OCC RoRC report from French Polynesia
by Andy & Sue Warman 16 Dec 2020 22:29 PST
Amanu-Spruce and Kalea at Anchor © Andy & Sue Warman
OCC Roving Rear Commodore Report - Sept 2020 - Spruce in the Marquises. As the world adapts to living with a new virus the situation for cruisers in French Polynesia has remained fairly stable.
Tourists have been arriving by air from Europe and the USA. Mostly these visitors have rapidly moved to resorts and hotels in the main centres of Tahiti, Moorea, Bora-Bora, and a couple of the more northern Tuamotus. Cases of people being found with infection have inevitably occurred, but mainly within the Society Islands. Initially, a surge happened in August when Gendarmes who had completed their 3-year posting celebrated at an ad-hoc party with their replacements arriving from France. The French Polynesian President expressed his "disappointment" at their behaviour via a televised speech. However, larger numbers of cases are now emerging with occasional reports from outside the Societies.
Our awaited autopilot duly arrived via the supply ship and eventually, we sailed from the Gambiers. The last long-stay yachts left the archipelago with the same favourable weather, coincident with a couple of new arrivals from wintery Chile. Our destination was Hao in the Tuamotus. After 3-nights at sea and 475-miles under the keel we arrived off the reef passage, hove-to for an hour awaiting the 6-knot ebb to slacken and the over-falls in the entrance to ease. Hao was a French naval base during the period of nuclear testing at Mururoa Atoll to the south. Well marked deep channels offer a route to the village on the east side. Shops have a greater selection than in the Gambiers, but the availability of fresh vegetables in a coral atoll is more dependent upon supply ships. After a week at Hao, we moved 20-miles east to the, less populated, less visited, atoll of Amanu. The orientation of this smaller lagoon offers better-protected anchorages for winds throughout the whole easterly sector.
Four yachts were anchored within the atoll, two we knew from the Gambiers, Eastern Stream and Kalea. The other were friends we last saw in Tasmania in 2015 aboard Theleme. A pleasant month elapsed: snorkelling, walking on the motus, watching seabirds and a little diving. The location was chosen to serve the dual options going to New Zealand, if the application for permission was forthcoming, or to go north to the Marquises (Marquesas) or to spend the cyclone season in French Polynesia. A favourable weather forecast for the Marquises came before any word from NZ. Spruce put her shoulder into a brisk trade wind for a 460-mile passage to the beautiful island of Fatu Hiva and her famous Baie des Vierges (Bay of Virgins). It has been over seven years since we last anchored here. We loved it then and still rate it very highly as a spectacular anchorage.
A few other British vessels are farther north in Nuku Hiva. Reports say the authorities are being most accommodating to those who will soon lose European privileges. British Citizens will be able to apply for a 12-month Carte de Sejour to cover 2021 without first leaving the territory. For those with insurance exclusions during the cyclone season, this northeastern corner of French Polynesia is a low-risk region; the mild La Nina prognosis reduces that risk further. New Zealand, are less helpful. Our application for permission to enter for some refit work, sent in on 5th August (66-days ago), has not been answered within their claimed 15-day processing period. No denial, no questions, just not answered.
Other OCC members, Wim & Elisabeth, aboard s/y Bengt from Sweden have also had no answer thus far. New Zealand is a 3,200-mile passage from here. If we were to depart, formalities would most likely be required in Tahiti, with only 21-days until the start of the cyclone season there is no longer enough time. Bengt & Spruce are having embryonic discussions about sailing the Patagonian Channels together back to the Atlantic next year if Chile is safe and open. Meanwhile, a programme of boat jobs originally planned for NZ are now being scheduled for attention...along with some more cruising in French Polynesia.
Sue & Andy Warman s/y Spruce - Marquises, French Polynesia Blog.
This article has been provided by the courtesy of Ocean Cruising Club.