Coastal & Offshore Cruising Intl. SOUTH PACIFIC NEWSJuly – August 2021 e-dition  Where in the World?Feature Article – Weather.Choosing your South Pacific Summer Destination South Pacific Destinations for the upcoming Cyclone Season.Busting the Myths!  It’s about this time of year I start fielding questions from cruisers about where to head for Cyclone Season. The SW Pacific has seen an active period over the last few years with many of the island nations and indeed the Australian East Coast seeing some of the worst nature can deliver with Category Five super storms among other lesser events.There are a number of factors that will come into play as you make your decisions; your program, are you in a rush or have you time to spend fully exploring the fabulous cruising destination that is the SW Pacific; Insurance is another factor if you’re thinking of summering over in the tropics; are you concerned about turning left and heading to New Zealand, or perhaps Australia; you may even be thinking it’s time to sell and move onto other activities. Well, here a a few thoughts on the subject to take into consideration while making your own decision on your destination.Read More C&OC Intl. – News Welcome to the July – August 2021 e-dition Newsletter What’s in this Issue!C&OC Intl. Are pleased to Announce;-The 2021 Kia Ora Rendezvous is GO! See below for full details and how to register. Feature Articles -Energy at Sea! Choosing your South Pacific Summer Destination. On Board Security. Bula Rendezvous & Cruise in Company Update. Destination OGEA (Pronounced Ongea). PredictWind’s Latest Updates Paradise Resort Profile. 2021 Cruisers Information Seminars Plus;- NZ Government Exemptions Update – What Works – South Pacific Cruising in 2021 Funnies – Fun Facts – From the Galley and Regional Updates App Updates – Yachtsman’s South Pacific -Au East Coast update. And to start, Where in the World? WINNER of the April – May Issue, Trevor Wick – Congratulations! Your choice of Sail South Pacific Cruising Guide apps are the monthly prize! The image was of The Copra Shed Marina – Fiji – one of the destinations on this years C&OC Bula Rendezvous. From the “Where in the World?” Files July August 2021 Newsletter. This one may be a bit tooo easy, again no hint this month, but we’re heading there shortly with the C&OC Cruise in Company If you know where the image above is, send us a quick text or email to go in the draw for the Sail South Pacific Cruising Guide app for iPad of your choice. Make sure you include your name, boat name (if you have one) & contact details. Text – +64 272421088 email admin@coastalandoffshorecruising.com If you’ve got a favourite image From Your “Where in the World?” Files. Send them through to us with a description to also go in the draw for one of our Cruising Guide Apps! Cruising Shot of the Month!Sunset at Paradise! Yachts on moorings outside Paradise Taveuni – Fiji – Courtesy Nikki Davis – Flip Flops  Cruising Seminars – End of Season 2021Seminars at Vuda Marina & Musket Cove and are open to all. Dates to be confirmed for late Sept. & early October, dependant on Covid restrictions. Otherwise by Facebook Live. Morning Session South Pacific Weather & Passage Planning.Topics;- What’s happening in our Covid World – An Update from around the Pacific. Understanding Migrating Weather Systems New Zealand as a Destination – Passage Planning, when to leave, what to expect. Afternoon Session PredictWind & Coastal & Offshore Passage Planning tips and tricks!T opics;-A brief look at South Pacific Weather and System Movement, Cyclones, MJO, SPCZ. PredictWind – how to get the best out of the apps. Iridium Go – Set up and Vessel Tracking Join us for a drink afterwards and be in to win some spot prizes.  Energy At Sea!Jörg Domann has done many ocean miles and has an engineers perspective on the subject of energy, it’s interesting reading and explains some misconceptions!For those in New Zealand contact Enertec Marine  NZ Government Exemption Process – Update At time of writing Friday 23rd July 2021 New Zealand borders remain closed to all except NZ Citizens and Permanent Residents and those with Approved Vessel Exemptions. The New Zealand Exemption Process is now definitely working and we have a good number already in New Zealand for Refit and Repair. MBIE have now confirmed the Audit process to confirm compliance and have made the process simple and straightforward. Talking with the various departments, Customs, Immigration and Health this month thel Exemption Exemption Process is still the rule and likely to remain in force through the start of next year. Immigration has also come out and said in a news interview with the minister that we can expect Border restrictions to remain in force through 2022. New forms are now available for the application so check out the government web sites to ensure you’re using the correct ones. Better still engage an Agent, C&OC are offering this service through 3Sixty Marine Ltd. The costs are very low and