Pacific Crossing Guide by Bloomsbury Publishing

9781472935342_PCG.indb 2

19/06/2016 21:54

R C C P I L O TA G E F O U N D AT I O N

THE

PA C I F I C

CROSSING GUIDE 3rd edition

Kitty van Hagen

R C C P I L O TA G E F O U N D AT I O N

LON DON • OX F O R D • N E W YO R K • N E W D E L H I • SY DN EY

9781472935342_PCG.indb 3

19/06/2016 21:54

CAUTION Adlard Coles Nautical An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square London WC1B 3DP UK

1385 Broadway New York NY 10018 USA

www.bloomsbury.com www.adlardcoles.com ADLARD COLES, ADLARD COLES NAUTICAL and the Buoy logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Third edition first published 2016 Copyright © RCC Pilotage Foundation 1997, 2003, 2016 First edition 1997 Second edition 2003 Reprinted with amendments 2011 Third edition 2016 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organisation acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the author. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication data has been applied for. ISBN: HB: 978-1-4729-3534-2 ePDF: 978-1-4729-3536-6 ePub: 978-1-4729-3535-9 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 Designed and typeset in 10 on 13pt Myriad Pro Light by Susan McIntyre Printed and bound in India by Replika Press Pvt. Ltd. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc makes every effort to ensure that the papers used in the manufacture of our books are natural, recyclable products made from wood grown in wellmanaged forests. Our manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com. Here you will find extracts, author interviews, details of forthcoming events and the option to sign up for our newsletters.

9781472935342_PCG.indb 4

Whilst the RCC Pilotage Foundation, the author and the publishers have used reasonable endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the content of this book, it contains selected information and thus is not definitive. It does not contain all known information on the subject in hand and should not be relied on alone for navigational use: it should only be used in conjunction with official hydrographical data. This is particularly relevant to the plans, which should not be used for navigation. The RCC Pilotage Foundation, the authors and the publishers believe that the information that they have included is a useful aid to prudent navigation. But the safety of a vessel depends ultimately on the judgement of the skipper, who should assess all information, published or unpublished. The information provided in this publication may be out of date and may be changed or updated without notice. The RCC Pilotage Foundation cannot accept any liability for any error, omission or failure to update such information. To the extent permitted by law the RCC Pilotage Foundation, the author and the publishers do not accept liability for any loss and/or damage howsoever caused that may arise from reliance on information contained in this publication.

Find out more For a wealth of further information, including updates and correctional supplements, passage planning guides and cruising logs for this area visit the RCC Pilotage Foundation website at www.rccpf.org.uk. Feedback The RCC Pilotage Foundation is a voluntary, charitable organisation. We welcome all feedback. If you notice any errors or omissions, or wish to send us some completely new information, please let us know via info@rccpf.org.uk.

The RCC Pilotage Foundation is very grateful to Navionics for allowing use of their images for many of the port and harbour plans. These images are intended only as illustrations and are not to be used for navigation. Navionics images are © Navionics

Plans and diagrams have been based with permission on British Admiralty Charts and Publications and where foreign information has been used, permission was sought from the Hydrographic offices of Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Fiji, France and the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, US Defense Mapping Agency and USA National Ocean Service. Unless otherwise stated, all photographs © Simon and Kitty van Hagen Illustrations on pages 7 and 97 by Dave Saunders

19/06/2016 21:54

CONTENTS Foreword to the third edition

vii

Acknowledgements

The RCC Pilotage Foundation

vii

Map of routes

Preface

viii

Index of plans

xii

6 Communications

Introduction

• The magnet of the Pacific

• Short-range communications • Long-range communications at sea • Mobile phones and internet access • Traditional ‘snail mail’

Part 1 PREPARATIONS 1 Casting off

• Work as a team to fulfil the dream • Taking children • Family and friends left behind • Joining a rally 2 The Pacific Ocean

• Ring of Fire • The formation of atolls • Human colonisation • Ethnic groups • European exploration and trade • Culture and festivals • Citizen science 3 Preparing the boat

• The perfect cruising yacht? • Monohull or multihull? • Sail management • Downwind rigs • Storm sails • Wear on sails • Mast and spars • Standing rigging • Running rigging • Steering systems • Self-steering: autopilot vs windvane • Ground tackle • The main engine • Fuel tanks • Bilge pumps • Water management • Cooking fuel • Fridges and freezers • Temperature regulation • Toilets and holding tanks • Dinghies • Outboard engines 4 Staying safe

• Preventing water ingress • Alarms • Sprayhoods and biminis • Handholds and jack lines • Man overboard (MOB) • Getting the casualty back on board • PLB • AIS/MOB • Lightning strike • Fire • Abandoning ship • EPIRB • Flares • Life raft • Grab bag • Mind your head • Security 5 Navigation and charting

• The basics of navigation • Integrated or stand-alone electronics? • Electronic charting • When the electronics fail • Using satellite imagery as a navigational tool • AIS • Radar • Ship’s log • Watch keeping • Eyeball navigation

on coral atolls

7 The balance of power

• General electrical setup: the basics • Power storage • Power generation • Alternative power generation • Power draw and calculation of usage • AC power • Shore power • Inverters 8 Routine maintenance and spares

• Corrosion • Managing your maintenance • Backups and spare parts • Suggested spares • Tools • Manuals and parts lists

