SAILING TO EXPLORE AN UNINHABITED PARADISE
I’ve always dreamed about it but never thought we would experience the world as it was for explorers back in the 19th century or earlier. The Kingdom of Tonga as a society is vastly different but we are currently the only sailors exploring it. Which might be as close to sailing like it’s 1492 as we ever get, and it blows my mind.
There are a couple of other sailors stuck here too but none with their boats in the water sailing the islands. It’s just us.
Tonga is one of the few remaining Covid free countries in the world. It’s one of the unexpected perks of being incredibly remote with limited tourism. They were able to close their borders and keep the virus out.
But, despite the lack of a virus, along with border closures and no tourists came curfews, defunct airports, fewer ferries, and restrictions on yacht movement. Add in a continually active cyclone season and it hasn’t been easy for anyone to move about the country.
Restrictions haven’t eased but the cyclone season has and our resolve to endure bureaucracy in the name of exploration is strong.
Tonga has 170 islands spread out over 270,000 square miles of ocean. Only 36 of them are inhabited. How could we call ourselves cultivators of curiosity if we don’t seek them out?
We named our boat Curiosity because it is the driving force behind exploration. The great explorers of the past set out across truly uncharted oceans of uncertainty. We can certainly endure some red tape to follow in their well-worn, digitized, and GPS-marked path.
And so begins our voyage through this Island Kingdom. First stop, the uninhabited island of Kenutu.
🎥 CAMERA GEAR USED TO FILM THIS VIDEO
🎶 MUSIC IN THIS VIDEO:
- Artists – Katrina Stone, Michael Shynes, Stanley Gurvich, Rex Banner, Boheme, Ziv Moran
- Music Source, Artlist: Get 2 Months Free https://bit.ly/artlist-GWTW
🙏 THANK YOU!
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Raul Mostoslavsky
amazing video, as always! I don’t recall seeing the video that shows the dolphins you included in the introduction.
Jeffrey Stenberg
Great dusk photos, so simple and beautiful. And the top of the comments page drone shot of the cove you explored WOW, that would make a great puzzle. Amazing colors. Thanks for sharing your fun and the beauty of our world.
Steve G
Also, What was the oven that you used? We are looking for a new unit for our 5er.
Curious Minion
It’s a Breville. You can see it and all the rest of the kitchen gear here: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/electric-off-grid-kitchen Don’t forget that shopping through the links provided won’t cost you anything extra but it will throw a few pennies into the sailing kitty. Happy shopping!
Curious Minion
Steve G
Folks, Backing-up is “backing down” on a ship. Just an FYI
Svmisspearl
Do you worry about/ or encounter snakes on these remote tropical islands?
Hank Heyns
Awesome trip…what is the draft on curiosity?
Curious Minion
4.5 feet but coral heads can rise to within inches of the surface, and can pop up anywhere. So 9′ of water *seems* like a lot, but it’s not.
Curious Minion
bsheet2
Hello from Houston, Texas! Your travels are so so awesome! My wife and I retired about 2 years ago and got a Class A RV. We learned a LOT from your RV videos. Thanks you so much! Am absolutely loving your sailing adventures. Stay safe and keeping going!
postiecat
What a dream come true. To explore those islands with nobody else there. So awesome. Love the stars.
Angela
Great vid guys, love the time lapse and bloopers. Cook said something similar about the birdsong being deafening when he landed in NZ. Question about your oven (yip, I know you did a kitchen vid a while ago) … do you find the air/space surrounding the oven gets hot? I’m thinking of ripping out the gas oven in my RV and inserting a similar type as you but have concerns about how much heat these units produce. Did you add extra heat protection to the walls and bench above so they don’t get damaged by the heat?
Nikki Wynn
We have space on all sides of the oven to help with airflow and don’t seem to have any issues. It does get hot but not warp or burn the wood or fiberglass kinda hot.
Angie
Great shots under water. Jason is always happy. Keep up the great videos Nikki.
Sam W
The reason so many of us love you is your joie de vivre! You’re living a life of beauty and hard work, and you share it all with us. I could never thank you enough for what you have brought into my life. Sometimes I worry about you, until I remember i’m watching the past. Man, all I wanted was some tips on how to manage RV life, and look what you’ve done. Keep it up.
Dan
Where did you shoot the night lapse from? The dinghy, or was that another boat nearby? Also, when you were threading the needle, was that another boat behind you at 1:18?
Curious Minion
Looks like it was shot from the beach. And yes, looks like someone in a small boat.
Curious Minion
Nikki Wynn
Can’t shoot night time-lapse from a boat as there is way too much movement. You don’t get anything but a big blur. We headed to the beach, that’s how we were able to capture the shot with our boat in it. 😁
Steve Gibbons
Thanks as always for my Monday morning fix.
