Tonga - during Cyclone Season

[Bandwagon]

Hi - anyone have experience of leaving their boat in Tonga (or there abouts) during the Cyclone Season? Any info on likely conditions/costs and safe berths etc for a period of maybe 3 months would be appreciated. Thanks - George

[svmoose]

If memory serves, Moorings and Sunsail maintain several "cyclone rated" moorings for certain ones of their vessels that don't leave the area. They may have one of these heavy moorings available, with massive amounts of chave protection and probably chain back-up, that might do the trick. Try contacting them.
We were in the Vava'u group in Tonga and Neiafu is pretty well protected, we saw 45 knots go through there in gusts. Of course, cyclones bring more wind, but still, it is a very protected area....
Irene

[Bandwagon]

Thanks Irene - I appreciate your reply to my posting.
best regards - George

[Brent Swain]

I spent a cyclone season in Vavau. I had the use a of a friend's mooring that only dragged halfway across the harbour in Hurricane Whaka with a 44 ft Islander on it, bow moored. As I had a 31 footer , stern moored, reducing the load on it drastically ,I trusted it absolutely.
Some Kiwis and Aussies leave their boats there every hurricane season. Sometimes they lose them. There is not much in the way of marinas.
Don't use Beluga divings bouys. They are a joke.
Don' t use their email services. I tried inviting friends down using Beluga diving emails . The charged me for the emails but didn't bother sending a single one.
Best steer clear of Beluga diving altogether.
Papayas that cost up to $2 each in the cruising season , drop in price to $3 for a whole basket of them in cyclone season. Ditto with coconuts, pineapples, and any other produce.
Brent