Tahiti and French Polynesia - anchoring ban

[Seven Spades]

It seems that there are huge threats to Pacific cruising routes from the new rules in French Polynesia. From what I have gathered they changed the rules to allow cruising yachts to stay for up to three years. This policy lead to an explosion of sea gypsies who simply became resident in some bays, they leave pollution, wrecks, spend little money and as a result have outstayed their welcome. The answer has been brutal, they has issued a blanket ban on anchoring except in designated areas and each area has a limited number of boats allowed. Boat are required to notify their arrival in anchorages. Apparently it is causing chaos with authorities slowly kicking out all the boats without any ports of refuge available. In some places yacht are obliged to pick up moorings and at least one boat that was attached to a mooring in 80m was wrecked when the mooring failed.

Whilst this knee jerk reaction seems to be limited to French Polynesia, there is a genuine risk that other places will follow bring an end to cruising in the Pacific. It is not really an option to use marinas as most have little capacity, cannot accommodate large boats and often are untenable. If you have plans to go I would suggest you go now, in 10 years time it might not be possible. Even today more and more countries have every stringent advance notification requirements cruising is becoming an exercise in bureaucratic planning.

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

I have noticed this as well, what you say is certainly occurring, although there have been other cruisers who say the stories are exaggerated and if you keep your paperwork in order and are bona fide passage makers, you are still welcome as ever. The world, and blue water cruising, are changing and it gives a certain urgency to any circumnavigatory dreams!

 

[ryanroberts]

Superficially this sounds a lot like inland water politics; there is a nice thing, a minority of idiots exploit it pissing off the landlubbers and everyone else, bureaucrats over react and ruin it for everyone. I had thought there was a higher consciousness cutoff for 1000+ mile pacific journeys compared to moving onto a canal boat and hitting a bong all day though. Will be a damn shame if you need a million quid cat and a team of lawyers to live that life for a few years.

 

[Wansworth]

Hiscock must be turning in his grave,maybe as with most human pursuits just too many people doing the samething

 

[Monique]

They have too many junk boats. They want them gone...