Panama to Marquesas - paper chart shallow spot

[On the rode]

Hi all.

I am planning to transit from Panama to the Marquesas and then Tahiti in the Spring. I have just left the boat in Panama for a few months and was looking at a paper chart of the Eastern South Pacific and noticed an area around 99.85 degrees West, 6.45 degrees South marked on the chart as light blue (shallow) and with the words "breakers and discolored water". I don't have any charting software with me at home and can find nothing at that location on Google Earth. It is more or less on the rhumb line running from the South of the Galapagos to the Marquesas, albeit it, I think a bit South. I didn't see anything on my plotter when I was putting points for the route in, but I was at relatively low resolution. Anybody familiar with the area I'm talking about and can offer any information about it?

Thanks.

[El Pinguino]

Probably a vigia.... but I would still give it a wide berth.


I would also place more faith in your paper than in anything electronic.

[Bycrick]

According to a story I heard long ago, often times when a ship "reported" breakers in the middle of the ocean, it was simply noted on the charts. They didn’t send someone out to check it. So maybe it was just some rough water 100 years ago. On the other hand, look up Sacramento Reef.

I would steer clear of it on general principle, especially on a long passage where the deviation wouldn’t cost me anything.

[kev_rm]

Looks pretty deep to me.

[El Pinguino]

Good luck with using GE to identify vigias.

Not sure which chart is being used but on a BA chart they are often annotated --- (E.D.) existance doubtful, (P.A.) position approximate f'rinstance.

The fact that this one isn't annotated suggests to me that the original report was of reasonable quality and credibility ... probably from 50 or 60 years ago maybe.... rather than the 1800's.

Ignore at your peril.....

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Probably a vigia.... but I would still give it a wide berth.
I would also place more faith in your paper than in anything electronic.

For those who don’t know (I didn’t), a “vigia” is a navigational hazard, marked on a chart, although its existence and nature has not been confirmed, or whose existence or position is uncertain.
From Spanish vigía, reef; from Latin vigilāre, to keep watch.

[On the rode]

Thank you all for taking the time to respond and for the information you have provided. I certainly agree that it will be wise to give the area a wide berth and that the Google Map picture makes the area look quite deep. The chart I am referring to is NGA/NOAA INT 51 corrected through 6/82. There are no notations by the spot other than "breakers and discolored water".

[boatman61]

It could also be where two counter currents are meeting.
When I was headed for Nuku Hiva we came to an area which fitted that description, discoloured one side and a clean blue on the other with a dividing line of small breaking waves.. this was West of the Galapago's and the depth gauge stayed blank.. to deep to register.
It carried on for a few miles in a NE-SW line.

[On the rode]

Thanks. That sounds very much like what I see noted on the chart and on the same route.

[meirriba]

There are several places in the Pacific with similar warnings. I have sailed several years ago from Samoa to Niuatoputapu (Tonga) and we had a report of a seamount on our path. On the reported/supposed place the depth was too much for the depth sensor to register anything.

[picklesandjesse]

These things play with your mind when you're out there. Especially if you are alone and your mind is already on hyper alert. The world still holds some mystery for us. I like that. Guess that's why we go, well some of us. I'm going to another mysterious place soon when I fall off the perch. See you all there !!....maybe. I believe it's quite warm there.

[Kelkara]

It appears on Navionics, but they probably just copied the NGA chart.
NOAA's bathymetry data is publically available
https://maps.ngdc.noaa.gov/viewers/bathymetry/
And it doesn't look like they've found anything.

[Morequestions]

A place like that could be worth a fortune to commercial fishermen depending on how far it was from port. If you find some fishermen in port down that way buy them a drink and ask what they know of.