Noonsite August Sailing News and Updates |
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Inevitably as summer in the northern hemisphere starts to wind down to Autum and Spring begins in the southern hemisphere, boat owners start thinking about where to head next. Another passage season is looming, for some to find warmer weather, for others to find safe haven or just a change of scene. For many, the time is coming to stop cruising for a while, pack the boat up somewhere secure and become land based for a period, reconnecting with family and friends.
Hopefully this month’s newsletter will inspire you to try somewhere new, explore further and gain more cruising miles under your keel. It's packed full of wonderful cruising reports from around the world, news and feedback from our users. If you find time, tell us about your cruising this season and share some of your favourite places with other Noonsite followers.
Wishing you all fair winds,
Sue and the Noonsite Team
Editor@noonsite.com
Previous newsletters can be viewed here.
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SY Uhuru of London cruised Vanuatu for 3 months from May to August 2023 and have only good things to say about the country as a cruising destination.
Owner James Ashwell comments, “It truly amazes us how there aren’t way more cruisers here. The country is in the top 3 of the 30 countries we have visited in the 6 years we have been cruising. It is no exaggeration to say that this is how many of us imagined the Pacific to be 50 years ago, but incredibly, it is truly like that here.”
James reports that they felt very safe and the people were incredibly friendly. Cruising-wise the prevailing winds allow you to sail downwind from Tana all the way to the Torres Island, and due to the shape of the island chain much of the sailing is in calm seas relative to the wind strength. “There is also a huge amount to see in Vanuatu, so allow a lot more time than you expect!”, James continues. “Each island is rich in culture and the more effort you make to leave the anchorage and explore, the richer the experience you will have.”
See James’ detailed Vanuatu cruising report here.
Since the NWP was first crossed by Arctic explorer Roald Amundsen in 1906, more people have stood on the summit of Everest than have traversed the passage by water. The famed waterways were closed to sailors for several years, first due to the Pandemic and then when the Canadian Government extended their ban on pleasure craft and cruiser vessels. In 2021, only five vessels made it through the seven possible routes, in 2022 twenty seven were successful.
OCC Port Officer for the NWP, Victor Wejer, shares his overview on the 30 plus yachts currently tackling the North West Passage. Ice conditions show nearly all the Arctic with no ice, unlike anything seen since 2011. Read Victor’s report here.
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In this section of the newsletter we tend to talk about cruisers who have helped out locals in the islands and countries they sail to, with land-based projects. However, this month we are going to profile three cruising couples who have helped out fellow yachties by sharing files and charts online. All are circumnavigators and long-term liveaboards and give their experience and catalogues of information freely to help support the cruising community.
Bruce Balan and Alene D. Rice of SV Migration:
The Chart Locker is a free resource where cruisers can download satellite and nautical charts in MBTile format for use with OpenCPN. Currently they cover all of the Pacific Coast of Mexico, Central America and most of the island groups of the South Pacific, plus Bermuda. Bruce and Alene’s website also has lots of free resources for sailors.
Sherry and Dave McCampbell of SV Soggy Paws:
After more than 10 years of using satellite imagery for close-in navigation, Sherry and Dave have created a large collection of satellite charts covering the Red Sea, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Philippines and Eastern Indonesia, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands and French Polynesia. Their website has lots of interesting articles, downloads and files about the places they have visited.
Jon and Sue Hacking of SV Ocelot:
Jon and Sue have been cruising for more than 40 years and have compiled an extensive library of charts that cover more than 30 countries in the Caribbean, Pacific and Indonesia. They encourage sailors to get involved with their crowd-sourced chart exchange by not only downloading what Ocelot have to offer, but also sharing their own charts to expand the library. Their website has cruising information (track files, equipment, cruising with teens, provisions, FAQs etc.) plus landfall information for the Caribbean, Pacific and Indian oceans.
