would much rather have been doing school. It was a good opportunity for me to tell him to get good grades and go to college so he can get a desk job, so he never had to work so hard, but he responded by telling me he’s only going to work long enough to go live on an island somewhere where he can spear fish every day.
We were rushing to get out of the yard by Friday, and Tim was killing himself. So, I suggested we just stay for the weekend, and once we let that sink in, we were able to relax just a bit. It took the pressure off a bit and Tim used the free time to go to Pila’s to help him fix some electrical issues in his house.
The boys worked hard in the boatyard…
But there was always time for a puppy break
Before and after propspeed
We went back in the water on Monday afternoon, 20 May. We made it out to anchorage #6 to decompress, check weather, and stage for our imminent departure to Fiji. Anchorage #6 is not very well protected at all, but the conditions were calm, and it was a good place to be for our final night in Tonga. The weather forecast was holding, and we had a window to leave for Fiji the next morning.
Gresham Family Exodus 