Feature Destination: French Polynesia
by Noonsite 1 Aug 2020 14:55 PDT
French Polynesia © Noonsite
With so many cruising yachts stacking up in French Polynesia waters over the last six months and no place to go, the Islands' anchorages have become very crowded, particularly in Tahiti, and resentment has been building among the local population against the yachties.
A new Anchoring Restriction Decree has been passed in Tahiti and the Council of Ministers have announced that the maximum length of admission for exemption from duties and taxes for foreign pleasure vessels has been reduced from 36 months to 24 months. The Council said the action has been brought about after considering the harmful effects of "the permanent presence of some of these vessels on different lagoons."
Swiss Cruiser Laure Olena wrote an article about the origin of the tensions in Tahiti between locals and cruisers on her boat blog. It is from her family's viewpoint after spending 14 months in Polynesia, and will help those that are new to cruising in French Polynesia to understand the root of the problems. The Association of Sailboats in Polynesia (AVP) also have many good articles on their website about the current situation.
This article has been provided by the courtesy of noonsite.com.