For boats
Beveridge
Reef is an uninhabited, but anchorable atoll, about 130 miles southeast of
Niue. Obviously there is a reason why atoll is uninhabited - there is no land –
the entire reef is underwater, giving the feeling that you are anchored in the
middle of the ocean. Its truly out in the middle of nowhere. You can't imagine a more remote anchorage.
APPROACHING
Most charts
are not correct positioned (moved) and not accurate. We approach to the reef
from the North. Belowe are few very safe waypoints:
N of reef –
19 56.837S and 167 45.784W
NE of reef
– 19 57.583S and 167 47.184W
E of reef
and pass – 20 00.000S and 167 47.197W
The pass –
20 00.000S and 167 46.499W
(most of
below information based on Mr Johny Guide - The Dangerous Middle, Captain John
M. Wolstenholme)
The pass is
wide, with 8 m
or more at LW. Current in the pass is less than 3 knots. The lagoon is mostly
free of dangers and has >10m, but keep a sharp look from the bow. There can
be few coral heads.
Lagoon is
rough at high water as the swells gone over the reef. This will calm down at
low water, but it will depend on the sea state outside.
ANCHORAGE
Once
insiade you can anchor pretty much where you like, along the eastern edge of
the lagoon. At high water the swell does get across the reef and can cause some
pitching.
I found
that the best anchorage is towards the wreck of a 27m (90FT) trawler on a
course of 110º Magnetic. On this course, coral bommies leave about 6m of water
above them. This anchorage provides best shelter against the SE trade winds.
The anchorage at 11m is at S 20º 01.00' W 167º 45.00'
The reef is
submerged by several feed at high tide and just barely out of the water at low
tide. The shelf that runs around the interior has about 4m of water over
glorious white sand. There are very few coral patches around the rim of this
shelf and they stand out clearly (even at night!). The central part of the
lagoon has quite a few coral heads, some look close to the surface but in fact
most are well down and boats with six feet draft can move around quite freely.
For crews
Look out in
any direction and you will see beautiful blue water. Look up over the head and there is on most
days a beautiful blue sky. Blue, blue,
blue. The phrase 'bright blue' is
completely appropriate there. The bright
sunshine enters the water and then reflects off the white sand beneath and
comes back up. Any surface which was
facing down toward the water was colored by the waters reflection with a blue
tint. It is really amazing place.
Fees
No fees