COOLING OFF

Thankfully the height of summer in the northern hemisphere has seen cooler temperatures for many as thoughts turn to where to head to at the end of the season. With offshore passage planning rearing its head we talk about the importance of on-board safety plans this month; have more cruising legends; feature for the first time some popular questions the editorial team get frequently asked plus all our regular newsletter content.



If you have only just signed up for our newsletters and want to know what you’ve missed over the last few months, you can now view previous newsletters from this year at our Newsletter Archive Page. Plus, we have a new Orcas and Yachts Page where you can easily review all orca-related content on the site.

Now the world has moved into a new stage of living with COVID, this newsletter contains the final update on border openings and our long-standing reference document on the status of country borders has been archived. This can still be accessed via our Covid-19 page as can all the reports and news published throughout the pandemic and a great number of associated links.

We hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter and keep coming back to Noonsite.

Fair winds,

Sue and the Noonsite Team.

There are many factors to consider when preparing to sail offshore and due to the climate crisis, the majority are rapidly changing in various parts of the world already. Changes in the weather, global circulation, sea levels, navigation and the economics of long-distance cruising – all makes for thoughtful conversation and more strategic planning. Rick Ellis has written a two-part document outlining all these factors for the Bluewater Cruising Association and Part 1 has been published in their online magazine Currents this month.

Last month we highlighted the on-going Secchi Disk study (www.SecchiDisk.org) that has now been running for a decade through citizen science using sailors. Another great project that sailors worldwide can get involved with is reporting sightings of plastic pollution using the Marine Debris Tracker App. Debris Tracker started in partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, but the app is now used to track data both inland and on the coast.

To keep abreast of the latest news and compelling features on oceans and coasts around the globe don’t miss the free Ocean Digest with stories on sea life, climate change, fisheries, pollution, and innovation.

For more informative articles and useful links see the Noonsite Environment page.

In this new series we bring you stories from cruisers around the world who are taking part in local community projects and giving just a little bit back. The first in the series last month profiled Hope Fleet and their partnership with the SSCA to bring much-needed supplies to remote communities in the Caribbean. This month we profile a project in the Marshall Islands where cruiser Don Arkin and Tanner Smith from the Wellness Centre in Majuro are trying to find a solution to the diabetes problem that afflicts local residents by setting up an innovative way to grow fresh vegetables in a place without good soil. Fellow sailor Ken Cone reports on their project - growing vegetables in the air.

We’ve all met champions of the cruising lifestyle, those who quietly get on in the background dedicating their lives to helping sailors achieve their cruising goals. This month we meet Wade Alarie, a cruiser himself, who has dedicated a number of years to making the Red Sea Passage, to or from the Mediterranean, a much safer one for cruising boats.

Go small, go simple and go now! That was the motto of Larry and Lyn Pardey who have helped countless cruisers over the years with their wealth of books on the cruising lifestyle, now inducted into the US Sailing Hall of Fame.

Tell us who you think should be recognised for their services to cruisers at editor@noonsite.com and we’ll mention them in subsequent newsletters.

No one likes to talk about the darker side of cruising – the dangers, risks and precautions that have to be considered. Regular day sailing and coastal hopping can easily turn into a casual affair over time where safety gets overlooked in the familiarity of routes taken, regular anchorages and clement weather. However, safety should be part of your regular onboard routine, particularly once you start heading offshore and passaging overnight in less familiar waters. Discuss different scenarios with your crew, make time to develop an emergency plan, draw up a safety diagram and practice man overboard drill, even when the weather may suggest a more relaxed approach can be adopted.

The following articles of recent tragedies at sea concerning cruising boats demonstrate how a familiar, comfortable situation, can very quickly turn sour and dangerous unexpectedly and how we all need to be prepared for the worst in order to enjoy the best.

• Atlantic Ocean, NW Spain: French Sailor Survives 16 Hours in his Capsized Boat

• Atlantic: Tropical Storm Capsize and Rescue

• Grenada to Trinidad: Co-ordinated effort saves yacht in distress

Find useful safety articles and links at our Insights page and Safety and Medical page.

