Forums  |  Noonsite Home  |  Printable Page  |  Text Version  |  Search  |  Countries  |  News  |  General

  Ascension Island : Profile

Facts

  • A mountainous peak rising from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, Ascension is a dormant volcanic island like Tristan da Cunha and the Azores on the mid-Atlantic volcanic ridge.

  • Ascension Island is part of a British Overseas Territory, (nowadays called St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha) under the sovereignty of the British Crown.

  • The 34 sq mile (88 sq km) island is a communications centre for Cable & Wireless, the BBC, the RAF, the US Air Force and the European Ariane project.

  • Although a traditional port of call for ships on the Cape of Good Hope route, the few yachts that sail on this route only occasionally stop at Ascension. Because of their isolation, the people who work on the island are friendly and hospitable.

Weather

The climate is sub-tropical with temperatures ranging from 20-31°C. Showers occur throughout the year with slightly heavier rains in the January-April period. The island is under the influence of the SE trade winds for most of the year.

The weather can change rapidly. Contact Turtle Radio on VHF Channel 16

Turtle Radio
VHF Channel 16
Weather reports

Main Ports

Clarence Bay, Georgetown *

*Indicates a port of entry.

Related Reports

South Atlantic Circuit (10 Feb 2006)

Related News

Routing: Getting Back to Europe - Avoiding GOA and the Red Sea (19 Aug 2011)





Send Us News/Corrections/Information  |  © 2000-2011 World Cruising Club Ltd. 120 High Street, Cowes PO31 7AX, UK. Registered in England No. 5557900