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Vava'u, Ha’apai, Tongatapu, Niu Cruising Guide This guide has been put together

Vava'u, Ha’apai, Tongatapu, Niu Cruising Guide This guide has been put together to provide information for yachts and vessels prior and during their stay in Vava'u. I would like to thank the crew of SV Olwen (Dean and Trish) and SV Cosmos (Suni and Charlie) and SV Passage for their assistance in checking and expanding this guide - if you have find information that is incorrect or missing please email me at shoreassist@vavau.to Malo Au'Pito (thank you very much). The guide is now in it’s eighth revision and expanded information is now available on Ha’apai, Niutoptapu and Tongatapu. With one of the most sheltered harbours in the South Pacific Vava’u is home to a large number of charter yachts and with many sheltered coves and bays & 70 islands to visit it has a well deserved reputation for great Cruising grounds. Ha’apai is a more technical sailing area due to the sandy bottom, Tongatapu is used a lot as a staging area for weather windows down to New Zealand. Number of Yachts 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Tongatapu 215 181 259 Vava'u 444 416 551 460 450 Ha'apai 62 36 91 Niua's 65 85 80 Total 786 718 981 *Estimate Emergencies Police 911 or 922 or 70234 Hospital 933 or 70201 Fire 999 Port Captain – Vava’u 70639 Vava'u Emergency Response Association (VERA or MRCC) 84114 or 7512347 or VHF 16 VHF 26 (repeater station - range upto 40 nautical miles from Neiafu) General – Vava’u Moorings are all privately owned in the harbour - DO NOT use a mooring without PRIOR approval to use it - you could be inconveniencing the owner. Moorings have been laid using NZ charitable funds at anchorages in 2009 - they are marked with a yellow or orange mooring ball and are located at anchorages 7 (x 4) anchorages 16 (x 3) - they are suitable for 50ft yachts and 20 tonnes maximum. A receipted fee of $10 a night, to maintain and increase these moorings over time, must be made at VTA officer at the Cafe Tropicana, Aquarium Cafe, Moorings. Take care of the reefs - look before you drop your anchor! If a VTA mooring is available use it and pay the Fee - help us increase the moorings and rest easier! Please don't buy or remove shells from the sea - they are someone's home. Please also be careful steering through shallow reef systems - save your keel and prop by being cautious… Check-in and Check-out must be done between the 4 regions in Tonga (Tongatapu, Haapai, Vava'u, and Niutoputapu). This is very easy to do but remember to do it – the fine is $1,150! Speed limit inside the outer marker in the harbour is 5 knots and a WAKE Free Zone - even in a dinghy! Watch out for other boats, bouys, floating obstacles, HUMANS!! A number of incidents happen each year from ramming of boats by dinghys to cutting people off. Cruiser Weather Guide From May to September, southeast trade winds range from 15-25 knots. During the summer months, northeast winds of 10-20 knots are the norm. Click for : Tonga Meteorological Services (www.met.gov.to) Click for : 7 Day weather forecasts for the South Pacific. (www.metvuw.com) Click for : General 3-7 Day Ocean Weather Forecasts. (www.metvuw.com) Faka Tonga "The Tongan Way" as in all Pacific countries it will happen when it happens… See also Culture Christianity is huge in Tonga - a wonderful way to spend a Sunday is attend a church service, please dress respectively and modestly so as not to offend. No noisy activities can be done on a Sunday or you may be visited by the Police - I kid you not. Dress standards in town are: shirts MUST be worn by males, females should be covered below the knee and shoulder. Clearance check-in and check-out Advanced Notice Of Arrival (ANOA) is required but is not being enforced currently. You may email details (Name and flag of the vessel, Name of the captain and crew and passport details, ETA into Vava'u) of your arrival to custvav@kalianet.to Call Vava'u Marine and Ports on VHF 26 and go alongside the main Customs' wharf at the northern end of Neiafu Harbour, hoist your Q flag when you enter Tongan Water (50 miles). The Customs and Port Captain's offices are situated here. Customs may wish to board the boat. Boats are