Tap into the Seven Seas Cruising Association’s knowledge base by going along to the 36th SSCA Annapolis Cruising Conference and Gam at the end of September, open to both members and non-members. This is a wonderful opportunity to garner top tips and advice from cruising experts as well as enjoy plenty of social events. Find out more at the SSCA website.

Buying your first boat is an exciting moment, however, once the euphoria of having a new floating home has dissipated the reality of all the extra costs starts to sink in. Insurance is one cost that many boat owners try to keep to a minimum, often a false economy and owners with older boats should be particularly careful not to under-insure. Some good advice here from a number of insurance companies on how to avoid the pitfalls when sourcing yacht insurance.

From double-handed to single-handed.

Although Kirsten and Ulrich Fingscheidt bought their boat "Easy", a Swan 44 MK II, together in 2019, with the dream of circumnavigating, by the time they arrived in the Canary Islands from their home in Niendorf on the Baltic Sea, Kirsten had decided that ocean passages were not for her. So now, Ulrich does the sailing, while Kirsten flies to meet him. Although this means they don't share passages together, Ulrich says, "It's an unusual approach which is working very well for us. We definitely have more quality time together than when I was still working." Ulrich has been sailing for 48 years and sold his doctor's practice in 2019 at which time he started living on Easy full time. During Covid, Ulrich was stuck on Bonaire where he became a Tech diver and Dive Instructor. Currently he is in French Polynesia (July 2022) where he sailed to from Panama in just 35 days.

More information, including the link to Ulrich's YouTube channel, can be found at: https://www.sveasy.de/

Pacific:

Are you cruising with your dog on board but reluctant to take them across the Pacific because of the onerous pet regulations? Dutch cruisers Sanne and Marijn have their dog Heros on board and found the process to import their dog into French Polynesia lengthy, but very straightforward. They encourage other dog owners to do the same and have shared their experience with Noonsite.

Next month sees the departure of World ARC (WARC) from Darwin, Australia after a three-year postponement due to closed borders. If you and your boat can reach Darwin by early September, a late entry is still possible subject to boat size and type. The 2023 edition of WARC has proved so popular that for the first time ever World Cruising Club are offering two starts: one for circumnavigators in early January and the second for yachts heading into the Pacific 6 weeks later. Find out more at the WCC Summer Update.

International cruisers in Fiji can enjoy Fiji Regatta Week next month, now in its 38^th year. Join more than 100 international yachts for a week of fun, sailing and entertainment in Musket Cove.

From the Solomon Islands, Hilde Larsen of SV Amiga who has been cruising Isabel and Western Province for 3 years, reports that Noel Hudson who ran Liapari Marina and was well known to many cruisers, died in February 2022 but his wife Rosie and dog Sasha are still there to greet sailors. The marina has new owners who intend to keep Liapari running as a safe marina and anchorage for sailors from around the world. Hilde also reports that the port of Noro is getting a new marina with travel lift and other services planned. Hilde has a website and is happy to assist sailors heading to the Solomons: www.bluewater-sailing.de

For Pacific cruisers planning where to go next as the end of season approaches, the Down Under Rally and Scarborough Marina are holding a free Sailing To Australia Information Session in Noumea, New Caledonia in October. If New Zealand is your chosen destination then look into the Kia Ora Rendezvous, organised by C&OC, which gives cruisers resources and tools to make the passage from the South Pacific to New Zealand and culminates with festival events in Opua and Marsden Cove in November.

Yachts on passage to Australia via Papua New Guinea should research carefully where is safe to stopover as certain areas should be avoided. SY Screensaver, while stopping over in PNG on passage to Australia recently, were boarded by armed men in Kandrian, New Britain, PNG, and badly injured.

Indian:

If on your way to South Africa, remember that MN4-22 of 4th May 2022 issued by SAMSA and Department of Transport stipulates that ALL small craft entering South Africa from international waters MUST register online through www.osasa.org.za for pre-arrival authorisation before entering the first Port of Entry. See Noonsite’s South Africa Formalities for full details.

Any cruisers wanting to join the WhatsApp group “Sail to South Africa 2022” run by OSASA should send their boat name and phone number to sailingjenny1@gmail.com. OSASA report, “It looks as if we will have a full season for 2022/3 – both the Oyster World Rally and the continuation of the World ARC are planning to make extensive stops in South Africa at the end of 2022, the Cape 2 Rio leaves again Jan 2023, and the Ocean Race arrives in Cape Town in Feb 2023. The Golden Globe does not call, but passes through a “media gate” off Cape Town, sometime in December.”

