Pacific Planning

Created by doina. Last modified on 2005-11-29 13:22:53
Contributors:
Topic: Routing
Countries: Fiji, French Polynesia, Galapagos, Panama

Pacific Planning By Jimmy Cornell

Having passed through that symbolic gateway – the Panama Canal – the whole Pacific Ocean is suddenly beckoning, a vast area that covers one third of the globe. In spite of the long distances that lie ahead, with careful planning this could be the most pleasant part of a long voyage. The last time I sailed the South Pacific route was during 2003 and so I will try to describe the most important criteria that anyone planning such a voyage should bear in mind.

As the safe sailing season in the South Pacific is well defined, and the weather is usually fairly benign in the eastern part of this vast ocean, the most critical decision concerns the time of arrival in the first tropical island group. Most boats transit the Panama Canal before the onset of the hurricane season in the Caribbean (June to November), with the busiest time for Canal transits in February and March. Those who plan to sail all the way across to Australia in one season need to reach the Marquesas not later than May, although an April arrival is better as it allows more time to sail the remaining distance. In French Polynesia the cyclone season lasts, at least on paper, from late November until the end of March but as the Marquesas are very rarely affected by tropical storms one can take a calculated risk and arrive there early in the season. This normally means transiting the Panama Canal early in the year (February) so as to have enough time for a stop in the Galapagos. From there, the 3,000 mile passage to the Marquesas can start early in March so that the Marquesas are reached in late March or early April.

One serious drawback of the above schedule is the need to leave the Caribbean at what is the best time there, so an alternative is to stay in the Caribbean until the end of the safe season (June), then cruise leisurely through those places that are not affected by hurricanes (Venezuela, ABC Islands, Panama’s San Blas). Having transited the Panama Canal one can sail to mainland Ecuador where a new marina at La Libertad provides a safe and convenient place to leave the boat while visiting the interior of South America or to just wait until the time comes to sail to the Marquesas. This timing also allows the option of not sailing the traditional route to the Marquesas but make a detour to Easter Island and Pitcairn so as to arrive in French Polynesia via the Gambier Islands. As in the case of the Marquesas, those islands should not be reached before the end of March and the start of the safe sailing season in the South Pacific.

Weather

Most boats follow the traditional route across the South Pacific that sweeps in an arc from Panama to the Torres Strait. Favourable south-east trade winds are a usual feature of this route during the winter months. However, normal weather conditions can be affected by various factors, such as the El Niño phenomenon. The latest El Niño episode came to an end early in 2003, so we can expect a few years of relatively normal conditions. Even at the height of the winter season, consistent winds are only encountered at the two extremes of this route, between the Galapagos and Marquesas, in the east, and in the Coral Sea, in the west. Between these two extremes, sailing conditions are often a matter of luck, with long spells of steady trade winds in some years, or an alternation of short periods of two or three days of steady winds followed by a spell of unsettled weather with squalls, thunderstorms and variable winds, as was the case last year.

A constant feature that affects weather conditions throughout the tropical South Pacific is the South Pacific Converge Zone. The SPCZ stretches in an ESE direction from about 5°S, 155°E to 20°S, 150°W, and can influence weather conditions all the way from the Solomons to Tahiti, although its effects are particularly felt in the area between French Polynesia and Tonga. The location and movement of the SPCZ are monitored by the Fiji meteorological office and its coordinates are broadcast in its daily weather report on Inmarsat C.

