Leaving Our Boat and Detained At The Border

The most STRESSFUL few days of travel ever! We did our best to capture & share the reality of this crazy experience of hauling out the boat & flying 26 hours from Tonga to Fiji to California.
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It's impossible to share everything that was going through our minds over the last couple weeks in Tonga. But believe me when I say: We have been faced with the most difficult decisions of our lives and the stress compounds with each roadblock that tries to get in our way.
Without our new friends Kjell and Adriana this entire experience would have been 1000x worse. They own a small resort called Mystic Sands and they deal with this stress all the time. We were warned about Real Tonga Airlines being flaky, but we never could have guessed it would be this crazy. So, if you plan to fly into Tonga, and you can't book on Fiji Airways, you better heed the advice of the locals: Buy Travel Insurance!
Shared with LOVE 💕 from all of us here aboard s/v Curiosity,
- Jason, Nikki, Cleo and Singa 😻
❗❗ You can always find exclusive photos, experiential tips, honest opinions & links to our favorite gear on our website: bit.ly/gwtw-home ❗❗
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Without your support we wouldn’t be here…so, THANK YOU from the bottom of our salty hearts. 😍
#GoneWithTheWynns #Sailing #Tonga
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© Gone With the Wynns 2020

[@LizMcDon]

I would have a heart attack if the airlines lost my dog. I can imagine how you felt when you couldn’t find the cats for 3 hours. So glad it worked out. Love your channel!!

[@icemanUH]

luckily this comment is the first one! Cats are safe

[@brycehuff]

Jason’s response to stress! “Nothing ever works the way it should 🤷‍♂️ hahaha.” ...Nikki climbs up and fixes it. But seriously, consistently modeling great teamwork and healthy mindsets. Love it! 🏋🏻‍♀️💖💯

[@willbeephotography2338]

There is a small twinge of guilt from casually sipping coffee while watching your hectic packing & travel stress. ...Just a small twinge. I will be fine :) Hope you have enjoyed your time back in the US. Thanks for all you share.

[@dahveed284]

Will Bee Photography Lol. I felt as much guilt watching them travel as they do sitting in a perfect anchorage while I took away at my office.

[@montyzumazoom1337]

That looks a hell of a journey, you must have been exhausted! Glad the cats were ok👍

[@davidcunningham5422]

The more I watch people travel nowadays, the more I am just happy to stay home! I could not handle the stress and worry of traveling with pets.... hope the return trip goes better! But seeing what you are doing and where you are going....I can’t imagine it will be easy🛫⛵️🗺

[@offgridphotos]

I love the snoring cat! LOL Always nice to get a hand from the fur babies when trying to get work done!

[@mk1gti]

Mine snores too, she sleeps alongside me in the bed. I conk out as soon as I hear her snoring, just a really reassuring sound.

[@slamboy66]

Cleos like " Singa, what's wrong with Jason and Nikki?" Singa " I don't know, but they don't fly as well as we do" .

[@gonewiththewynns]

😹😹😻

[@williamwirick886]

So glad y'all made it home safe and with the cats ! Yall lead a truly blessed life that gives us poor working folks dreams of better things and places! Respect.

[@Trishpage312]

How odd to watch this now. Cleo... and what was in store for the world. I’m sure you are so glad you accomplished as much as you did. God bless

[@HeadWestOn90]

I lost my Lab to cancer recently..I felt my insides knotting as I watched.. I can't imagine three hours of not knowing about the cats' safety at the hands of strangers. So thankful they were found safe and you are all home ok!! What a huge relief to see them in one piece!

[@gonewiththewynns]

Aww, so sorry to hear about your Lab. 💔

[@HeadWestOn90]

@@gonewiththewynns Thanks.. Hug the kitties for me!

[@KIMI-xt4eb]

bless your hearts and kittys too

[@nemo227]

My wife kept asking me, "What happened to the cats? Where are they? Are they okay?" Every time I told her what the Wynns were doing. We've had 6 cats through the past 54 years. Cats and dogs live with you 24 hrs a day, every day. Yes, they become very important.

[@pugandblizzard]

Well, that was absolutely nerve-wracking...

