2 September 2010
We sailed north from Tongatapu at 6.30am and were amazed by how many whales we saw and how playful they are.
Kelefesia Island was our first Ha’apai anchorage. This island is a perfect stopover anchorage between Ha’apai and Tongatapu. It cuts the trip to a day sail of 35 nmiles and we anchored at 2pm at what the locals call “The Rock of Gibraltar”. It has dramatic colourful sandstone cliffs and a nearly attached sand cay off the northern point of the beach. On the other side of the island there is an abandoned fish camp.
The anchorage is well protected and the bottom sand and coral combo make excellent holding. The entrance was narrower than expected and the bay was quite small when two 53 ft yachts are anchored.
“Asolare” was anchored when we arrived and we met Peter and Mary on the beach. Conditions were quite rolly so they swam ashore rather than launching their dinghy. The surf was ideal however, for those looking for a decent wave.
The island is inhabited by and the island resident who asked whether we had flour and sugar to spare. He asked “Asolare” for tobacco and alcohol. Ross tells me that “ Asolare” means doing nothing in particular but doing it stylishly and in the sun.
No comments:
Post a Comment