9 Provisioning and store keeping

• Stores and storage • Fresh food • Dried food • Making bread • Passage food • Galley hints • Water • BBQs • Fishing • Waste disposal • Hygiene and pests • Trade and barter 10 Common health problems while cruising

• Injuries • Burns • Sunburn and skin cancer • Ears • Diarrhoea • Seasickness • Common parasites • Biting flies • Malaria • Dengue fever • Dangers in the sea • Ciguatera • Health and illness in toddlers and babies • Women’s health • Common fears • Basic medical kit 11 Managing the paperwork

• Finance • Passports and visas • Ship’s papers • Formalities • Courtesy flags • Insurance • Recruiting crew • Pets on board 12 Cyclone season and laying up

• Leaving the cyclone belt • Staying inside the cyclone belt • Cyclone shelters – useful contacts • Laying up • Shipping home

9781472935342_PCG.indb 5

19/06/2016 21:54

CONTENTS

T H E PA C I F I C C R O S S I N G G U I D E

Part 2 PASSAGE PLANNING

19 Routes to and from Tasmania and the east coast of Australia

13 Pacific weather and weather forecasts 91

• Vanuatu or New Caledonia to Australia • Australia to New Caledonia or Vanuatu • Australia • 24 Bundaberg, Queensland • Bundaberg to Brisbane • 25 Brisbane, Queensland • Brisbane to Sydney • 26 Coffs Harbour, New South Wales • 27 Sydney, New South Wales • Sydney to Hobart • 28 Hobart, Tasmania • Passages between Tasmania and New Zealand • Passages northwards up the New South Wales coast • Inside the Great Barrier Reef • 29 Cairns, Queensland

• The origin of Pacific wind systems • South Pacific wind zones • North Pacific wind zones • Tropical revolving storms • Pacific Ocean currents • El Niño • La Niña • Madden-Julian Oscillation • Weather forecasts Ports and harbours

104

14 Routes to the Marquesas

106

• North American west coast to Marquesas • 1 San Diego • 2 Puerto Vallarta • Panama to Galapagos • 3 Balboa • Galapagos Islands • 4 Wreck Bay • 5 Academy Bay • Galapagos to Marquesas 15 French Polynesia (the Marquesas, Tuamotus and Society Islands)

20 Routes to and from Hawaii in the East Pacific

178

193

• Panama to Hawaii via Galapagos • Hawaii • 30 Honolulu, Oahu • Hawaii to Canada or south-east Alaska • Cape Spencer to Vancouver • 31 Victoria, British Columbia • Canada or California to Hawaii • 32 San Francisco, California

118

21 Routes south and west from Hawaii 202

• The Marquesas • 6 Atuona, Hiva Oa • 7 Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva • The Tuamotu Archipelago • The Society Islands • 8 Papeete, Tahiti • 9 Maeva Beach, Tahiti • 10 Moorea • 11 Raiatea • 12 Bora Bora

• Routes south from Hawaii • Fast track to New Zealand • South among the islands • The Line Islands, Kiribati • Hawaii to Samoa • Samoan Islands • 33 Pago Pago, Tutuila, American Samoa • 34 Apia, Upolu Island, Samoa • Hawaii to Australia via the Gilbert Islands and Solomon Islands • 35 Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, Kiribati • Solomon Islands • 36 Honiara, Guadalcanal • Routes west from Hawaii • The Marshall Islands • 37 Majuro • The Caroline Islands • 38 Pohnpei • Guam • 39 Apra

16 Southern routes via Easter Island or direct

138

• Galapagos to Easter Island • Chile to Easter Island • 13 Hanga Roa, Rapa Nui • Easter Island to Pitcairn • Pitcairn to the Gambiers and Tuamotus • Eastwards from New Zealand to Chile via the Australs • 14 Raivavae, Austral Islands • New Zealand to Chile via the Southern Ocean • Chile • 15 Puerto Montt, Chile 17 Bora Bora to Tonga and Samoa via the Cook Islands

146

• The Cook Islands • 16 Avatiu, Raratonga • Niue • Kingdom of Tonga • 17 Neiafu, Vava’u Group • The Ha’apai Islands • 18 Nuku’alofa, Tongatapu

22 Routes north from New Zealand to Japan and Alaska

218

• North via Tahiti and Hawaii • The direct route north • New Zealand to the Aleutians via Japan • Japan • 40 Fukuoka (Hakata), Kyushu • Japan to the Aleutian Islands • The Aleutians • 41 Dutch Harbor, Unalaska • Mainland Alaska • 42 Kodiak • Hawaii to Kodiak Appendices 232 Appendix A: When all else has failed

232

158

Appendix B: Suggested further reading

237

• Tonga to Fiji • Tonga to New Zealand • New Zealand • 19 Opua, Bay of Islands, North Island • Cruising New Zealand • 20 Auckland, North Island • New Zealand to ‘the Islands’ • Republic of Fiji • 21 Suva, Viti Levu • Fiji to Vanuatu • Vanuatu • 22 Port Vila, Efate Island • Vanuatu to New Caledonia • New Caledonia • 23 Nouméa, New Caledonia

Appendix C: Great Circle distance table

238

18 Routes between ‘the Islands’ and New Zealand

Appendix D: Glossary of British and American terms 240 Appendix E: Metric conversions

