Pacific Ocean outlook
by Noonsite 1 Dec 2023 23:12 UTC
Pacific Ocean © Noonsite
503 Novembers ago, Ferdinand Magellan reached an unfamiliar body of water and named it Pacific, or peaceful. The sailors thought their journey would soon end, but it turned out that the Pacific is by far the largest of the world's ocean basins.
Read more at NOAA's Ocean Facts
The November migration is well under way with yachts exiting the tropics just in time. The first "official" cyclone for 2023/24 was Cyclone Mal which sent a deluge of rain to Fiji mid-month. The season officially started on November 1st and will end on April 30, 2024, however a tropical cyclone could form at any time between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, as shown by Cyclone Lola which formed in late October and affected Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
Reports from Savusavu in Fiji, a well-known cyclone refuge that normally has 100% occupancy during the cyclone season, are that only a handful of yachts have chosen to remain there this year. Possibly the recent spate of theft from yachts has had some influence. NZ cruiser Grant McNamara, who keeps his yacht in Savusavu, talks to Noonsite about his concerns over the increase in security incidents against yachts in Savusavu.
Biosecurity reporting requirements for yachts arriving in Australia will change at the start of December with the launch of a new electronic pre-arrival report (PAR). This new online one-stop-shop for all documents will greatly streamline the entry process for visiting yachts.
Island Cruising NZ has acquired the Down Under Rally, in a move that marks a significant expansion for the New Zealand based rally organiser.
Having sailed from the Caribbean over the last 2 years, cruiser Shawn Dear was disappointed to arrive in the Solomons, receive a warm welcome but then learn that pilfering from yachts was common, requiring extra caution with boat gear and security. Read his report here.
This article has been provided by the courtesy of noonsite.com