Fins 'n' Flukes - South Seas adventures in Tonga: Boats, Islands, Caves, Names and Moana.

Fins 'n' Flukes Ltd entered into corporate existence in 2008 with Brian, Sabine and Malolo (our little boat). Since then we only managed to expand our business with the addition of Micky.

At only 21ft long and in the traditional Tongan design Malolo proved herself to be a true work horse throughout the subsequent years of our small business. Noted that she was a little souped up with Palangi (Western) effect including all safety equipment and a sweet sun canopy. However, she always had only enough room to change your mind in and never enough room to swing a cat, especially when we developed a little web presence and started to "fill seats" based upon our reputation as Ha'apai experts with regard to the marine environment of Ha'apai and the intricacies of Humpback Whale watching in the Ha'apai group. It was time to either install seats on the roof for all of our guests or time to get her (Malolo) a little brother and so it was that "Moana" began to motor around in our minds.

As a professional desktop publisher in a previous life Sabine has no worries creating the magic of a Flying Fish.

Was this a good business decision?

In the Tongan language Moana means the deep sea, that place where you gaze into the deepest, darkest blue of the Pacific Ocean and you are surely convinced without a shadow of a doubt that there can really be no bottom. It is the part of the pacific that holds the greatest mystery, where no anchor can find purchase and where no man can ever go. For the Tongan culture it is a place in the ocean that instills a fear and an anxiety which constantly demands a ship worthy enough to bear her passengers and crew to the sanctuary of shallower waters. It is the abyss; the depth that even light itself cannot permiate. The Tongan trench is ranked as the second deepest place in the world at over six thousand meters deep, second only to the Mariana Trench, in this kind of ocean there is absolutely noting wrong with having a bigger boat and our new vessel is just such a ship.

During our last five years in Ha'apai we developed an real sense of appreciation for the local craft in boat building. The long hulls, sharp curving bows, low gunwales and very accommodating cabins. For thousands of years the Tongan people have been masters of their ocean realm, tied to the whims of an ever changing sea for their very existence. And well they know the quickening anger of the Ha'apai sea and the delicate lines required to cut through the sharp, quick, punishing swells of a turning gale. It was in our own understanding of such marine conditions and the skill of the Tongan people in understanding such a sea that we once again turned to their inexhaustable experience for a new, bigger and more accommodating boat (sorry Malolo).

As with our business; Moana also had a humble beginning, nothing more than a few sections of a local tree called "Tokai". This tree is particularly favourable for boat building because it becomes very stong when it is dry, not only strong but also light, so light in fact that you could easily lift a four foot section on one finger. It is as if it becomes petrified, like stone but with the weight of a feather. Faka Ofo ofa as they say.

Standing in the beginnings of our new boat is Aho' Mau' Koloa. After two years of speculative questions about who could build a real Ha'apai boat it was the name Aho that could be heard once again and again. Aho is a master boat builder, having created eighteen Tongan long boats in his career - we think he doesn't count the ones less than 26 feet. Not only was it the generations of handed down skill that drew us to Aho for this project, it was also his association with the people of Mounga'one Island in Ha'apai.

It is Ha'apai legend that the people of Mounga'one hold sacred protection from the ill will of sharks. This belief is so firm that should any fishing be undertaken in water that is locally known to hold dangerous sharks only the men from Mounga'one will enter the water in spite o fear. This protections comes from an age old legend retold here for your convenience:

It's probably not very appropriate to include the story at this stage but there are no rules in Tonga so read it if you desire so, if not then scroll down for a while.

On the southern tip of the island of Mo'unga'one is a cave named 'Ana 'o Fakapatú. Fakapatú means 'the pounding of the feet'. (The Palangi name is Hot Springs Cave due to the fact it has a thermal vent at the rear.)

Laura and James enter "Pounding Feet Cave."

Island legend tells of a giant (taula tevolo) named Fakapatú that lived in this cave, and it was customary for this giant to walk around the cave pounding his feet; hence, the cave's name.On another nearby island called Tofua, there was another giant, Taufatahi. Taufatahi knew of Fakapatú and he was curious to see who would be the strongest. One day, Taufatahi decided to challenge Fakapatú at his home island, Mo'unga'one.

Fakapatú, learning of his competitor's visit to his homeland, decided that he would morph himself around the mouth of his cave, opening his mouth so wide that his mouth became the entrance for the cave.Upon Taufatahi's arrival, he was about to step into the cave but he quickly learned of Fakapatú's trick. Taufatahi then started to boast about the many tricks that he could do. His boasting's went on for some time, changing from one form to another, and forgetting to be cautious, as he was dealing with another taula tevolo who can perform many tricks. All of a sudden, there was no sign of Fakapatú.

Taufatahi suddenly felt an unbearable pain in his abdomen. His stomach grew bigger and bigger. He then realized that Fakapatú had outsmarted him. While he was busy teasing Fakapatú, morphing from one form to another, Fakapatú changed into a small balloon fish and flew into Taufatahi's mouth. Taufatahi could not bear the pain anymore that he promised Fakapatú he would surrender and grant him anything he deemed.

Fakapatú then made Taufatahi promise that the people of Mo'unga'one would not be harmed by sharks.

Tongan legend tellers attest that this is why residents of Mo'unga'one had never been harmed by sharks. To prove this legend, a man from Mo'unga'one named Manunga swam the channel from Mo'unga'one to Ofolanga unharmed, although the presence of sharks is prevalent (kou tui pe na'e fiu e fanga 'anga he taimi ko 'eni.). Manunga talked of how he spent four hours swimming with sharks around him.

