Noonsite September Sailing News and Updates |
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Welcome to our September newsletter!
2020 continues to notch up abnormal behaviour in everyone and everything and as major transit season approaches (for both the Atlantic and Red Sea) cruisers planning long passages to distant shores should take note of the cruising news this month.
Stay safe and happy sailing everyone!
Sue and the Noonsite team.
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Wildlife behaving strangely
Killer whales in the Eastern Atlantic have been exhibiting abnormal behaviour by interacting with a large number of sailing boats off the coast of NW Spain, thought by some scientists to be an after-effect of the Covid-19 lockdown when for many months the sea was silent. With a number of yachts disabled and needing to call out the Coast Guard for emergency assistance, the Spanish Government have now defined a “no-go-zone” for all vessels under 15 metres between Prioriño Grande and Estaca de Bares.
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Attempted Boarding on the way to the Med
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Record-breaking year for tropical disturbances
Already at the statistical peak of hurricane season there have been so many tropical systems spinning around the Atlantic basin this season that for the 2nd time in history the Greek alphabet has had to be dusted off for naming storms – and there are still 2 months to go!
Talking of Greece, the western Greek islands (Ionian in particular) have endured another Medicane (Mediterranean Hurricane) – the last being in 2018. Images of sunken and mangled yachts, plus quaysides and streets inundated with mud and rocks from the hillsides, are circulating on social media as cruising boats enjoying some late summer sailing in these popular islands are shocked by the intensity of the storm. Another blow for these Islands after suffering an already difficult tourist season.
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Bottlenecks
Long distance passages always have a certain amount of uncertainty: what will the weather be like?; will the crew all get on?; will any gear break? and so on. But in 2020 there are so many more unknowns: will we be able to get in?; will there be space to anchor?; will we be quarantined on arrival?; to name a few.
Cause for concern are the cruising community bottle necks that have been developing in many parts of the world. A large number of transient cruising boats have had to stay put where they wouldn’t normally be out of season. The Caribbean is one such place as only a few Islands offered options for hurricane season (with Trinidad still notably closed), meaning the area as a whole has a much higher concentration of summer cruisers than normal. Listen to a number of key yachting figures in the Caribbean discuss the current situation for cruising boats at this SSCA webinar on Atlantic and Caribbean cruising.
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Noonsite’s weather page has a great many links to useful articles that can help with your cyclone season planning. And as we get closer to the start of the Caribbean season we will be putting together a round up of Caribbean destinations and the entry procedures and Covid protocols that cruising boats can expect. You can see how the situation currently stands via Noonsite’s Covid-19 document, following the links to the country biosecurity section.
At the very least this transit season, it would be prudent to make sure your cruising budget permits all crew to have PCR tests prior to arrival in every new island/country (on average $120 a test), keep a log of crew health at all times (particularly on passage) and maintain evidence of any landfall you make. See more advice at preparing for a long passage during Covid.
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PANTAENIUS - Is it time you reviewed your boat insurance? |
For most of the year, your boat insurance is probably the last thing on your mind and rightly so, but it’s worth taking the time to check the fine print in your policy. The only way you know how good your insurance is, is when you come to claim and by then it may be too late.
As boat insurance specialists, Pantaenius offers market leading All Risks Hull cover and a dedicated Third Party Liability Policy, both of which offer comprehensive cover without unclear exclusions.
Why not join the 100,000 boat owners worldwide who enjoy the peace of mind a Pantaenius policy provides. Ask us for a quote
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2020 was always planned to be a big year for Noonsite as we were due to celebrate our 20th birthday and two decades of serving the cruising community with comprehensive information for enjoying the world’s oceans. No one could have seen that the year would in fact bring far less cause for celebration and the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic devastating the cruising plans of thousands. We are dedicated to continuing to bring you information that will inspire and facilitate your cruising plans, but wanted to remind you how you can get involved and support Noonsite too. Read how you can donate, advertise and contribute to keep Noonsite as the ultimate cruisers planning tool for many more decades to come.
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INSIGHTS: Boatschooling - Ages 4 to 12
Author Kate Laird has sailed with her husband and 2 daughters aboard their yacht SEAL since 2004, from Greenland to Antarctica to Alaska. She has boat-schooled her children throughout their school years. In part 1 of her series for INSIGHTS, Kate concentrates on schooling for ages 4 to 12 and allays some of the fears that first-time boat schooling parents might have. Part 2 will focus on high school age children.
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Anchorages Around the World |
Noonsite’s New Map, an alternative way to navigate around all the port information on the site, is starting to get well-populated with cruiser-recommended anchorages. Take a look by clicking on the blue pin icon to the right of the site followed by the magnifying glass on the left of the map. This gives you the option to view "All Anchorages", and while you are there add a few of your own favorite anchorages for others to benefit from.
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Favorite Links this Month |
An excellent way to slow-cook foods and save on fuel is retained-heat cooking. Practical Sailor give a few devices—commercial fabric bags, vacuum-insulated containers, and homemade setups using common household gear—a try, to see which of the energy-saving, time saving designs is the best option for galley service.
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With a wealth of free cruising guide downloads plus free cruising notes fed back by users of the RCCPF pilot books, this website is worth some time. Not to mention the excellent pilot books produced by the RCCPF, the profits from which are used, in part, to subsidize pilots covering areas of low demand.
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Boatwatch have implemented a great idea on their website where sailors can report things lost or found at sea that could help find the owner, and/or assist Coast Guard agencies, friends and families, and possibly aid with missing or overdue vessels, airplanes, etc. Take a look at the page and keep your eyes open for these objects at sea.
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This popular book covering the Caribbean from Grenada and Barbados to the Virgin Islands is a translation from Jacques Patuelli's original French version and published by Imray. Each island is dealt with in detail and pilotage notes are followed by tourist information and the usual data on formalities and facilities. Fully illustrated with plans and photos, the guide is packed with interesting and useful background information on the Caribbean- its history, tourism, geography and details on sailing in the islands..
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How to get more out of Noonsite
Whilst Noonsite continues to be a free resource, there are some ways you can get more involved with the site:
Donate to Noonsite:
If you have benefited from the information that the Noonsite team works tirelessly to provide for the cruising community, both before and during the COVID-19 crisis, please consider making a donation to support the site. Your contribution will ensure we can keep delivering updates regularly and help support the running costs of the site.
Register with Noonsite:
Quick and simple to set-up, registering on the site means you can contribute comments to all ports, countries and reports, post anchorages on the new mapping feature and take advantage of exclusive offers and discounts. Click on "login" to create a profile.
E-mail us with updates and reports:
For more detailed cruising reports and any cruising-related questions, contact the noonsite team directly at noonsite@noonsite.com.
For notification of site updates, new info, news and cruising articles.
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Don't want to sail home? Transport your yacht by ship |
If you want your boat back fast, then shipping may be the solution.
Companies like Peters & May arrange for your yacht to be shipped from the Caribbean to Northern Europe, Mediterranean or ports in the USA - from the Mediterranean to and from SE Asia and through the Pacific.
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Find Crew with Ocean Crew Link |
Need crew? Want to find new sailing buddies? Then visit Ocean Crew Link, the only crew connect website specifically for ocean voyaging.
Add your boat and opportunity and it will be emailed to over 11,000 sailors worldwide. If you want to find a boat, then hop aboard as we have over 150 active sailing opportunities open all the time.
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