Caribbean Sea:

While many yachts are heading to Trinidad for boat work this month there are some cruisers concerned about the security risks. Jesse James, long-time supporter of the cruising community in Trinidad, addresses those concerns and gives Noonsite an update on security and safety issues for yachts visiting Trinidad. Plus Tera and Pieter Houting who plan to haul-out for the hurricane season in Trinidad provide the latest on the process and procedures when checking into the country.

Cruisers visiting Grenada should note that there are currently only 2 ports of entry: one on Grenada and the other in Carriacou. Full details at Grenada Formalities. Clarke’s Court Bay in the south is a popular meeting point for yachts heading to Trinidad and the Cruisers Net at 0730 on VHF Ch. 66 is a good place to find buddy boats.

Denise Simpson, cruiser contact in the Dominican Republic, strongly recommends all cruisers who passage in the Caribbean obtain WhatsApp for at least initial contact with land locations. Its works Caribbean wide, via cell or WiFi, and the majority of locals use this app to communicate. Denise also shared a free hurricane checklist, compiled by cruisers in Luperon, DR, who pooled ideas about how best to prepare boats in anticipation of a hurricane.

A number of security incidents have been reported to the Caribbean Security and Safety Net this month by yachts who have suffered theft from their boats of items that were unsecured (including fuel cans on deck, fuel cans from dinghies, fishing gear and even shoes). Keep your gear safe and out of sight.

Atlantic:

Orca activity continues in the waters off the western Iberian peninsula and sadly this month a yacht sank after taking on water following rudder damage by a group of juveniles. The orcas were encountered at night, off Sines, in southern Portugal. If you are transiting this coast, reference our new Orcas and Yachts page in cruising resources which contains all the news and reports posted to date on Noonsite concerning Orca interactions, plus has a number of links to useful online reporting sites. Be sure to know before you go and understand fully where the orcas are prevalent at the time of year of your transit and the recommended advice of what actions to take. Read the classic “Last Voyage of the Lucette” about the Robertson's yacht which was also sunk by orcas in the 1970’s. The family survived 38 days in the Pacific before being rescued.

Yachts heading to Brazil should follow the Brazil Task Force WhatsApp group which includes all coastal volunteers.

Mediterranean:

Reports from members of the Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation (RCCPF) are that Turkey is getting busy with popular bays getting taken over by noisy party boats (day trippers) and Gocek Bay in particular "overrun with yachts".

They also report that while EU law may have stated that any UK boat in European waters on Brexit day effectively has EU VAT paid status, this does not appear to be recognised by the majority of officials in Italy and Greece, who still insist in issuing a transit log to these boats (in Italy a Costituto).

The RCCPF welcomes feedback to help keep their guides as up to date as possible. Anyone can do this online at www.rccpf.org.uk in the publications section. Feedback is forwarded to the author(s) of the relevant publication(s) and then posted as Cruising Notes. Free correctional supplements for many RCCPF books are also available on the website.

ASK NOONSITE

Q: Can you tell me what countries around the world require pre-entry documentation?

A: There are many countries that require arriving yachts to send pre-arrival notification and documents. Fortunately, on Noonsite details can easily be found by going to the desired country (use the type a country box at the top of every page or go to our country by region page) and viewing the opening Facts section. If a country requires advance notice/documents it will be noted here under "Important pre-arrival information" at the top of Facts. For example, at the top of Fiji Facts it says "Important pre-arrival information: Fiji Customs and Health require an Advance Notice of Arrival. See Formalities for all the details." The Facts page is free, however if you need to enter Formalities to view specific details non-members are limited to only 3 views a month. To get unlimited access to all Formalities on the site for a small monthly fee you can sign up at our Membership Levels page.

Maritime borders open:

Following two years of border closures, Kiribati was one of several Pacific island nations that reopened to international travel and tourism this month. The border reopening is expected to revive the nation’s tourism sector, which like the rest of the Pacific was hard hit by the pandemic. Joining Kiribati are Samoa, Easter Island, the Solomons and FSM. More so than any other countries however, opening rules are slow to be announced and actioned and it’s advisable to wait until the dust has settled before heading for these newly opened small nations after so long closed.