Anyway, slightly side tracked there but it is relevant to the story nonetheless. It is our own belief that this boat built by a Mounga'one man will afford us the protection of the Mounga'one legend. The sad truth is that it is actually the sharks who need our protection in the modern world.

Ha'apai is quite remote and that's being polite. In reality it is in the arse end of the Pacific Ocean, even the second world war didn't make it this far. This remoteness means that one develops a great deal of resourcefulness according to the amount of time spent here. We knew this but it became even more fluid when we watched these pieces of tree being carved into the rib beams of a 37ft boat with only busg knives (Machetes). It was at this point in time that I recall a good friends words ("If you ever want to build a boat in somewhere like this just leave it to the locals".). As most Palangis know a Machete is basically something that Rambo uses to hack someones head off but the reality is that this instrument is sufficient to provide all means of survival in the Tongan bush. The boat builders used them with such finesse that it may be considered an art form. When you see a five year old walking around with one you know why, they have held these knives all their lives and it is more interesting to note that not one Tongan we know has ever used it as a weapon (as far as they will admit). It is simply a key to the jungle, a tool for more tools, food and shelter. Then again, there isn't much need for weaponry here unless you get attacked by a mad pig!

Two of Aho's sons constantly carve the Tokai wood for the beams of the boat.

Shards of wood surround the young man in evidence of his labour.

Of course with time some things are lost, things such as the old hard woods of Tonga - the Dakua and the other one that I cant remember right now. Anyway, we needed a piece of this historically strong wood to reinforce the keel. Aho told us the name (again) and we called the main island to source it but were told that they hadn't stocked it in over five years! We wished to source it in New Zealand and because of translation complications I asked if I could see a piece of the wood to understand its composition. Aho brought us to the side of his house and said "This is the wood, it will last over ten years when immersed in sea water." We said great, can't we just use this one and he proceeded to dismantle his own house in the trust that we would replace the wood when it became available again. We know, unbelievable but that is the way here, he even expressed his gratitude that a piece of his home could be used in the project. (We have asince replaced the wood.)

Aho measures his house in preparation to remove the wood required to afford protection to the keel of Moana.

It is interesting to note that after personal conversation with a local dignitary all of these so called "prised" woods have disapppeared from local culture but are currently available on Eua Island "at a good price." Eua lies close to Tongatapu Island and is famed for its tropical rain forest habitat, we wonder if Ha'apai once had mighty forests that have now but all been lost.

Moving forward again, without all the local materials required to make a truely traditional Tongan boat we had to turn to the hardware suppliers on the main island. With local wood and imported substitutes we suddenly ended up with the shell of a boat. Despite the use of imported materials we remained continually amazed at the rapid progression of the work. A pile of wood infront of our office turned into the vision of a boat hull.

Aho scrutinises the lines of the keel wood. The transom is already fixed. The fact that most of the work was done with only natural talent in lieu of modern equipment I find particularly beautiful.

So her keel was finished inside a week. We were more than surprised by the efficiency of their work. Often you can hear ex pats complain about the local attitude to work when compared to western work ethics but these guys were phenomenal from start to finish. 6am till 7pm any time we passed wood as flying everywhere!

The hull planks are added one by one, a fine rib on the inside seals each joint.

Then she had sides, way ohh and up she rises. Every hull plank was driven home with copper nails. Over 2000 for the hull alone. 2", 3", 4" and even 5 inch. I challenge any reader to hammer home a 5" copper nail without bending it - go on, give it a shot!

Being used to Malolo were were constantly taken aback. Moana measures 37 feet bow to stern, bigger than most of the sailing yachts that visit Ha'apai each year. We would stand in front of the construction to give a dimension of scale and realised we had built a boat worthy of the Ha'apai sea. Many operations like to use sailing vessels to watch the whales but in our experience too much time is wasted trying to find wind when whales are jumping around just a mile away. As with Malolo we have once again chosen an Evinrude Etec as our means of propulsion. Etec engines meet currebt EPA emmission requirements and stringent CARB emmission guidlines. If you choose Fins 'n' Flukes for your marine activities in Ha'apai you can be guaranteed that we are having a minimal impact on the local marine ecosystem with regard exhaust emmissions and water pollution. Etec engines also ofer a smoke free environment on the boat. You will see other local operators using inferior technology (when it comes to an ecological approach) and particularly Yamaha 2 stroke engines, that is if you can see through the cloud of blue smoke that you are expected to sit in all day. Fins 'n' Flukes consider our impact of our business on the local marine environment at every stage of our operation. From how we actually approach the whales right down to the equipment we use to do it! We understand our customers are concerned about the long term health of the marine resources we like to experience and we thank you for choosing an environmentally responsible operator committed to sustainable eco tourism in Tonga when you conduct your axtivities with us.

Sabine (She's tall), stands beside the bow to afford some comprehension of scale.

The sides gave way to the cabin

And to cut a long story short we now have a 37ft long Tongan boat capable of carrying twenty people for whale watching to support Malolo when she goes diving with everyone else. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the master boat builders of Mounga'one Island and we cannot wait to let our guests experience the new and improved Fins 'n' Flukes on Moana, the flagship of our fleet for 2011!

If you are interested in SCUBA diving, Humpback Whale Watching, snorkeling or Kayaking in the Ha'apai group of island please contact us, we are your local and expert guides for this region. www.finsnflukes.com