Noonsite January Sailing News and Updates |
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OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH TONGA |
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The first month of 2022 for many cruisers will be marked by the devastating natural disaster in Tonga. An Island nation so loved by many and now suffering the effects of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the past 30 years. The subsequent tsunami spared the majority of homes and buildings, but the greatest immediate need is for clean drinking water and long-term food production, with many crops destroyed or damaged by the falling ash. Having been closed to foreign yachts for nearly 2 years there is no transient cruiser population there to start pitching in, however Sea Mercy Fiji are working hard to get into the country and post regular updates of the situation and aid efforts on their Facebook page where it is also possible to donate.
With all eyes on the Pacific many are wondering if it’s going to be possible to resume cruising there this year. Tonga’s predicament has brought the risk of Covid to the country and other small island nations are suffering the same plight now that they have opened to repatriation flights. In truth, little has changed from what was open last year and there are limited indications that anything is going to change in the short term. Find out the current situation with open and closed borders in the Pacific in our round up article.
As our abundance of reports from cruisers in this month’s newsletter indicate, there are still many places in the world where incredible cruising can be enjoyed during the Pandemic. Covid has made us more flexible and willing to adapt plans at short notice, and perhaps even explore cruising grounds that have been under our noses all along.
Wherever you are planning to cruise this year, we wish you safe passage and fair winds, and we hope you find Noonsite just as useful as ever.
Sue and the Noonsite Team
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After crossing the Atlantic from South Africa to Paraiba in NE Brazil, cruisers Mark and Christine Templeman were offered an amazing opportunity to explore the Amazon River. The BRALLY Amazon 2021 took them on a 500NM journey from the river delta to the heart of the rainforest.
If you are sailing in more remote regions of the world, lesser explored by cruising boats, send your story to editor@noonsite.com. See our " Off the Beaten Path" section for more articles, links and useful info.
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In the Atlantic Islands, Cape Verdes only requires testing on arrival, but if you want to travel between islands being fully vaccinated means no further testing is required. Madeira is allowing vaccinated crew in with no restrictions, and just require an Antigen test prior to arrival if unvaccinated. The Canaries and the Azores remain with the same protocol they have had in place for some time.
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In the Caribbean, Antigua is now demanding pre-arrival tests are taken within 4 days of arrival. Yachts at sea who go beyond the expiration dates of their Covid tests are treated as if they were in quarantine as long as they do not stop anywhere between the port of their departure test and Antigua. The Bahamas has a similar policy, reducing their pre-departure test window from 5 to 3 days, however after an extended passage yachts are exempt from testing as long as they can demonstrate they made the voyage without stops. Cuba has introduced tighter restrictions due to a sustained increase in cases in the larger Antilles, making a vaccination certificate mandatory for entry. The French Islands still require a declaration of entry at least 24 hours before arrival and all arrivals, vaccinated or not, require pre-arrival testing.
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In South America, Ushuaia in southern Argentina has permitted a number of boats to clear into the country with testing on arrival and no issues this month. Ports further north, however, remain closed as is the official policy, so the situation in Ushuaia could change at any moment. Chile remains closed and there are still Chilean residents waiting to return to Puerto Williams from Ushuaia (20NM to the west) who have been stuck since the beginning of the pandemic. Most foreign boats departing for Antarctica this year from Puerto Williams will most likely not be allowed to return to Chile before winter arrives in a few months.
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In Africa, a vaccination certificate is now required to enter Kenya and Namibia has joined the African Union Trusted Travel System for the uploading of pre-departure results prior to arrival.
In SE Asia, Indonesia has increased mandatory quarantine on arrival from 10 to 14 days.
Find out what has been going on in the Pacific with our latest round-up article.
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Following any devastating natural disaster such as an earthquake, tsunami, tropical cyclone or hurricane, many cruisers want to pitch in and help. Jonathon Robinson from Sea Mercy (Fiji) has some advice for cruisers on how to (and how not to) help out after a natural disaster.
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For the past few years, two teams of yachtie amateur scientists have been exploring and photographing some of the incredible biodiversity in the Majuro Lagoon of the Marshall Islands.
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After their emergency stopover in Port Salalah, Oman, Kiwi sailors Kay and Lane Finlay on SV Maitai visited Djibouti on their way up the Red Sea. They provided this update for any sailors planning to follow this route to the Mediterranean.
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In the last two years, more people sought the great outdoors to reconnect with nature and to avoid crowds, resulting in a massive surge in recreational boating. At the same time, the adoption of digital tools has accelerated in the marine industry and many marinas have jumped aboard the digital revolution, transforming how they communicate with boaters.
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The unfortunate loss of a boat grounded on a reef in the Dominican Republic recently, demonstrates valuable lessons in how to manage an emergency grounding and how to prepare yourself for such a situation.
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New for 2022 we will be featuring a different cruisers blog/vlog every month, from those who have been listed on our Cruisers Websites page for many years, to those who are new to cruising. If you think Noonsite users will find your blog interesting and useful, let us know at noonsite@noonsite.com
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Katherine and Eric have sailed their 50ft Bruce Roberts Voyager, ‘Narwha'l, all over the world - but their passion is exploring Arctic waters. Their blog details all their experiences so far, what they have learned on the way and about their mission to tackle plastic pollution as they sail. During the pandemic, confined to local Scottish waters, they set up the Ocean Discovery Project collecting high quality and rigorous data which can be used by scientists and decision makers both nationally and internationally to effect positive change for our oceans.
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Our favourite cruising stories from last year, thank you everyone for sharing. |
If you would like to have your cruising story published on Noonsite, please get in touch with Sue at editor@noonsite.com.
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A selection of what you’ve been talking about this month:
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LINKS WE LIKE FROM AROUND THE WEB |
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Free support and safety guidance for recreational yachts on passage worldwide.
Chris Ayres sailed his Vancouver 28 from the UK to New Zealand. He explains what gear you need for serious offshore sailing. An article for Practical Boat Owner (November 2021).
Whilst the average age of those signing up for the ARC is around 45-55 years old, there’s a growing trend for much younger crews to take a break from work or studies to buy a boat and travel the world. This report by World Cruising Club.
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Covering all the basics from navigation to first aid to a great many “what if” scenarios, this book has handy fact boxes to highlight especially important information for when problems arise at sea. The authors have lent a modern, real-world approach to the subject matter, and the wonderful illustrations bring it to life. Don’t go to sea without it!
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YachtFlags.com
offers a discount to Noonsite members
Save 10%!
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YachtFlags.com provides high quality courtesy flags that are manufactured in durable Knitted Polyester fabric. Knitted so that the fabric itself does not deteriorate in the constant movement that marine flags are usually exposed to, and polyester so that the flag does not weaken in the strong UV-light usually found in the main sailing areas of the world.
Use the coupon code NOONSITE_5A2B when checking out to get 10% off today!
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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:
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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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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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