May 13, 2022

SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE 
FLEET UPDATE 

TOP NEWS THIS WEEK

1) FRENCH POLYNESIA 🇵🇫  FULL RESET

2) NEW ZEALAND 🇳🇿 OPENS JULY 31

3) FIJI  🇫🇯  FREE WELCOME DRINKS AT CLOUD 9

4) COOK ISLANDS 🇨🇰  OPENING 

1) FRENCH POLYNESIA 🇵🇫  FULL RESET 
  

UPDATE ON PORTS OF ENTRY FRENCH POLYNESIA 

Bonjour,

I
have just recveid an email from the DPAM showing that the requirement
to request permission to enter has been lifted according an order from
the High commissioner’s office.

The
DPAM no longer requires nor will they treat any requests to enter
French Polynesia.  Below is the translated text from the DPAM.

This
also means and I have a confirmation that the restriction on entry
ports has been lifted.  It will take a week or more for the other
islands to be aware of this change.

I hope you all are as happy about this news as we are.

Cheers, Kevin.

Yacht Services Nuku Hiva  Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia

YSNukuHiva@hotmail.com +689 87 22 68 72 

Hello,
You will find attached the order HC 917 CAB of May 9, 2022 amending the
order HC 7934 CAB of November 15, 2021. This order deletes IV of
article 36 relating to reporting obligations and authorizations prior to
the arrival of pleasure boats. As a result, entry clearance requests
put in place for the COVID crisis are no longer required and will no
longer be processed. Cordially,

2)  NEW ZEALAND 🇳🇿 OPENS JULY 31

https://sailwiththeflo.files.wordpress.com

From
31 July 2022, New Zealand’s maritime border will reopen to currently
prohibited foreign flagged vessels including cruise ships, recreational
craft, and specialist vessels.

Further information about arriving in New Zealand via sea from 31 July will become available on the Ministry of Health website.

COVID-19 update for Private Yachts on C4G/Temporary Import entry (TIE)

In
January 2022 Customs sent out a reminder notice that the COVID-19
extension for vessels in New Zealand on C4G/Temporary Import Entry
concludes on 30 June 2022.  Customs accepts that under the current
environment there have been some that are unable to comply.
Customs has taken this into consideration and the date has now
been extended for a further 12 months.

OPUA PORT OF ENTRY NEW ZEALAND

RESTRICTIONS  
WHAT YOU CAN NOT BRING INTO NEW ZEALAND

THE
FOLLOWING HUNDREDS OF ITEMS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BR BROUGHT INTO NEW
ZEALAND MAF BIO-SECURITY WILL DESTROY THE FOLLOWING ITEMS >>
 

New
Zealand Customs Immigration and Biosecurity Officers are very friendly
but will remove all prohibited items and destroy them 

3) FIJI  🇫🇯  FREE DRINKS AT CLOUD 9 
AND NO MORE QUARANTINE 
FOR PEOPLE OR YACHTS

https://pacificposse.com/cloud-9

CLOUD 9 🇫🇯 FIJI · SPONSORS THE SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE

BULA BULA   

JUST FOR VISITING US FOR THE FIRST TIME YOU RECEIVE 2 FREE WELCOME DRINKS PER SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE YACHT 

The
Iconic barrier reef location of Cloud 9 is a great spot to view,
mingle, play and relax and watch the sunset from - bring your yacht !

JOIN US ON THE REEF FOR AN AMAZING TIME ON THIS ICONIC FIJI BARRIER REEF

http://www.cloud9.com.fj/

+679 869 7947

Sometimes it's nice to get off the boat and drink out of proper glass especially if the drinks are FREE

See Cloud 9 in full action in this short video 

Download your Fji Resources 

• FIJI CRUISING GUIDE >>
• MARINA DENARAU  WELCOME KIT >>
• 2020 FIJI SHORES AND MARINA GUIDE >> 

4) COOK ISLANDS OPENING 🇨🇰  

COOK ISLANDS ARE OPEN VIA RAROTONGA AVIATU  

must be vaccinated 

meet normal requirements for maritime entry

meet normal immigration requirements

"Our
extremely high vaccination rate has given us a very high level of
protection against Covid, with an incredible 98% of our eligible
population aged 12 and over having had at least two vaccine doses as of
this week, along with 80% of our 5-11 year-old population." 

