Cruising the Pacific

[Butler]

Top of the head, yeah, why not? Think of some places you might like to see and then check out the gory details (Cornell, pilot charts etc) for a reality check and the if, how and when. Sounds like an okay way to go about it.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Rumdoodle11.

[MarkJ]

Galapagos is one of those unmissable places in the world.

The scientists clearly knew something was wrong with one quick look at the animal, birds and marine life.
You can too. Everything is recognisable, but definitely weird.

[AiniA]

We enjoyed Pago Pago. It is a bit odd but interesting. The only problem is the anchorage. There is all sorts of debris on the bottom from a tsunami in 2009?. Hard not get hooked on a lawn chair, tarp, or refrigerator. Easter requires very good ground tackle ans some luck. Pitcairn requires lots of luck. We could not anchor because of significant swells from three directions. Had to lay off while crew went ashore by surf boat. Probably my wife's favorite spot on our trip.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by AiniA

We enjoyed Pago Pago. It is a bit odd but interesting. The only problem is the anchorage. There is all sorts of debris on the bottom from a tsunami in 2009?. Hard not get hooked on a lawn chair, tarp, or refrigerator. Easter requires very good ground tackle ans some luck. Pitcairn requires lots of luck. We could not anchor because of significant swells from three directions. Had to lay off while crew went ashore by surf boat. Probably my wife's favorite spot on our trip.

Another good reason to sail to micronesia,its relatively clean,they still have live corel reefs and there are few people..Most places in the South Pacific are run a muck with tourist and there waste..

[robert sailor]

It certainly is rolly in the Marquesas , very pretty but the anchorages are not that great. Use a stern anchor to help to point into the refracted swells, it helps. The Tuamotu Islands are very cool, especially for diving but the trades down there are not steady eddy like the northern ones so you swing 360 degrees very often and your chain can get wrapped on small coral bomby's. Smart to carry dive gear with you.
Consider going to the Marshall Islands instead of New Zealand for the Hurricane season. Really wonderful experience, great weather, super diving and very few cruisers outside of Majuro.

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

It certainly is rolly in the Marquesas , very pretty but the anchorages are not that great. Use a stern anchor to help to point into the refracted swells, it helps. The Tuamotu Islands are very cool, especially for diving but the trades down there are not steady eddy like the northern ones so you swing 360 degrees very often and your chain can get wrapped on small coral bomby's. Smart to carry dive gear with you.
Consider going to the Marshall Islands instead of New Zealand for the Hurricane season. Really wonderful experience, great weather, super diving and very few cruisers outside of Majuro.

With the exception of Grenada in the Caribbean, most anchorages I used in the South Pacific were not as rolly as those in the Caribbean. The fringing reefs very effectively damp the effect of swell in the anchorage. On the other hand, current in some anchorages - as noted other posts contributes to being wind rode. Bora Bora has a particularly deep anchorage.

Give me the South Pacific over the Caribbean any day.

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by Wrong

With the exception of Grenada in the Caribbean, most anchorages I used in the South Pacific were not as rolly as those in the Caribbean. The fringing reefs very effectively damp the effect of swell in the anchorage. On the other hand, current in some anchorages - as noted other posts contributes to being wind rode. Bora Bora has a particularly deep anchorage.

Give me the South Pacific over the Caribbean any day.

The Marquesas have no fringing reefs (much like Hawaii in that regard). There are a few bays and harbors with good protection from the swells, but the rest of them can be a bit lively. I saw a lot of bow-and-stern anchoring when I was there, but these bays were small and a little crowded. In the larger or more isolated bays we just bow-anchored.

As you head west to the Tuamotus and beyond you will see more fringing reefs.

[Teknav]

Hiya Wrong! The Caribbean is great for new sailors who would like to expand their horizon beyond local sailing; minor league sailing. The South Pacific is for advanced sailors who are more into adventure and into feasting their eyes with eternal beauty; major league sailing requiring deep pockets. Sail away!

Mauritz
Next Trip Planning - Indian Ocean

[Wrong]

"As you head west to the Tuamotus and beyond you will see more fringing reefs."

Correct. Should have made clearer about which part of the South Pacific I was referring to.

Thanks for clarifying for me!

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Hiya Wrong! The Caribbean is great for new sailors who would like to expand their horizon beyond local sailing; minor league sailing. The South Pacific is for advanced sailors who are more into adventure and into feasting their eyes with eternal beauty; major league sailing requiring deep pockets. Sail away!

Mauritz
Next Trip Planning - Indian Ocean

Maybe I am an exception. Definitely not deep pockets and I've done the South Pacific twice. Will probably go again between February and April, 2014.

My experience is where port fees are concerned deep pockets will fare better from Australia onward.

[Wrong]

Regarding port fees. I should hedge a bit because fees in force on my first voyage, 2000-2005 were fairly reasonable and lots of places had none at all.

My second voyage found the once reasonable fees had gone through the roof and places without fees now had them.

What I'll encounter next time may convince me the South Pacific requires deep pockets.

Port fees are very fluid, never go down and seem to always be on the rise. My biggest beef.

[impi]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

This thread is great timing.

We're leaving Las Brisas tomorrow for a few days in Las Perlas, and then it's next stop Marquesas

Vic

Las Perlas ... terrific place but please take care if swimming. A yacht which was at Las Perlas same time as us just pulled up in Nuku Hiva minus his girlfriend. She dived overboard and was swept away by the currents. Her boyfriend could not get the dinghy down in time ...

[JazzyO]

Sad story.


Onno

[damianham]

Originally Posted by impi

We are currently in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia.
....
Do your research well ... we are coming across a number of sailors who are putting up boats for sale because they find the journey too tedious and can't face doing the distance ... well, thats my 'two cents ' opinion anyway.

How are they selling them - through a local broker ?

Will travel long distances for a real bargain!! (catamaran)