It sets me up for the daily grind at the P.C Enjoy the Islands I wonder if you have NUIE on your list
Enjoy your week, Were just opening Australia borders AUST /NZ so I’d imagine it wont be long for Cruisers
C Ya
Curious Minion
They’ve already been to Nuie! Just plug it into the search bar (bottom of every page) and a couple of vids should pop up.
Curious Minion
Nikki Wynn
Our pleasure! And as for Niue, been there, done that, got the video to prove it.😜 We absolutely loved it and would loooovve to go back! Here are our vids from our time there if you want to check them out.
Our sail there was some of the biggest waves we’ve ever seen: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/biggest-waves-sea
Craziest dinghy parking, beautiful tide pools and hikes: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/incredible-unknown-island
The coolest yet scariest cave: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/scariest-cave-niue
Richard
Another great video… The night seen was very stunning… And don’t forget to brush only the teeth you want to keep!! 🙂
Nikki Wynn
🤣 Good tip.
Michael Magill
Hi Jason and Nikki,
Thank you for the amazing video, loved to see Jason get soaked by a wave, glad you two were not injured or slipped on the rocky shore. Love your drone footage , give us the view from above and to see how you do have to go slow and miss alll the hazards along the way..So many Reefs for such a small area. Hope you have a bottle of Ketchup, need it for your Veggie Pot Pie. Not sure why but I just have Keychup on almost everything dinner items. Ontario is in a
3rd day of 6 week lockdown, where police can stop you and if your out for no reason you get a $750.00 ticket. Glad your there cause its lousy here . Smooth water, light winds , stay safe both of you , and thank you for letting us tag along!!
Alan Solomon
Getting back to you a bit earlier today than usual. I took a couple days off and finally have a real weekend to enjoy.
Great video as usual. I watch a lot of nature videos and this video is right up there with footage of tropical jungle plants, eels, spiders, crabs, crashing waves, sharp rocks, blue, blue ocean and great weather.
Oh my gosh. I would probably have to sit there awhile taking everything in which would eventually calm my nerves and dissipate my stress from numerous years of city life. I may need a couple days for that!
Beautiful time lapse Jason. By the way after Nikki says the word “ghosting”, at 19:46 in the video at the bottom of the screen almost in the middle I see a face. It sort of looks like Jason? Did I miss something? Thank you so much.
Richard
Really cool video. Inspiring to see you guys are getting on with it. We are in Madrid Spain have been here for 4 years and are leaving Saturday to Johannesburg for a passport renewal run 🙂 Happy Days – keep safe guys look forward to the Vid each week!
Michael
That was a great video! Thank you very much.
We would like to know the temperature and humidity during your shoots.
Also wondering why they is no stabilized camera on the mast. Wouldn’t that and/or the drone help you navigate better in the shallows?
Thanks again.
About Creativity
Very good.
Andy Windsor
Thank you, for those of us who do our travelling vicariously through YouTube, those of you who do so because you are genuinely curious and not just “because everyone else goes there” are a real treat. As you have said, it is a real pleasure to see places without overcrowding from casual tourists, and the Islands less travelled too. I was looking back at some of your RV footage this morning, particularly gently smiling at Jason’s experience with plugging a Ty(i)re almost on the Canadian Border and thinking then how far you have come and how calm you are compared to then. Once again thank you for being You, not changing because of others, and being true to your own chosen winding path.
Sam W
Haha, thumbs up a comment.
Jim Lindsey
Great video as always! Loved it all but especially the night time lapse. SPECTACULAR!! Thanks for sharing your adventures with us.
Clark Fultz
Love your videos. I suppose just about everyone of us land lubbers are envious of your lifestyle and wish we had the courage and wanderlust to do those things too. Thank you for sharing so much of your travels.
Charles
Yesterday, I accidently came accross you intervention on the just catamarans channel, I saw all 3 videos (3h) it was so much fun at a human interacti ng level, so heartwarming to see the friendship you have developed with the Zataras , Kent and the people at the show…. have been binge watching your videos from the transition of the RV to the boat, only to be disapointed of getting to this weeks video and having to wait 7 more dqys to the next one.
Kind of cruel torture to see you sail, it makes me want to do the same SO BADLY, but my wife would rather a divorce hHabahahaba thanks you for bringing 10 to 20 min of smiles every week to my laptop
Rita Redmon
Beautifully done. Thanks for making my Sunday morning here n landlocked Asheville NC. That veggie pie looked wonderful. Another native Texan
Mary a jones
Love your YouTube Video. We live in On CA and are going into our 2nd yr of off & down lockdown. Enjoying your journey has certainly helped to pass the time. Stay safe and enjoy your sailing