242

Index 243

9781472935342_Ch 1-12.indd 6

20/06/2016 17:42

T H E PA C I F I C C R O S S I N G G U I D E

When I sailed across the Pacific Ocean in 1997 with my husband we had no idea that we were doing so during one of the strongest El Niño years on record. Winds and currents, and even the fish and the coral, were not behaving quite as we had expected. We muddled through, happily sharing the experience with fellow cruisers. If we caught no fish, had counter currents working against us, and sometimes head winds where we thought we should have trade winds, at least we were all in it together. And the island landfalls were still magical in a multitude of ways. The friendships we made, the passages, the islands, and the people of the islands, settled into our souls and became a part of who we are. Sailing across the Pacific weaves its spell on those who venture there. During that same year the first edition of The Pacific Crossing Guide was published. If we had been armed with a copy we would certainly have had a much better understanding of what we were witnessing. I hope that this third edition will guide you on your own voyage and help you to make the most of all that the Pacific has to offer. The Pacific Crossing Guide has always been a collaborative work. A huge number of Pacific cruisers have contributed to its pages over the years, first as a joint Royal Cruising Club (RCC) and Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) project under the inspiration of Mike Pocock and then through ongoing collaboration expertly edited by Ros Hogbin. Mike Pocock has been described as one of the unsung pioneers of the sailing world. Sadly Mike has not lived to see this third edition come to fruition, but it is a

part of his valued legacy. The RCC Pilotage Foundation remains profoundly grateful to both Mike and Ros for the foundations they laid. The teamwork necessary to produce a book with such vast coverage has continued and the RCC Pilotage Foundation would like to thank all the recent and current Pacific cruisers who have been generous with their time, thoughts, writing and photographs. Most thanks of all is due to Kitty van Hagen and her husband, Simon, who have ventured further in the Pacific than most and who have brought all of their experience to these pages. It has been an enjoyable voyage of its own to work with Kitty to create this fully revised and restructured 3rd edition. On behalf of everyone at the Pilotage Foundation I would like to thank Lance Godefroy at Navionics for his enthusiasm and support with the plans. Most of all we are grateful to Janet Murphy, Clara Jump and the rest of the team at Bloomsbury for working with us so painstakingly to present all the text, photographs and illustrations in such an attractive book. A book such as this is a complicated jigsaw and they have done a great job. The RCC Pilotage Foundation publications rely on feedback from cruising yachtsmen and women; we always welcome any comments or information sent in to info@ rccpf.org.uk. Our website at www.rccpf.org.uk has a wealth of supporting information relevant to our range of titles, including free downloads and useful links. Jane Russell Editor in Chief RCC Pilotage Foundation

FOREWORD TO THE THIRD EDITION

Foreword to the third edition

RCC Pilotage Foundation The RCC Pilotage Foundation was formed as an independent charity in 1976 supported by a gift and permanent endowment made to the Royal Cruising Club by Dr Fred Ellis. The Foundation’s charitable objective is ‘to advance the education of the public in the science and practice of navigation’. The Foundation is privileged to have been given the copyrights to books written by a number of distinguished authors and yachtsmen. These are kept as up to date as possible. New publications are also produced by the Foundation to cover a range of cruising areas. This is made possible only through the dedicated work of our authors and editors, all of whom are experienced sailors, who depend on a valuable supply of information from around the world by generous-minded yachtsmen and women. Most of the management of the Foundation is done on a voluntary basis. In line with its charitable status, the Foundation distributes no profits.

Any surpluses are used to finance new publications and to subsidise the cost of the less commercial publications which cover some of the more remote areas of the world. The Foundation works in close collaboration with three publishers – Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson, Bloomsbury (Adlard Coles Nautical) and On Board Publications. The Foundation itself also publishes guides and pilots, including web downloads, for areas where limited demand does not justify large print runs. Several books have been translated into French, Spanish, Italian and German and some books are now available in e-versions. For further details about the RCC Pilotage Foundation and its publications visit: www.rccpf.org.uk.

R C C P I L O TA G E F O U N D AT I O N

vii

9781472935342_PCG.indb 7

19/06/2016 21:54

P R E FA C E

T H E PA C I F I C C R O S S I N G G U I D E

Preface Over the years my husband Simon and I have cruised and raced extensively on a wide variety of sailing yachts. When we set off to cruise around the world it was on a 45’ aluminium yacht, Duet. To us she was the height of luxury as this was the first boat we had ever owned that had central heating and running hot water! She was designed as a lightweight cruiser and we did some spectacularly fast passages in her, holding our own against some much larger yachts. By the time we sold her she had at least 42,000 miles under her keel and had been our home for eight years. We traded up to an Oyster 56’, Duet II, which was a whole new world and which carried us a further 15,000 miles. An Oyster is a displacement boat that sails like a dream and we found that the two of us could easily handle her and her gear thanks to electric winches. On the comfort side, when a friend stepped on board he remarked: ‘I see you’ve moved up from a backpackers’ lodge to 5 star resort!’ When we first began planning our cruising adventure we sought the advice of many people. Mike Pocock was