Volunteers Needed in Palmerston (Cook Islands):
As a footnote, we have an appeal to cruisers who can assist with diving work in the South Pacific. Palmerston Island Council have confirmed that they have the material and budget for six new moorings, however, they do not have any scuba gear or compressor to fill tanks for divers to secure mooring chains to reef outcrops. Any yachts planning to visit the remote island of Palmerston in September, when the island re-opens, with dive equipment on board, are asked to help if at all possible. Contact Arthur Neale at palmerstonoffice@gmail.com.
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Great to see that many more of you are posting comments, feedback and recommendations on the site. Look for the speech bubble icon on port and country pages (in the blue bar top and bottom) and on reports and news. Simply click on the icon to post a comment (you must be logged in first to do this), or to read comments left by others. This feedback is invaluable, and helps fellow Noonsite users learn about great stopovers, good marine companies plus see the reality of the situation when undertaking formalities. While we post official rules, they often can vary from port to port - so keep up the great feedback and help those following in your wake understand the process better.
Some of the best comments posted this month include:
1. Tim Hansing comments on Seychelles: “We had a fabulous 5 month stay here in Seychelles and used Eden Island Marina as a base. I cannot praise the team at the marina enough”. Read more.
2. Hugh Scarth comments on Sint Maarten: “On clearing out of the country the fees charged at Great Bay are dramatically greater than those charged at Simpson Bay.” Read more.
3. Uhuru of London comments on Solomon Islands: “The Ngella Islands was one of the most special and memorable anchorages of our 5-year Pacific crossing.” Read more.
We had a query recently from a cruiser wondering where our courtesy flag information had gone, as it’s not so visible in the latest version of the site. The country flags are still there, along with the discount offered by YachtFlags.com and can be found on the information section at both port and country level (click on the “i” icon). Below the navigation section is the courtesy flag for that country and a link to discounts.
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How to choose your next Anchor Chain
Incidents of an anchor chain failing while a yacht is at anchor are extremely rare, but reports of yachts coming adrift from their anchor are becoming more frequent. So, when deciding on the best anchor chain for your yachting adventure, there are five big questions to be asked, as discussed in this article by Jimmy Green Marine.
Marine Diesel Basics
While we are talking about important equipment on board, don’t miss this great website for lots of free advice and manuals for all things marine diesel. There are free checklists, manuals, videos, articles and tips.
Cruising Equipment – What’s your most valuable list
What equipment could you simply not do without when going bluewater cruising? In this post we link to some cruisers’ blogs that discuss their most valuable pieces of cruising equipment. If you have an article/blog/video about your favourite and most useful items on board, send us the link with a line or 2 about your cruising so far.
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Pacific:
Hurricane Hilary which formed south of Mexico's Baja Peninsula earlier this month, became the first tropical storm in more than 80 years to make landfall in Southern California according to the United States National Weather Service.
In early August a series of wildfires broke out in the U.S. state of Hawaii, predominantly on the island of Maui, estimated to be the largest natural disaster the state of Hawaii has seen. The blazes killed dozens, displaced thousands of others and wiped out communities. The historic town of Lahaina on Maui, a tourism hub, historic whaling village and popular with cruisers, has been burnt to the ground and approx. 80% of the community has been destroyed.
There are new visa rules for some nationalities in French Polynesia. All holders of Swiss, Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland passports are now limited to a stay of only 90 days in French Polynesia, unless they arrive with a visa. Visas can only be obtained in Panama or in your home country prior to arrival. There are cases where the spouses and family members of EU passport holders qualify for a temporary residency permit, as long as the EU citizenship is not from France. See French Polynesia Immigration for more details.
After leaving Niue, Allen and Maria’s next stop was Neifau in Vava’u, Tonga, a popular destination for boats heading west from French Polynesia. Their Tonga report outlines cruising options, but also covers local customs and rules which cruisers need to be mindful of.
