Offshore Cruising Destinations Hub | South Pacific

South Pacific | Our Playlist Links to this Stunning Cruising Ground

NOTES | Handy: 'Reliable', 'Unreliable', and 'Cautionary' tips

Coral Sea Islands

The Coral Sea Marine Park protects a vast area of remote Australian waters well east of the Great Barrier Reef. 

Image of a Playlist of Videos


Playlist on YouTube.

Coral Sea outer reef

These remote locations offer exceptional diving, fishing, wildlife encounters, often visibilities exceed 70 metres.

Coral Sea Corals

Stunning Corals

Coral Sea Lihou Reef

Amazing Reef systems, this is Lifou Reef.

Coral Sea Coral Cay

Clean water with clean white sands.

Australia East Coast & Great Barrier Reef

Australia’s east coast offers exceptional cruising, combining the world-famous Great Barrier Reef with hundreds of islands, cays and protected anchorages. From the southern reefs around Lady Musgrave and Lady Elliot Islands, the coastline stretches north through the Keppel Islands, Percy Islands and remote Swain Reefs to the spectacular reefs surrounding Lizard Island.

Winter is the best time to explore, with generally settled weather, favourable trade winds and many sheltered anchorages offering protection from prevailing conditions. Summers attract cyclones that seem to pop up quickly and there is little escape, many cruisers choosing to steer away for this reason. Sailors can enjoy clear tropical waters, coral reefs, secluded beaches and abundant marine life while moving between coastal islands and the Great Barrier Reef’s remarkable network of reefs and islands...View Playlist

Unreliable: (in one or two spots): C-Map and Navionics
Cautionary Compliance: Adhere to the cruising and fishing areas (referred to as Zones), these areas are heavily protected and surveillance monitored. Great Barrier Marine Authority offer free Apps and documents to help with compliance.

Coral Sea (Australian Territory)

The Coral Sea Marine Park protects a vast area of remote Australian waters east of the Great Barrier Reef. For offshore sailors, it encompasses some of the Coral Sea’s most isolated reefs, cays and islands, including Osprey Reef, Holmes Reefs, Flinders Reefs, Willis Islets, Cato Island, Mellish Reef and Saumarez Reefs.

These remote locations offer exceptional diving, fishing, wildlife encounters and very challenging blue-water sailing. Conditions can change quickly, with strong trade winds (Pilot charts advising15 knot winds - 365 days of the year), ocean swell and long distances between safe anchorages. Careful passage planning, reliable navigation and adequate emergency preparation are essential when exploring Australia’s Coral Sea Marine Park....View Playlist

Reliable: OpenCPN, Australia’s Coral Sea Islands & Marine Park - aboard Phenix 9, Peter has skippered professional organisations and charters in to this area for many years and is known as the go-to person. An absolute must for this remote area.
Unreliable: C-Map and Navionics
Cautionary Compliance: Challenging blue-water sailing that can change in an instant. Study annual Pilot Chart winds and wind patterns. Update winds daily. If the wind has no EAST in it, anchorages will be very limited and far between. Nearly all reefs have limited to no cay wind protection. As this is near many shipping lanes, we have personally sailed past a submerged shipping container (picked up by radar) with very little showing above the surface.

New Caledonia & Loyalty Islands

New Caledonia offers sailors a distinctive blend of South Pacific island life and French culture. Cruising between anchorages away from the mainland, reveals turquoise waters, coral reefs, remote islands and white-sand beaches, with some of the world’s largest lagoon systems surrounding the main island.

The Kanak people (local indigenous peoples) have a strong cultural connection to the land and sea, with traditional customs, village life and local produce adding depth to the cruising experience. In Nouméa and coastal communities, French influence is evident in the food, bakeries, cafés and relaxed way of life. For sailors, New Caledonia combines excellent cruising, rich marine life and a genuine mix of Melanesian and French culture.....View Playlist

Unreliable: C-Map and Navionics
Cautionary Compliance: Cruising Permit Compliance, printer if possible (plenty of paperwork), Customary Gifting (please NO MONEY), great tips & ideas on Island Cruising website.

