Pacific Odyssey - Leg 3

It´s been a quieter day again.  We arrived in Neiafu, in the Vava´u Group at 1500hrs.  The weather was cloudy when we awoke, and cooler.  Many of us were wearing light sweaters today and raincoats in the evening.  It was nice to have a break from the heat, we´re hoping it´s a bit drier tomorrow.  Skipper cleared with Immigration and then we could go ashore.  The Immigration Official was very business-like initially.  Once he found out that we were a Christian crewed, Sail Training Organization, sailing with students aboard, he began to warm up. When Tony mentioned we were hoping to leave on Sunday, after going to church, we had won him over.  Tonga is, on the surface at least, a very religious country, and a letter from the Chief of Police is needed to leave on a Sunday.  We were given permission by the Immigration Officer to leave Sunday, after church.  The town looks somewhat rundown and unkempt.  We´re hoping to visit another island where there is no village, but a sandy beach, where we can play on the beach and snorkel.  The Vava´i group is apparently a yacht haven in this part of the Pacific.  Jacob said he counted 70 boats at anchor, mostly sailboats, and flying flags from many different countries.  There are more sailboats here than we have encountered all together during the past 4 months.  Many of the trainees have gone to the yacht club to have a drink and chat with the yachters about their adventures.  Last night was a calmer night.  The wind died down quite a bit and we continued motoring, leaving the trysail, fore and jumbo up to stabilize the motion.  We slept well.  There were just a handful of people on the Grace for supper; Katie made pilaf and creole stew, very good.  Jaimie and Robyn made peanut butter and chocolate rice krispie squares.  Jaimie has had a craving for them for several weeks, and we´re all grateful that it got the best of her and we were all able to benefit.  This evening before supper, Karen, Jose and myself started playing Slap SCRABBLE with a passion, a game started on the last offshore, but not often played yet on this voyage.  Nothing could divert us from our game, concentration was focused.  When the supper whistle went, we needed to be called twice by Skipper, before we reluctantly emerged from the aftcabin mid-game.  After the dishes, SCRABBLE resumed with Tavish and Katie joining in.  Most of the trainees have left the boat to have a look around as we are not staying here very long.  This is all I have to say for tonight; it´s comforting in a way to hear the rain on the deck and live with cooler temperatures.  It feels like we may not be as far from home as we are.  Until tomorrow, good night, Bonice.