our first port of call, as we knew him not only through the RCC and OCC, but also from previous double-handed races. Mike’s profound love and knowledge of the sea and generosity with his time made him a mentor to many sailors who knew him. We plied him with endless questions about everything from what made a good cruising yacht, what kind of rig was best, to which route to take. The best advice the Pococks gave us was not to leave the Pacific in a hurry. When we eventually set off to sail around the world, with the original Pacific Crossing Guide to hand, it was Mike’s words that inspired us to turn right after the Galapagos to head up north via Hawaii to Alaska and the Pacific North West, ten years after Blackjack. Altogether we spent 15 years cruising in the Pacific and we still felt that we had only just touched on the diversity of the cruising areas, sampled just some of the cultures. The Pacific Ocean has beguiled mariners for centuries and continues to enthral. I hope that this edition will help your own Pacific dreams to be realised. Kitty van Hagen

viii

9781472935342_PCG.indb 8

19/06/2016 21:54

T H E PA C I F I C C R O S S I N G G U I D E

This book would never have come to fruition without the enormous help I have received from many sources. In particular I’d like to thank Jane Russell for being such a patient and encouraging editor and her husband, David Russell (Fox’s Marina and Boatyard), for his input on much of the technical side; Simon van Hagen, my beloved husband, for supporting me throughout the gestation of the book as well as imparting his depth of knowledge and expert navigational skills. We sailed in harmony and worked as a team; Tom and Vicky Jackson (Sunstone) for their input on many aspects, especially their depth of knowledge on the routes up from New Zealand to Japan, Aleutians and Alaska; Bob McDavitt, the weather Guru of New Zealand, who provided us with much information and checked the weather section; Clark and Susie Straw (Final Straw) who we first met on the Puddle Jump of 2001 – Clark generously provided much of the chapter on Communications, Ham radio being his speciality; Tom Partridge (Adina) who contributed a great deal on many topics including the latest satellite and mobile communications, use of satellite imagery as a navigational tool, and cyclone preparedness – in particular his photographs of yachts caught in a cyclone serve as a warning to us all; Mike and Hilde Gill (Quicksilver) for a wealth of information, from all things medical to the latest navigational know-how; Jago Ridout for the medical section on children’s and women’s health; Andy O’Grady (Balaena) for his contribution on routes across the south Pacific to Chile and cruising Chilean waters; Jim

and Karen Lott (Victoria) for their low down on crossing to Chile and cruising in those waters; David and Annette Ridout (Nordlys) – as Chairman of the RCCPF David encouraged me to take on this third edition; Roland and Consie Lennox-King (Restless of Auckland) who became our New Zealand family in the Bay of Islands - thanks for their life-long love of the sea and all things nautical and for introducing us to many friends in New Zealand; Bruce and Rosemary Hopwood - Bruce is a master boat builder and was generous with his time and expertise when we undertook a major refit on Duet l; Karen Taylor, Craige Nickalls (Mazuran) and their children, Freya and Blake, who we met in New Zealand – they are a real inspiration for all families who cruise and home-educate young children; Richard Woods advised on West Coast cruising and technical aspects including multihulls and stability. During our early Pacific cruising digital photography was in its infancy so I am particularly grateful to all those people who have very generously contributed so many of their wonderful photographs; Sally Isabel Heins and Geoff Lane (Grace); Annabelle Ingram (Troubadour); Ron and Cheryl Riddle (Pilgrim); Alan Brook (Sulana); Mike and Sharon Tyldesley (Life’s a Dream); Mike and Devala Robinson (Sea Rover) and most of the contributors listed above. There are many more cruisers we have met through the years with whom we have shared many an anchorage and enjoyed great times. Everyone we met has contributed in some way to making our travels a lasting experience and we are thankful to them all.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Acknowledgements

9781472935342_PCG.indb 9

19/06/2016 21:54

THE WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN

MAP OF ROUTES

T H E PA C I F I C C R O S S I N G G U I D E

Alaska

60°

R U S S I

A s n d I s l a

A l e u t i a n

45°

Vladivostok

C H I N A N

KOREA S

Seoul

Tokyo

Fukuoka

HA I S WA LA I I N AN DS

30° N

Tropic of Cancer

Taipei

Honolulu

TAIWAN

Hong Kong

Mariana Islands

ILI

15°

Hawaii

Manila

Guam

IN E

M I C R O N

Koror

Palau Islands

PALAU

Caroline Islands

E Palikir

E Gilbert Islands Phoenix Islands

NAURU

KIRIBATI

SOLOMON IS Honiara

Santa Cruz Is

VANUATU

Cairns

Port Vila

New Caledonia

Tropic of Capricorn

15°

TUVALU Wallis Is

lty

Cook Islands

Apia

FIJI

TONGA

Suva

Samoan Islands

Nuku’alofa

Kermadec Islands

Brisbane

30° S G r e a t A u s t r a l i a n B i g h t

Sydney

TA S M A N S E A

Opua

NEW ZEALAND

Tasmania

Ch 14 Ch 15 Ch 16 Ch 17 Ch 18

Auckland

Wellington Chatham Is

45° 120°

135°

150°

165°E

180°

165°W

PLAN Main routes detailedIsland in Part 2.Groups Colours indicate chapter coverage. Plan11 ThePacific Pacific Ocean