[@patris4414]

I love the way they took care of their Cats

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

Ah, Rock the Boat by Hues Corporation 👍🏽 An absolute classic and just the perfect song for this moment Jason - well done buddy 🙂🙂🙂🙂

[@flyifri]

It will all be worth it when moving forward one day at a time.! This was a really nice update to watch, while the snow was blowing past my window in Niagara Falls Canada. Wish you were here, or better yet, wish I was there. Thank you for warming my day .!

[@steveabbott3251]

Arizona at 7:00am sitting and waiting for your vid. With a cup of coffee.

[@AdrianBawn]

Nikki: "leaving the boat for.. a few months.." Narrator: "It was not a few months."

[@BeyondYourDoorstep]

Quite an emotional journey home guys. Hope you enjoy your time on land and we look forward to what's next ❤️

[@SeaTreeWonder]

Oh my goodness! What a journey! You must have been extremely stressed when the cats could not be found! Thankfully, it all worked out. Thank you for sharing your life with us...even the stressful times. It reminds that we are not alone in our own strife & struggles. We really appreciate Gone with the Wynns! :-)

[@cam_DA_Hawkdriver]

You are beautiful souls! You made the right decision to let your cats live a great life.

[@scotthelmann5156]

Well done keeping a positive attitude- that says a lot about your character as individuals. I’m still giggling about Singa liking the lip balm as my cat Sophie sits here staring at me for another cat treat as we wait out the wind while boondocking in the desert near Yuma AZ.

[@annwagner5779]

Once I was taking pictures of architecture in DuPont Circle in Washington, DC, and this guy stuck his head out a door and said “I’m from Fiji!” That was my only previous contact with Fiji. You guys get everywhere! And thank goodness you and the kitties were safe. I knew you had to have been, watching two years later. And yet I still felt anxious for all four of you.

[@dinglebarry528]

Thank God you found your precious purrkids! Phew!! I’m not gonna lie, I was near tears if they were lost forever. They LOVE their lives with you both. As they should.

[@leodanryan966]

I have a friend here in San Antonio, Texas from Tonga 🇹🇴. Fongnonga Molo Miley Keepulotu Tau is his full name. We just call him "Miley Tau." What wonderful people. Very kind hearted yet fierce.

[@hansschweikert9153]

I have a knot in my stomach after watching that. But a smile on my face because it all worked out. Thanks, nice little bit. And I feel like I've learned something.

[@commander1338]

I am so happy to see that everyone including the cats made it home for a very well deserved vacation !! Hallelujah ! Man get some sleep - it wore me out just watching. That long distance travel is tough on everybody.

[@tn_bob5740]

A thought for future trips; Those pet carriers get loaded into baggage holds with other bags, and they can shift some during a flight. So some people recommend putting some sort of mesh over any opening that a cat can fit a paw through, because cats have been injured before by having a paw through an opening when the baggage shifted. It's not very likely, but it's a possibility we felt was important enough when we travelled with our cat years ago. I used a steel mesh designed for small farm animals (baby poultry I think), but anything that keeps the paws in will do. That particular little sweetie went to heaven many years ago (after 17 very good years) but we still have that carrier with the mesh. We now have three rescue cats and two rescue dogs (we're easily manipulated by furry faces), so you never know when a pet carrier will come in handy. This might be overkill of course, but I thought I'd just offer it for consideration.

[@gonewiththewynns]

Good point and I'll make sure Nikki sees this. I'm not sure they could have done that though: the restrictions on the carriers were ridiculous. Had to be a certain size, had to be able to put a plastic zip tie around the wire of the door so that a paperwork pouch could be attached, etc. etc. etc. They had a dickens of a time trying to find 2 carriers that would work. Curious Minion

[@tn_bob5740]

Yep. I remember that too. At the time we paid extra for air cargo so she could travel in a dog crate and have room to move around a bit. But that was on major city to city flights with big airplanes. I have a feeling those options wouldn't work for you on some of the small aircraft you have to fly on. It's not cheap either, but it was a four year military tour for us and we thought she was worth the expense. Whatever you do, our best to you guys and the fur babies.

