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Tonga is so far off the beaten path, it takes a leap of faith to get there. This couple cast off on a 41-footer—and discovered boating heaven.
By Heather Freckmann — Spring
2004
It was my first adventure on the first day of a weeklong bareboat charter in Tonga, and I was on the verge of aborting the mission.
My fiance and I had taken a leap of faith and traveled to the other side of the world—to the last true kingdom in the vast South Pacific—in search of new cruising experiences. We’d cast off our 41-footer’s docklines in Neiafu and were just getting under way in the Port of Refuge when I mentioned to our skipper, Raymond, that I’d read about an intriguing snorkeling spot nearby. His face lit up as he answered, “You haven’t really been to Tonga if you haven’t seen Mariner’s Cave.”
In what seemed like just a few moments later, Raymond was calling to me from the cockpit: “Go ahead, it’s easy!” I swam closer to shore and peered through the clear water toward an oval-shape black hole several feet below.
Then I stopped, turned back, and hollered, “You come do it if it’s so easy!”
“I’ve done it before,” he replied, eyes twinkling. “Trust me.”
Trust. That’s what it takes to get to an exotic destination like Tonga—a leap of faith that it will be worth the money, the effort, the precious boating vacation time. Little did I know that my Mariner’s Cave adventure would end up being not just about trust between me and my local skipper, but one of many experiences that pumped up my adrenaline and my belief that Tonga is a fantastic cruising ground.
Just like the black hole lurking beneath me at that moment, the country seems so exotic that it’s a bit scary at first. Yet when you take the plunge, you discover its accessibility—and its magic.
ACROSS THE WORLD
Tonga lies east of Australia and north of New Zealand, in the span of islands that includes Fiji and the Samoas—sort of the South Pacific’s version of the Caribbean. The only Pacific nation never colonized by a European power, Tonga was dubbed the Friendly Islands by Capt. James Cook in 1777. It comprises 176 volcanic and coral islands scattered across more than 400,000 square miles of ocean and divided into four groups: Tongatapu, Ha’apai, Vava’u and Niuas.
The Vava’u group, with its verdant landscapes, secluded anchorages, comfortable climate, and spectacular beaches and reefs, is a cruising boater’s paradise. It’s a lot like the Bahamas, with stunning hues of blue cascading across the many reefs and shallows. We chartered a bareboat with a skipper to keep us off the hard—and because we knew his local knowledge would be our keys to the kingdom during the short time we had.
>> Next page >> Part 2: I gazed at the many blues of the sea: turquoise, teal, cobalt. It was like climbing inside an Impressionist painting. Page
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