New to Cruising

Let’s talk about dinghy and outboard theft...

On a weekly basis we receive reports (predominantly from the Caribbean via the Caribbean Safety and Security Net) of cruisers that have lost their dinghy and outboard to thieves. Too often these are unsecured dinghies and outboards that are either tied to the yacht at anchor - during the day or even overnight – or tied to a dinghy dock ashore. However, thieves are not perturbed by a dinghy and outboard that have been hauled out of the water and will even attempt to steal them if they are not secured efficiently. Effective dinghy and outboard security tethers should be used so that opportunist thieves bypass your yacht and target a yacht that has paid little attention to securing their valuables. Ignore what others “appear” to be doing with their dinghies and outboards and develop a security system that you can easily use every time you leave your “boat car” unattended, wherever in the world you are cruising. BoatWatch offer good advice on dinghy and outboard security and the online magazine All at Sea have this month published a useful article, full of tips and advice, on Cruising the Caribbean Safely.

Your cruising questions answered...

If you’re interested in ocean sailing and would like to find out what it’s really like – what equipment you need (and what’s nice to have), provisioning and life onboard, routes and timings – come along to one of World Cruising Club’s FREE events at the Southampton and Annapolis boat shows. The presentations include a question-and-answer session with a panel of experienced skippers and marine experts, plus time for mingling and conversation. Places are limited so please register in advance.

The Salty Dawg series of Fall webinars to increase bluewater knowledge begin on 3 September, open to non-members. Topics include lithium batteries, working while cruising, deck and rig passage prep. and much more. Sign up here.

The Bluewater Cruising Association are offering a 4-hour webinar in September for anyone wanting to learn more about their entire marine diesel system – from the fuel deck fill to the propeller. The course will guide you through an understanding of how things work as well as maintenance best practices. Find out more here. See other BCA courses and events.

Join a Rally for your first offshore passage or complex cruising areas...

The World Cruising Club 2025 rallies were launched this month and are now open for entries, including the 40th edition of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) which has run every year since 1986.

Two rallies have been launched for exploring Japan in 2025. The Japan Yacht Rally (JYR) running mid-March to June, takes cruisers from the south to the north of Japan, positioning them to continue on to Alaska and beyond (one slot available however a waiting list will be maintained). The Setouchi Yacht Rally (SYR) brings Japanese and foreign cruisers together to explore the beautiful Seto Inland Sea, tentatively taking place most of May with complete information available by the end of September. Maximum of 8 boats accepted, a priority list is being maintained. A 6-month Around Japan Rally (circumnavigation) is planned for 2026, with already one boat on the priority list. Find out more.

Pacific Ocean

Australia: The Port of Darwin at the “top end” of Australia (see pic) is a popular entry and exit point for vessels arriving from and departing to South East Asia. Regular Noonsite contributor, Dominique Cabarroque, experienced a seamless and friendly clearance process, but with some very strict Biosecurity requirements. Read her report here.

New Zealand: The New Zealand Customs Service has several updates for cruisers planning to visit New Zealand, including the new Digital Traveller Declaration, requirements on Pre-Arrival Documentation and changes to Border Levy Charges. See further information here.

Papua New Guinea: Tragic news this month when a French solo sailor was murdered on board his yacht while waiting for a weather window in Milne Bay, in the SE corner of Papua New Guinea. The perpetrators – local “raskels” - then sank the yacht. Local police are quoted as saying “there can be no excuse for this type of opportunistic and pathetic crime.”

New Caledonia: Following a state of emergency imposed in May 2024, the situation in New Caledonia is gradually improving for visiting yachts. While there is still a nightly curfew in place, some boats are managing to cruise the southern lagoon islets near Noumea during daylight hours. Boats can now stop for refueling and provisioning without any issues.

Tonga: Two earthquakes this month in Tonga (magnitude 6.9 and a 6.6) have caused no serious damage on land, but have affected the undersea fibre cable which had just been repaired. The Boatyard Vava’u report “The damage has affected the local network providers, however Digicel have switched over to their backup systems so the phones are working and internet is ok, not 100% though. We still have several restaurants in town that have Starlink and offer use of their internet as well.”

French Polynesia: A new, mandatory, online booking system is now operational for boats over 20m in length that want to anchor or moor in Tahiti, Moorea or Raiatea. According to officials that Noonsite have spoken to, this system will be operational for boats under 20m by the end of the year. Yachts that arrive without a marina reservation, or place booked in an authorized anchorage, risk being turned away. More details at FP Clearance.

Galapagos: National Park entry fees doubled this month from $100 to $200 per person. See Galapagos fees for more details.