discounted for C&OC members. Now is the time to be looking at making your application, there is at time of writing, no expiry on an approved exemption. If you are looking to head south to NZ at the end of the Winter Cruising Season this year, with processing times for Vessel Exemptions and Visa’s the time is NOW to start your application.For more info email admin@coastalandoffshorecruising.comThe C&OC – Destination Rendezvous Series We are still taking registration for the Bula rendezvous Bula RendezvousThe Bula Rendezvous is still GO! Entries are still being processed with arrival at either Savusavu or Denarau. The Bula Rendezvous is actually cheaper than going through any of the agents direct, plus you get all the BR Benefits:-)The Rendezvous has no fixed start date so participants can make the passage when it best suits but with all the service and support the Rendezvous offers. For more info or to Register click the logo below. For more info on the 2021 Cruise in Company see info below!  Destination NZ – Kia Ora Rendezvous Basically the same as above for the Bula Rendezvous with Departures from French Polynesia direct to New Zealand or via Fiji, or direct from Fiji for those already there. The “Cruise In Company” will be an introduction to New Zealand’s fabulous Northland Coast. We’re also coming under pressure to extend the CiC for the adventurous and take in the Nelson Marlborough Region, so watch this space! Register your interest to be first to hear the news as plans progress, there’s no obligation. CLICK HERE And the Cost? C&OC Membership. If you’re not already a member it’s just $85NZD / annum.  ON ONBOARD Security! Courtesy OCEAN SAILOR Magazine  READ MOREMarine Electrician Needed. Do you have either vehicle or marine 12 – 24 or 240v electrical skills and would like to work in a top outfit in the bay of Islands New Zealand then get in contact with Bruce Fulller on +64 27601 1492 or for more information email sales@seapower.co.nz or tap the logo above for the Seapower website. Bula Rendezvous Cruise in Company Update. Pt 1- What is a Cruise in Company? Just that, a group of cruisers exploring together. With C&OC though you also get the club resources and local knowledge.For the Bula Rendezvous CIC the use of resources started at Savusavu and an introduction to the Head of the Covid Response team. With a rough itinerary and government contacts we were able to pave the way with the local villages for the fleet and giving the locals peace of mind that we were Covid Safe. First muster after Savusavu was Viani Bay where we spent a week allowing some of the later yachts to catch up. Marina and Jone from the Dive Academy, a local dive operator with a few bure’s for guests put on some events and a Lovo, a Fijian ground oven feast. Also Providing a guide we went for a bush walk, culminating at a family community where we were invited back for lunch the following day. The family farms the area and river adjacent to the hamlet and provided fresh water prawns, mud and coconut crab and other local delicacies. It was the first “Real” local Fijian interaction for many in our group. We made it a pot luck with each of the boats bringing a dish to share.  READ MOREOcean Tactics Fee Structure has changed! Click for details. OCEAN TACTICSThe end of the cyclone season is close and boats, skippers and crew are keen to get moving. Having the assistance of a weather routing service giving sound advice, keeping confidence high and helping make passages safer giving peace of mind for all aboard as well as those following from ashore. With the help of our mates at PredictWind all skippers working with Ocean Tactics are eligible for Vessel Tracking allowing those ashore and those sailing your route too, to not only see where you are but with the Blog Post Tracking Feature you can tell them how you’re getting on and have a conversation too. C&OC members already get this service at a favourable rate so to encourage Non Members to get on board we’ll give you a one year Complimentary Membership in C&OC plus a 20% discount on the Passage Management service, as an added incentive. (Valid for one passage, conditions apply). The recent article, Avoiding Weather, gives an inside view into what’s involved in making safe passages with the help of a Weather Routing Service. READ ARTICLE Ocean Tactics service fee is $300NZD per passage and is discounted for C&OC Members.* Conditions apply.Membership has it’s benefits!What Works!PredictWind GPS TrackingIf you haven’t already seen or used the PredictWind Offshore app’s GPS Tracking feature then you’re going to love this.There are two methods of GPS Tracking with PredictWind, Iridium GO for offshore and iOS/Android when your internet connected. For my purposes today we’re looking at the iGO Option. Using the PredictWind Offshore app on any platform using the GPS Tracking function is easy once you’ve SET UP your tracking page with PredictWind.  