Many yachts stop over in Suwarrow on the way from French Polynesia to Tonga – a convenient island in the Northern Cooks to break up the passage, but not a port of entry. Application must be made prior to arrival to Cook Island Customs to gain permission to enter there first. Reports have been coming in from disappointed cruisers who have been denied permission, meaning a further 350NM of sailing to the first official port of entry for the Cooks at Aitutaki. There are rumours that cruisers have arrived in Suwarrow without permission and have been permitted to enter, however, Suwarrow Island is NOT a nominated Customs Port of Entry and authorization to go there MUST be obtained from the Controller of Customs in advance. Failure to arrive without authorization is a criminal offense.
Also in the Cook Islands, Biosecurity Inspection fees on arrival go up from NZ$ 20 to NZ $50 on 1 September (NZ $75 if you arrive out of hours).
Fiji Immigration are concerned that most yachts arriving in and departing Fiji waters do not follow the correct procedures. The Fiji Immigration Act 2003 states: “The master of a ship which is due to arrive in the Fiji Islands from a place outside the Fiji Islands, or which is about to depart from the Fiji Islands, must give to an Immigration officer at least 24-hours notice, in writing, of the expected arrival or departure date. If a ship is due to arrive in the weekend or holiday, the period of notice required is at least 48 hours”.
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Kirk Patterson of Konpira Consulting reports that interest in cruising Japan is “hotting up”. With no clearance fees and greatly simplified entry procedures, plus no limit on how long a foreign yacht can stay in the country, Kirk reports that a diverse group of cruisers are currently enjoying all that Japan has to offer. While it is typhoon season in Japan (typically July to October), cruising is still possible as Japan has very well-built harbors/marinas and an excellent early-warning system, allowing cruisers to seek safe harbor when a typhoon is approaching and then stay there until the danger has passed. “I generally recommend that clients stay in/near the Seto Inland Sea (well protected from most typhoons) or cruise northern Japan (typhoons usually weaken by the time they get there)” Kirk told Noonsite. “I check 6 different typhoon forecasts every morning and then advise them on whether or not they need to seek safe harbor. One can cruise in typhoon season, you just have to be watchful and cautious.” Plans are underway for the Japan Rally which starts in Okinawa next March. Contact Kirk for details.
Rob Hurlow of SY Capaz, has just finished a second cruising season in Japan. Rob told Noonsite, “We sailed from Fukuoka up the west coast to Otaru Marina, in Hokkaido adjacent to Sapporo and were able to harbor hop the entire way with no overnight passages. In May the weather and wind conditions were mostly fine as the southern monsoon winds had started. We were able to get the equivalent of a Japanese cruising permit and were not required to check in to any ports along the way. Otaru Marina in Hokkaido is a wonderful marina and we are leaving our boat there for another off season. Overall crusing in Japan has been a delight. We have been met with wonderfully kind and curious local people, love the food and affordable prices.”
See some other useful links to blogs and websites produced by cruisers that have visited Japan in our Japan Links section.
As the end of the season in the South Pacific approaches, some boats may well consider Japan an option for the summer, others head south to New Zealand and/or Australia. Island Cruising NZ has just launched a rally for yachts sailing south to NZ which joins up with the final leg of their Pacific rally. The accompanying webinar is free and has lots of useful information for boat owners who want to sail independently and those interested in joining the rally, including passage planning, weather systems, entry procedures for NZ and much more. You can also see what sailing in the South Island is all about with Island Cruising's free South Island webinar..
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China Sea:
Having spent the past four years exploring Malaysia and Indonesia, long-term Belgian cruiser Luc Callebaut shares his notes on some of the favourite places he and partner Jackie have visited in this popular cruising area.
Well known cruisers Liz and Jamie of Followtheboat have an interesting Vlog on how the Indonesian Throughflow from the Pacific Ocean effects the waters of this vast region. The currents around Lombok, where they are currently cruising, regularly run at 3 knots, even making it to 10 knots on occasion. Sailing here is impossible if you’re trying to go through the wrong way at the wrong time.
