The Kingdom of Tonga: Season Two
"Fofola e fala kae talanoa e kāinga" --a Tongan proverb literally meaning "Lay out the mat so the family can chat," an expression of communal wellbeing, cooperation, and understanding. Malo e lei lei family and friends, We finished the last post at The Boatyard Vava'u in November 2024, after our rudder forced us to turn around from Ha'apai. Once we completed the lengthy to-do list to prepare the boat for an extended stay in the tropics, we returned to the States the long way. Vava'u to Nadi (Fiji) to Los Angeles to Seattle took about 32 hours(!) with layovers. I suppose it's all relative though. After all, sailing to Vava'u from Seattle took over three years! Being a passenger on an airplane is easy: no night watches to keep, no weather forecasts to check, no reefs to navigate. The plane just goes! Getting Back to De Novo Our return flights were more complicated. We came back in March, before flights from Nadi to Vava'u commenced for t...