cleared (free) between 0830 and 1630 Monday to Friday. They are closed for lunch, usually 1230-1330. Lunchtime, after-hours, and Saturday check-ins are available by special arrangement and for a fee - $80TOP after hours Monday to Friday, $100 + $20 per officer per hour on Weekend and Holidays. If arriving after hours or at weekends and you prefer to wait until normal office opening times, boats are allowed to stay at anchor, flying the Q flag, but may not go ashore until clearance is completed. For outward clearance, a visit must be made to the Immigration office, upstairs at the only 2 story building on the main road. There is a departure fee of $40TOP. Also, a Lights and Bouys fee of $2.40TOP per gross tonne is payable at the Customs shed - upstairs. Crewing positions A large number of yachts have crew flown in for the return trip to NZ or Fiji or just to cruise our wonderful Islands! There are several ways to bring crew in; 1. Crew member buys the most expensive fare (Air NZ have a fully refundable fare) online, comes into Tonga and then cancels the ticket and gets the money back, 2. Complete one way crew letter and they come into Tonga on that. Customs Tel: 70053 or 70928, VHF Ch. 16 or 26. May inspect your boat. No general problem. Please remember NOT to sell stores from your boat!! Immigration Tel: 71142. If phone not working, please visit Immigration Office personally. A 30 day Visa is granted upon entry and a second visa for 6 months can be purchased, or $69 TOP per 28 days, $5 TOP if your under 18 years of age. A passport photo is also required for the first extension. DO NOT give your passport to immigration (anywhere in the world in fact), a lot are lost! BEWARE: Keep your Visa up to date at ALL Times, if you do not YOU risk a $1,150TOP fine and also have to pay backfees! This is enforced here as in most countries around the world!!! Government departments close 7+ days before the end of the year and reopen a week into the new year – make sure your visas are up to date before the holiday break. Your boat may stay in Tonga for up to 12 months without having to pay duty - you must then leave for another country, get an entry stamp and you may return for another 12 months etc… Your vessel has a permit to stay for an initial 4 months, then a further 4 months, and a final 4 months. DO NOT let this permit lapse either!! If your leaving your boat in Tonga for the summer cyclone season find a suitable mooring company and arrange a care package that suits you, (ventilate the boat, start the engines, run generators, check batteries etc). All of the moorings providers do this as a service. You must appoint a Master for your vessel while your away though! Use the template form provided at appointed masters letter.pdf And leave it at the Customs Shed and your appointed master's office. Health – Vava’u Tel: 70053 Practique Certificate issued. $100TOP Quarantine – Vava’u Tel: 70053 Inspection fee $20TOP for under 25 metres/$50TOP for over 25 metres. Rubbish is $0.40 per kilo. Fumigation, if required, can be arranged through Vava'u Pest Control at +676 7512347 or +676 71322. Sailing Safaris may be able to assist with arranging out of hours clearance. Call on VHF Ch. 16 or sailingsafaris@kalianetvav.to The local radio net, VHF Ch. 26, 0830, Mon-Sun, will help provide useful information, run by various local marine operators. Moorings and anchoring Moorings – Vava’u Yachts can hire moorings on both sides of Neiafu Harbour. Moorings are all privately owned in the harbour - DO NOT use a mooring without PRIOR approval to use it - you could be inconveniencing the owner. Moorings have been laid using NZ charitable funds at anchorages in 2009 - they are marked with a yellow or orange mooring ball and are located at anchorages 7 (x 4) anchorages 16 (x 3) - they are suitable for 50ft yachts and 20 tonnes maximum. A receipted fee of $10 a night, to maintain and increase these moorings over time, must be made at VTA officer at the Cafe Tropicana, Aquarium Cafe, The Moorings. Please be honest and assist us to improve and increase the moorings. Take care of the reefs - look before you drop your anchor! If a VTA mooring is available use it and pay the Fee - help us increase the moorings and uploads/s1/ cruising-guide 1 .pdf