[@jeanne40ish]

What a hassle for you folks to get back to America! So glad that you finally got the cats. Yes. They are quite resilient, huh? We sure miss you guys. Enjoy your time at home!! It's so much fun following you guys online. Sending you love from me and Dave.

[@cdammerer1]

I love seeing you really living. Enjoy every second while you can. And your quality of videos is fabulous well done!!! Love them.

[@macknine4461]

We love you all. Felt all the anxiety of the "lost" cats. We flew from Dominican Republic to El Salvador with our street dog "Mosquita" and layover in MIA. So happy you were reunited. We were too. She was very happy to relieve herself.

[@seanhaugen2437]

That intro was so cute! Glad everyone made it safe and sound.

[@joeblow3939]

⭕⭕ Hey guys, I have seen tracking tags the size of a silver dollar. If your cats have colers, you could attach it to them . Then track the cats with your phone threw an app. Hope this helps relieve some stress. 👍👍

[@WSallai]

joe blow Brilliant idea!

[@commonsense246]

You guys are so successful because you take the extra time to be meticulous with your boat's maintenance. Great job on that bottom...slick as a whistle! I will be missing your adventures this spring but know you'll be enjoying the break and being home for a time. Have fun and come back soon! Gotta get my South Seas fix.

[@moburt4609]

I love the care you take of your animals. To live the life you do is exciting, but to share it with animals is amazing. You have a blessed life, and you deserve it. The best always to you and your babies! Maureen

[@stephki5812]

My heart stopped when you shared you couldn’t locate the cats. I would have lost my $#!+ if that happened to me! I’m so very glad you could find them and no worse for wear!!

[@klouism1]

: Wow! You handled this stress well. I'm glad the cats did good on their flight. I hope you have a wonderful vacation. Thank you for the video.

[@faithp9853]

Sooo glad the babies r ok!!! I can’t imagine the stresss you two must have felt! Scary realities of having to put ur trust in someone else :(

[@VentureWild]

Flying internationally with pets is THE WORST- when we flew back to the states from Germany a few years ago with our dogs, they held them for 24 hours in Atlanta before we could collect them. It was the most stressful, and upsetting experience of our lives! Glad you guys made it back state side safe and sound!

[@HereThenGone]

Oh my gosh!! At least on camera, you two held it together much better than we would have when it came to the cats. Not sure if we would have been screaming or crying, but emotions would have been through the roof for sure. Glad they seemed unfazed by it all.

[@YaiYai73]

My sister moved to Ireland from Texas with 2 dogs and returned a few years later with the same dogs, 3 cats, a husband and a 1 year old. The logistics were mind blowing and so much rested on it all going just right. I feel your stress and happy it all worked out well!

[@gregprince2523]

Wow guys, when you showed the view of LA it sure puts into perspective that mass of humanity in one tiny little spot!!! OMGEEEE I bet you can't wait to get back to Curiosity and the peace n quiet! Whewwww welcome home and safe travels

[@thamarmanrique1502]

OMG!!! I’m so glad you found them!! ❤️🐈❤️🐈

[@sikes185]

Just a suggestion. When you leave your boat all buttoned and will be gone for a while. To prevent mold put a few 9in x 13in deep aluminum pans with a pile of standard charcoal in them. They will absorb moisture that is in the air. This is from experience from a cabin that is only used one time a year. My first year coming back after one use there was mold. After a good cleaning we put out the pans. Came back next year. The cabin was clean and there was just alittle bit of mold on the charcoal. Y’all take care. Love the vids the y’all work so hard on. Glenn in Mississippi

[@MrMichaelcurran]

WOW! Ain't travel wonderful. Sorry you guys had such a complicated travel home. I noted the sadness of leaving your boat and the joy seeing ones family out ways the sadness. WE HOPE! Keep Sailing!

[@stephenchapman8344]

Feel your stress! What a journey. How you kept the ability to remain smiling is beyond me. Well done! 👍😀

[@timtanner4126]

You guys are the best. I have been watching you from Belize now for about a year. I try to never miss a video, for I feel like I am on the cruse with you.

[@commonsense246]

"OUR BABIES" I would've been devastated if anything happened to your fur babies! Thank God, they were fine!

