The AVP is concerned about a recent evolution towards restricting the conditions of stay of sailboats in French Polynesia.

For the last few months, one has witnessed a whole series of constraints, prohibitions, even violent actions towards the sailing community:

In Bora Bora, total prohibition to anchor, even on sandy grounds (sole available areas in green on the chart below). Obligation to take a mooring for 3000 xpf/night, without any guarantee the mooring is safe, as proven in the case of catamaran “Archer” which broke its lines, suffered considerable damage as did the pontoon of the Pearl Beach Hotel it ended up against. The boat’s insurance had to cover these damages, but the moorings concession holder (“BBMS”) refuses to answer the boat’s insurance queries, and notably confirm whether he is insured or not. (as of 11/11/2019).

In Raiatea, several yachts were insulted, menaced, and in at least one instance attacked in the Miri Miri area. One of the catamarans (“Tao”) had its anchor line cut – while the owner of the yacht was filming the deeds. A police report was filed, but was not followed up by the Attorney General (as of 11/11/2019). The DPAM (Maritime Affairs Department has informed the AVP, without showing any legal documents to that effect, that in fact anchoring was illegal throughout Polynesia and that regulations were being drafted to confirm these prohibitions wherever required.

  In Moorea, a “PGEM” will shortly be put in place (General plan for the maritime area):

-> Prohibition to anchor outside area defined by the PGEM.
-> Prohibition to exceed the quotas allocated to each area.
->    83 boats maximum allowed over the entire Moorea lagoon.
-> 50% of these allowed anchorages will be well inside the bays (Cook and Oponohu) in 25 to 35m of water.

-> Most allowed areas are on the Northern side of the island, where the sandy areas are the smallest and where hence the risk of damaging flora and fauna are the highest and where the concentration of housing and touristic activities are highest.
-> 48 hours maximum allowed in any one location.
-> Only 13 boats will be allowed on the Eastern side of the island, the only one likely to be accessible reasonably by sailboats coming from Tahiti for the limited 48h allowed. Moorea has over 50 resident sailboats on this side of the island, and Tahiti over 250 resident sailboats.
-> These areas will be used by the sailboats from marina Vaiare in Moorea for their week-end outings.
-> These quotas will be reviewed annually unilaterally by the commission.

  In Tahiti, the Taina area is due to be “evacuated”. Some 63 boats were there on November 4^th, more than 80 in high season. Some are wrecks, but most are in perfect state, and are either transient boats, awaiting spare parts or on provisioning runs or boats parked there more permanently. This technical stop is absolutely indispensable for all boats in transit after a long passage. Taina is home to a marina (full), a fixed mooring field (full) and an area of tolerated anchorage, which now is being cleared.

The minister in charge of this issue proposes to relocate some of these boats to Taravao (on the Southern end of Tahiti, some 40 miles away!), perhaps in a new marina that may be built a few years down the road (!), and meanwhile in zones P2 to P5 below in areas without landing facilities, and in any case catering to less than 60% of the boats concerned.
—> P3,P4 and P5: No landing possibilities at all, less than 1.5m depth and already occupied by small crafts used as party boats.
—> P2: Vaitupa Bay, already saturated as shown in the satellite picture below.
The increase in the number of yachts since the rules of stay were changed 5 years ago has led to some degree of rejection from the local population. Some elected members of Parliament have indicated their intention to legiferate in order to prohibit the lagoon on the Southern side of Tahiti and thereby avoid the migration of boats towards this area, quite in opposition of what the Minister indicated.

All existing infrastructure of the territory is saturated: Marina Taina, Marina Papeete, Marina Apooiti in Raiatea, , Yacht Club in Tahiti, Marina Vaiare in Moorea, Taravao, Raiatea mooring fields all full and will not be able to receive the yachts being removed following the prohibition to anchor.

The AVP points to the fact that the nautical tourism has been earmarked as a strategic component in the economic development of French Polynesia, towards which it contributes over 1.5 billion CFP today.

Aiming at increasing this contribution further, the government has chosen to increase the number of sailboats by lengthening the allowed duration of stay and by decreasing the import tax for boats to some 7% (June 2014).

