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Island cruising Winter 2020?


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The "marine traffic" site show quite a few cruisers on the milk run around French Polynesia and several heading further west. I would expect that the cruisers would actually be more at risk of Covid 19 from the islanders than the other way round.

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OK let's give the twitbook group a miss then, didn't seem a good fit for me. So, I guess we just keep an eye on progress with the NZ & the Island borders, and see what happens.

A week sailing up, then a week in quarantine would seem viable for 4-5 months away. 

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Fiji has just increased the quarantine period to 28 days according to Radio NZ. Not clear in that article where the person has to isolate but it suggests it's similar to those arriving in NZ as it states "The government said those arriving in Nadi would be taken to a quarantine facility and monitored for 28 days.". Is that the same for visiting yachts?  And I'm thinking that whatever the answer to that question those people quarantined are unlikely be in a tropical bay. It will more likely be somewhere like the Fiji Gateway Hotel across from the airport. A very pleasant place to stay, I concede, but expensive and a long way from Denerau.  
 

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For me personally this isn’t an option but I can see the appeal for those able to go. But if it was me then I’d want to do 2 weeks in isolation anchored somewhere secluded in the Gulf before weighing anchor in case I had an incubating case of Covid onboard. You wouldn’t want to get sick underway to Fiji and it would be hell to arrive there crook and probably unwelcome by the local health system. Could be a grim scenario.

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You make a very good point Aleana.
All on board are required to have Covid tests within 72 hours prior to departure; so a very very unlikely scenario.

When the announcement about the new Auckland infections was made last Tuesday evening NZ authorities also shut the border to NZ registered yachts.
Am crewing on a yacht due to leave for Fiji this weekend, so now waiting for Fridays announcement with fingers crossed that they'll allow departures again.
 

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9 hours ago, grantmc said:

You make a very good point Aleana.
All on board are required to have Covid tests within 72 hours prior to departure; so a very very unlikely scenario.

When the announcement about the new Auckland infections was made last Tuesday evening NZ authorities also shut the border to NZ registered yachts.
Am crewing on a yacht due to leave for Fiji this weekend, so now waiting for Fridays announcement with fingers crossed that they'll allow departures again.
 

But surely you can depart NZ by boat anytime regardless of status? Sure, it might be discouraged and it could get messy if you need to turn around and return. But surely the NZ govt cannot deny your right to travel and stamp your passports out of the country even at L3/4?

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17 hours ago, Aleana said:

But surely the NZ govt cannot deny your right to travel and stamp your passports out of the country even at L3/4?

Of course they can.  No Cat 1 for a start.

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Ok but Cat 1 is a different non-Covid issue. But if you had Cat 1 then surely you can depart NZ? What law is preventing that? They can prevent entry but they can’t prevent departure if you have no legal responsibilities outstanding here eg unpaid fines or tax or a criminal sentence?

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Aleana is both right and wrong, for a NZ registered pleasure boat.
Cat 1 is a nautical matter and the certificate is granted by a YNZ approved inspector.

But having Cat 1 does NOT give  permission to leave the country, that is just a part of the process. 
Navy, Immigration, Police and Customs, absolutely all have the power and law to stop you leaving (and arrest).

We were all set to go, and the boat received Cat 1 last Wednesday.

But of course we had a new Covid outbreak, and on the basis of Friday's decision to extend the lockdown, Fiji agent couldn't guarantee entry.
So NZ authorities said 'NO you can't leave'.

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On 15/08/2020 at 11:15 AM, Aleana said:

Ok but Cat 1 is a different non-Covid issue. But if you had Cat 1 then surely you can depart NZ? What law is preventing that? They can prevent entry but they can’t prevent departure if you have no legal responsibilities outstanding here eg unpaid fines or tax or a criminal sentence?

Departures are being approved on a case by case basis. If you don't receive approval then you can't leave, at least not legally. 

Approvals take into consideration country of registration, citizenship of crew, residence of crew, expiry of NZ visa, border restrictions at destination, condition of vessel etc

If you're not NZ flagged and your crew have residence at your destination and your NZ visa is about to expire then approval is very likely to be granted.

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