9781472935342_PCG.indb 10

So ci

Niue

Bundaberg

A U S T R A L I A

lan

Port Moresby

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Tarawa

Majuro

I N D O N E S I A

FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA

M E L A N E S

Equator 0°

MARSHALL ISLANDS

19/06/2016 21:54

T H E PA C I F I C THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN

MAP OF ROUTES

Anchorage

Alaska

60°

Kodiak

Sitka

C A N A D A

Victoria

45°

U N I T E D

San Francisco

O F

S T A T E S

A M E R I C A

San Diego 30° N

AN S

MEXICO

Tropic of Cancer

Honolulu Puerto Vallarta

Hawaii

Revilla Gigedo Islands

Acapulco

15°

Panama

E S

Li ne

Galapagos Islands

I lan ds

Cook slands

Equator 0°

Guayaquil

BATI

Marquesas

ENCH PO

15°

N Tuamo tu E Ar So ch S I ciet y Islan ip ds Austral Mururoa Islands Tahiti

A go la

CROSSING GUIDE

Tropic of Capricorn Pitcairn Island Easter Island

30° S

Valparaiso

Ch 14 Ch 15 Ch 16 Ch 17 Ch 18

Ch 19 Ch 20 Ch 21 Ch 22 150°

S O U T H E R N

Puerto Montt

O C E A N

45° 135°

120° W

105°

90°

75°

9781472935342_PCG.indb 11

19/06/2016 21:54

INDEX OF PLANS

T H E PA C I F I C C R O S S I N G G U I D E Plan 40 Nuku’alofa, Tonga

Index of plans Plan 1

Chapter coverage of routes

156

Plan 41 Routes and distances between

‘the Islands’ and New Zealand

158

Plan 42 New Zealand

160

Plan 43 Opua

162

Plan 44 Auckland, New Zealand

165

Plan 45 Fiji

168

Plan 46 Suva, Fiji

170

occurrence 96

Plan 47 Vanuatu and New Caledonia

172

Plan 5

The Pacific Ocean currents

Plan 48 Port Vila, Vanuatu

175

Plan 6

Ports and anchorages listed

104

Plan 49 Nouméa

177

Plan 7

Routes and distances to the Marquesas

106

Plan 50 East coast of Australia

180

Plan 8

The Pacific coast of the USA and Mexico

107

Plan 51 Burnett Heads and Bundaberg Port Marina 183

Plan 9

San Diego, California, USA

108

Plan 52 Bundaberg

183

109

Plan 53 Brisbane

184

Plan 54 Rivergate, Brisbane

185

110

Plan 55 Coffs Harbour

186

Plan 12 Puerto Vallarta

111

Plan 56 Sydney, Australia

187

Plan 13 Puerto Nuevo Vallarta

111

Plan 57 Approach to Hobart

188

Plan 14 Balboa

112

Plan 58 Hobart, Tasmania

189

Plan 15 The Galapagos Islands

114

Plan 59 Cairns Harbour

192

Plan 16 Wreck Bay

115

Plan 60 Cairns

192

Plan 17 Academy Bay

116

Plan 61 Routes and distances to and from

Plan 18 Marquesas Islands

122

Hawaii in the East Pacific

Plan 19 Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas

124

Plan 62 The Hawaiian Islands

194

Plan 20 Nuku Hiva

125

Plan 63 Honululu

196

126

Plan 64 Approach to Victoria, British Columbia

198

Plan 65 Victoria

199

Plan 66 San Francisco

201

Plan 2 The Pacific Ocean pressure and

wind patterns for January

Plan 3 The Pacific Ocean pressure and

wind patterns for July

Plan 4 Tropical revolving storms, areas and

Plan 10 Shelter Island Yacht Basin Plan 11 Bahia de Banderas approaches to Puerto

Vallarta, and Puerto Nuevo Vallarta

Plan 21 The Tuamotu Archipelago Plan 22 Kauehi atoll, situated to the north-east of