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Indian:
Cruiser Kjell Dreyer has just arrived in Rodrigues, Mauritius, after a 2-week passage from Cocos Keeling. He reports clearing in there is straightforward with minimal fees, although international clearance does have to be undertaken all over again when arriving in Port Louis, the main port of entry (no fees there).
Phil and Kim Seeley are currently cruising Tanzania and have posted useful comments about the various ports they have visited: Zanzibar; Tanga and Dar es Salaam.
Rower Rob Barton arrived in Tanzania last month after becoming the first person to row non-stop from Australia to Africa. His router, father Peter Barton, told Noonsite; “I used Noonsite for a couple of weeks when my son, Rob, was approaching the African coast in the middle of last month. He left Geraldton in Western Australia at the end of April in a 21ft rowing boat and reached Tanga in Tanzania less than three months later. Rob had intended to arrive in Dar es Salam, but the current swept him past and took him to Tanga. Rob had GPS on board but did not have full access to the internet. With the help of Noonsite I was able to give him the information that he needed. I sailed round the world in the 1980s and 1990s with my wife. I wish Noonsite had been there to help us!”
The South African coast from Richards Bay to Cape Town is considered one of the most dangerous in the world due to weather patterns, currents and extremely limited safe anchorages. South African weather router, Des Cason, provides essential cruising notes for those headed that way.
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Red Sea:
It seems Port Said, in Egypt (north of the Suez Canal), is still best-avoided as reports come in from cruisers who have cleared into Egypt there. Not only are the yacht club moorings greatly affected by the wash of traffic leaving the canal, but you are likely to be charged whatever the numerous officials think they can get away with.
Also in Egypt, the Suez Canal Authorities have decreed that from 15 September, 2023, any yacht that wishes to transit the Suez Canal directly without stopping as usual at the Ismalia Yacht Club, must pay a lump sum of USD $5,000 regardless of tonnage (this type of transit can only be attempted if the yacht’s speed is not less than 7 knots). Stopping at Ismalia Marina currently is free of charge as there are on-going construction and renovation works, so all yachts have to anchor. In the past, the cost of a night in the marina ranged between $18 and $25. A regular canal transit (2 days with an overnight stay in Ismailia) costs from $250 to $600, depending on the yacht’s tonnage. See Suez Canal Transit info. for more details.
SY Leeloawadee are heading south out of the Red Sea and report; “We left Djibouti on August 25th towards Socotra. All weather models are more or less wrong in this area. We stayed between the two traffic zones heading East. There are warships all over, even from China. A Japanese airplane flew over us one time checking in and contacted us on channel 16. We checked in daily by email to UKMTO and got a return message after minutes. A Spanish Frigate sent me an e-mail with contact details of all officers on duty and asked me to contact them for any help or in case anything suspicious happened. We felt safe all the time and had no issues while under way in the Gulf of Aden.”
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Caribbean Sea:
Cruisers report dredging operations are underway in Little Bay, Montserrat (the port of entry), making anchoring very difficult and uncomfortable. The Montserrat Yacht Club report that this is part of the port expansion project which will eventually see a new protective breakwater, marina, port facilities and ferry port.
Two Caribbean countries, St. Lucia and Curacao, have now moved their Immigration forms online, which can be completed by all crew in advance. Both these countries use the online system SailClear, as well, for pre-arrival customs clearance.
Visiting the French Islands (Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Martin etc. is probably the simplest clearance procedures you’ll come across in the Caribbean. Customs clearance computers are widely spread in many locations and online clearance is quick and easy – normally for a nominal charge of just 5 euros. Plus, the baguettes and croissants are to die for! Remember, however, that departments of France all require you to clear out of one before sailing to another.