[@karenoster8291]

Ohhh my goodness! I held my breath until I saw your kitties were okay and you were reunited! What a hassle you all went through trying to get home. Glad you made it safely!

[@AverageJoeShmo]

I'm still binge watching whenever I'm not working and catching up from the beginning as i watch the current videos as you upload from the time i discovered your channel. Hooked you can say on the channel " no pun intended" . I'm with you guys as you are just finishing up your Pacific passage as i play catch up from the beginning so I'm making major ground as i think only been 3 weeks since i discovered your channel and can only watch in down time and when my son is sleeping. Keep up amazing work and planning on joining your Patreon soon.

[@WSallai]

Average Joe You’re in for quite a bit of viewing time! I had to play catch-up too. Started with them in the RV, but did not see all of them, did spot viewing but viewed all their Curiosity vids from the beginning in order. I’m hooked and want to sell my 45’ Newel Coach and buy a boat too.

[@bloodyeyeful]

Bet you were freaking out looking for your loved ones! Glad you found them! C ya next vid!

[@refinedhayseedappalachian9777]

Wow, what a cool couple.

[@AwangYudiAryadi]

Nice and smart cat. Grateful they were found.

[@shughes2620]

Wow. That isn’t stressful at all! 🥺. Thank God that you found your cats.

[@pgr8626]

I would have pulled my hair out,so glad everything turned out,love your cats

[@davidpotts1542]

What a fun surprise to have you both on my flight tonight from Orlando FL to Ontario CA. Thank you for putting up with my excitement. You both were most gracious. All of your adventures have fired my imagination to follow in your footsteps. Safe travels to you both... And the kitties. Here’s to more days of sun and following seas.... Cheers... David Potts

[@gonewiththewynns]

Hello David! What a surprise to have a fellow sailor on our flight! Thanks so much for your kindness and love. If you want those contacts in Florida let me know. Happy cat hunting!

[@davidpotts1542]

Gone with the Wynns ... Hi... When you have a moment and nothing else on your plate, apart from your 5 favorite USA foods...... I would love to have the Florida contacts. Enjoy your stay....

[@Arian0027]

That stressed me out and I wasn’t even traveling with you. Glad everything worked out.

[@Trishpage312]

right!

[@dlhoskin]

OMG!!

[@KayZee1957]

No kids to pick up from relatives, no job they're supposed to be at the next day. I wasn't particularly upset for them and was surprised at the emotions given that they're used to being controlled by wind, tide and system reliability but will allow that not knowing where the cats were would be upsetting even for a short amount of time.

[@davidgabrie1302]

Kay Zee They had plenty of “Pressures”, apparently you did not watch the video.

[@ratj4715]

I

[@tammyprovost936]

The PSS if you guys do actually get these late comments then I also wanted to say thank you for always talking to cameras if we're right there with you thank you for taking this on your adventures and God bless

[@joygross]

Oh my gosh! I am so stressed 😩 for you. So glad you made it.. and found your sweet babies.

[@zenseed75]

Been there, done that. Traveled from Guam to WV with 1 cat and Germany to WV with 2 cats. By myself missed flights. Having to get health certs redone, quarantined, all kinds of stress. But yep, cats are pretty dang resilient. ❤️

[@trekkermueth3074]

I have only traveled with my cats once and certainly not half-way around the world. So glad everyone made it home safely. Very interesting how you dry docked the boat. Stay safe.

[@willbush1]

As a motorhome owner, enjoyed your RV travel videos & vast amount of reviews on RV items;Really enjoy your sailing travel videos;it's like traveling without the cost of a boat & the many encounters along the way...

[@conwoo1]

Wow, glad kitty's were found! Glad your safe! Enjoy Land and Family yes!

[@kapekodbob]

Thanks for taking us along.

[@MrJohnMonroe]

Flying with pets always adds another level to the stress meter. So glad you ALL made it!!!

[@kanewillhoft5616]

Traveling with cats can be very stressful. When I was moving back to the U.S. from Rome, I payed large sums of money for our return. When we got to airport in Rome, the security guards took the cats, walked around the security check area and played googly with them. I had to request them to look at the paperwork because of how much it cost. The only good side was that the police officers look fine in their Armani uniforms. As always, cheers to you two kids.