From the menu bar on the LHS select GPS Tracking. A couple of tips here, you’ll note we’re looking at a Group Tracking Page here, another great feature, this one is for the C&OC Bula Rendezvous Cruise in Company through Fiji. You can click on any of the boats to see where they are and also what they’re saying in their blog, more on that soon. Tip – To Download the GPS Tracking Information select the slider button on the Download Menu, it’s important to first do this while you’re still connected to internet as the file size on first download can be quite big. Once you’re out there and using your iGo on a regular basis the fleet info is usually less than 5kbts. Share your tracking page URL or fleet page with friends and family so they can see your blog and that of those you’re sailing with. The Fleet Page for C&OC is.. https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/rally/coastal_and_offshore_cruising_ocean_tactics/ To add a Blog Post simply click the +Add a Post button type away and when done hit Save Post, your blog will be uploaded when you next connect and download from the Offshore App. As with everything PredictWind their Help Centre has heaps of information if you need a hand. If you can’t find the info you want or you’re still stuck email support@predictwind.com for one of the best support services of any company, anywhere! PredictWind nail it again Checkout PredictWind’s new Alert Feature HERE  VUDA MARINA FIJI Known as one of the best Cyclone Refuges in the South Pacific Vuda Marina’s manager Adam Wade has very kindly set aside a limited number of Cyclone Holes for the upcoming season for C&OC Intl. Members. Contact Vuda Marina for more details or to reserve your space. Be quick time is running out! Contact VUDA MARINA  A huge thank you to Paradise Taveuni – FijiLocated at the SW end of Taveuni island in the Somosomo Strait lies the Paradise Taveuni Resort. We first met owners Alan and Terry back in 2015 when we pulled up at their place with the Pacific Circuit Rally fleet. Well, we did it again this year with the Bula Rendezvous Cruise in Company fleet and again were welcomed with open arms. Paradise Taveuni provides welcome for cruisers with a number of moorings and services ranging from a Beer at the bar through a multitude of services to even filling your Diesel Gerry cans and getting rid of your Rubbish. We were welcomed for dinner and the pool is fresh water, luxury! Paradise Taveuni also offer a comprehensive dive service at very competitive rates and can arrange transport to any of the wonderful attractions Taveuni has on offer.  From the “Nautical Trivia” file.Spending weeks or months on a ship, stories and superstitions are an inherent part of the life of a sailor.To name just a few, whistling is considered bad luck as it can bring about strong winds. In fact, the only person allowed to whistle on a ship is the cook as it means he is not eating the food.Bananas might turn a boat’s luck ill, too. Especially when it comes to fishing boats as it is believed that if bananas are aboard, the fish won’t bite and there might be even mechanical mishaps. As soon as the hidden bananas are discovered and removed, the boat’s luck turns around.On the other hand, cats bring good luck. British and Irish sailors would often adopt a black cat, which might sound counterintuitive as in some cultures a black cat is considered an evil omen. However, there is some logic to it as cats hunt down and get rid of rodents, who usually live on ships and might chew on ropes or eat food. This practice was even adopted by Vikings in Northern Germanybetween the 8th and 11th centuries.   Why on earth would you use an Insurance Broker?That’s a good question!But if you’re on water, it’s a great idea to use a broker specialising in marine insurance. Here are 3 good reasons why you should use one for your pleasure craft cover:1. Working for you, not the InsurerThis really is a big difference. As a broker, they will look at things from your perspective, and select the insurance cover that’s best for you. They are not just offering you their own product. An Insurance Company won’t tell you if there’s a better policy with someone else. 2. Doing the hard work for youThey’ve researched the market, and know what’s good and what’s not when it comes to marine insurance. Forget having to talk to numerous Insurers and try and understand the “ins and outs” of various insurance policies. Even they find that tough! All policies are different, and will have fish hooks somewhere. Whilst a premium may look attractive, it’s what happens later that really counts.3. Your Claims AdvocatePerhaps the most important. There is a fundamental difference between dealing with an Insurance Company direct versus through an Insurance Broker. An Insurance Company holds the purse strings and will be looking for ways to minimise what they pay – whether that’s looking at how a claim could be declined, or how a payment could be reduced. They are a business like anyone else and need to make a profit for shareholders, so the less they pay the