Weather: Tropical Storm "Hone" formed in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, August 22, as the 8th named storm of the 2024 Pacific hurricane season and the first tropical cyclone to form in the North Central Pacific since 2019. The system moved west, just south of Hawaii, bringing strong winds of up to 85mph and heavy rains, but didn’t make landfall.

At least four people have been killed and more than 90 injured after Typhoon Shanshan, one of the strongest typhoons in decades to hit Japan, made landfall in the country’s south-west. Most marinas in the area have escaped any major impact, reports Kirk Patterson of Konpira Consulting based in Kyushu. “Japan has centuries of experience in dealing with typhoons, so the ports are as well protected as they can possibly be, often with double or triple breakwaters, so the typhoon caused much less damage here than a similar-sized typhoon would cause in most other countries" Kirk told Noonsite. See more details from Kirk in the Typhoon Shanshan news item.

Red Sea

Despite the problematic situation in the Red Sea for commercial vessels, private yachts are still undertaking the Suez Canal – Red Sea passage. However, care is still needed as demonstrated by Barbara Jean Euser, captain of SY Islander, who suffered an unsettling incident off the coast of Eritrea after departing Djibouti. Wade Alarie, moderator of the Red Sea Passage Facebook group, also reports on the current situation for yachts.

Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Crossing: A tragic end to this cruising couple’s offshore adventures, when the remains of Brett Clibbery and Sarah Packwood from British Colombia were found inside their liferaft, washed up on Sable Island, 290km SE of Halifax, Nova Scotia, earlier this month. They had been undertaking an Atlantic crossing to the Azores when they were reported missing in late June. An investigation is being carried out into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. To date there has been no trace of their boat “Theros”, a GibSea 42. Full details here.

Regular Noonsite contributor Alison Gieschen and partner Dan, share information they wish they had known before setting sail for the Canary Islands to prepare for their Atlantic crossing.

Imray have announced that they have reduced the cost of the 7th Edition Atlantic Islands by £10 to a RRP of £39.50. This is a long-established cruising guide to the five island groups of the North Atlantic [Bermuda, Azores, Canary Islands, Cape Verdes and Madeira], visited by those sailing the popular Atlantic crossing routes and as cruising destinations in their own right. Buy the book here.

Mediterranean Sea

Weather: While the Caribbean are suffering the effects of hurricane force winds and both sides of the Pacific Ocean too, the warming Mediterranean is producing some explosive weather phenomenon of its own. Yachts in the Balearic Islands, Mediterranean Spain, were stranded, damaged and in some cases wrecked, following a DANA [Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos], which occurred mid-August. DANA occur when a "pocket" of cold air in the upper atmosphere separates from the main stream and sweeps over a warmer air mass resulting in winds in excess of 100km/hour, heavy rains and flooding.

Just one week later, the luxury superyacht "Bayesian" capsized and sank off the coast of Sicily during a storm on Monday 19 August. One crew member and 6 guests have been found dead out of the 22 people on board. Questions are being asked about why the vessel sank and how the weather conditions might have contributed to the tragedy.

Pests: Not weather, but irritating water pests, another consequence of the warming Mediterranean. The poisonous fireworm – originally from the Caribbean – has now been discovered on Croatian beaches. The Costa Brava coastline of NE Spain is struggling with an influx of jellyfish, a 41% increase on last year. Use the MedusApp (jellyfish are medusas in Spanish), a citizen science phone app, to record sightings and stings

North Cyprus: For many boat owners, but especially those from colder climes, the lure of the Mediterranean is difficult to resist. However, it can be difficult to know where best to base the boat if returning home periodically. UK cruisers Jules Riegal and Chris Stanham found Northern Cyprus worked well for them as a base from which to explore Turkey and the Aegean Sea. Read their report here.

Greece: A new digital system to handle the Transit Log for private foreign-flagged boats has been launched as part of a process aimed at streamlining Greek administrative procedures for maritime operations.

Turkey: Prices continue to rise in Turkey. Starting 1 September, 2024, the value added tax on marina contracts is increasing from 1% to 20%. This will be charged for services like mooring fees, lift and launch fees etc.

Book of the Month

Sailing South Africa

By Tom Morgan (Author) and Sue Morgan (Editor)

Published July 2024

Kindle Edition

This long-awaited cruising guide from experienced South African sailor Tom Morgan, contains pilotage information for ports and fishing harbours along the coastline of South Africa, from Richards Bay to Walvis Bay, Namibia. It also incorporates the author’s previously published South African Nautical Almanac. Information covered includes formalities and entry procedures and all facilities listed include contact details. Information on anchorages and coastal pilotage between the many havens listed will allow cruisers to plan their route along what can be a challenging coastline. 

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