From the Caribbean to New Zealand

[iciela]

Hi guys,
i'm planning to cruise a 42 ft ex-mooring charter boat from BVI to NZ in march april and i anticipate to spend 4 to 5 months doing it...at the moment,the loose sailing plan is BVI, curacao,cartagena, through panama...,galapagos,tahiti,cook island (rarotonga ?),niue and/or tonga,bay of islands NZ...
apart from looking for crew(see other forum),i'd welcome some practical tips from personal experiences...places to go,things to do or NOT do !?...best routes,best anchorage,anything on the subject: sail ,weather,money,visa,panama,...
cheers
JF

[Cacique]

Trip sounds awesome wish I was there to accompany you. In the early 90s (90 - 93) Cacique went round. Dont miss The Galpagos Islands.

[MarkJ]

Hi JF,

Sail the way you want. Then its your trip. If you just read someones book
and follow their waypoints you are just doing it their way

Our website has some cute photos of what you might see on your way





Yikes! Where did that lil fat fella come from?!

Don't listen to cruisers! Especially when they start a sentence like: "Arn't you afraid of pirates?"

Use Panama as a bit shopping spree. Colon is better than Panama City as its all so close to the yacht club ( Shelter By Marina is miles from anything so I recommend anchoring on "The Flats" and using the Yacht Club including their people to arrange your paperwork - no agent needed.

Sail up the Cargras river next the Colon and anchor overnight near some Howler Monkeys. Scary movies don't come close to the sounds these buggers make. Like the screams of the horsemen of the apocalypse.

Galapagos is great! Just sail in and get a visa. Nothing needs to be prearranged.

Mark
PS take your time

[MarkJ]

By the way. You say you are looking for crew. Do you realllllllllllly need crew?

We did it with just 2 of us....

Only take crew imho if you really need them

[Rangiroo]

I'm doing the same trip in my Stevens 47. She is named Arielle (New Zealand flagged) and has a dark blue hull with a yellow stripe and the name is clearly marked on the rear transom in big yellow letters. Look for us as we have 3-4 boats we know that are doing the same thing. What is the name of your boat??I am in Dominica at the moment headed to Martinique Sunday or Monday....or Tuesday.....or......

[hmjdit2stw?]

hi my names jodie, im 27 and living in toronto at the moment. my sailing experience is limited only taken a couple basic skill courses and im taking another probably in march and hopefully in the the BVIs actually. i spent a year in the bay of islands and (unfortunately) only 1 week of that was sailing in the bay. anyways im interested in helping you with your passagage but understand if your seeking someone more experienced. if thats the case if i happen to run into you in BVI around march time i'd be happy to share anything i know about new zealand you may find helpful.
cheers!
jodie

[meyermm]

give Niue a miss

[iciela]

thanks guys...
and for whoever is still out there...the plan is on again,so keep giving feedback...

[annk]

Regrettably Panama Canal Yacht Club no longer exists~!

It was closed, and bulldozed in early 2009.

Only option currently is Shelter Bay and yes its expensive and a long way from Colon....

[barnakiel]

Just go with the flow. It is an easy and mostly pleasant trip.

My advice is: DO NOT hurry. I did. Should not have.

b.

[meyermm]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Just go with the flow. It is an easy and mostly pleasant trip.

My advice is: DO NOT hurry. I did. Should not have.

b.

I second the do not hurry advice, I did!

[osirissail]

Best advice, join the Pacific Puddlejumpers group - pacificpuddlejump : Pacific PuddleJump
This is an annual grouping of cruisers who are doing the coconut run through the South Pacific. There is a huge amount of excellent information from those who have done the run last year and a each previous year before. It is not a formal "rally" but rather just a group of like-minded cruisers wishing to share information and experiences from cruisers who are doing it and have done it recently.
- - And if you can get on the French Polynesia Bond Exemption List it will save your thousands of dollars. Check it out.

[meyermm]

The bond amounts to the cost of an Airline ticket back to your home country (passport). On leaving French Polynesia you claim it back. They do take some for tax/handling fee etc but the main problem it is returned in French Pacific Francs. The only exemption from paying the bond is if you are under an EU passport.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by meyermm

The bond amounts to the cost of an Airline ticket back to your home country (passport). On leaving French Polynesia you claim it back. They do take some for tax/handling fee etc but the main problem it is returned in French Pacific Francs. The only exemption from paying the bond is if you are under an EU passport.

Not quite true - The purpose of the French Bond system is to ensure that those arriving - - leave. The French Polynesian Bond is as stated equal to the one way airfare (otherwise known as "full fare") back to your "home/passport" country cost for every person on board. This can be done by depositing the money in a French Bank on the island or by presenting paid tickets. One way to do it is to purchase the tickets on a credit card and then when you leave cancel the tickets and get your full refund of the cost of the tickets to your credit card. However, you are going to be charged the "interest" on the charges to your credit card if you are not able to pay it off in the "grace period." It just may be cheaper to pay the bank fees and conversion rates than do the pre-paid airline tickets.
- - There ARE "exemptions" for cruisers who are not "EU-citizens." Organized groups (rallies, etc. and the Pacific Puddle Jumpers via Latitude 38) are issued exemptions based on the organization's demonstration in past years that everybody who arrives, leaves again.

[jim_thomsen]

Hello Iciela,

We are headed the same way, so maybe we'll see you. Osirissail is right about the Pacific Puddle Jump. It's free and if you sign up (I think) before Feb. they give you a letter that should work to avoid the Bond).

Hello Arielle, we are in Dominica now (Roseau). TENAYA - Hallberg-Rassy 40 (white with blue strip)