Kia orana tatou katoatoa, e kia manuia.

Hon Mark Brown Prime Minister, Cook Islands

5) PICTURES OF THE WEEK 

A beautiful sunset on our light-wind and no-waves sail to the Tuamotus ibex

The Spires of Ua Pou

In
1791, American Joseph Ingraham passed through the northwest group of
the Marquesas on his way to China,[  but without setting foot
there. He gave the island of Ua Pou, visible in the distance, the name
"Adam" or "Adams Island" after Vice President John Adams.

It
was also formerly known as Trevenen Island. The name Ua Pou means "two
pillars" and perfectly reflects its orography. It has also been written
as Ua Pu, Hua Pu and Ropo.

It
is considered that the real European explorer was the French
circumnavigator Étienne Marchand (1755-1793), who arrived shortly after,
on June 20, 1791, anchored with his ship Solide first in Vaiehu Bay, on
the west coast, and then off Hakahau. He remained off the island for a
total of three days, but contacts with the inhabitants during the brief
excursions ashore were limited. Marchand named the island "Île
Marchand," after his own surname.

The
arrival of the U.S. whaling ship Tuscan from Nantucket on March 4,
1835, was a prelude to other encounters with whalers, adventurers, and
someewhat shady traders in the following years, who brought firearms and
alcohol to the tribes. 

The
year of Ua Pou's final submission to French rule is considered to be
1880, when Rear Admiral Abel Bergasse Dupetit-Thouars  forcibly
removed the last resistance. The Marquesas then became a French colony.

It
is located about 28nm  south of Nuku Hiva, Marquesas. The island
is characterized by four high basalt pillars  the tallest Mount
Oave rises 1,230 m (4,040 ft) above sea level and is the highest
elevation in the Marquesas. 

When you are the only tourists in a 100 people village, everyone knows you after 1-2 days 😀

(Kauehi Atoll / Tuamotus)

SY IBEX 🇦🇹  Florian & Waltraud - Sunbeam 42′

6) SY VA ARRIVES IN 🇵🇫 FRENCH POLYNESIA 
 

WE
officially made it! After 34 days, 2400 miles, 80 eggs, 30 avocado, 50
tomatoes, 10 banana breads, 4 soaking squalls, 8 rolls of toilet paper,
and 2 bags of rice. We caught 11 fish and successfully brought on board
3.5 and possibly had the shortest record setting doldrums crossing (that
we know of)

WE have made it to The Marquesas.

Our
Pacific Ocean passage was unlike anything else. We had a solid crew and
spirits were high every step of the way. We hope you were able to
follow along on our tracker with daily blogs of our time at sea.

We have so much to catch up but for now we are eager to get our feet on some terra firma.

WE SAIL aka "SY VA" with their South Pacific Burgee

There
is very little that could compare with the feeling of sailing across
the worlds largest OCEAN under your own skills and canvas, being at sea
and then having these islands be the first place you see. 

Arrival in the Marquesas

LOG ENTRY  Day 36 Tue Apr 19 2022  04:30 GMT 10º 30.721 S  138º 41.362 W Course: 243° true, 0.0 kts 

