SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE
FLEET UPDATE

November, 1 2022

LAST FLEET UPDATE
SEASON 2

1. SP CYCLONE SEASON
2. LAUNCH SCHEDULE FOR NEXT SEASON
3. AWARD WINNERS
4. GAUGIN'S LIFE AND CONTROVERSY
5. SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE WEATHER ROUTING
6. LICENSE TO KILL
7. MARINA SPONSORS
8. SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE SPONSORS

1) SP CYCLONE SEASON HAS STARTED

This map shows the tracks of all tropical cyclones in the 2021-22 South Pacific cyclone season.

The season officially starts November 1, 2022 and ends April 30, 2023

1980- 2005 Historic tracks of the South Pacific Storms

Hurricane Hole Port Sandwich Vanuatu 🇻🇺 Admiralty Chart sounded 1895 !!!

or

2) SCHEDULE FOR NEXT SEASON
SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THE '23 SEASON
RENEW WITH A $ 25 DISCOUNT
EXTEND YOUR PANAMA POSSE SEASON WITH A 50 % DISCOUNT

Tracking moves to next season (SPP 3) and all perks start including discounts access to Good Nautical and the SPP 3 line group gets activated

Feb 1, 2023
Burgees arrive in NUKU HIVA & SHELTER BAY PANAMA

Feb 3 2023
SHELTER BAY PANAMA
PANAMA POSSE SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE MASHUP PARTY

SEMINARS

MON FEB 6 '23 20:30 - 22:30 UTC
SAFETY, SECURITY, CLEARING IN AND OUT, COMMUNICATIONS & TRACKING

TUES FEB 7 '23 20:30 - 22:30 UTC
WEATHER and HEAVY WIND SQUALLS AND ELEVATED SEA STATE STRATEGIES

WED FEB 8 '23 20:30 - 22:30 UTC
PROVISIONING AND MUST SEE AND DO'S

THU FEB 9 '23 20:30 - 22:30 UTC
OPEN CPN INSTALLATION , USING OPEN CPN SAT CHARTS CREATING

FRI Mar 10 '23 20:30 - 22:30 UTC
LOGISTICS, REPAIRS, CYLCONE SEASON STRATEGIES

3) AWARD WINNERS

WINNER OF THE BIGGEST FISH CAUGHT AWARD

TECOLOTE

CONGRATULATIONS !!!

AND WINNER OF THE SPEEDY AWARD

TECOLOTE

CONGRATULATIONS !!!

SY TECOLOTE 🇺🇸 Michael, Sydney, Lorna - Lagoon ‘450 s

WINNER OF THE GALLEY GOD(ESS) AWARD

SKYPOND

CONGRATULATIONS !!!

SY SKY POND 🇨🇰 Carl & Roxy - Seawind 1160 38′

PICTURE OF THE YEAR AWARD

SEAGLUB

CONGRATULATIONS !!!

AND WINNER OF THE
GOOD SAMARITAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

SEAGLUB

CONGRATULATIONS Chris Thank you for sharing the Safe tracks in Fiji in Good Nautical

SY SEAGLUB 🇺🇸 Chris - Hylas 46′

WINNER OF THE
SPIRIT OF EXPLORATION AWARD

DREAMER

CONGRATULATIONS !!!
David for outstanding reporting on your dives in Taveuni, Fiji

SY DREAMER 🇺🇸 David & Gerne - Caliber 40lrv’

WINNER OF THE THE
CAPTAIN RON AWARD
a.k.a .
if it's gonna happen it can happen out there award !

KISMET

"CONGRATULATIONS" on the loss of of forestay en route between Fiji and Vanautu - BRAVO ZULU for overcoming this obstacle - not loosing your rig ...
if it's gonna happen it can happen out there award !

SY KISMET 🇺🇸 Kevin - Passport 41′

WINNER OF THE
BOAT YOGA POSE OF THE YEAR AWARD

RHAPSODY

"CONGRATULATIONS !!! "

SY RHAPSODY 🇺🇸 Sarah & Bob - Jeanneau 49′

WINNER OF THE
COURAGE AWARD

INDIGO MOON

"CONGRATULATIONS on the crew's courage to touch life sharks and for suggesting this award category !!! "

SY INDIGO MOON 🇩🇪 Kay, Beata & Crew

WINNER OF THE
HIGHEST WIND RECORDED

IBEX

"CONGRATULATIONS on 53.6 knot"

SY IBEX 🇦🇹 Florian & Vicky- Sunbeam 42′

EACH WINNER WILL RECEIVE A
ONE FIFTH GALLON OF RUM RATION
OR EQUIVALENT IN US FUNDS

or

4) GAUGIN'S LIFE AND CONTROVERSY

Post-impressionist painter Paul Gauguin prior to becoming the iconic artist lived in Isla Taboga in Panama. Virtually penniless, as he had left his wife and five children in Paris to try and make a name for himself as an artist. He stopped off at the Isthmus of Panama in 1887. While there he worked as forced laborer on the early, disastrous, French attempt to build the Panama Canal.

Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) is one of the true larger-than-life figures in art history. The key feature in his personal mythology is the constant yearning for an exotic paradise. He sought it in the bohemian arts community at Pont-Aven on the coast of Brittany and later on the South Seas island of Tahiti

In his final years in the Marquesas, Gauguin grew increasingly critical of the colonial society. In particular, he believed that missionary work had disrupted the indigenous culture. He argued in his writings for the separation of the French state from the official French religion..

