What does Trafficated mean?

Kjell O. Stave

Nesting in Tonga.

     Nesting?:    I like it here. Tonga has been great to me and I have decided to stay indefinitely. Normally when arriving in a new place I run to the top of the mountain and scooter around the island, all in one day. Maximum stay for a 'normal' place is 3 weeks. I have stayed in Neiafu for 6 weeks and still not been to the mountain!    

Phil's Work..

      If I was normal I would have changed the spreaders on the boat a long, long time ago. One was almost rotten through and I have sailed with tripled reefed mainsail the last two crossings because of this. A failure of a spreader in moderately bad conditions would surly result in a broken mast, yet I have been waiting and waiting before finally changing them. I like to think that things work out for good people and that some day I would meet someone who could fix them in a heartbeat and that's when I met Phil. Phil is a cabinet maker of trade and planed down a 2x6 into a brand new spreader for me By hand. It took him 'forever' but as he said "I felt like doing it the old way?" And that's how Phil is, good as gold...   

Polish Delight?

     From apparently out of Nowhere two Polish boats showed up one day with 4 polish girls? They were in some sort of rally sponsored by the man who built the boats they were sailing. Two lovely 28 footer's equipped for hard core sailing but with a ton of food. Since Australia take all food containing meat they decided to take the opportunity to get rid of everything they had and restock. I got the honor of picking up 8 Garbage bags of food and distribute amongst the 'poor sailors'.  On the picture you can see 5 of the 8 bags of food.

Chinese and other 'locals'.

     Funny how the Chinese are everywhere isn't it?  Well i for one like it! They are bringing me all the cheap stuff that i love and hate. I Love Noodles and cheap movies and Hate bad noodles and broken movies, hehe.

     The Tongans are great. I have not yet gotten to know too many personally but 'whatever', I like them. They dress really cool with some sort of mat around their waists and always in black. The black in normally because if someone in your family dies you have to wear black for a year. Since the family's here are pretty large you can easily end up wearing black clothes forever. The solution is umbrella?, if it is too hot outside they bring an umbrella to get a little protection from the sun. This is a little wired for me but it kind of make sense doesn't it? 'why lube up with all kind's of expensive creams for sun protection when all you have to do is bring shade with you??.

The Palangies?.

     The other locals?, I am not the only one enchanted by Tonga and the Tongans.  Ben and Lisa from California sailed in two years ago and got stuck. They are now running the Aquarium internet cafe.  (me standing on their safe dock-> ) The same did the lady in the t-shirt shop and many others. There are so many 'palangies' or white people here that they form 'groups' and small clubs. Being a sailor I first got in touch with the bar and yacht club's palangi-gang. Hanging out in a yacht club and bar is not always the brightest idea but it is all good. Great people and great fun.

The last picture is Phil and Paula dancing. There was a food fare with live music one day and they decided to liven it up a little with some good swing music. Great dancing it was.

* Paul is in New Zealand to have a look around before deciding if he wants to sail there or not. He will be back soon...

Kjell O. Stave

Phil's Work

Polish delight and local beauty...

Chinese and other locals

Clothes and fruit market

Aquarium internet and Amanda

Palangies, drinking and dancing