LAND HO

Today
I complete something that I have worked towards for several years, and
dreamed about for many, many more. I have had the pleasure of sailing
across the worlds largest expanse of open ocean, aboard a sound and
solid vessel with able crew that took on each day and every obstacle
with grace and courage, not a complaint or doubt among us. The lessons
have been numerous, only outnumbered by the moments of wonder and awe,
with mother nature and the gods of the ocean coming together to grant us
pass, and to shine on us with not just good fortune, but the best of
fortunes during this, the largest of undertakings… I won’t be the first
to write this and it’s no secret to explorers, but its clear that the
more that one is willing to put on the line and risk in his endeavors,
the more he stands to gain, and looking back I suppose we definitely put
a lot on the line and went out on a few branches, but it’s equally true
that we’ve always been paid back in spades and this experience has been
no different. It’s been WAY more than I could have ever asked for, and
I’m honored to have followed in the footsteps of the great explorers who
risked way more than we ever did. My final parting thought is this: now
that we don’t risk jinxing things by mentioning them I can say this -
OK first the doldrums: it’s unbelievable that we got through them in the
lightning speed that we did, thanks Aelous & Neptune/Possidon, much
appreciated and we won’t forget it. Secondly, the boat and her hardware
weathered every and all storms with only a few small items to address
and no major failures or losses, thanks VA and the Universal magic that
clearly watches over us all! Lastly thanks to the sea for sharing a few
of her ancient secrets, the ones that cannot be told, sold, or traded,
but must be claimed in person, I will keep them close to heart for the
rest of my life.

VA's looong track to FP

SY VA 🇵🇦 Erica Thomas   - Fountaine Pajot 44′

7) GOOD NAUTICAL NEEDS YOU  

Over the last 12 years we have added over 7,000
anchorages into Good Nautical - and   are looking to enhance this
information with first hand accounts from you - please add pictures,
details and updates as you see them. 

The iconic Minerva Reef Yacht Club Anchorage

MINERVA
REEF -  Please email us your anchorages and tracks to safeguard
them for those who will attempt them after you please email your tracks (
any format )   to registration@pacificposse.com 

 The
Minerva Reefs (Tongan: Ongo Teleki) are a group of two submerged atolls
located in the Pacific Ocean south of Fiji and Tonga. The islands are
the subject of a territorial dispute between both nations, and in
addition were briefly claimed by American Libertarians as the centre of a
micronation, the Republic of Minerva. 

The
reefs were named after the whaleship Minerva, wrecked on what became
known as South Minerva after setting out from Sydney in 1829. Many other
ships would follow, for example Strathcona, which was sailing north
soon after completion in Auckland in 1914. In both cases most of the
crew saved themselves in whaleboats or rafts and reached the Lau Islands
in Fiji. 

Sailing Nikau's blog about Minerva Reef 

The
reefs were first known to Europeans by the crew of the brig Rosalia,
commanded by Lieutenant John Garland, which was shipwrecked there in
1807. The Oriental Navigator for 1816 recorded Garland’s discovery under
the name Rosaretta Shoal, warning that it was “a dangerous shoal, on
which the Rosaretta, a prize belonging to his Majesty's ship Cornwallis,
was wrecked on her passage from Pisco, in Peru, to Port Jackson, in
1807”. It noted that it was “composed of hard coarse sand and coral”, a
description that must have come from Garland’s report. It also said that
“from the distressed situation of the prize-master, Mr. Garland”, the
shoal’s extent could not be ascertained, and concluded: “The situation
is not to be considered as finally determined”. It cited different
coordinates from those given by Garland: 30°10 South, longitude 173°45'
East.  The reefs were put on the charts by Captain John Nicholson
of LMS Haweis in December 1818 as reported in The Sydney Gazette 30
January 1819.[3] Captain H. M. Denham of HMS Herald surveyed the reefs
in 1854 and renamed them after the Australian whaler Minerva which ran
aground on South Minerva Reef on 9 September 1829. 

A wreck inside the Minerva Reefs

8) SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE 
AWARDS CATEGORIES 

HERE ARE THE  CATEGORIES 

    BIGGEST FISH CAUGHT* ✔ 

    PICTURE OF THE YEAR ✔  

    SPEEDY AWARD – SEVENSTAR AWARD ✔  

    THE CAPTAIN RON AWARD ✔ 

    MOST UNWELCOME VISITOR ONBOARD ✔ 

    HIGHEST WIND RECORDED ✔ 

    SPIRIT OF EXPLORATION ✔ 

    GALLEY GOD(ESS) ✔ 

    GOOD SAMARITAN OF THE YEAR ✔  

    NEWLY ADDED – BOAT YOGA POSE OF THE YEAR ✔

*no bill-fish

9) MEET THE FLEET 
SEA PEARL

Hello South Pacific-Posse, 

We are Luisa and Matthias sailing on our 2008 Dufour 455 GL. 

