11 June - Ode to Rocky

1600 position 18-39S 173-59W. At anchor in Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga

Rocky departed this afternoon. It was hard to see him go. We had been
through a lot together, and he was a great shipmate and companion. He was
originally scheduled to fly to Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga in the
southern Tongatapu group, this morning but his flight was cancelled late
yesterday afternoon. Good thing he didn't have a connection to make in
Nuku'alofa! He is planning to spend a few days exploring Tongatapu before
flying to New Zealand and hooking up with his cousin who lives there for
some more adventuring. He is returning to Honolulu on June 22. Look for
him after that in the KYC bar, buy him a drink, and don't forget to
compliment him on his haircut!

Rocky fit in very well in Neiafu. He was on a first name basis with all
of the business owners here. The owner of the Bounty Bar gave him some
fresh sashimi, and the Moorings Base Manager gave him a ride to the
airport. Good things happen to good people. He has arranged for many of
the locals to come for a visit in Hawaii.

I'm disappointed to say that after a brief comeback on my part, Rocky
stretched his lead and easily won the Moku pe'a 2014 South Pacific
Adventure First Leg Championship Cribbage Tournament. He has taught me a
few tricks though and I am looking forward to the tournaments for the
other two legs of this cruise.

The day after getting our head stay and roller furler back together we
headed out in twenty five knots of wind for a shake down. Double reefed
main and jib made it comfortable sailing. I've got to do a bit more rig
tuning, but the boat performed flawlessly and we ended up anchored for the
night in the lee of a bluff off Falevai Tahi Village on Kapa Island.
There was a lot of wind wrap though so it was pretty uncomfortable
sleeping, but the wind generator got the batteries all charged up! The
next morning we went for a hike ashore. We walked nearly all the way to
Port Maurelle, which is on the same island. We sailed back to Neiafu
early in the afternoon so Rocky could catch the second NBA finals game
live in the Bounty Bar.

On Rocky's last day in town we rented a car to explore the island of
Vava'u. We tried to get lost, but the island wasn't that big. We took a
tour of a vanilla farm, drove past a local funeral in progress (they are
day long events), and probed every corner of the island. I don't think I
will ever complain about the pot holes on Oahu again. This place is pot
hole central with constant swerving and braking to avoid them. Add
driving on the wrong side of the road for a little extra stress. After
our drive two words come to mind in describing Vava'u - "pigs" and
"churches". I have never seen so many of both. We easily saw more pigs
than people, and they were all wandering loose, crossing the road, feeding
on the reef at low tide, grazing in people's yards. Big pigs, little
pigs, black pigs, white pigs, spotted pigs, they were everywhere. We also
saw more churches per capita than I've ever seen. There was one every
block around the whole island, and they were all immaculate while the
houses of the people were falling apart. It is easy to see where all of
the money goes. It reminds me of the stories of medieval England where
magnificent churches were surrounded by a starving population.

Tonight Lori and I are rowing about 250 feet directly ashore to a Tongan
feast at the Beach House Restaurant. Tomorrow we will head out and begin
the "Lori and Noodle Relaxation Cruise" portion of this summer's
adventure, seven weeks of play among the sixty islands in the Vava'u
Group.