Palmyra Atoll

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	==Palmyra Atoll==		==Palmyra Atoll==
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	===Background===		===Background===

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Revision as of 09:01, 18 January 2010

Contents 1 Palmyra Atoll 1.1 Background 1.2 Charts 1.3 Radio Nets 1.4 Weather 1.5 Approach and Navigation 1.6 Marinas & Yacht Clubs 1.7 Anchorages 1.8 Tourism & things to do ashore 1.9 Fuel, Water, & Electricity 1.10 Laundry 1.11 Grocery & Supply Stores 1.12 Eateries 1.13 Internet/WiFi 1.14 Motorbike & Car Rentals 1.15 Marine Stores & Facilities 1.16 Repairs 1.17 Garbage Disposal 1.18 Transportation 1.19 Routes/Passages To/From 1.20 References & Publications 1.21 Cruiser's Friends 1.22 Forum Discussions 1.23 External Links 1.24 Personal Notes 1.24.1 Last Visited & Details Checked (and updated here) 2 Cruising Wiki Navigation

Palmyra Atoll

Background

Palmyra Is. has an isolated location, and since there has been no human activity for 60 years since the navy left, the coral reef is as pristine as you are likely to find. Since the end of WW11, the island has been owned by various concerns, including a Judge in Hawaii, a fishing concern that never got off the ground until the Nature Conservancy aquired Cooper Island. A permit, aquired in Hawaii, is technically required to visit the island, with a limit of 2 yachts visiting at any one time, and a limit of a week total visit. Check if the rules have changed prior to going.

Charts

• Entry is 052 degrees from the SW (avoid the foul ground to the west) This is a dredged channel, depths 26 feet, and Sand Island to the east, wooded, is the dredge spoil from the channel. The channel is over a mile long, and there is a range marker. The range markers may or not be visible, and it is easy to mistake the concrete block as one of the marks. The surf breaks on Penguin Spit to the south.
• There are buoys shown on the chart at the outer entrance to the channel, and they are not there. Use your eyeballs for deep blue water depth and follow the obviously deep water in.
• Once in the lagoon, follow the deep water over to the concrete apron and the obvious buildings and anchor. Anchoring near the end of the airstrip is prohibited as the aircraft/mast issue.

Radio Nets

• Just give 'Palmyra Island' a call on ch16, there is no one else around for hundreds of miles.

Weather

Local weather conditions are just at the edge of the NE trades, and it rains, a lot.

Sources for Weather forecasts:

• NOAA weatherfax covers this area.

Approach and Navigation

Details?

Marinas & Yacht Clubs

Marina, no. Yacht club, minimal.

Anchorages

List details of all safe anchorages in the area.

Tourism & things to do ashore

Cooper Island is under the control of the nature conservancy, the rest is US Fish and Wildlife. Cooper Island has well established walking paths, and has been cleared of leftover WW11 explosives, mostly. The 'yacht club' has an assortment (that have been defused) should you have any doubts about staying on the paths. The other islands are off limits.

Fuel, Water, & Electricity

• Nothing available here, all barged in from Hawaii once a year. The original Navy cistern is in use, and the significant rainfall is used for keeping the tank filled, if well supplied, very limited quantities may be available.

Laundry

• No

Grocery & Supply Stores

• None

Eateries

• No, but a picnic at the North Beach lawn chairs is very scenic, and if you have brought a garbage bag, pick up a bag full of plastic from the beach while you are there!

Internet/WiFi

Available?

Motorbike & Car Rentals

Marine Stores & Facilities

Submit addresses and contact details of marine related businesses that are of interest to cruisers.

Repairs

• None available.

Garbage Disposal

• Pack it in/Pack it out

Transportation

Transportation (local and/or international)

• Truly a sail in/sail out destination. Only an absolutely life threatening situation might get a flight chartered from Hawaii.

Routes/Passages To/From

Roughly 900 miles to/from Hawaii, we made the trip in 5 days in a very fast boat in June when we had a good window with strong NE trades and reached the whole way. The system moved just as we got there, and then the trip would have been much slower. On our way back from Samoa, we were hard on the wind and never got enough easting to get there, so tacking would have been in order, so if coming up from the south, make all the easting you can, when you can. To make it to hawaii, most experienced skippers try to make it to Fanning Is before heading north, So Palmyra is too far west.

References & Publications

Publications, Guides, etc.

Cruiser's Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

Forum Discussions

List links to discussion threads on the Cruiser Log Forum

External Links

Links to relevant websites.

Personal Notes

• We had a great time here. There are buoys to tie up to so that you can tie up and leave your dingy to dive/snorkel and not damage the pristine coral. There are no supplies, so plan on having everything with you.

Last Visited & Details Checked (and updated here)

Date of member's visit to this Port/Stop & this page's details validated:

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