Hugh Scarth of SY White Pearl 1, points out that clearing out of Sint Maarten (the Dutch side of St. Martin) is best avoided in Great Bay where fees are absurdly high. “We had moved from from Simpson Bay to Great Bay in April, where we anchored for about 4 nights and then checked out from the office at the port. We were shocked to be told that the fee was going to be more than US$400. The fee is a multiple of the length of the boat, 16.6m, and the gross tonnage, 56 tons, times a base rate. This is far greater than Simpson Bay. The officer in Great Bay was very apologetic and gave us a cut rate. She explained that the fees are set by the port and not the national government. One would think that the fees would be the same at both ports. In contrast, the fees on the French side are €5!”
Due to low water levels at Gatun Lake resulting from the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, the Panama Canal Authority is only transiting an average of 32 vessels per day until at least September. While delays are substantial for larger vessels, yacht delays (un-booked transit) are in the range of 2 to 6/7 days. It is strongly recommended to check with your agent if you are planning to transit the canal soon.
The Caribbean Safety and Security Net (CSSN) have reported on a nasty incident that happened back in May to a sailboat on transit from Colombia to Panama. After choosing to overnight in a bay at Isla Tortuguilla – the only boat there – and locking up for the night, they were boarded at 2200 hours by several men with automatic weapons. Forced to open up, the men ransacked the yacht and then forced the crew ashore at gunpoint and held them hostage overnight. The next morning the crew were returned to their yacht and the men stole their outboard engine.
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Atlantic:
The Atlantic hurricane season is now in full swing. Hurricane Idalia is the ninth named storm to form in the Atlantic in 2023 and made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend yesterday. On August 10, NOAA revised their estimate for the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season predicting 14 to 21 storms, which is up from the 12 to 17 named storms they forecast in their May 2023 outlook. There were 14 named storms in 2022 after two extremely busy Atlantic hurricane seasons in which forecasters ran out of names and had to resort to backup lists. (A record 30 named storms formed in 2020.)
The build up to the World Cruising Club’s 2023 ARC season has begun with the first boats already arrived in Las Palmas Marina in the Canary Islands, positioning early for the November departures. Read WCC’s summer update and August News.
This month orcas have begun their migration north around the Iberian peninsula, with yacht interactions reported off Northern Spain in the Gulf of Bizkaia off the Basque coast. In a change of behaviour, orcas have also been sighted inside the rias of the Rias Baixas for the first time in many years (in both Ria de Arousa and Ria de Vigo). A French yacht was intercepted by orcas in between the islands of Salvora and Ons (at the mouth of Ria de Arousa) in 60m depths on 19 August with limited damage.
Galicia has also seen Portuguese Man of War appear in their coastal waters in August, a very rare sight - some with tentacles as long as 5 metres. These jellyfish are common in tropical and sub-tropical open water, although in the last few years they have also been found around the Mediterranean coast. But why now in Galicia? Winds and currents play their part with many southerlies this summer on the Atlantic coast, plus sea temperatures are much warmer. There are also declining numbers of turtles who are their main predator.
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Mediterranean:
An increasing number of orca interactions are also being seen in the Mediterranean east of Gibraltar, including one off Ceuta in Spanish North Africa and another near Marbella in southern Spain. This is more new behaviour by the orcas this year, as previously they have only been involved in incidents in Atlantic waters.
This past weekend the Spanish Balearics were shaken by strong storms and near-hurricane-force winds as the extreme heat over the Mediterranean begins to break down. A strong cold front, in conjunction with a rapidly deepening area of low pressure, led to severe thunderstorms racing through the islands towards Sardinia. Palm trees were toppled and boats broke loose as wind gusts of 66mph (106kmph) were recorded.
Nobody knows the Greek seas better than Rod and Lucinda Heikell, who have researched and produced pilot books, in particular the Greek Waters Pilot, for years. This excellent interview with them both in online magazine “Greece Is” demonstrates how Greece has held their fascination for so many years.
Wondering where to head for the winter in the Mediterranean? Check out our Wintering in the Med article which covers every possible bolt hole with links to reports from cruisers who have wintered there. Help us keep this current and useful by reporting where you spent last winter – just drop us an e-mail or post a comment on the article.
