Neiafu harbor is a peaceful spot. There are a couple of dozen moorings out here that cost ~$8 a day, which actually makes life a lot better in this bay because of the depths. Our mooring is sitting in 100′ of water. If everyone were trying to squeeze into the … Read More
Mariner’s Cave
We moved over to an anchorage near an area called the Coral Garden. We went over and anchored the dinghy in shallow water and then swam a couple hundred yards across a barren coral wasteland. I began to think we were in the wrong place, but we eventually reached the … Read More
Port Maurelle
We returned to the Port Maurelle anchorage again. It has quickly become a favorite. A thin tan smile-shaped shoreline, mooring ball in shallower water, and nothing but calm protected water all around us. Passing the Picton Castle, a sail training ship for anyone from 18-40 years old who wants to … Read More
Swallow’s Cave
Swallow’s Cave here in Vava’u, Tonga is a nice big cave whose entrance has broken off to allow us entry. There are other caves in the area that aren’t so easy to access, but with Swallow’s you can drive the dinghy right in. It’s about 60′ deep and in the … Read More
Tongan Waters
Here in Vava’u there is always a new anchorage nearby to explore. It was nice to find one to anchor in shallow water again, though the holding was pretty poor. Fortunately, there was hardly any wind to contend with. We went out with a few friends for our first scuba … Read More
Kingdom of Tonga
We arrived in the Kingdom of Tonga first thing in the morning and spent the last few miles making water to wash the boat. Nothing feels so good as having a salt-free boat as we drop anchor in a new spot after a passage. For those curious, this boat came … Read More
American Samoa to Tonga
American Samoa has not really felt much like a tropical paradise. Since we’ve gotten here we’ve had almost nothing but high winds and rain. We are soooo over it at this point. Every dinghy ride to the town dock ends with salt-spray soaked clothes. This particular storm got frisky enough … Read More
Rainbows and Rubbish
It rains in Pago Pago every day at some point. One of the peaks surrounding the harbor is even called Rainmaker Mountain. Usually, it’s a quick drizzle that passes before we even need to close the hatches. And quite often the result is a rainbow, or two, like this. Goofing … Read More
Bumfuzzle’s 20-Year Anniversary
Twenty years ago today I wrote Bumfuzzle’s first blog post. I hit publish, and immediately four parents and maybe a sibling or two could follow us around the world. Remember the internet twenty years ago? I remember teaching myself how to use Microsoft FrontPage 2000 in order to design and … Read More