We
started our present journey in August 2021. Since then we traveled the
Mediterranean westwards and hopped over Madeira, some of the Canarian
Islands and Cape Verde to the southern Caribbean Islands. Since then our
course was northwards with a touring point in Eleuthera/Bahamas. We are
now on our way back south to Panama and are planning the canal crossing
mid of June to sail on-wards into the big Pacific. 

We are looking forward to meet you guys and share our experiences along the way. 

Personal
facts: we are 28 (Luisa) and 34 (Matthias) and have been dinghy-sailing
since our childhood on Bavarian inshore lakes. We are both German and
our journey shall last a total of two years, so we are planning to
return to our normal lives by end of August 2023.

SEA PEARL on YOUTUBE

10) CHRIS ON SEAGLUB GOT THE BURGEE

Meet
Chris on SeaGlub - Lead Vessel of this season's South Pacific Posse
currently scouting the Fiji - New Caledonia - Australia Route 

11) LANDFALL IN 🇵🇳 PITCAIRN  

Pitcairn
is the least populous national jurisdiction in the world. The Pitcairn
Islanders are a biracial ethnic group descended mostly from nine Bounty
mutineers and a handful of Tahitian consorts – as is still apparent from
the surnames of many of the islanders. The mutiny and its aftermath
have been the subject of many books and films. As of January 2020, the
territory had only 47 permanent inhabitants. 

Horizon landed in Pitcairn today. 2700nm in 17 days from the Galapagos. We felt
like we were on the  "Cream Run". Beam Reach all the way. We were a
little worried that the engine would not start after 14 days (but it
did :-) . Life is good and Pitcairn and the people here are amazing.

SY  HORIZON 🇺🇸  Anders & Anette - Outbound 46′

12)  MARINA SPONSORS OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC  POSSE 

🇺🇸  Safe Harbor South Bay – Chula Vista - USA

🇲🇽  Marina Chiapas – Mexico   

🇨🇷  Marina Papagayo – Costa Rica   

🇵🇦  Shelter Bay Marina – Panama  

🇪🇨  Marina Puerto Amistad – Ecuador  

🇫🇯  Vuda Point Marina - Fiji 

🇻🇺  Yachting World Marina - Port Vila - Vanuatu

🇳🇿  Marsden Cove Marina - New Zealand 

🇦🇺  Rivergate Marina  - Brisbane  - Australia 

🇫🇯  Denarau Marina - Fiji 

Roasted pigs of Wallis and Futuna on St. Chanel Day

Festivals and dance Wallis and Futuna

Numerous
festivals are celebrated in Wallis and Futuna throughout the year; on
St Chanel Day, pigs are roasted and placed in the sun, and dancing
performances are held. The Wallis and Futuna Festival is put on in
Noumea annually. Flae fones are community feasting and meeting
structures. 

There
are at least 16 types of dances (faive), their differences based upon
location, occasion, number of dancers, gender, accompanying instruments,
and other modifiers. Most dances are accompanied by singing and some
type of percussion instruments as dancing without drumming is considered
unusual. The kailao (paddle-club dance), however, has no song and only
includes percussion.  Wallis and Futuna dancers perform across the
Oceania region at festivals. 

 There
is not much tourism in the two islands. The natural heritage of the
territory is largely preserved; there are not many recreational sites in
Wallis and Futuna. 

13) SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE SPONSORS 

• PREDICT WIND
• SEVENSTAR YACHT TRANSPORT
• CENTENARIO PANAMA CANAL AGENTS
• YACHT AGENTS GALAPAGOS 
• YACHT SERVICES NUKU HIVA 
• NOUMEA YACHT SERVICES
• SAFE HARBOR SOUTH BAY MARINA EVENT CENTER
• WESTMARINE PRO
• SAILMAIL 
• OCEAN TACTICS WEATHER ROUTING
• CLOUD 9  FIJI

14) PICTURE OF THE WEEK

view from Makemo dinghy dock

SY KISMET 🇺🇸 Kevin - Passport 41′

15) ARANUI 5 SUPPLY & CRUISE SHIP 
🇵🇫  FRENCH POLYNESIA

M/V
Aranui 5 is a dual passenger/cargo vessel that entered service 12
December 2015 between Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands. With a homeport
of Papeete, French Polynesia, the Aranui 5 replaced the Aranui 3 which
entered service in 2003.

