Ocean outlook: Atlantic, Caribbean, and Red Sea
by Noonsite 2 Jan 14:33 UTC
ARC Rally © Noonsite.com
Atlantic:
In the last month over 250 boats and almost 1,400 people crossed the Atlantic with the ARC and ARC+ rallies, including a record 73 multihulls and 61 children. It's also been a big year for boats blogging and contributing photos and videos to social media - check out the ARC Facebook and Instagram pages and the yacht logs to view rally life at sea and ashore.
An above-normal 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially ended on November 30, was characterized by record-warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures and a strong El Nino, according to NOAA's 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season review.
While sailing off the Atlantic Coast of Morocco on passage to the Canary Island, solo sailor Mark Thomas was twice followed by two unidentified vessels that tried to intercept his course. He provided this report to Noonsite as a warning to boats making their way to the Canary Islands and to see if anyone else has had a similar experience in the same area.
St Helena government are closing the Jamestown mooring field from the 5th of January 2024 until further notice, due to ongoing maintenance and health and safety issues. Visiting yachts should be aware that anchoring is the only option.
The Brazilian Government has reinstated tourist visa requirements for 3 countries that were previously visa-exempt. Nationals from the United States, Canada, and Australia who arrive in Brazil on or after January 10, 2024, will be required to obtain a Brazil eVisa applying online prior to travel at brazil.vfsevisa.com.
Caribbean Sea:
The USVI government, in partnership with the Virgin Islands Professional Charter Association (VIPCA), are installing 200 Helix-type moorings in bays throughout the USVI in time for high season 2024. These are suitable for vessels up to 65ft and stays of up to 14 days are permitted. Payments can be made online at boatyball.com or vipca.org/boatyball. Locations of VIPCA public moorings can also be found on both websites.
Discover what is happening on the island of Barbuda, just north of Antigua, as there may be bays and anchorages that are no longer cruiser-friendly, where luxury resorts have been built and beaches privatised.
Yachts clearing into St. Martin should be aware that while the Port Authority have an online form that can be completed in advance of arrival that covers both Port and Customs procedures, a visit is also required to the Port Office on arrival to complete clearance.
In Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, authorities appear to be clamping down on boats anchoring at Frigate Island or Chatham Bay and traveling overland to Clifton to clear-in, largely because a number of yachts have failed to clear in to the country when anchoring there. They are now enforcing yachts anchor at Clifton (the port of entry) for clearance, or face fines.
In the Dominican Republic (DR) the permitted stay for yachts on arrival has been reduced from 90 days to 60 days. This means a Navigation Permit for those that wish to stay longer (and you can stay indefinitely in the DR) is required sooner and costs for this have increased substantially. The visa overstay fee has also gone up. Find out more at DR fees.
One of the largest, most exciting events for the Northern coast of the DR are the North Atlantic Humpback whales that travel down from the Silver Banks every January past Puerto Plata to end up in Samana where the mothers deliver their calves in the interior of the heavily protected marine sanctuary bay. Remember to keep a safe distance as the whales often breech! There are numerous licensed whale-watching tours available from Marina Puerto Bahia or Samana town.
The situation in Haiti is unstable, with gang violence paralysing the country. Supplies of fuel, food and water are very limited and cholera is rife. Cruising there should not be attempted at this time. If you wish to assist in some way, contact Hopefleet/Kingsfleet, who are dealing with aid to Haiti.
Yachts visiting Aruba and anchoring close to the airport runway should take great care as reports coming in from cruisers are that a number of boats have been hit by taxi boats or other locally operated boats in the past couple of months.
Reported crimes against yachts and cruisers in the Caribbean increased substantially from 2021, with a significant increase in violent crimes, dominated by acts of assault and robbery, according to the Caribbean Safety and Security Net's (CSSN) annual report for 2022.
Just this month a cruiser was attacked by a machete-wielding assailant in Saline Bay, Mayreau in the Grenadines and in Taganga Bay, Santa Marta, Colombia a yacht at anchor was boarded by four masked men who held the crew at gunpoint while the boat was ransacked.
A Spanish-registered yacht was intercepted off the Caribbean island of Martinique mid-December 2023 carrying cocaine with an estimated street value of £96million.
Red Sea
Since our Red Sea passage update just last month, the situation in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden has deteriorated with Houthi militia using drones and missiles against some commercial ships. Wade Alarie, admin for the Red Sea Passage Facebook page, told Noonsite, "a few cruisers have definitely changed their plans, considering the situation too fluid, too unstable. By a change of plans, I mean that they may re-route south to South Africa, or they may stay in South East Asia for another year. While it remains true that no private yachts have been targeted by either drones or missiles, the instability of the situation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait is causing many cruisers angst. Some remain committed, but may yet change their minds. This area is very dynamic." A useful site to monitor activity in this part of the Red Sea is here.
This article has been provided by the courtesy of noonsite.com