The Pacific Crossing Guide

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ROYAL CRUISING CLUB PILOTAGE FOUNDATION
MAP OF ROUTES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INTRODUCTION

PART ONE - PREPARATIONS
1. CASTING OFF
    Work as a team to fulfil the dream
    Crew
    Taking children
    Family and friends left behind
    Joining a rally
    The post-pandemic Pacific
    Planning
2. THE PACIFIC OCEAN
    Ring of Fire
    The formation of volcanic islands and atolls
    Human settlement
    Ethnic groups
    European exploration and trade
    From colonisation to independence
    Culture and festivals
    The endangered Pacific
    Citizen science
3. PREPARING THE BOAT AND YOURSELF
    The perfect cruising yacht?
    Monohull or multihull, sail or power?
    Cruising under power
    Preparing for the Pacific
    How sound and watertight is your hull?
    The rig
    Sails
    Self-steering
    Emergency steering
    The main engine
    Fuel and fuel tanks
    Pumps
    Ground tackle
    Storm tactics, drogues and sea anchors
    Toilets and holding tanks
    Dinghies and outboards
    Fendering
4. THE BALANCE OF POWER
    Power usage
    Charging sources
    Battery capacity
    AC power
    System review and maintenance
5. MAINTENANCE, SPARES AND LAYING UP
    Corrosion
    Keeping the hull clean
    Routine maintenance
    Laying up
    Shipping home
6. A HOME AWAY FROM HOME
    A comfortable watch-keeping spot
    Bunks and sea berths
    Stowage
    Clothing
    Temperature regulation
    The galley
    Cooking fuel
    BBQS
    Fridges and freezers
    Water management
    Provisioning
    Fishing
    Food pests and boat hygiene
    Waste disposal
    The library and games locker
    Trade and barter
    Conveniences
7. KEEPING HEALTHY
    Before you leave
    Injuries
    Burns
    Sunburn and skin cancer
    Ears
    Teeth
    Diarrhoea
    Constipation
    Seasickness
    Common parasites
    Biting flies
    Malaria
    Dengue fever
    Dangers in the sea
    Ciguatera
    Women's health
    Acute medical conditions
    Keeping medications on board
8. STAYING SAFE
    Safety on deck
    Man overboard (MOB)
    Collisions
    Lightning strike
    Fire
    Mind your head
    Security and firearms
9. NAVIGATION
    Electronic navigation equipment
    When electronics fail
    Ship's log
    AIS
    Radar
    Watch keeping
    Eyeball navigation on coral atolls
10. COMMUNICATIONS
    Short-range communications
    Long-range communications at sea
    Mobile phones and near-shore internet access
    Traditional „snail mail”
11. PROTOCOL, PAPERWORK AND PETS
    Preparing for officialdom
    Checking in and out
    Insurance
    Money
    Duty-free imports
    Recruiting crew
    Pets on board

PART TWO - PASSAGE PLANNING
12. PACIFIC WEATHER
    The origin of Pacific wind systems
    South Pacific wind zones
    North Pacific wind zones
    Tropical revolving storms
    Pacific Ocean currents
    El Niño
    La Niña
    Madden Julian Oscillation
    Weather forecasts
13. PACIFIC ITINERARIES
    Ports and harbours
    The Coconut Milk Run
    The North Pacific Circuit
    Cyclone season
    South Pacific cyclones
    North Pacific typhoons
    Eastern and Central Pacific hurricanes
    Leaving the cyclone belt
    Staying inside the cyclone belt
    South Pacific options
    North Pacific options
    Higher latitudes
14. ROUTES TO FRENCH POLYNESIA
    Routes from the US west coast
        1. Southern California Harbours, USA
    Clearing out of the USA
        2. Harbours on the West Coast of Mexico
    Detour to Mexico
    Clearing in and out of Mexico
    From North America to the Marquesas
    Panama to Galapagos
        3. Balboa
    Galapagos Islands
        4. Bahia Baquerizo Moreno (Wreck Bay), Isla San Cristobal
    Galapagos to Marquesas
    Another option
    At sea at last
15. FRENCH POLYNESIA
    The Marquesas
        5. Atuona, Hiva Ova
        6. Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva
    The Tuamotu Archipelago
    The Gambier Islands
        7. Mangareva, Gambier Islands
    The Austral Islands
    The Society Islands
        8. Papeete, Tahiti, Society Islands
16. WESTWARDS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
    The Cook Islands
        9. Avatiu, Rarotonga
    Niue
    Kingdom of Tonga
        10. Neiafu, Vava'u Group
        11. Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu
    The two Samoas
        12. Pago Pago, Tutuila, American Samoa
        13. Apia, Upolu Island, Samoa
    Beyond Tonga and the Samoan islands
    Republic of Fiji
        14. Savusavu, Vanua Levu
    Islands in the western South Pacific
    Vanuatu
        15. Port Vila, Efate Island
    New Caledonia
        16. Nouméa
17. NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA
    Routes to New Zealand and Australia
    New Zealand
        17. Opua, Bay of Islands, North Island
    Australia
        18. Bundaberg, Queensland
        19. Cairns, Queensland
    Returning to the South Pacific Islands
18. THE SOUTH-EAST PACIFIC
    Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
        20. Hanga Roa, Rapu Nui
    Pitcairn
    Routes to mainland Chile
    Mainland Chile
        21. Puerto Montt, Chile
19. SOUTH AND WEST THROUGH HAWAII
    Routes to Hawaii
    Hawaii
        22. Hilo, Hawaii (Big Island)
        23. Honolulu, Oahu
    Routes south from Hawaii
    Palmyra Atoll
    Kiribati
        24. Tarawa, Gilbert Islands
    Tuvalu
    Routes west from Hawaii
    The Republic of the Marshall Islands
        25. Majuro
    The Federated States of Micronesia
        26. Kolonia, Pohnpei
    The Republic of Palau
        27. Koror, Palau
    Guam
        28. Apra
20. ROUTES TO JAPAN
    North Pacific routes to Japan
    Routes to Japan from the South Pacific
    Solomon Islands
        29. Honiara, Guadalcanal
    Papua New Guinea
        30. Alotau and the Louisiade Archipelago
    Philippines
        31. Popular ports of entry and departure in the Philippines
    Taiwan
        32. Kenting, Taiwan
    Japan
        33. Popular ports of entry and departure in Japan
21. ALASKA AND THE PACIFIC NORTH-WEST TO CALIFORNIA
    Japan to Alaska
    The central Pacific route to Alaska
    Alaska
    The Aleutians
        34. Dutch Harbor, Unalaska
    Mainland Alaska
    The Canadian Inside Passage
        35. Victoria, British Columbia
    Back to the USA
        36. San Francisco, California

APPENDICES
    APPENDIX A Great Circle distance table
    APPENDIX B Further reading

INDEX