However, against this increase, no new infrastructure has been put in place, leading to a significant concentration of yachts on anchor in all islands, and generating the relative rejection by locals today.

The AVP is a non profit organization founded and run by sailors, both transient and resident. Its charter includes:

• Promote the image of the sailing community
• Defend sailors rights
• Educate sailors to all existing regulation and good practices, in particular environmental and cultural.
• Provide practical information regarding anchorages, infrastructure, suppliers and services to facilitate the stay of transient boats and the general well being of all concerned.

Contact:  http://voiliers.asso.pf avp.tahiti@gmail.com 87 70 36 15 Arnaud JORDAN

The association wrote to the mayor of Moorea on September 7, 2017:

in Vaiare, 07 September 2017
ASSOCIATION OF VOILIERS IN POLYNESIA
Association Act of 1901, founded in 1981
avp.tahiti@gmail.com http://avp.over-blog.org
Ref: AVP-170901
Attachments:
- Marina Taina water tests (2 pages)
- Wetting Proposals (35 pages)
Subject: Proposals for changes to Moorea's new PGEM project:

Dear Tavana,

The community of sailboats using the Moorea mooring areas was recently invited
your services at a meeting on Moorea's new PGEM project, and we'll hear from you
we are very grateful.
This was an opportunity for the two entities to get to know each other, and to raise our needs,
fears and expectations, but also raise awareness of our way of life and our integration into the
economic life of the island.
In order to gather everyone's opinions, it was decided to appoint a representative by category of
sailboats, and to bring together users upstream in order to synthesize their proposals and you
present them.
I would therefore be asking you to find below the summary of the outlines that have emerged from
our exchanges.
I would also like to point out to you that the protest movements that have emerged quickly under the
petitions to this day, represent the real fear of boaters, and the AVP is keen to
now engage in dialogue, and we hope for close collaboration so that your pro-
jet ends with everyone's agreement.
Sincere greetings,

Adrien DEL PIA
Secretary
Association of Sailors in Polynesia

Preamble to proposals:

As part of the redesign of the Moorea PGEM, the Association of Sailors in Polynesia, which represents
has been and has acted since its inception in 1981 on behalf of all boaters and navigators in
Sailing at the Fenua, wishes to make a contribution that it hopes will be constructive to this work
public interest.
Indeed, it appears that - according to the specific requirements of each - opinions differ on the best
solutions for the future maritime space management plan.
The Association of Sailors in Polynesia wishes to attract the attention of its interlocutors
and the relevant administrations on two important points:
First, our position is by no means partisan, and has absolutely no vocation to defend the interests
boaters, to the detriment of other interest groups (fishers, residents, etc.). The whole of our
reflection was guided by the constant concern to reconcile the wishes of each person, on the one hand, while at the same time
maintaining a specific approach to sailing that allows for a solution
harmonious and consensual on the other hand.
Indeed, we must not lose sight of the fact that, notwithstanding the very isolated behaviours generated by
individuals who clearly misunderstand the most basic rules of life and living skills.
respect for others, Moorea has never had to complain about incidents or accidents caused by navigators
sailboats have always been able to enjoy the beauties of the island without harming or harming anyone
Conch.
All boaters are eager to maintain the quality relationship that unites them with Moorea, and
to be respectful of laws and regulations, as long as their fundamental rights are
Respected.
Then, and this is the second point, sailing is subject to innumerable constraints,
safety requirement is a constant concern. It is never trivial
to cast his anchor, for an hour or a week, and the solution of the dead bodies is a chimera, for
it only shifts problems and responsibilities. That the owner of the dead body demands
or not a payment in return, it becomes ipso facto - in law - debtor of a security obligation-
commitment to guarantee the ship that will use this infrastructure. Then arise
so many questions of law that the problem is endless: who will finance the installation of the bodies
Dead? Who's going to maintain them? Who's going to keep an eye on them? Who will finance their repairs? Who's going to
Assign? By what criteria? What will be the responsibilities incurred if a dead body gives way and
that a boat is rushed to the reef? Which company to buy ad'hoc insurance from?
What will be the cost of these insurances? What would happen in the event of a cyclone? Etc...
As such, the sailors reaffirm their desire to maintain their autonomy and not to ask
person, and certainly not the supply of dead bodies by definition causing potential problems
tiels, as mentioned above. This requires that they be given the opportunity to get wet in the
a safe place, where they can do everything on their own to ensure that their
Moorea leaves no trace, other than that of the expenses they are going to carry out in the
local businesses!