The Panama Canal

In recent years there has been a visible hardening of attitudes towards cruising yachts, but this was not necessarily caused by the handover of the canal by the US to the Panamanian authorities but more due to the fact that with the canal running at full capacity pleasure craft (or handliners in Panamanian parlance) are regarded by the Panama Canal Authority as a nuisance. Although transit fees have been raised twice in recent years, according to the Authority they still far from cover the actual cost of the operation. Boats up to 50 ft LOA now pay $US600 for the transit plus a returnable deposit of $US850 to cover unforeseen expenses. Waiting times at either end of the Canal can be as long as two weeks but this can be speeded up by the use of a local agent. Facilities for visiting yachts are far from ideal, but new marinas are being built so it is hoped that the situation will improve. On the Caribbean side, the Panama Canal Yacht Club is full to capacity during the peak season (February to May) so most visitors have to anchor on the so-called Flats. Not far from Colon are the two marinas at Bocas del Toro and Shelter Bay Marina. The yacht club is living on borrowed time as the Panama Canal Authority has given it notice to move to another site so that the present site can be turned into a container terminal. The situation is not much better on the Pacific side where a few visiting boats may get a mooringat the Balboa Yacht Club or possibly a place at Flamenco Marina, although it appears to be now full with local yachts. The other alternatives are to anchor off at Taboga Island, or in the lee of the causeway, neither of which is an ideal solution for longer stays as neither locations is an all weather anchorage.

Where Panama scores highest amongst visitors is on the shopping side, with very attractive prices for outboards and electronics in the duty-free area at Colon, and excellent provisioning, fresh produce and a wide range of goods in Panama City.

Galapagos Interlude

The Ecuadorean authorities, who administer this archipelago, are now more tolerant towards cruising yachts than in the past and will allow short stays. According to the current regulations, unless one has an official permit, cruising boats are not allowed to stop at the Galapagos except in an emergency. The port captain at the port of arrival usually allows stops of reasonable duration of a few days, although some boats have managed to remain there for as long as three weeks. The one unknown factor is the fees to be paid, which seem to depend on the mood of the official on duty. One unavoidable charge is the Galapagos park fee of $US100 per person that must be paid by anyone going on an excursion that leaves the perimeter of the port. There are four official ports: Baquerizo Moreno (Wreck Bay) on the island of San Cristobal, Puerto Ayora (Academy Bay) on Santa Cruz, Puerto Velasco Ibarra on Floreana and Puerto Villamil on Isabela, but only Baquerizo Moreno and Puerto Ayora may be used to clear in. Baquerizo Moreno provides better shelter, is less crowded, but has only a limited range of local excursions. Puerto Ayora is the main starting point for excursions to the outer islands, so it is always crowded with local boats. It also has better shops and facilities. Most sailors on cruising yachts plan to spend some time there and join day excursions to the outer islands that cost between $A80 and $A120 per person.

Formalities can be complicated and also costly, but such problems can be overcome by employing the services of a local agent who will deal with formalities, book excursions and help obtain diesel and fresh provisions. Those who have the time, and can afford it, can apply for an individual cruising permit. The cost is $US200 per person per day plus around $US100 per day for the fee of a licensed guide who must accompany the yacht at all times. With such a permit, which can be more easily obtained with the help of a local agent (see sidebar), one is free to visit the various islands on your own boat and at your own pace.

One interesting place where boats have managed to stop without a cruising permit, usually after having cleared out of Puerto Ayora, is Puerto Villamil on the westernmost island of Isabela. The local port captain will usually allow an emergency stop of a few days so that one can see some of the interior of this unspoilt island where gigantic tortoises still roam at will.

French Polynesia

Formalities in French Polynesia for yachts and sailors who are not from one of the countries of the European Union have been tightened up, especially regarding visas. Also, those who cannot show a return airline ticket to their country of residence, must deposit a compulsory bond of approximately $A1200 per person at a bank in the port of arrival, to cover their flight home in an emergency. The money is returned when checking out of French Polynesia. The local gendarmerie in the port of arrival will grant a 30 day visa, which can be extended only by a further 60 days on arrival in Papeete. The full 90 days is granted on arrival only to those who arrive with a visa obtained from a French consulate abroad. The boat itself is free to stay for 12 months, so anyone who wishes to spend longer than the permitted 90 days must leave the country. To secure a new visa, some sailors have taken advantage of the twice weekly Lan Chile flight to Easter Island and obtained a new visa on their return to Tahiti which allowed them to stay a further 90 days.