Fakarava, is a relatively straightforward entry 128

193

Plan 23 The Society Islands

130

Plan 24 Papeete and the channel to Maeva Beach

132

Plan 25 Papeete, Tahiti, Society Islands

132

Plan 68 Pago Pago and its approaches

205

Plan 26 Marina Taina, Puna’auia, Tahiti

133

Plan 69 Apia, Samoa

206

Plan 70 The Gilbert, Marshall and Caroline Islands

208

Plan 27 Cook’s Bay and Opunohu Bay, Moorea,

Society Islands

134

Plan 67 Routes and distances south and west

from Hawaii

202

Plan 71 Betio, on the south-west corner of

Tarawa Atoll

209

Plan 28 Raiatea and Taha’a

135

Plan 29 Close-up of Marina Raiatea

135

Plan 72 Solomon Islands

210

Plan 30 Bora Bora, Society Islands

137

Plan 73 Honiara

211

Plan 74 Majuro, Marshall Islands

213

Plan 31 Southern routes and distances from

Central and South America to New Zealand 138

Plan 75 Pohnpei, Caroline Islands

214

Plan 32 Rapa Nui

139

Plan 76 Apra

216

Plan 33 The pass into Raivavae

142

Plan 77 Routes and distances north from

Plan 34 Raivavae

142

Plan 35 Puerto Montt, Chile

144

Plan 78 Japan

220

Plan 36 Society Islands to Tonga

146

Plan 79 Fukuoka

225

Plan 37 Avatiu

148

Plan 80 Aleutian Islands, Alaska and Canada

226

Plan 38 Tonga

151

Plan 81 Dutch Harbor

228

152

Plan 82 Kodiak

230

Plan 39 Neiafu, Vava’u Group, Tonga

New Zealand to Japan and Alaska

218

xii

9781472935342_PCG.indb 12

19/06/2016 21:54

INTRODUCTION

The magnet of the Pacific The Pacific Ocean is more than twice the size of the Atlantic and at 165 million sq km (64 million sq miles) its area is greater than that of all the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s land masses combined. Seen from space, it is a brilliant blue orb of water covering one third of our planet. Scattered across its expanses, as though a mythical mermaid has sprinkled pearls across the waves, are some twenty thousand islands â&#x20AC;&#x201C; some of the most magical and remarkable places and people on Earth. A Pacific crossing is a long-held ambition for many of us and will be the apogee of our cruising lives. If you are planning to set off on your first ocean passage from the west coast of America, or are heading out to the islands from Asia or Australasia, the Pacific will be your first experience of blue water cruising and the realisation of your dreams is just beginning. If you are continuing or completing a circumnavigation, you will already be experienced ocean sailors. Either way, to set sail into the Pacific is to sail into another world.

Google Earth image of the Pacific Ocean showing its vast expanse.

Male spear throwers taking aim at the Heiva Festival in Papeete, Tahiti. tom partridge 1

9781472935342_PCG.indb 1

19/06/2016 21:54

T H E PA C I F I C C R O S S I N G G U I D E

The author with the day’s catch of Red Snapper.

The Pacific was the last colonised place on Earth and when the first European explorers discovered it, they felt they had discovered Paradise. Tales of exotic beauties and an uninhibited lifestyle filtered back and the Pacific has held a romantic fascination for the rest of the world ever since. Even today, sailors return from a Pacific crossing with stars in their eyes as they recount to family and friends endless tales of fabulous destinations and remote anchorages untouched by the ubiquitous cruise ship; of smiling people welcoming you into their communities; of lives imbued with music and dance; of natural wonders and encounters with all kinds of wildlife; of a newly gained confidence in a forgotten lifestyle of self-sufficiency and the immediacy of catching a fish for supper. The attractions are limitless – but the dream of many becomes a reality for relatively few. The key is thorough preparation. The hope is that this guide will help you to plan and prepare effectively so you are able to share in the wonders of crossing this ‘Big Blue’.

An idyllic anchorage in the Tuamotus is a dream come true.

A NOTE ABOUT WEBSITES Most readers will be familiar with the internet and should find many of the website links useful. Some of the websites may not remain live for the lifetime of this edition. In most cases it should be possible to use a search engine to find the current address for a particular website.

9781472935342_PCG.indb 2

19/06/2016 21:54

P ART

PRE PARAT I ONS

CASTING OFF

Work as a team to fulfil the dream The initial casting off from land is always the hardest part of any voyage and most of us focus on the practical and technical aspects of all the preparations. But it is often the human side of the equation that is most difficult to resolve. The prospect of heading off into the sunset with no time restrictions may be your idea of heaven: fair winds and a following sea, turquoise lagoons, coconut groves, and all kinds of romantic connotations. For others, perhaps your intended co-skipper or crew, it may seem like a version of hell; there may be fundamental doubts about being so far from land for so many days at a time or about having sufficient experience. Worries about seasickness are very common. Leaving the modern world of apparently reliable and immediate interconnectedness may create a sense of vulnerability and loss. There are the concerns of leaving elderly or frail parents or precious grandchildren. These, and more, are all real concerns and must be addressed before casting off. It is not unusual to find couples or crews breaking up at the end of an ocean passage. The problems tend to arise when the adventure is driven by only one personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream and when planning and preparation are not undertaken together as a team; but the cruising lifestyle has much to offer and confident skippers should encourage their less confident crew to be more actively involved. Boost their boat-handling skills by giving them the helm and allowing them to learn, and let them be proactive in the passage planning â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even for those who are not so focused on the sailing itself, the passage planning becomes part of the narrative of the journey and navigational skills will be learned along the way. Apart from the safety factor, working together as a team often results in a deepening and enrichment of relationships as dreams are realised together. This is an important factor in the longterm enjoyment of cruising. For the experienced and

inexperienced alike, confidence in each other will grow in the shared experiences that last a lifetime. Casting off into the Pacific Ocean may be a new beginning in unexpected ways.

Taking children Families with young children usually have a wonderful time and there is an increasing number of families who make the decision to go cruising together. The number one priority is safety. On-board safety rules must be made clear and should be reinforced, as appropriate to the age group, so that children know the boundaries. Consult your family doctor before departure to make sure your children have all the necessary immunisations and that you have the right medical supplies for both children and adults on board (see Chapter 10). Living with children on board any vessel has its own challenges â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but it is also very rewarding. Children open many doors and form amazing friendships with both local and sailing families, making them more aware of different cultures around the world. Older children in their teens may find it harder to leave their friends at home, but modern technology allows them to maintain connections and helps them to develop their communication skills. There is a wealth of information about schooling available on the internet. Every country has different criteria. The key decision will be whether to follow a specific curriculum or whether to home educate, tailoring learning with the countries and places you visit. Children are learning every day, watching and absorbing everything around them. If you allow it, life on board gives them the time to absorb and process at their own pace rather than at the rate dictated by a school curriculum. This can be a real advantage. As well as academic knowledge they will develop great life skills that will help them to grow into confident adults. 3

