{"id":43738,"date":"2021-01-25T16:14:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-25T21:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=43738"},"modified":"2023-05-06T17:41:17","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T21:41:17","slug":"sailing-totem-south-pacific-cruising-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/story\/destinations\/sailing-totem-south-pacific-cruising-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Sailing Totem: South Pacific Cruising in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Another day, another boat talking about heading to the South Pacific this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

What are they thinking?<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s my first reaction, anyway. To be clear, there are some scenarios that make sense. I\u2019ll get to that: more generally, it does not make sense for most boats at this time. But it seems that the hope of vaccine availability, and perhaps unbridled or uninformed hope, has prompted many plans to head that way regardless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Stepping back: right now, there are exactly two countries conditionally open to foreign yacht arrivals in the South Pacific. Both require advance permission, which is not assured. Let\u2019s review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

First: some context. The Pacific Ocean is ^%#*ing HUGE.<\/b> When people get to French Polynesia and crow \u201cwe\u2019ve crossed the Pacific!\u201d \u2013 no. They are about one third of the way. There\u2019s a lot of ocean not yet \u201ccrossed.\u201d Ballpark, in very round numbers: it\u2019s about 9,000 nautical miles across, and Panama (or Mexico) to the Marquesas is about 3,000 nautical miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"ocean <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Crossing the Pacific<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Second: let\u2019s look at those two countries that offer the possibility of arrival:<\/b> French Polynesia and Fiji.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

French Polynesia\u2019s maritime borders remain officially closed. Permission to enter is by application to DPAM (a department for maritime affairs<\/a>; not related to the consulate). Many have been allowed, but plenty boats from a range of flags have been declined. (It does seem that local yacht agents may have better luck with the process. We had a great experience with an agent in 2010, and had contacted Tahiti Crew for services last year before COVID blew up. Kevin Ellis at Yacht Services Nuku Hiva has assisted others.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

For crews who obtain permission to arrive in French Polynesia, the duration of stay allowed is based on nationality. 90-day visas are granted; French Polynesia stopped issuing Long-Stay Visas (LSVs) last year. EU nationals are able to stay longer. In our experience those 90 days will fly by, although that\u2019s not unreasonable for a boat planning to get all the way across to Australia in one non-cyclone season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Marquesan <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Niall spots Totem<\/em>\u2019s path into a Marquesan anchorage; 2010<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Fiji\u2019s Blue Lane initiative has, like French Polynesia, provided for conditional access to cruising boats. You must apply and have approval before embarking for Fiji. Application is made through one of few approved yacht agents. Crews must provide an advance COVID test (and another after arrival) and meet other requirements such as insurance, visa, and biosecurity. At least sea time is counted towards the 14-day quarantine! It adds up: for our crew, I priced the cost to enter at $2,140 (not including the additional required marina stay).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

SO we\u2019ve got French Poly, and Fiji. That means some big @$$ passages. It skips Tonga and the Cook Islands, Samoa and Niue too, on the way to Fiji; it means no stopping at Vanuatu and New Caledonia. All shuttered for arrivals. And then\u2026 where do you go from there? This leads us to\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Third: hurricane season options.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Since the pace of vaccine distribution suggests that 2021 will not reach levels allowing other countries in the Pacific to open their borders 2021, destinations for hurricane season are limited. But let\u2019s focus on typical off-season cruising destinations for the South Pacific: Australia and New Zealand. Both offer distant possibilities, neither can be counted on unless you are a repatriating national. For the non-nationals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n