In short, boaters are asking for their most essential rights - including the right to go
and come freely, which is guaranteed by the Constitution - be respected, in the same way that they
by their behaviour respecting the environment, residents and the rules that will be instituted
by the future PGEM.
In this regard, and as a preliminary point, the sailboats intend to give them an indication of the following facts:
1 - Respect for the environment and ecosystems
With one exception, which will be the subject of a special provision below, all moorings
frequented by boaters is located in sand-bottomed areas (or mud), so we
cannot cause any damage or nuisance to the coral reef or seabed,
nor to the ecosystems present in the lagoon.
As such, it should be noted that Article 21 of the current PGEM authorizes the mooring of "uniquely-
"sand bottoms" confirms that this solution is by far the simplest and most
Ecological. In addition, rescue's October 2016 study of specific
Tahiamanu beach re-silting confirms ecological poverty of lagoon sand
(lack of endemic algae, absence of fish fauna...). This is further confirmed by the fact that
many hotels "suck" the sand of the lagoons to redo their beaches, a process that would not
allowed if it was environmentally impactful.
Similarly, the strength of currents in particular ensures the safety of potential boat releases on the
water quality, and a simple bacteriological analysis such as the one carried out in Raiatea or
Tahiti can prove it without possible challenge (see analysis in attachments).
Sailors reaffirm their desire to preserve The nature and underwater riches of Moorea,
which is perfectly compatible with the use of anchors on the above funds, since they cannot be
cause no damage.
Overly, it should be noted that the vast majority of browsers do not reject or do not reject
(some even sort them out and all of them only dump biodegradable waste) and that boats
sails are among the least polluting means of locomotion in the world.
A recent study carried out in Raiatea, as part of an identical consultation, showed that
the presence of many sailboats in a mooring had a near-zero pollution impact.
2 - Respect for residents and homes
At present, all moorings frequented by sailboats are relatively far from the
residents, up to 500 metres or more in the majority of cases, so that the presence of
sailing boats at the moorings usually used to this day - and later as part of the
of the new PGEM - is unlikely to generate any nuisance, visual, audible or
Olfactory.
Even better, and in the majority of cases, there are no residents in the immediate vicinity of the
occupied by sailboats.
Sailors reaffirm their desire to live their passion for the sea in good intelligence with the shores
and continue to share with them, in the context of the exchanges that are invariably taking place, the
same love and respect for the island of Moorea.
3 - Respect for good navigational practices and safety rules
Each of the proposals currently being formulated must take into account the specific requirements
related to sailing, and in particular the need to be able to get wet in places
sheltered, on shallow sites, safely. A large majority of browsers remain
modest condition, often having for all well only their boat. They should be distinguished
mega-yachts that occasionally come to Moorea, and which cannot by definition be submitted
obligations, given their energy consumption, length and pulling them
water.
For example, a modest 11-metre sailboat with one metre of draught cannot be
to the same requirements as a 40-metre yacht with 4.5 metres of draught that will spin
engines and generators all day long to power its air conditioning, plasma screens and
other cranes, while at the same time the sailboat will hurry to shut down its engines to
to the tranquillity of the lagoon... and don't pollute!
In short, boaters say their main concern is to preserve the environment.
in which they work on a daily basis, as well as all its actors (lagon, fauna, flora,
residents, local residents...). However, they can only do so if they are not deprived of two essential things
to which no sailor worthy of the name could renounce, except to jeopardize his own
safety and that of others: the ability to choose a protected anchorage based on weather conditions.
sufficient autonomy to access or leave at any time.
With these general considerations being made, the Association of Sailors in Polynesia suggests that
detail, area by zone, the concrete measures that seem appropriate for conciliation
stakeholders, and in line with the territory's will and efforts to
develop water tourism in Polynesia.

Change the map freely below; you can add your moorings, your remarks about your moorings. In general, try to date and sign your speeches, to quote your sources...