Gauguin undoubtedly exploited his position as a privileged Westerner to make the most of the sexual freedoms available to him. The artist “repeatedly entered into sexual relations with young girls, 'marrying' two of them and fathering children “

In early May, 1903, morally skittish, and weakened by drug-addiction and regular bouts with illness, Gauguin succumbed and died at the age of 54, on Atuona in the Marquesas, where he was subsequently buried.

Mahana No Atua (Day of the God), 1894

5) SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE WEATHER ROUTING

For weather routing through the dangerous middle toward s New Zealand or Australia please visit our sponsors
https://pacificposse.com/ocean-tactics

Contact John Martin
admin@coastalandoffshorecruising.com

WhatsApp / Tel +64 27 242 1088

John Martin principal of Ocean Tactics has been assisting skippers with weather and passage planning in the Pacific for many years is now an official sponsor of the South Pacific Posse.

6) LICENSE TO KILL 🏴‍☠️ CROWN OF THORNS

The crown-of-thorns COTS is a large starfish that preys upon hard, or stony, coral polyp. The crown-of-thorns starfish receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines that cover its upper surface, resembling the biblical crown of thorns. It is one of the largest starfish in the world.

It is perhaps most common around Australia, but is a nuisance and reef danger across the Pacific Ocean to the west coast of Central America. It occurs where coral reefs or hard coral communities occur in the region.

The first recorded outbreak of COTS was in the Ryukyu Islands off Japan in the 1950s

The first COTS outbreak in Australia was recorded in 1962 at Green Island. There has now been between 3-4 recorded outbreaks in Australia.

The Crown of Thorns has only a few predators, which include

• triton’s trumpet, the white spotted puffer fish
• the lined worm
• the harlequin shrimp
• two species of triggerfish (yellowmargin triggerfish and titan triggerfish)
• The red emperor, spangled emperor and parrotfish are also known to eat juvenile COTS before the starfish grow their spikes.

COTS spawn on the Great Barrier Reef between October-March when water temperatures are at their highest. Female COTS release eggs into the water and nearby males release sperm, which then fertilise the eggs. Large female COTS can produce up to 65 million eggs per season.

COTS start off as larval and drift along on top of the water for weeks before settling at the bottom of the ocean floor. They are most vulnerable to predators as juveniles before their spiky spines have grown. At about one year of age they develop spines and begin to feed on coral.

Adult COTS can grow up to a 1 meter ( 3 feet ) in diameter and have up to 21 arms. If they shed an arm due to stress or injury they regrow within six months.

COTS spines are long and sharp and covered with an epidermis containing the venom ‘plancitoxin’. They are toxic to both marine life and humans.

COTS eat by everything their stomach through their mouth and then spreading it out over the surface of the coral using their tube feet. They then digest their food externally.

Adult COTS almost exclusively eat scleractinian. They can survive without feeding for up to nine months.

Predator removal: In the pelagic stage any filter feeder, including hard corals, will eat the starfish larvae. After reaching juvenile stage, fishes such as wrasse, damsels, and snappers will eat the starfishes. But once they become adults very few predators will eat be able to eat the toxic starfishes (except some triggerfish, pufferfish, and large snails like the triton trumpet.) Unfortunately all of theses species are targeted or removed as by-catch in the fishing industry.

HOW TO FIGHT AN INVADING FORCE OF COTS ?

Physical Removal

Experienced divers can use a wooden stick, PVC pipe, metal spear, boat hook or some other easily manipulated rod to remove the starfish off the reef. COTS have the ability to hide in small holes or crevices by using their tubefeet to suction onto the reef. This can make collecting COTS challenging, that is why using a rod or stick to pry the starfish off the reef is the best tool. The collected starfish can be placed in large canvas bags, rice/flour bags or mesh bags and brought to the boat or shore. The sharp poisonous spines of the starfish can penetrate the bag so please use caution. The process can be facilitated by locating a small boat near the divers, with bags of starfish sent to the surface using ropes or lift bags. In shallow water, starfish can be removed by snorkeling, but SCUBA is more effective.

Chemical Injection

Citric Acid Injections: An Accessible and Efficient Method for Controlling Outbreaks of the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish

The most common and environmentally safe chemical used currently is oxgall and Bile Salts No.3, as well as vinegar. However more toxic chemicals such as bleach, copper sulphate, sodium bisulphate have been used in the past. Chemicals are held in a sealed container connected to an injection gun with a high pressured hose. The poison is injected with a needle or a continuous injection system at the base of the starfish arms.

This method is more efficient than manual collection of starfish, however; some chemicals are toxic to the environment and other organisms.

7) MARINA SPONSORS

🇺🇸 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

🇫🇯 Royal Suva Yacht Club - Fiji

🇫🇯 Copra Shed Marina - Fiji

🇳🇿 Gulf Harbour Marina - New Zealand

🇫🇯 Sau Bay Resort, Spa, Dive Center and Moorings - Fiji

🇹🇴 Vava'u Boatyard - Tonga

8) 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

you are always welcome with a touch of cloud 9 🇫🇯 FIJI !

or

NORFOLK ISLAND 🇳🇫 IS IN GOOD NAUTICAL

WE OPERATE UNDER INTERNATIONAL MARITIME LAW

YOUR VESSEL · YOUR CREW · YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Surfbreak at La Roche Percee 🇳🇨 New Caledonia / Bonhomme de Bourail
Photo by: Cyril Maillard

The best conditions reported for occur when a South-southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northeast.

south pacific posse communications
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