Ocean outlook for cruising yachts - 29 May 2022
by Noonsite 30 May 2022 00:34 NZST
29 May 2022
Bermuda © Noonsite
Pacific:
- As with Bermuda last month, Fiji authorities are also pleading to the cruising community to comply with their pre-arrival protocols or face being fined on arrival. Fiji Health report that two yachts have now arrived in the country without prior notification of their ETA. It is the duty of the Master of the vessel to provide notifications with the required documents prior to arrival. Find out the rules before you go.
- The Association of Sailboats in Polynesia (AVP) report that new restrictions on anchoring, increased fees for rubbish disposal and steep increases in costs for overnight stays in some popular places in French Polynesia is causing considerable concern for the sailing and cruising community. Find out more here.
- The 2021/22 South Pacific cyclone season officially ran from November 1, 2021 to April 30, 2022 and without a doubt there was some last-minute blows in Fiji at the end of last month with coastal inundation and strong wind warnings. The Central Pacific hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November 30. NOAA are predicting less activity in the Central Pacific region compared to normal seasons.
- Sea Mercy utilise volunteer cruising yachts to provide assistance, as needed, to remote island communities in the South Pacific. Check out their new website - and get involved with their on-going projects while you cruise the Pacific this year.
- Mooring operators in Vanuatu are working hard to get moorings re-conditioned and facilities for visiting yachts smartened up before the potential border opening in July. Yachting World Port Vila report; "We are hoping to have all our marina moorings up and ready to welcome yachts by the first week in August. Harbour moorings will take longer as they are in deeper water and have been submerged for over 2 years! They will need new chain, rope, shackles swivels and a diver on each one etc. They will be ready, hopefully, by October 2022.
- More bad news for cruisers considering a visit to the Republic of Palau. In addition to entry fees/taxes significantly increasing in September last year, Palau now requires all yachts of any size or flag to hire an approved agent to facilitate entry.?
Indian:
- Yachts in Australia planning on an Indian Ocean crossing are starting to do their research and find out what borders will be open to them. News just in is that yachts will once again be able to travel to the IOT (Cocos Keeling being a useful stopover) from 10 June, when maritime borders will re-open with entry rules. Mauritius, Reunion, Mayotte and Seychelles are all open.
- Useful cruiser resources include the Indian Ocean Crossing Facebook page (contact to join) and Crossing the Indian Ocean on Passage Facebook page.
- Noonsite's Indian Ocean Routing section has some useful reports by cruisers and links.
Caribbean Sea:
- The Guadeloupe National Park Authority (PNG) has released a new App which aims to help sailors when visiting the Island. As anchoring is prohibited in many areas and mooring buoys provided by PNG must be used within the Park's boundaries, the App helps skippers plan their route around the Island based on mooring options available.
- Currently the situation in the British Virgin Islands is very confused as to which ports of entry are open for checking in. Latest reports are that only Tortola (West End and Road Town) and Jost van Dyke (on certain days) are operating as inward clearance ports at this time. Yachts with unvaccinated crew on board can only clear in at Road Town Jetty, Tortola. Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda can only be used for outward clearance.
- Cruisers should also be aware that there are limited ports of entry open currently in Grenada. Although all Covid arrival restrictions have been lifted, Customs offices are slow to re-open and only Port Louis, St. George's and Tyrell Bay, Carriacou, are open for inward clearance.
- For yachts on passage north or south through St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it is permitted to take a rest stop up to 24 hrs on route through SVG with the Q flag displayed.
- The Blue Water Cruising Association (BCA) have awarded Shelter Bay Marina, Panama, certificates of appreciation for the outstanding work they did welcoming cruisers when the world closed down for Covid. Rob Murray from SY Avant, a regular contributor to Noonsite, reports; "Shelter Bay welcomed over 400 yachts through the pandemic, and supplied up to 40 at a time in the quarantine anchorage with food, fuel and water for their 14-day quarantines. None were refused and General Manager Juanjo was a tireless advocate to enable their transition from quarantine to arrival in Panama. Many other marinas around the world closed their docks to cruisers - Shelter Bay did not, and cruisers are thankful." The award was announced last year and sent to the marina, but in a scenario many cruisers will find familiar, it was lost by the post office! The BCA have a new YouTube channel with boat tours, cruising and inspirational videos produced by BCA members.
- Moves are afoot in Guatemala to try and get the long stay permit for sailboats extended to five years, the Rio Dulce being a popular hidey hole for boats in the Caribbean during hurricane season.
Atlantic:
- With hurricane season just around the corner, seven of the last eight years have seen a May named storm. They are often weak and short-lived, but it's a reminder to be prepared. The season officially begins June 1 and ends November 30. The UK Met Office has issued its seasonal Atlantic hurricane forecast and calls for an above-normal season, as does NOAA who report that the ongoing La Niña and above-average Atlantic temperatures set the stage for a busy season ahead.
- Yachts heading north from the Caribbean to the US East Coast shouldn't miss the Cruising Club of America's new free online cruising guide to the best places to visit in Maine.
- Northern France have made it easier for yachts arriving into France from a non-EU country with online advance reporting and for a limited period this summer simplified entry into two non-ports of entry on the northern Brittany coast. This will make short hops across the Channel for UK boaters much easier.
- Yachts cruising along the western Iberian Peninsula, in particular the Algarve and Andalucia, should be aware of a silting problem that is affecting harbours along the coast. A crew member suffered serious injury when a yacht grounded sharply on the final approach to Barbate marina recently. Use the very useful APPA website which details bathymetric (seabed topography) information for all Andalucia ports.
- Also off Barbate a number of orca encounters with sailing vessels have been reported this month by the Sálvamento Marítimo and continue to be reported along that stretch of coast on the popular Facebook group Orca Attack Reporting. Practical Boat Owner this month also have a report from a yacht that were left rudderless after encountering orcas off Spain. The ORCA working group have not been receiving many reports of Orca interactions in 2022 and are appealing to yachts in the area; "If we do not receive detailed information, we are not able to update the maps. If you are aware of any interactions please respond to our questionnaire by writing to us." More details on their website.
- Yachts heading across the southern Atlantic should note that Ascension Island has no cooking gas available, so refills are not possible. In fact the island has never had cooking gas, they either use electricity or barbeque!
Mediterranean:
- Cruisers in Greece have commented how quiet the harbours are for this time of year and how there are so few British boats.
- Also in Greece, yacht insurance requirements are changing from 1 June.
- The Strait of Messina is a narrow strait between the eastern tip of Sicily and the western tip of Calabria in Southern Italy. Some recent updates have been posted on our transit report for the strait, as well as a recommendation for a useful website about currents in the strait at correntidellostretto.it.
This article has been provided by the courtesy of noonsite.com