For boats
APPROACHING
15 NM long
Milne Bay is very deep and without obstacles. Near the town you will see from
right to the left: main wharf, a small local boats natural harbor, big house
with red roof, well looking parcel with green grass and a monument and small
buildings of International Hotel.
ANCHORING
The area is
very deep around, so there is not much place for anchoring. The best spot is in
front of International Hotel. We did it on position:
10 19.597S
and 150 27.013E (20 m, mostly coral, some mud).
The
anchorage is not protected. Is open for E-SE-S-SW-W winds, and swell from the
ocean could came. If it’s too choppy you should leave ASAP. The nearest well
protected SPOT is 5NM South near Waga Waga village.
DINGY LANDING
The best
place for dinghy landing is International Hotel. Go around restaurant on the
water and then along the wall to the small slip. All the hotel’s area is fenced
and secured. It is good to go to reception and ask about permission for landing
there.
FORMALITIES
All vessels
are required to give notice of impending arrival to Customs, Quarantine and
Immigration no later than 48 hours before arrival.
The
following details will be required:- the name of the yacht; your intended first
port of arrival; your estimated arrival time; your last four ports of call; the
details of people on board including name, date of birth, nationality, and
passport number, details of any illness or disease recently encountered; if you
have any animals on board; if you have any firearms on board.
On arrival,
clearly display the Q-flag on entering PNG waters and go directly to an
appointed boarding station. Clearance must be completed before going ashore. No
persons other than a Quarantine or Customs officer is allowed to board, nor can
any person, animal or article leave the boat until full clearance has been
granted.
Depending
on your arrival time, Customs and Quarantine may require all persons to remain
on board overnight before clearing you the following day. Contact with other
vessels in port before clearance is also prohibited.
It is
necessary to clear in and out of every port and failure to do so can create
serious problems. Before departure from Papua New Guinea, Customs and
Immigration clearance is required. This is available at any Customs port.
Customs should be contacted in advance to avoid unnecessary delay.
A cruising
permit will be issued with the same time limit as the skipper's visa. If the
skipper wishes to leave PNG and then return, prior approval must be obtained
from Customs.
It is an
offence to depart without clearance.
===================================
That was
the official rules, below what I did:
I hoisted yellow
quarantine flag. After anchoring I was trying to call Alotau Port Control to
ask about clearance, but there was no answer.
So, I go ashore
to the Customs and Immigration offices. They are located on the second floor of
white/blue building. When you go out by the hotel’s gate, cross the main street
and go left about 50 meters. The building is on your right, the stairs up are
at the end around the corner.
After this formalities
you need to go to the quarantine office located on the main wharf. It is a 20 minutes’
walk or take a taxi. Few forms to fill and 56 kina to pay. It is good to have
local money or you can do it in the bank later.
The last
office to visit is health, but I don’t know where exactly it is, because a
quarantine inspector call to health one and she came to us. So…, more papers to
fill and next 100 kina to pay.
All the
formalities was very easy going.
Before you
leave Alotau to another places (even in PNG) you need a special permission /
clearance. Visit customs office, they will do it.
Check Out
If you
leave PNG, visit Customs where you get a departure clearance than Immigration
for exit stamps.
More info: http://www.customs.gov.pg
WATER
Ask in the
hotel, use your jerry cans to transport the water.
FUEL
There was a
fuel dock in Alotau, but there was a fire late 2016. Now it is not operating.
There is few fuel station in the town, not very close. You need to organize containers
and transport.
GARBAGE
We dropped
garbage to hotel’s bins, ask for permission first.
BANK ATM’s
There are
at least two banks, both with ATMs. The nearest is 100 m left from the hotel.
GROCERIES
There are
few Chinese style groceries and one medium size modern Supermarket. All this
groceries are 200 m left from the hotel.
AIRPORT
There is an
international airport with flights to Moresby and Australia. It I located 15km
out of the town. If you need to get there go to the bus station (300m left from
the hotel) and ask for the bus to airport. Ticket is about 3-4 kina.
WiFi
There is a
Hot Spot in the hotel – ask on reception. We bought a Digicel sim card (18
kina) and 1.2 GB data valid 3 days (35 kina). Other plans available. Easy to
find in the town.
REPEAIRS
There is a
kind of shipyard with workshops called Nako Fisheries Limited (phone 641 1642).
They are located between main ships wharf and local boat’s harbor. They have 2
small wooden wharfs (one on position 10 18.686S and 150 27.256E). The depth 2.2
on LW but just at the end of the wharf, then decrease rapidly. Berth to the
wharf as far as possible from the shore.
They did
for me a new part for my rudder (rotary machine) and welding. Prices about 60
kina for an hour of 1 man work plus materials.
They have 2
slips.
For crews
Alotau is
the capital of Milne Bay Province, in the south-east of Papua New Guinea. It is
a quiet little town located on the northern shore of Milne Bay. There are few shops,
so it is good enough place for provisioning, and buying basic parts.
There is
not a ‘must see’ places, just watch the towns life.
The
National Canoe and Kundu festival, held there the first week in November each
year, is a great time to visit and to see their amazing sailing canoes.
Fees
1 kina is
about 0.3 USD
Anchorage –
free
Customs and
immigration clearance free
Quarantine
fee – 56 kina
Health fee
– 100 kina
Digicel sim
card – 18 kina
Internet
Data – depends on plan, from 3 to 50 kina