Vagabond Voyages · video

What this video covers

Tom and Anissia spend a week in the Vava'u group of Tonga, anchored on a mooring buoy in a cyclone hole off a village while bad weather passes through.▶ 0:00 The main mechanical problem is a blocked marine toilet: calcium deposits from insufficiently flushed urine, combined with a pipe elbow, clog the outlet hose over roughly three years of use.▶ 5:31 Tom dismantles the pump, clears the seacock, and removes the calcified hose section, restoring function.▶ 3:34 He recommends flushing the head at least fifteen times per use and clearing the system every two years.▶ 5:54 The anémomètre also fails during this stay and needs repair.▶ 8:10 Sailing between anchorages in the Vava'u archipelago, winds are gusty and variable, limiting speed to 2–2.5 knots at times against a 2-knot current.▶ 9:52 The anchorage described as having the best snorkeling in all of Tonga requires crossing a breaking wave barrier at high tide; coral quality rivals the south pass of Fakarava, though fish numbers are modest.▶ 22:56 Anissia notes her aging wetsuit leaks badly while Tom's new 5mm Decathlon suit performs well.▶ 22:09 The anchorage draws 11–13 boats at peak season, and close-anchoring by arriving boats is a recurring frustration.▶ 27:59 A Tongan family hosts a traditional feast for roughly 30–40 euros per person.▶ 16:12

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