Fiji, Lau Group & Yasawa Islands

A mix of dramatic volcanic islands, clear lagoons, deep anchorages and genuine village life greets you each time while cruising Fiji. Sailing through the Yasawa, Mamanuca and Lau Island Group, you can find sheltered bays, remote reefs and quiet anchorages surrounded by steep green hills. Fiji’s villages provide an opportunity to experience traditional island life, where fishing, farming and community remain important parts of daily living.

The volcanic landscapes, coral reefs and warm South Pacific waters make Fiji rewarding to explore by catamaran or sailboat. Away from the better-known cruising areas, remote islands offer greater solitude, excellent snorkelling and memorable encounters with local communities....View Playlist

Unreliable: C-Map and Navionics
Cautionary Compliance: Village culture, own printer if possible (plenty of paperwork), Customary Gifting (please NO MONEY), great tips & ideas on Island Cruising website.

Kingdom of Tonga

With clear Pacific waters, remote islands, our cruising in Tonga offered good winds, some very deep anchorages and a lay back lifestyle. Sailing through the Vavaʻu and Haʻapai island groups, you can find sheltered bays, quiet anchorages and uncrowded beaches surrounded by reefs and tropical vegetation.

Tongan towns and villages provide a genuine snapshot of Pacific Islander life, where family, fishing, farming and community remain important. Between July and October, humpback whales migrate through Tongan waters to breed and give birth, creating memorable opportunities for responsible whale encounters. For sailors, Tonga combines reliable cruising grounds, dramatic scenery, abundant marine life and remote anchorages that reward careful exploration....View Playlist

Unreliable: C-Map and Navionics
Cautionary Compliance: Cruising Permit Compliance, printer if possible (plenty of paperwork), Customary Gifting (please NO MONEY), great tips & ideas on Island Cruising website.

Tahiti and Bora Bora

French Polynesia and Tahiti offer some of the South Pacific’s most memorable sailing, combining spectacular lagoons, volcanic islands and traditional Polynesian culture with a distinctly French influence. From Tahiti and Moorea to the dramatic peaks of the Society Islands, sailors can explore clear turquoise waters, coral reefs, secluded anchorages and welcoming island communities.

Polynesian traditions remain an important part of daily life, reflected in local food, music, dance, crafts and village customs. French influence adds excellent bakeries, cafés, fresh produce and French-inspired cuisine. For cruising sailors, French Polynesia offers a rare combination of remote island adventure, rich cultural heritage, stunning scenery and well-established sailing infrastructure...View Playlist

Unreliable: C-Map and Navionics
Cautionary Compliance: Cruising Permit Compliance, printer if possible (plenty of paperwork), great tips & ideas on Island Cruising website.

Vanuatu & Espirito Santo

Cruising Vanuatu by sailboat takes you into a remote South Pacific where volcanic landscapes, clear water and traditional village life remain central to everyday life. Sailing between Vanuatu’s islands, you can find deep, sheltered anchorages beneath steep volcanic slopes, often with little more than a village, beach and reef nearby.

The people are welcoming, and visiting a remote village provides a genuine glimpse into island life, where fishing, gardening and community remain important. From the dramatic volcanic landscapes of Tanna and Ambrym to the quieter outer islands, Vanuatu offers rewarding sailing, excellent snorkelling and memorable encounters far beyond the usual tourist trail.....View Playlist

Unreliable: C-Map and Navionics
Cautionary Compliance: Village culture, carry a printer if possible (plenty of paperwork), Customary Gifting (please NO MONEY), great tips & ideas on Island Cruising website.

Liberty2

Cruising

Boatworks

Resources

© Copyright 2009 - diycatamaran.com - All Rights Reserved