The Cook & Samoa Islands (and Niue) Compendium A Compilation of Guidebook References and Cruising Reports The anchorage at Suwarrow, in the Cook Islands--off Tom Neale’s dock Rev 2019.1 – July 28, 2019 Please help us keep this up to date by sending your info in! Email Soggy Paws at sherry –at- svsoggypaws –dot- com. You can also contact us on Sailmail at WDI5677 The current home of the official copy of this document is http://svsoggypaws.com/files/ If you found it posted elsewhere, there might be an updated copy on our website. Page 1 Revision Log Many thanks to all who have contributed over the years!! Rev Date Notes Initial version, extracted from the Societies Compendium, A 01-Sep-2011 Still very rough at this point!! A.1 14-Sep-2011 A few updates on American Samoa Updates on Niue from YOLO. A note from White Princes about waypoints 22-Sep-2011 A.2 in Asau, Western Samoa. Added the Northern Tonga section A.3 25-Sep-2011 More info on Apia, Samoa. Tonga stuff moved to Tonga Compendium, added bus schedule for Apia. 21-Oct-2011 A.4 Immigration issues for non-US passports in American Samoa B.1 15-Jan-2012 Updated Cover Photo B.2 11-May-2012 Some updates on Am Samoa B.3 30-May-2012 Rag SSB Net info, Niue updates B.4 24-June-2012 More Niue Info A little more provisioning info in Pago Pago. Update on where to find stuff 25-Nov-2012 B.5b from s/v Zephyr Starry Horizons update on Beveridge Reef and Niue. Addition of Gulf 01-Sep-2016 2016.1 Harbor Radio for Voice Weather Filled in a report on Pago Pago from 2013. Updated Soggy Paws’ Sailmail 01-Nov-2016 2016.2 address. 2017.1 06-Jan-2017 Adding Starry Horizon’s blog link. 2017.2 17-June-2017 Updates from Spunky on Palmerston and Niue 2017.3 04-Sep-2017 Updates from Duplicat and Noonsite on Apia, Samoa and Suwarrow Updates on Aitutaki, Palmerston, and Beveridge Reef from Noonsite and 31-May-2018 2018.1 s/v Sanuk Eagle’s Wings account of 5 weeks in Beveridge Reef (in 2015). Pago Pago 2019.1 28-July-2019 clearance update from Quasar. Updates in some weather links. Niue and Suwarrow updates from Begonia (from 2017) Page 2 Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 ORGANIZATION OF THE GUIDE .............................................................................................................. 7 1.2 OVERVIEW OF THE COOKS AND SAMOAS ................................................................................................ 7 1.2.1 Crossing the Date Line in Western Samoa ................................................................................ 7 1.3 WEATHER BETWEEN FRENCH POLY AND TONGA ...................................................................................... 7 1.3.1 General Weather Conditions July – September ........................................................................ 7 1.3.2 Weather Sources – With Onboard Email/SSB ........................................................................... 7 1.3.3 Weather Sources – Voice ........................................................................................................ 11 1.3.4 Weather Sources – Internet .................................................................................................... 11 1.3.5 Understanding the Weather Patterns..................................................................................... 12 1.3.6 Professional Weather Routing ................................................................................................ 13 1.4 YACHTSMEN’S SERVICES - OVERVIEW ................................................................................................... 13 1.4.1 Money ..................................................................................................................................... 13 1.4.2 Diesel and Gasoline ................................................................................................................. 13 1.4.3 Propane................................................................................................................................... 13 1.4.4 Groceries ................................................................................................................................. 13 1.4.5 Water ...................................................................................................................................... 14 1.5 GETTING VISITORS IN AND OUT .......................................................................................................... 14 1.6 COMMUNICATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 14 1.6.1 VHF ......................................................................................................................................... 14 1.6.2 SSB Radio Nets ........................................................................................................................ 14 1.6.3 Telephones & Cell Phones ....................................................................................................... 15 1.6.4 Internet Access ........................................................................................................................ 15 1.6.5 News ....................................................................................................................................... 15 1.7 DIVING .......................................................................................................................................... 16 1.8 HAULOUT, STORAGE, AND REPAIR FACILITIES ........................................................................................ 16 1.9 TSUNAMI INFORMATION ................................................................................................................... 16 1.10 CRUISING INFORMATION SOURCES ...................................................................................................... 17 1.10.1 Helpful Island-based Websites ........................................................................................... 17 1.10.2 Cruiser Reports ................................................................................................................... 17 1.10.3 Pacific Puddle Jump Yahoo Group ...................................................................................... 19 1.10.4 Noonsite ............................................................................................................................. 19 1.10.5 Seven Seas Cruising Association ......................................................................................... 20 1.11 PRINTED SOURCES ............................................................................................................................ 20 1.11.1 Charlie’s Charts of Polynesia - Charles and Margo Wood .................................................. 20 1.11.2 South Pacific Anchorages – Warwick Clay .......................................................................... 20 1.11.3 The Pacific Crossing Guide – RCC Pilotage Foundation ...................................................... 20 1.11.4 Landfalls of Paradise – Earl Hinz ........................................................................................ 20 2 PASSAGE REPORTS ........................................................................................................................ 20 2.1 BORA BORA TO SUWARROW .............................................................................................................. 20 2.1.1 Soggy Paws - August 2011 ...................................................................................................... 20 2.1.2 Iron Bark - August 2007 .......................................................................................................... 21 2.1.3 Tackless II – 2005 .................................................................................................................... 21 2.2 NIUE TO TONGA .............................................................................................................................. 21 2.2.1 Soggy Paws - June 2012 .......................................................................................................... 21 2.2.2 Mr John VI - September 2008 ................................................................................................. 22 2.3 TONGA TO NIUE .............................................................................................................................. 23 Page 3 2.3.1 Soggy Paws - June 2012 .......................................................................................................... 23 2.4 SUWARROW TO THE SAMOAS ............................................................................................................ 23 2.4.1 Suwarrow to Apia - Sapphire of London - September 2006 .................................................... 23 2.5 PALMERSTON TO NIUE VIA BEVERIDGE REEF.......................................................................................... 24 2.5.1 Sanuk – July 2017 .................................................................................................................... 24 2.6 BEVERIDGE REEF TO AMERICAN SAMOA ............................................................................................... 24 3 COOK ISLANDS ..............................................................................................................................