9781472935342_PCG.indb 3

19/06/2016 21:54

CASTING OFF

T H E PA C I F I C C R O S S I N G G U I D E

WEBSITES For more information about home schooling and an insight into cruising and living with small children on a boat, follow the links from Karen Taylor’s blog on: homeschoolingonboard.blogspot.co.nz Jill Dickin Schinas has raised and schooled three children on board. Her blog and further links and books provide a wealth of information. Start at: www.yachtmollymawk.com/category/education

Children enjoy life on board and have time to absorb and process what they learn. karen taylor

Joining a rally For those who prefer to sail in company and like to feel part of a community, there are plenty of rallies that cross the Pacific. There are pros and cons to joining a rally and whether or not it is the right choice is down to you. Joining a rally will force you into setting a departure date and will thereafter dictate the pace of your cruising. You may feel that you need this motivation to help with casting off. But if you want to travel at your own speed and go where the winds blow you, a rally is probably not for you. A rally group certainly ensures sociability and this may be the biggest draw, but most cruisers are pleased to meet one another in shared anchorages so non-rally yachts on the main routes are unlikely to feel isolated for very long. Regular radio ‘skeds’ or nets are common to all cohorts of passaging yachts. A rally can create a sense of security and give much needed confidence. However, whether or not you are on the same itinerary as other yachts, you should never assume that rescue will be on hand. Thorough self-reliance, based on thinking through and planning for a variety of worst-case scenarios, is the most important criterion for successful long-distance cruising. To find out more about some of the rallies and less formal gatherings, look up the following:

The Californian Baja ‘Ha-Ha’

Family and friends left behind A Pacific crossing is not infinite, but it may seem like it to those who remain on shore and worry about the dangers at sea. However, communication has never been easier. The internet has shrunk the world. Long gone are the days of unreliable poste restante and the frustration of never getting mail from home. Family and friends still appreciate a postcard from exotic places, but it is also increasingly possible to make phone calls and internet video calls and to email on a regular basis (see Chapter 6, page 53). Keeping a regular blog is a great way of keeping everyone at home in touch with your adventures. However, upsets do arise when those back home come to expect regular contact. There are a number of reasons you might not be able to call at a particular time or on a particular day. It is much better to cultivate the approach that no news is good news and that it may be several days or even weeks before you are able to next make contact.

The annual Californian Baja ‘Ha-Ha’ is very popular and could provide a good confidence boost before heading off from the west coast. The majority of cruisers from Canada and the west coast of the USA join this friendly two-week rally, which departs in late October/early November from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. The sail down from San Diego is about 950 miles (1,530km) and makes for a good shake-down sail. Yachts then tend to congregate for the winter in Mexico, where they meet up with fellow sailors who are preparing for the ‘Puddle Jump’. www.baja-haha.com

The Puddle Jump The Puddle Jump is sponsored by the sailing magazine Latitude 38 and connects informal groups of cruisers who leave from San Francisco or San Diego, but mostly from Mexico, to cross the Pacific. It is not really a rally, but prior to departure there are talks and discussions and much shared information. It is worthwhile subscribing to their email list. www.pacificpuddlejump.com

World ARC World ARC is a 15-month, 26,000nm westabout Trade-wind circumnavigation from the Caribbean or Australia with UK rally organisers World Cruising. The Pacific leg starts from 4

9781472935342_PCG.indb 4

19/06/2016 21:54

P R E PA R AT I O N S Saint Lucia in the Caribbean in January each year and transits the Panama Canal before heading to Polynesia. Based on the format of the long-running ARC rally, World ARC is a mix of cruising in company and free time to explore along the way, either as a full circumnavigation or half a rally to Australia, with the added option of a visit to New Zealand. www.worldcruising.com/worldarc

New Zealand: Island Cruising Association Rallies From April to May, yachties from all over New Zealand gather in Opua for the annual exodus to ‘the Islands’. Some choose to join one of the Island Cruising Association rallies. The biennial ‘Pacific Circuit’ rally is their flagship event; it starts in Opua and goes to the Ha’apai Group in Tonga, the Lau Group in Fiji, Vanuatu and the French Loyalty Islands before heading to Australia or back to New Zealand. www.islandcruising.co.nz

The World Arc fleet in Tahiti. warc

The World Arc fleet anchored in Port Resolution, Tanna, Vanuatu. warc 5

9781472935342_PCG.indb 5

19/06/2016 21:54

THE PACIFIC OCEAN

Ring of Fire

The formation of atolls

The Pacific is often referred to as the Ring of Fire. Most of the active volcanoes on Earth are located in this region. The plate tectonics are such that the edge of the Pacific Plate is pushing against adjacent plates, causing the margins to collide, buckle, compress and slide. This activity creates earthquakes and volcanoes and is how many of the Pacific islands have been formed in the past. Indeed they continue to form; new islands have recently emerged off Japan and in Tonga.

