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Chartering in French Polynesia: entry, paperwork and reef passes
Short answer
To charter in French Polynesia the base will normally want proof of skippering experience and a
recognised qualification.
Entry rules come from your government's travel advice;
on the water the real test is the reef passes and their current.
A charter in French Polynesia usually starts on Raiatea or Tahiti and heads through the Society Islands to Tahaa, Huahine and Bora Bora. Every island sits in a lagoon behind a reef, and the only way in or out is through a narrow pass. The territory belongs to France but is outside the Schengen area and the EU customs territory, so entry rules are not the same as for mainland France. Check the Foreign Office travel advice or your own government's equivalent for passports, visas and onward tickets; the yacht is registered locally and its papers are the base's business.
Bases normally want proof of skippering experience and a recognised qualification such as RYA Day Skipper or Yachtmaster, the ICC or an equivalent certificate, and some ask about open water experience, because the hops between islands cross real ocean. The reef passes are the main challenge. When swell breaks over the reef and fills the lagoon, the water drains out through the pass as a strong outgoing current, with breaking seas on either side. Many bases ban passes after dark and in heavy swell, and inside the lagoon you navigate by eye, which needs good light.
Plan around the season: roughly November to April is the wet season, when tropical cyclones are possible. Before you book, get written confirmation of which qualifications the base accepts, which islands and passes are allowed and what happens after a grounding on coral. Use the mooring buoys and respect the marine reserves, since anchoring on coral is banned in many places. You are personally liable for damage you cause to others with the charter yacht, so make sure your own skipper liability insurance applies in the Pacific.
Worth remembering
Entry
France, but not Schengen: check the travel advice
Reef passes
current, breaking seas and light decide the timing
In the South Pacific the pass sets the day: go through in good light and a calm sea, otherwise wait.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Does Schengen apply in French Polynesia?
No. French Polynesia is part of France but outside the Schengen area. Check your government's travel advice for what you need to enter.
What qualifications do French Polynesia charter bases ask for?
Usually proof of skippering experience and a qualification such as Day Skipper, Yachtmaster, the ICC or an equivalent. Get written confirmation of what the base accepts before you book.
When is the right time to take a reef pass?
In good light, with little swell and as little current as possible. If big seas are breaking over the reef, a strong current runs out of the pass, and waiting is the better choice.
Related
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