better the result. Insurance Brokers are on your side when it comes to a claim, and they are looking to maximise your claims entitlement and ease the claims process. They know the policies and what you are entitled to. They will also have good connections and will know the right people to talk to when things get a little sticky, and specialist help is needed.As with anything in life, there are good and not so good brokers. Ask around your fellow boaties and do a bit of research to ensure you are using one with a good reputation and proven track record. I asked Neil the question, “Is there a cost for dealing through a broker” his reply, “Usually the quote is either the same or slightly cheaper than going direct, we get a commission by the Insurer for preparing the documentation so there’s no extra cost to you, the client”. From the Galley MARINATED BBQ LAMB250g grilling cut of lamb, sliced Marinade 2T olive or coconut oil, 2 cloves garlic, chopped, rind & juice of 1 lemon or lime, ¼ tsp cumin powder¼ tsp oregano or rosemary, 2 bay leaves, ¼ tsp coriander powder or chopped fresh coriandersalt & pepper Mix all marinade ingredients together and marinate lamb overnight if possible.Cook meat quickly over high heat on the BBQ or in a fry pan until brown on the outside but still pink inside.Serve in any flat bread such as roti, or in a hamburger bun. ACCOMPANIMENTS:Green salad, Onion Rings, Feta or Paneer cheese, Hummus, Taboulleh, Olives, Tzatziki, Tomato slices VARIATIONS: Use lamb flaps – choose ones with the least fat and pressure cook for 20 minutes before marinating.Small lamb meatballs can be used instead of the grilling lamb. Power & Sail New Zealand BOI, get it free! For a limited time, If you’ve bought ANY other Sail South Pacific Cruising Guide send us a copy of your receipt and we’ll send you a free copy of the Power & Sail NZ – Bay of Islands Cruising Guide! The Guide covers in detail the whole Bay of Islands with;- Local Knowledge, Routes, Anchorage Descriptions, Cautions, Tides, Weather, Images and Video and is the Most Comprehensive Cruising Guide available on iOS for iPad (iOS 11 or later). Sail Fiji, Sail Tonga and the Yachtsman’s South Pacific Crossing Planner have all now been updated and are available at the Apple App Store or for update. Sail South Pacific Ltd. Regional News For the latest on Port Closures and South Pacific Covid 19 News check out:- COVID-19: Biosecurity Measures for Yachts Worldwide Not much change since the last update except that the Covid Delta Variant is causing much concern with growing numbers of cases in many countries. Fiji in particular has seen significant cases in the main island of Viti Levu which is now a containment area. As yet the variant has not spread to the outer islands or to the second main island Vanua Levu and all care is being taken to ensure this remains the case. For those cruising in Fiji as long as you stay away from the containment area (Viti Levu) movement is relatively free but there is concern from the locals, particularly in the outer islands and a softly softly approach is needed when making contact. So far the Bula Rendezvous has not been adversely affected in the Eastern Provences. French Polynesia – Borders are open by prior approval with a compelling need, contact Tahiti Crew for assistance. New Zealand – New Zealand Borders are currently still closed to all but returning citizens and those qualifying for an exemption. The Exemption Process has been working well but authorities are planning, due to the world wide issues with the Delta Variant, to keep the scheme in place well into next year. 3sixty Marine Ltd. have a 100% success rate for applications meeting the $50k Refit and Repair criteria, for more info click HERE Tonga – Borders are still closed Fiji – Blue Lanes are open for Vessels, with clearance at Denarau and Savusavu, an agent is required. Click HERE or join the Bula Rendezvous, the cost is the same. It is recommended that all yachts clear into Savusavu until further notice. Vanuatu – Borders still closed to foreign yachts until at least December 2021 Australia – Borders are open via exemption application for Cyclone Relief and other approved criteria however the criteria for this is not as clear as the NZ Exemption process with a number of applications recently being declined. User feedback We’re always looking for feedback on the apps and if there’s anything you think would be a good addition please let us know. If you’ve got any questions or simply just want a chin wag, we’d love to hear from you. Kind regards John Martin – Director – +64 (0) 27242 1088 Sail South Pacific Ltd. www.coastalandoffshorecruising.com admin@coastalandoffshorecruising.com www.sailsouthpacific.com john@sailsouthpacific.com Coastal & Offshore Cruising International – C&OC INTL – OCEAN TACTICS are trading names of 3sixty Marine Ltd. A New Zealand registered company. © *3Sixty Marine Ltd*, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: P.O. Box 534 Paihia BoI NZ* |