For the long term cruiser Papeete has one major advantage: due to an active local yachting community its repair facilities are the best this side of New Zealand. Provisioning is just as good, even if the prices are quite high.

Hurricane Holes

Cyclone Heta, which struck American Samoa and devastated the island of Niue in January 2004 has highlighted once again the real risks faced by those spending the cyclone season in the tropics. For those prepared to stay in the tropics during the critical period (mid-November to May) there are a number of hurricane holes conveniently spread out across the South Pacific. Only some of them are fully fledged hurricane shelters and because of the large distances that separate the various island groups, running for shelter if a cyclone is predicted may not only be a hazardous affair, but one may also find that there is no space left when one gets there. The best tactic is either to stay close to a chosen shelter, or cruise on the edges of the cyclone belt, so as to be able to possibly sail out of danger, for example by sailing north from the Marquesas towards the equator.

Looking at those shelters from east to west, the Galapagos and Easter Island can be dismissed at they are not affected by cyclones. On rare occasions, a cyclone has reached as far east as Pitcairn or north-east to the Marquesas, although the latter are very rarely hit by a full cyclone. The outer island groups of French Polynesia (the Gambier and Austral Islands) can be affected but the risks are lower than in the Tuamotus, which are not only more exposed but their unprotected lagoons provide no shelter in a cyclone. The Society Islands attract fewer cyclones than the island groups further west but should perhaps be avoided during the critical period. The few marinas are full with local or charter boats so the only possible shelters in Tahiti are the landlocked lagoon at Port Phaeton, on the south-west coast, where a small marina has opened recently, or the anchorage behind the reef at the Tahiti Yacht Club in Arue, east of the capital Papeete. On the island of Raiatea, boats can be left on the hard at one of the two boatyards but during a cyclone several boats were blown over and suffered extensive damage.

A new marina that is being built at Rarotonga in the Cook Islands may provide adequate shelter, but for the time being the Cooks are best avoided. Port Refuge at Neiafu in Tonga’s Vava’u group is reasonably sheltered, but as the holding ground is poor one should attempt to get hold of a cyclone-proof mooring. However, as there are a large number of charter boats permanently based there finding a vacant mooring may not be easy. The intricate cruising area of Vava’u has a few sheltered corners and some boats survived a cyclone early in 2003 huddled in an anchorage off Tamana Island.

In the Samoas, traditionally the best cyclone shelter is at Pago Pago in American Samoa where several boats survived cyclone Heta earlier this year without suffering serious damage. More secure places are to be found in neighboring Fiji, where several cyclone-proof marinas have been built in recent years. As a result of this many sailors have been persuaded to spend the summers in Fiji. On the island of Vanua Levu the two marinas at Savusavu (Waitui and Copra Shed) have laid down a number of strong moorings, all of which performed very well when Cyclone Ami passed through in January 2003. In the capital Suva local boats seek shelter among the creeks and mangroves close to the Tradewinds anchorage. On the west coast of Viti Levu the marina at Vuda Point offers good protection in a circular basin that can be entirely closed off by an anti-surge barrier. For added protection, boats left on the hard at this marina have their keels dropped into a trench. A cyclone shelter has also been created in a land-locked basin at Musket Cove on the island of Malololailai.

Even further west, the land-locked natural harbor of Vila in Vanuatu offers adequate protection in a cyclone as does Port Moselle marina at Noumea in New Caledonia. In the Solomons the best shelter is reported at Tulagi opposite the capital Honiara. The above list is by no means exhaustive and there are small sheltered spots in most island groups that may be known to locals.

In the thirty years since my first crossing of the South Pacific I have been back on several occasions and in spite of some unavoidable changes I still consider this to be the most attractive cruising area in the world. Visiting yachts continue to be welcome in most island communities, formalities are not too excessive and, with very few exceptions, personal safety is still not an issue. In an increasingly troublesome world the South Pacific continues to live up to its reputation as a blessed sea of peace and tranquility.