Like
its predecessor, is registered as a passenger ship under the
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), for
international operation.

Apart
from supplying cargo to the six ports in the Marquesas Islands, Aranui 5
also operates a passenger service and tourist cruise as part of its
14-day itinerary. It also stops at the islands of Rangiroa and Fakarava
in the Tuamotu Islands before returning on its 13th day to Bora Bora in
the Society Islands. 

https://www.aranui.com/en/sailing-schedule/

Vessel particulars:

    Flag: France

    Length: 126 m. Breadth: 22 m. Draught: 5.2 m. 

    Cruising speed: 15 knots

    Propellers: 2

    Freight: 3000 tons

    Capacity: 230 passengers – 103 cabins

SY IBEX 🇦🇹  Florian & Waltraud - Sunbeam 42′

16) TRACKING THE 22' PACIFIC POSSE  FLEET 
BROUGHT TO YOU BY PREDICT WIND

Visit https://pacificposse.com/tracking to view the progress of the 22 South Pacific Posse Fleet. 
To be added visit https://pacificposse.com/add-to-tracking

17) SEVENSTAR YACHT TRANSPORT

 SPONSORS THE SOUTH POSSE

More info on Sevenstar™s services can be found on https://www.sevenstar-yacht-transport.com/

Who is Sevenstar Yacht Transport?

Sevenstar
is the world’s leading provider of yacht shipping services on a
lift-on, lift-off basis. Sevenstar has access to the Spliethoff fleet of
over 120 company owned vessels. With an impressive 1,500+ transports
per year, they are calling over 100 ports in more than 40 countries
worldwide.

For a quote with the Panama Posse discount please contact 
Kris Caren

email: kris@sevenstar-usa.com

web: sevenstar-usa.com

18) PANAMA CANAL AGENT 
CENTENARIO CONSULTING ERICK GALVEZ

To
arrange for transit with the Panama Canal Authority please contact Eric
Galvez our dedicated Panama Canal agent and sponsor of the Panama Posse
and the Pacific Posse

Erick Gálvez

info@centenarioconsulting.com

www.centenarioconsulting.com

Cellphone +507 6676-1376

WhatsApp +507 6676-1376

19) STRATEGIC PARTNERS
 

SEVEN SEAS CRUISING ASSOCIATION

Abernathy – Chandlery – Panama

Panama Posse 

Atlantic Posse

Advertising Partners – Las Vegas

Safe-Esteem.com – Delaware

WE OPERATE UNDER INTERNATIONAL MARITIME LAW

YOUR VESSEL YOUR CREW YOUR RESPONSIBILITY 

UA
HUKA is one of the smallest islands of the Marquesas French Polynesia.
Home of the “great house” of gods overlooking the ocean, this wild and
deep universe offers a preserved nature with steep slopes and desert
plateaus.

The
population lives mainly horse breeding in the highlands, because there
are more horses on the island than people, fishing and coprahculture.

They live around Vaipaee, capital of the island which has an archaeological museum located in the local authority.

Ua
Huka is also the place whre the Marquesas’ most ancient archeological
sites can be found. The preservation of cultural heritage and
environmental protection are very important for the local population.
You can visit the site Meiaute with red stone tikis, the cave “Pas”, the
bird’s island, petroglyphs of vaikiki and many others.

Traditional
arts, seen in “tapa” factories or monoi fabrication places “Kumu Hei”
are also preponderent in wood or stone carving.

south pacific posse communications 
 @ 9811 w charleston blvd 2262 89117 Summerlin USA

© 2022 South Pacific Posse / Ocean Posse LLC