The Good Old Days in Neiafu 2014 I first sailed into Neiafu, Tonga in 1979 in my 18’ open boat, CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE. I was right behind Eric and Susan Hiscock in their WANDERER IV. I was coming from Pago-Pago and they from Bora-Bora. There was an old wood pier sticking out into the harbor and the Hiscocks tied to the south side where there was deep water. CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE drew only 12” with her centerboard and rudder raised, so I rowed to the shallow north side. The Hiscocks couldn’t understand why I was clearing in from what they assumed had been a daysail. Three Tongan officials walked out the pier. They were big men and together displaced more than CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE’s 800 pounds. They stood looking down uncertainly at me and the little boat. Finally one of them said, “You don’t have any…of course you don’t.” And that was our clearance. When I entered Neiafu on GANNET, my ultra-light Moore 24, in July 2014, the old pier had been replaced by two wharfs, both beyond GANNET size. I was directed to tie up alongside a fishing boat. This time there were four officials. They stood on the deck of the fishing boat peering down uncertainly at me and the little boat. Finally one of them said, “Let’s do this over here.” I sailed to Neiafu twice between1979 and 2014. Neiafu and the surrounding islands of the Vavau Group are among the few places that haven’t changed much during those years, and, even rarer, what changes there have been are for the better. Neiafu Harbor is about a mile and a half long and a half mile wide, almost land locked and very deep. The entrance is narrow and once inside you seem to be on a lake. One of the ways in which the harbor is more pleasant now than in the past is that rental moorings are available for about $8 a night. I’ve anchored here. It is one of the deepest places I’ve ever anchored. 90’ is excessive. Life aboard a sailboat in Neiafu is also much enhanced by several cafes onshore, chief among them The Aquarium Cafe, which doesn’t have an aquarium, but does provide trash disposal and drinking water for small fees, free Internet and reasonably priced food and cold libations. There are several others. I ate tapas at The Basque Tavern, pizza at the Bella Vista, and a world class veggie burger at The Tropicana, which also did my laundry. Eating ashore is desirable because Neiafu has never been a good place to provision and still isn’t. There are perhaps a dozen one-room stores. Some pretentiously named. They are dark and unlit with two or three rows of the worst of canned goods and an abundance of cookies and junk food. The only canned tuna is ‘tuna flakes’ which has to be the detritus left when every other part of the fish has been processed. Mackerel is the only other canned fish available. I didn’t have the nerve to buy either. Nor imitation Spam or Vienna Sausages. Nor canned corned beef. The only nuts available are cans of peanuts roasted in China but called Americana. These are actually rather good. Neiafu is the first place I ever recall where I couldn’t buy raisins—called sultanas in many countries; but unknown by either name in any of the shops. An obvious reason why there is little canned fish or dried fruit is that Tongans eat fresh. In an effort to preserve my supply of trail mix, I went to the open market and bought plantains to put on my oatmeal along with Chinese peanuts. Quite good, but I was pleased to find at one store ‘Cake Fruit Mix’ which does contain sultanas and other dried fruit. Though sugar has been added, it provided variety to the oatmeal. Neiafu has many cringing, depressed dogs, and many happy, snuffling pigs. I often saw pigs in empty lots and yards when I walked into town, generally munching on vegetation or sleeping contentedly. There are some piglets which were cute but elusive. I watched one pig wait on the sidewalk when he heard the sound of an approaching vehicle around a blind curve. When the car passed, the pig looked both ways before trotting briskly across the road. How, I wonder, does a pig learn to associate the sound of a motorized vehicle with danger without being hit? An unexpected treat in Neiafu were daily high temperatures in the low 70ties after experiencing twenty degrees hotter in most of the Tropics. The Tongan people are friendly and have been known to be so for centuries, despite having killed one of Captain Bligh’s men after the BOUNTY mutiny. They are religious. Neiafu, never exactly bustling, is deserted on Sundays. The lovely sound of church choirs singing reaches out over the harbor. Within a few hours’ sailing from Neiafu is one of the great cruising areas of the world, with dozens of quiet and pristine anchorages. The ‘Good Old Days’ of Neiafu are now.

