Some went to listen to the singing, some to absorb the local culture and the faithful to give thanks for their safe arrival to this peaceful and tranquil part of the globe. Yachtie versions of Sunday Best varied from new dresses and lava lavas tailored locally, to a sarong tied over a pair of shorts to blend in with the Tongans who dress modestly, especially when going to church.

A stroll round the town of Neiafu on a Sunday morning is quite a treat, with the evocative sound of worship coming from all directions, the singing would fade away from one church then get taken up by another producing a haunting echo effect around the deserted town. The Methodists were in particularly fine voice this morning with a rendition of the Halleluiah Chorus in their own language.

One tiny church, which until today looked more like a garden shed than a place of worship was busting at the seams with just one family. After their service the women gathered in the garden while the men sat around a Kava bowl in an adjoining building.

There can have been no better place than the Port of Refuge to ride out this windy and rainy week but now the sky is clearing and many boats are leaving their moorings to go and explore the islands of Vava’u and the many anchorages before starting for Fiji.