The much-awaited opening of New Zealand’s maritime borders also happened this month, however currently the only port of entry is Opua in the Bay Islands.

Tonga’s borders are expected to open in October after a closure of two and a half years, greatly welcomed not just by cruisers, but also by local Tongans who have suffered dreadfully with their tourist businesses and the devastation that followed the eruption of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai (HTHH) volcano on 15 January this year. Much of Tongatapu and Ha'apai is still recovering and domestic fibre will not be replaced until June 2023. Greg Just of Café Tropicana in Vavau has further updates for cruisers and says “We have been closed for two and a half years, our economy is running on fumes, please visit Tonga and support us in Vava'u and Ha'apai when maritime borders reopen.”

All restrictions lifted:

This month all Covid related travel restrictions have been removed in the Indian Ocean Territories and in St. Helena, however they do ask that anyone considering traveling to these remote islands do become fully vaccinated before arrival. Restrictions have also been lifted in France and all French overseas territories except Wallis & Futuna.

On August 10th, OCC Port Officer Victor Wejer reported that the first sail boats had entered the Northwest Passage which is now open for sailing, and the first two sail boats entered the Canadian restricted harbour of Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territory and were cleared by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for free entry with no restrictions.

Still Closed:

Japan entered a seventh Covid surge this month postponing the start of a campaign to promote domestic tourism. There are some rumours of an October 1st opening, but our contact in Japan Kirk Patterson thinks it will probably be more like late fall or even January 1st. All of which makes it hard for the many cruisers trying to make yes/no decisions on whether to prepare for entering Japan next spring (the normal time to arrive in Japan).

Now the world has moved into a new stage of living with COVID, this will be the final update on border openings and our long-standing reference document on the status of country borders will be archived - although still accesible via our Covid-19 page.

OTHER NEWS

Bahamas: Oil Spill

Martinique: Dinghy Theft

Philippines: Pirates Board Sailing Vessel

Safety: Product Recall on Lifejackets sold via Amazon

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Fuel Stolen from Yacht at Anchor

UK Formalities for Pleasure Craft: New Digital Reporting Service

UK: Hydrographic Office to Phase Out Paper Charts

Liferafts Explained - World Cruising Club Online Seminar Series

To help understand the optimum raft for keeping your crew safe, WCC have joined forces with Ocean Safety and Hamble School of Yachting to help guide you through the common questions when choosing a raft.

Marine Weather Forecasting - Practical Sailor

Safety at sea hinges on our ability to predict what lies ahead. Even though the last decade has seen an exponential growth in the availability of accurate weather forecasts, the sailor still needs to know how to read and respond to the data available in an analysis or forecast.

Finding a Way Forward – Cruising World

James Frederick's 32 days alone across the Pacific included 1,000 miles without a rudder.

All I wish I knew before setting sail

A beginners’ guide for short and long-distance cruising in the digital age. The author shares his experience of crossing the Pacific Ocean in an inexpensive, good old boat and provides solid advice for each step along the way.

Become a Member:

Starting from just $2.99/month you can benefit from enhanced access to key areas of Noonsite via our membership program. Your subscription will help keep the site on the web as part of a growing community of supporters. Our free membership is available to all but does come with a ‘fair use’ policy limiting access to country formalities each month. Enjoy unlimited access via our Basic Membership for just $2.99 a month, which also gives you the Noonsite community map, where you can view at a glance marine services worldwide, ports of entry and post your favorite anchorages. Noonsite Premium Membership add offline access to port and country formalities information to use when on passage. 

We want to hear from you:

If you have enjoyed and found useful the reports, articles and port/country information on Noonsite, then get in touch and share your own cruising experiences. Tell us about the country/ports you are currently cruising and share your experiences (good or bad).

Any cruising-related questions are welcome, contact the noonsite team directly at noonsite@noonsite.com. 

Follow us on Twitter: @NoonsiteEditor  

Join our 2500 plus followers for notification of site updates, new cruising reports and news and other cruising-related tweets we find of interest.