Jimmy Cornell is the author of best-selling World Cruising Routes, that lists over 1000 sailing routes in all oceans of the world, and its companion volume World Cruising Handbook, that gives practical details on over 180 maritime nations.

Marinas

French Polyensia

Yacht quay, Papeete, gteiva@portppt.pf

Chantier Naval Raiatea, raiatea.marine@mail.pf

Raiatea Carenage, raiateacarenage@mail.pf

Niue

Niue Yacht Club manages moorings for visiting yachts alofirentals@niue.nu

Tonga

Moorings for visitors in Neiafu harbour are available from: Moorings moorings.tonga@kalianet.to; Sailing Safaris sailingsafaris@kalianet.to

Fiji

Musket Cove Marina, musketcovefiji@is.com.fj

Vuda Point Marina, vudamarina@is.com.fj

Tradewinds Marina, Suva, tradewindsresv@is.com.fj

Royal Suva Yacht Club, rsyc@is.com.fj

Waitui Marina, Savusavu, waituimarina@connect.com.fj

Copra Shed Marina, Savusavu, coprashed@is.com.fj

New Caledonia

Port Moselle, Noumea, sodemo.dg@lagoon.nc

New Zealand

All marinas: www.nzmarine.com/directory.html

Radio nets

Coconut Breakfast Net, French Polynesia 8188 kHz at 1730Z (English)

Coconut Breakfast Net, West of French Polynesia 12353 kHz at 1830Z (English)

French Net 13940 kHz at 0300Z (French)

Pacific Seafarers Net (ham) 14300. 0230Z informal chat followed by roll call at 0325Z

Maritime Mobile Net (ham) 14300 - 14313 kHz 24h/day in different languages

Pacific Maritime Net 21412 kHz at 2200Z

Rag of the Air Net 8173 kHz at 1900Z

Panama Canal agents

Ingrid Ollar, Panama Yacht Services, Tel: (507) 270-7840, Mobile: (507) 637-5833 Fax: (507) 270-7848, pys@mavclex.com

Pete Stevens, Delfino Maritime, Tel: 507-261-3554, Mobile: 613-1134 Email: delfinomaritime@hotmail.com

Tina McBride, Tel: 507-228-8056, Mobile: 637-2999, Fax: (507) 228-8980 Email: tinamc@sinfo.net

Galapagos agents

Ricardo Arenas, ServiGalapagos, pelicanb@gpsinter.net/ricardoarenas@servigalapagos.com, www.sailingalapagos.com

Johnny Romero, Naugala Shipping Agency, nautigal@interactive.net.ec nautilagalapagos@interactive.net.ec

Weather

Voice forecasts on HF

WWVH in Hawaii gives storm warnings for the entire Pacific at 48 minutes past each hour on 5000, 10000 and 15000 kHz

Mahina Radio forecasts for French Polynesia on 8803 kHz at 2100Z (also on VHF channels 26 and 27). Warnings at 0640Z and 1800Z.

Suva Radio forecasts for tropical SW Pacific on 4372.9 and 6746.8 kHz at 0033, 0433, 0803, 1203, 2003Z

Taupo Maritime Radio (New Zealand) forecasts fort subtropical SW Pacific on 6224, 8297, 12356, 16531 kHz at 0903 and 2103Z

Weather fax

Wellington Met office transmission schedule on 9459 kHz at 2315Z, 13550.5 kHz at 2330, 16340.1 kHz at 2345. Maps cover South Pacific from Australia to Tahiti. Details of all services on www.metservice.co.nz

Bob McDavitt, mcdavitt@metservice.com. New Zealand’s “weather ambassador” produces a free weekly prognosis emailed as a weathergram. He will also provide personalized routing advice. The charge is $NZ10 per 5 minutes. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to do a weather update and 30 to 40 minutes to do a full voyage forecast. Forecasts can be sent by email or fax (if sent by fax, maps are included).