[@gonewiththewynns]

😀

[@Tyler0093]

Sipping my coffee as I crossed my fingers the cats would be found. Also, loved the arial shots from the plane.

[@karyhansen5082]

Jason, what I do when I am removing/dismantling things is use a white-out pen to mark the out lines/location. I think you can do the same thing for the furling line.

[@larsandersenresare8322]

Hello. I think you should mount the line to the furler through the “guide” in order to minimize the risk for any issues. Best Regards from Sweden.

[@MakeMemoriesTravelMore]

Glad to hear that Cleo n Zynga are ok as well as you two! Wish we could see you guys at the boat show this year 😬...we have serving in Man O War and decided to stay until end of February. You two inspire us to start ⛵️sailing!

[@johnott4921]

Don’t fight the feeling buddy break out with that song. Drop the boat. Drop the boat baby

[@Reality_TV]

First, TRAVEL INSURANCE ALWAYS! Second, I did NOT KNOW that cats snore! LOL! That was too cute! Third, WHEW! That trip looked VERY involved! A fee for arriving by boat and leaving by plane? LOL...got to love that! I hate having a series of connected flights and then missing one of those flights! All you can do is wait! At least you made it safe and sound AND ready for the next adventure! Keep on moving...

[@AwlBeefPatty]

Found y'all's channel just recently (how did it take me so long!?!), and I just want to thank you guys for all you do! I just finished 10 years in the Navy, and am planning my post-military life, and you guys (all 4 of you since i definitely include my 2 cats in my plans as well!) make my sailing dreams so much closer to a reality! Thanks again for all you do (and deal with), and get a good night's sleep! YOU EARNED IT!!!

[@jazziered142]

Singa is just such a beautiful cat.

[@sarapesola7531]

Wow! City of concrete 🤢 and I would have been LIVID if no one could find my babies!!!! Thank God they were OK and you were reunited 🥰🥰🥰 Miss you Cleo 😘😘😘

[@gonewiththewynns]

💙💛💙

[@stephenjohnston2959]

What a very down to earth couple you are, great to watch you learning as you go with so much humour. One tip, that sodium metabisuphide should NOT have a strong smelllike that. It is probably gone a bit yellow and very hard like rock almost? That means oxygen/air has got to it over time and its lost its strength. best to transfer it straight into small ziplocks with all the air squeezed out. it will last waaaay longer that way...cheers guys

[@cryptotech4273]

We are glad they are ok! I hope they did something to make it right. That's beyond terrifying we would be livid.

[@syATLA]

What a trip! I am so relieved the cats were ok! Love from Sweden! 😍

[@KaleidoscopeMagic]

Thank goodness the cats weren't lost for very long! So glad to see you both reunited with them safely! :)

[@crazyfroggie6546]

I sympathise with your pain guys, as a kid i used to travel from London to Fiji twice a year. London to Los Angeles, change plane, LAX to Honolulu, change plane, Honolulu to Nadi, change plane, island hopper over to Suva. About 24 hours travel altogether. All on aIr New Zealand except the Fiji Airlines little turboprop. And do it all again to go home. I still have the logbook i used to record all my flights from my youth.

[@gonewiththewynns]

💙💙 that!

[@darlenetuura2080]

When I read the caption under your video I felt panicky 😱🐱 and I'm not even there. My morning was very busy cause it is Sunday and I couldn't wait to get home to find out if you found Cleo and Singha 🐱❤🐱. Sooo🥰 glad you did, they are such silly and entertaining fur balls. Always trying to be the center of attention in your videos. Lol. Glad you made it home ok. Your videos are special. They are touching lives all over the world. I get to travel with you and see places I'll never be able to go. They are so beautiful, exciting, calming, and at times just plain awesome. Thanks for all the work you've put into them. I'm looking forward for the next adventure.❤🏊‍♀️🦈🚣‍♂️🐙🐈🐠❤Have a good time back in the states. 🌞🤸‍♀️💃🕺🎉

[@firemedicseven]

With all the holes in the tank ya'll need to take a look at your electrical. Looks like you might have some electrolysis going on. Makes sure everything is grounded real well too. No corrosion on the cable ends.

