Funafuti - Restrictions

Where is Funafuti?

Funafuti is the capital of Tuvalu and the largest lagoon.  It consists of a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon (Te Namo) which is 18 km (11 miles) long and 14 km (9 miles) wide.  Tuvalu lies west of the International dateline and 1000km north of Fiji in the central Pacific . Funafuti is one of six atolls and three islands that make up Tuvalu which together total only 25 square km in land area, curving in a northwest to southeast direction over 676 km on the outer western edge of Polynesia.

Entrance Notes and Cautions for Funafuti:

The East pass is called the Te Ava Pua Pua pass and is at 08°34.213S / 179°07.467E. This is a straightforward pass but treat with caution in strong SE winds.  If you follow the ship channel into Fonfafale you should avoid all shallow patches.  The pass is wide at 127metres and only has two working green markers (in the same spot). The red marker and cardinal marker are missing.  Large ships use this pass so give way to them. Open CPN and Navionics were pretty accurate (less the markers).

The North pass  - Te Avo I De Lape pass - at 08°25.958S / 179°06.265E  is much shallower and most likely be difficult in a northerly swell or strong northerly winds. Some sources recommend against using the North pass.

The Western pass (Te Avo Fuagea passage) is reported to be easy provided there is good light.  The pass is quite narrow but deep and easy to navigate, both entry and exit.

See this report from SV Sugar Shack who visited in April 2025 for more information:

• Cruising Updates for Tuvalu and Kiribati

Position - Anchorage off the Town:

08° 30.88'S, 179°11.07'E

Last updated:  May 2025