Ha’ano Island to Ovalau Island
We had an early start and departed our quiet anchorage at Ha’ano Island at 0630 as we were sailing the 68 nautical mile leg from the Lifuka Group of islands to the Vava’u Group in the north of the Kingdom of Tonga. Winds of 20 to 30 knots from the North East made for fast sailing however the ocean swells and frequent rain squalls also ensured a bumpy wet ride so all snacks needed to be served in zipped plastic bags on deck. We had the pleasure of seeing a couple of complete rainbows with both ends diving into the lumpy 4 metre swells.
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| A rainbow over the large swells |
We passed within 50 metres of a sleeping whale which was floating on the surface and poking its head up occasionally to breathe.
It was very enjoyable to sail into the sheltered waters of the Vava’u Group and anchor near Ovalau Island in a horseshoe shaped lagoon area to the west of the beautiful island. Warm showers were then greatly appreciated.
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| A calm island anchorage |
Ovalau Island to Pangaimotu Island
After a peaceful night and a relaxed morning catching up on little jobs on Salacia and exploring the coral reef near the island, we travelled in the sheltered waters between numerous beautiful islands in this group to a new anchorage at Pangaimotu Island further north. Our anchorage was in an isolated secure area of the island however the next cove was a little like a yacht park with about 12 boats anchored together in the same area. This area of the island had excellent snorkelling with lots of brightly coloured fish and numerous blue starfish resting on the coral and sand in the clear blue water.
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| Sunrise from our anchorage at Pangaimotu island |
This anchorage is surrounded and protected by numerous islands hence the area is a cruiser’s dream as many safe areas are suitable for differing wind conditions.
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| Numerous islands available for anchorages |
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