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Cruising and Nudity
This month, regular Insights contributor US sailor Alison Gieschen, tells some funny anecdotes about encountering nudity when cruising. Alison and her husband Dan are half-way through a planned 10-year sailing odyssey around the globe. Growing up in America where experiences of being naked outside are very limited, they have found venturing worldwide has been quite a culture shock when it came to others’ views on the appropriate dress code for sailing. In this article she recounts five of the most embarrassing situations involving nudity during their sailing adventures.
It should be noted that Alison’s experiences were in Europe and in many places around the world sunbathing topless, partially naked, or naked is received very differently. Research rules and regulations carefully for the next country on your list to ensure you are following local customs and not doing anything illegal.
Regular Noonsite Contributor Maria Wadsworth recently visited Tonga. She comments; “I wanted to mention about the local customs and laws that some people seem not to be aware of. In Neiafu we saw at least 2 cruisers naked on their boats, maybe people are not aware that it is illegal in Tonga. We also saw cruisers water skiing in the town harbour on a Sunday whilst wearing hardly anything, apparently this is unacceptable and disrespectful to the local customs. Read more in Maria’s Tonga report and find out more about Tonga local customs here.
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The Oosterschelde, a traditional three-masted Dutch schooner, set sail from Plymouth (England) mid-August to retrace the route taken by the Beagle almost two centuries previously. Two hundred young naturalists from 200 countries will spend time on board studying an animal or plant that Charles Darwin studied in the port they visit, in particular studying significant changes over the last 2 centuries. The Oosterschelde is to be used as a floating laboratory and media platform and it is hoped new ideas and strategies will be developed to improve conservation efforts and better-protect the selected animals and plants.
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LINKS WE LIKE FROM AROUND THE WEB |
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Offshore Windfarms
The rapid development of offshore windfarms makes it hard for charts, pilots and supplements to keep up to date and similar problems have been reported with electronic charts. The Global Offshore Renewable map website provides comprehensive and up to date information which is useful for passage planning.
Ocean Tactics – Weather
John Martin of C&OC Intl. spells out the necessary ingredients on how to get it right when planning a passage in the fringe periods or out of season.
Sailing in the Agulhas Current – South Africa
A good outline of what to expect from the mighty Agulhas current, by Oyster Yachts, vital knowledge when route planning after landfall in Durban or Richards Bay.
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By the Cruising Association
If North West Europe is in your sights for cruising next year, then you can’t go wrong with the Cruising Almanac, first published in 1909 and updated annually. Covering NW Europe from the Shetlands in the north to Gibraltar in the south and from the Baltic in the east to the west coast of Ireland, it remains the perfect onboard companion for cruising sailors.
Based on first-hand experience and official data, all the content, including text, plans and tidal data, is checked and updated for each new edition. Over 750 port entries sit alongside readily identifiable blue boxed passage notes, enabling easy access to the information you need, both for passage planning and whilst at sea.
The 2024 edition is available soon and introduced by Mike Golding, OBE, who reminds us that “The Cruising Almanac provides that ‘hard copy’ information which today’s electronic navigators so frequently lack.” This new edition includes some changes to the presentation of essential information to make it more readily accessible. A new chapter for Northwest Spain has been created to allow more extensive overall coverage of the Spanish and Portuguese Atlantic coasts.
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How to get more out of Noonsite |
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While the majority of Noonsite continues to be a free resource, there are some ways you can get more enhanced viewing and more involved with the site: |
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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.
E-mail us with updates and reports:
For more than just a comment, send us your detailed cruising reports and experiences around the world to publish on Noonsite and share with the community. Help us keep Noonsite accurate by feeding back any port updates or experiences of first-arrival in a new country. Any cruising-related questions are welcome, contact the noonsite team directly at noonsite@noonsite.com.
Join our nearly 3000 followers for notification of site updates, new cruising reports and news and other cruising-related tweets we find of interest.
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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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