Finnish Archipelago, Vanuatu and OceanWatch—World Cruising news

by David Schmidt, Sail-World Cruising Editor on 7 Aug 2014 Back in 2008, I had the great fortune to attend Finnboat, an in-water boatshow hosted by the Finnish Marine Industries Federation in the southern Finnish archipelago. Here, our lucky group of journalists got to test sail some of the finest Finnish-built cruising yachts, from the lickety-split X-Yachts to the more traditionally minded Nauticats, on a body of water that comes extremely close to embodying my personal definition of a summer cruising paradise. Myriad rocky, low-slung islands clad in conifers punctuated an otherwise immaculate stretch of saltwater between Finland and Sweden that was often only interrupted by the sight of a lone passenger ferry.

Looking around, it was easy to imagine myself back home in the States, cruising the desolate waters of Maine or the Pacific Northwest, just with less fog and better smoked eel. It was even easier to fall hopelessly in love with this part of the world, and I flew home promising myself that I would return one day with my wife, ideally for a much longer stay, a charter boat, and the summer solstice.

Not surprisingly, I’m certainly not the only visiting sailor to have fallen in love with Scandinavian sailing. Take, for example, the ARC Baltic fleet. According to reports, the fleet has been cruising through Northern European waters for the past several weeks and is now enjoying the splendors of the Finnish archipelago after leaving the more metro comforts of St. Petersburg, Russia.

Inside, get the latest report from the ARC Baltic fleet, and stay tuned for more news from this cruise, as it unfurls.

Meanwhile, in a cruising paradise that I have yet to frequent, word has emerged that Vanuatu’s Customs Border Control and Enforcement department is planning on making life a bit easier for arriving cruisers. According to a notification letter, inside this issue, from Stanley Trief, Manager of Vanuatu Customs Border Control and Enforcement, cruisers can now depart the island-chain nation from undeclared places, provided that they have already obtained a certificate of clearance from a declared port.

Also Vanuatu-related, the country’s Department of Customs and Inland Revenue has released a new Notice to Masters that describes the country’s new procedures and rules, which cruisers must follow. Some of these new regulations are aimed at the banking industry (read: foiling drug cartels and money launderers), while others are aimed at tightening border security, maintaining a clean environment, or restricting firearms possession.

Get the full scoop on Vanuatu’s new rules and procedures, as well as some more information on the stiff penalties involved for breaking the rules, inside this issue.

And speaking of the South Pacific, the charity organization OceanWatch is looking for a qualified skipper to run 'Magic Roundabout', the organization’s well-maintained Sweden 34, which the group uses for its various conservation-based efforts. In addition to a full compliment of offshore cruising kit, 'Magic Roundabout' is also equipped with full diving gear to help facilitate certain field-research projects.

'She’s a beautiful yacht to sail, fast, very responsive yet feels very solid and safe, I love her,' said Chris Bone, OceanWatch’s CEO. Get the full story, as well as application details, inside this issue.

Also conservation-related, a new analysis that was recently published in 'Conservation Biology' questions some long-standing beliefs about protecting endangered ecosystems. 'Most species deliver a suite of impacts on ecosystems that could be construed as both positive and negative,' said the analysis’ lead author, Douglas McCauley, who currently works as an assistant professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

'I think about the suggestion that all endangered species must be 'good' for the environment the same way I think about expectations that movie stars should all be good citizens,' continued McCauley. 'Movie stars are just people. Endangered species are just species. In the world of endangered species there are Charlie Sheens and there are Tom Hankses, and everything in between.'

Also inside, learn cruising lessons from racers, get the latest on 'fake' GPS signals, the Australian National Maritime Museum and the World Odyssey Race, and check out the latest news from the Phuket Yacht Show. And finally, be sure to read-up on how reading-and adhering to-the manufacturer’s instruction booklet can help prevent onboard emergencies. Enjoy!

May the four winds blow you safely home,