Posts in category Tonga

Fixed the Heat Exchanger with Bamboo ...

August 9, 2015 Written by El Capitán
Fixed the Heat Exchanger with Bamboo Chopsticks – Fiji Here We Come!
Yesterday I pulled apart the heat exchanger, filled the fresh water coolant side with water and found that 7 of the 19 copper tubes were leaking on one of the passes. I was considering using JB Weld to plug the holes on both sides but asked Alyssa if we had any wood dowels that would fit the tubes. She looked around the galley and handed me a [...]
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Kicked in the Head by the Tail of a H...

August 7, 2015 Written by Mermaid
Kicked in the Head by the Tail of a Humpback Whale!!!
You read the title correctly, I was almost knocked unconscious by the tail of an enormous wild humpback whale while swimming with a pod yesterday. It was scary, enthralling and disorienting at the same time. I am writing this with a huge bump/egg on the port side of my skull. I seem to be fine and waking up this morning was a success. So now [...]
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VIDEO – Sailing the Flat Waters...

August 7, 2015 Written by Mermaid
VIDEO – Sailing the Flat Waters of Vava’u with the Mermaid at the Helm
By the way – it took three long days to upload this video over the super slow Tonga pig telecom internet connection. Hope you enjoy! Share this:EmailShare on TumblrPrintMorePocket
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Vava’u, Tonga – The weeke...

August 5, 2015 Written by El Capitán
Vava’u, Tonga – The weekend in Tapana and Finding Aisea Beach
We spent the weekend tucked in a protected bay in the lee of Tapana Island. The first two nights we anchored and the next three we spent on a mooring ball off the Ark Gallery. The Ark is a floating house boat that a lovely American couple built. Larry and Sherry are friendly and welcoming and we enjoyed visiting with them aboard the Ark and a [...]
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Pictures from Tonga!

August 1, 2015 Written by El Capitán
Pictures from Tonga!
Cruising the flat waters of Vava’u Happy Mermaid at Nuku Island Sunset at Nuku An ecstatic gorgeous Mermaid upon arrival at Avalau. As seen through Maui Jims… Tropical postcard view out the port of Avalau Off to the beach for some nerf football Sailing porn…. Share this:EmailShare on TumblrPrintMorePocket
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Kicking Back at Avalau Island

July 29, 2015 Written by El Capitán
Kicking Back at Avalau Island
We have spent the last three nights anchored in the lee of a gorgeous uninhabited island named Avalau. The anchor is set in 30 feet of turquoise water just off an extensive barrier reef. The island is fronted by a long stretch of very fine powdery white sand. The protection from the trades is adequate but the wind waves wrap around the island [...]
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Anchored off Beautiful Nuku Island, V...

July 27, 2015 Written by El Capitán
Anchored off Beautiful Nuku Island, Vava’u, Tonga
Malo e lelei ki he pongipongi ni, [good morning in Tongan] Monday morning finds us at anchor in the lee of a steep, volcanic, lush, palm-studded high island named Nuku. Ellie is lying peacefully to her anchor in crystal clear turquoise water. I awoke to find Alyssa in the cockpit reading peacefully with a smile across her face. What an absolu [...]
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Vava’u, Tonga

July 23, 2015 Written by El Capitán
Vava’u, Tonga
I need to catch everyone up on the last few days, so allow me to back up. After that wonderful sail, we made landfall in Vava’u in the early morning. It was raining hard with limited visibility. We had the engine on and were short-tacking into Vava’u. We had to alter course more than a few times for fishing vessels and humpback wh [...]
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