The creation of coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean was explained by Charles Darwin from observations he had made aboard HMS Beagle in the 1830s. The progression from high volcanic islands through barrier reef islands to atolls represents a sequence of gradual subsidence (see Fig 2.1). Relatively young volcanic islands, such as the Marquesas, are steep-to (1). Over time, in a tropical sea, coral starts to grow as a fringing reef around the edges of these islands and the islands themselves begin to sink (2). Because of their generally conical shape, the islands become smaller as they sink, but the fringing coral builds upwards on itself. The outer part of the fringing reef continues to grow and remains near sea level, while the inner part of the reef dies off because conditions here are less favourable for coral growth. This combination of sinking island and growing reef creates islands with a barrier reef such as the Society Islands (3). Over a very long period of time, subsidence

WEBSITE How yacht Maiken witnessed the birth of an island off Tonga at: www.hoax-slayer.com/new-pacific-island.shtml

Dramatic night passage entertainment from the Erromango volcano, Vanuatu. 6

9781472935342_PCG.indb 6

19/06/2016 21:54

P R E PA R AT I O N S

Seamount

1) Volcanic island

Lagoon

2) Island with fringing reef

T H E PA C I F I C O C E A N

Coral reef

Motus

3) Island with barrier reef

4) Atoll Lagoon

Reef pass FIG 2.1

Motu

Coral head

Atoll formation.

eventually carries the old volcano below the ocean surface but the fringing reef remains. At this point, islands become atolls, like the Tuamotus (4). There are several seamounts in the Pacific Ocean. These may be the subsiding remnants of old volcanic islands or a newly erupting island.

Human colonisation By at least 10,000 years ago, humans had occupied virtually all the habitable land on the planet. The vast remaining region was the Pacific Ocean, which remained largely uninhabited until about 2,000 years ago. Colonising the islands of the Pacific was the last phase of human global settlement. Those who explored and settled the Pacific islands had to develop an entirely new way of life – longrange ocean voyaging with a system of reliable navigation. There have been many theories as to how the Oceanians achieved this exploration. The Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl (1914–2002) developed many well publicised ideas based on an assumption that migration was westwards from the Americas and his Kon-Tiki story remains very popular. More recent theories suggest other routes. Whatever the direction of migration, the sailing and navigational skill involved was considerable. In the late 1700s, the reports from Captain Cook’s voyages noted that the Polynesians had been observed to voyage for twenty days at a time. Their very apparent navigational skills relied on observations such as bird flight paths, wave patterns and cloud formations, as well as an understanding of the stars. It is now understood that such common systems of way-finding, with regional variations, probably trace back to Asian origins. Critical to their success were the vessels they sailed, some of which were very large, even by today’s standards.

Polynesian outrigger with square-rigged ship from the original journal of Willem Schouten, 1615 to 1619. More than a century before Cook, the Dutch explorers of the Pacific had written many detailed accounts and drawn sketches of the native canoes. Willem Schouten (c.1567– 1625) was extremely impressed by their seamanship and noted in his diary that ‘there are very few ships in Holland which could beat them; they steer with two oars astern, having a man in the stern of each canoe, and they also run forward with their oars when they put about’.

FURTHER READING Vaka Moana: Voyages of the Ancestors by K.R. Howe We, the Navigators by Dr David Lewis

9781472935342_PCG.indb 7

19/06/2016 21:54

T H E PA C I F I C O C E A N

T H E PA C I F I C C R O S S I N G G U I D E

Modern outrigger racing. michael pocock

Ethnic groups As you sail further west, and depending on your latitude, the culture and distinct physical features of the islanders change from Polynesian in the central and south Pacific, through to Melanesian in the south-west and Micronesian in the western Pacific north of the Equator. These ethnic groupings do not marry with modern political boundaries.

European exploration and trade The spice trade, and the enormous wealth it would bring, was the driving force behind the European adventures into the Pacific. Rich indeed would be the nation that discovered the fastest routes to the spice-rich islands of the Moluccas (modern-day Maluku Islands) in Indonesia. Then there was also the theory that somewhere in the South Pacific lay a terra incognita, a vast undiscovered southern continent, possibly also rich in gold, spices and other trade goods. European exploration of the Pacific began with the Spanish and the Portuguese. By the late 1500s, the Spanish had colonised the Philippines and discovered several of the Caroline Islands in Micronesia, as well as Solomon Islands in Melanesia and the Marquesas Islands in Polynesia. Spanish ships regularly crossed from the Americas to the Philippines, but rarely ‘discovered’ any islands unless blown off course. No one knows how many ships were lost during this time.

The Portuguese, sailing around the Cape of Good Hope to reach the Moluccas, explored the eastern islands of modern-day Indonesia in the early 1500s. In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan organised the first European expedition to sail from the Atlantic Ocean westwards via the narrow straits, later to be named after him, between the southern tip of South America and the northern part of Tierra del Fuego. His fleet then headed north-west and landed on Pukapuka atoll to the north-east of the main chain of the Tuamotus. Magellan named the Pacific as he found it – the peaceful sea. Magellan was killed in the Philippines, but his surviving men completed the first circumnavigation of the world. By 1600, however, the vast majority of the Pacific still lay unexplored. In the late 1760s and 1770s, the English explorer Captain James Cook was sent on three expeditions into the Pacific – first to Tahiti to observe the transits of Venus and Mercury, then to look for Terra Australis Incognita and finally to search for the Northwest Passage. During the course of these three Pacific voyages, Cook, his scientists and his crew discovered and meticulously recorded and charted much of Polynesia. Some of the cartography we rely on today still dates back to this time.