The Good Old Days in Neiafu

2014

I first sailed into Neiafu, Tonga in 1979 in my 18’ open boat, CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE. I was right behind Eric and Susan Hiscock in their WANDERER IV. I was coming from Pago-Pago and they from Bora-Bora. There was an old wood pier sticking out into the harbor and the Hiscocks tied to the south side where there was deep water. CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE drew only 12” with her centerboard and rudder raised, so I rowed to the shallow north side. The Hiscocks couldn’t understand why I was clearing in from what they assumed had been a daysail.

Three Tongan officials walked out the pier. They were big men and together displaced more than CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE’s 800 pounds. They stood looking down uncertainly at me and the little boat. Finally one of them said, “You don’t have any…of course you don’t.” And that was our clearance.

When I entered Neiafu on GANNET, my ultra-light Moore 24, in July 2014, the old pier had been replaced by two wharfs, both beyond GANNET size. I was directed to tie up alongside a fishing boat. This time there were four officials. They stood on the deck of the fishing boat peering down uncertainly at me and the little boat. Finally one of them said, “Let’s do this over here.”

I sailed to Neiafu twice between1979 and 2014. Neiafu and the surrounding islands of the Vavau Group are among the few places that haven’t changed much during those years, and, even rarer, what changes there have been are for the better.

Neiafu Harbor is about a mile and a half long and a half mile wide, almost land locked and very deep. The entrance is narrow and once inside you seem to be on a lake.

One of the ways in which the harbor is more pleasant now than in the past is that rental moorings are available for about $8 a night. I’ve anchored here. It is one of the deepest places I’ve ever anchored. 90’ is excessive.

Life aboard a sailboat in Neiafu is also much enhanced by several cafes onshore, chief among them The Aquarium Cafe, which doesn’t have an aquarium, but does provide trash disposal and drinking water for small fees, free Internet and reasonably priced food and cold libations.

There are several others. I ate tapas at The Basque Tavern, pizza at the Bella Vista, and a world class veggie burger at The Tropicana, which also did my laundry.

Eating ashore is desirable because Neiafu has never been a good place to provision and still isn’t.

There are perhaps a dozen one-room stores. Some pretentiously named. They are dark and unlit with two or three rows of the worst of canned goods and an abundance of cookies and junk food.

The only canned tuna is ‘tuna flakes’ which has to be the detritus left when every other part of the fish has been processed. Mackerel is the only other canned fish available. I didn’t have the nerve to buy either. Nor imitation Spam or Vienna Sausages. Nor canned corned beef.

The only nuts available are cans of peanuts roasted in China but called Americana. These are actually rather good.

Neiafu is the first place I ever recall where I couldn’t buy raisins—called sultanas in many countries; but unknown by either name in any of the shops.

An obvious reason why there is little canned fish or dried fruit is that Tongans eat fresh.

In an effort to preserve my supply of trail mix, I went to the open market and bought plantains to put on my oatmeal along with Chinese peanuts. Quite good, but I was pleased to find at one store ‘Cake Fruit Mix’ which does contain sultanas and other dried fruit. Though sugar has been added, it provided variety to the oatmeal.

Neiafu has many cringing, depressed dogs, and many happy, snuffling pigs.

I often saw pigs in empty lots and yards when I walked into town, generally munching on vegetation or sleeping contentedly. There are some piglets which were cute but elusive.

I watched one pig wait on the sidewalk when he heard the sound of an approaching vehicle around a blind curve. When the car passed, the pig looked both ways before trotting briskly across the road. How, I wonder, does a pig learn to associate the sound of a motorized vehicle with danger without being hit?

An unexpected treat in Neiafu were daily high temperatures in the low 70ties after experiencing twenty degrees hotter in most of the Tropics.

The Tongan people are friendly and have been known to be so for centuries, despite having killed one of Captain Bligh’s men after the BOUNTY mutiny. They are religious. Neiafu, never exactly bustling, is deserted on Sundays. The lovely sound of church choirs singing reaches out over the harbor.

Within a few hours’ sailing from Neiafu is one of the great cruising areas of the world, with dozens of quiet and pristine anchorages.

The ‘Good Old Days’ of Neiafu are now.