[@RiverWoods111]

I was having some panic for you when you couldn't find your cats and I only had to go through that for a minute or less! I love watching your journey! You all have given me the confidence as a single woman who has only sailed dingy sized boats to make a boat my home in the future. Project freedom is what I am working on as I am figuring out how to make an income from my art so I can sail! I had kind of given up on the dream when I became single, but then I watched you guys who had never sailed, and thought I can do that! I am told me sailing dingies puts me at an advantage from those who learn to sail yachts without sailing dingies first! I love to sail, the destinations are just excuses for me to sail not the end goal! Sailing is my goal!

[@SpeakersIsGod]

That cat is soooooo adorable!

[@TessieS17]

What an experience! So glad you and the cats are safe and sound. Wishing you a wonderful time back home!

[@cheriluvsgrr]

Boat haul out-judge Roy scream. What a nerve racking trip home! Thanks for sharing

[@gonewiththewynns]

That was one of my favorite Six Flags rides in TX :)

[@RiggingDoctor]

Cruising life is stress free as long as you never plan on going anywhere. The moment you start traveling, it all gets turned upside down!

[@gonewiththewynns]

👍❤😆😆

[@thatsrich944]

So glad the kitties were okay. Cheers!

[@angelatutino6789]

Thanks sooo much for sharing....I miss the South Pacific so much and cried watching you leave. But am super happy all ended well for the whole family. 🐈 🐈

[@gonewiththewynns]

Aw, they'll be back! Stay tuned... Curious Minion

[@Emptypockets51]

Wow. A whole lot of EVERYTHING going on. All's well in the end though!

[@jerryhack5192]

I don't always watch KZbin, but when I do I always go straight to your channel!!!!

[@gonewiththewynns]

💙🍻

[@KenBlackRifleAmerica]

I think Jason was about 10 mins from grabbing a club and starting to smash glass, etc., looking for those precious furbabies....What a stressful, anxiety filled week it was trying to 'do it all'... You guys were fantastic and now for some downtime!!!! Cheers!!

[@gonewiththewynns]

I thought the same thing! 😀 Curious Minion

[@donnahickey7898]

Welcome home you guys, I love keeping up with you when you're sailing. Be sure to let us know how you're doing back on land. Cheers, Donna

[@cherylrobbearts8041]

Omg I couldn't relax through the whole video. I was so worried for the fur babies. Whew, ok now that I can breath...Welcome home. Hope you enjoy your time visiting friends and family. Just know we'll all be happy when your little family is back on the boat safe and sound. I have to go now. Have to go color my hair again after all the grey hairs you just gave me. :)

[@gonewiththewynns]

Sorry! 😹😻

[@jenniferlawrence1372]

I woke up this morning thinking about how panicked you guys must have been in those three hours. You didn't film it for us, and I'm glad. I would have been so upset to watch it. I'm seriously glad you found them again.

[@gonewiththewynns]

It was crazy but the worst part was we went to sooo many places and most of the began closing at 4 or 5pm so we not only had lost our cats we were freaking out that they would be locked in some warehouse overnight too! It was not a fun way to land back home. Thankfully we found them and they were barely frazzled. They are such amazing creatures that enrich our lives.

[@lanselithgow5865]

Love the cats travelling too. Inspiring overcoming so many obstacles

[@deevy7746]

By far the best sailing channel on the tube!! Heck I don’t even watch TV any more because of channels like this one!

[@rickbartley9255]

You two set such an admirable example for all of us. 👍

[@lindakindig576]

Omg. I had an airline temporarily lose my cat once too. I can totally relate to how you were feeling! So glad everyone was reunited and safe!

[@brucealanwilson4121]

I loved all the scenes with the kittiex. Especailly Xygna (sp?) acting as your supervisor. While I'm glad you found them, I bet they slept most of the way. While you were in Tonga, I was braced to find that a member of the Royal Family was a fan and you got invited to the Palace. That would have been cool!