New Marina in Apia is Good News for Cruisers
Because Bob Bechler has done several Baja Ha-Has and several Pacific Puddle Jumps aboard his Gulfstar Sisiutl, he’s become sort of a ‘roving reporter’ for Lat 38. A few weeks ago he wrote in about the South Pacific Games, and the opening of a new marina in Apia, Samoa, a place which had previously been thought of as having few facilities for cruisers:
"Sisiutl rounded the Horn…..no, not THAT one! This Horn is the point inside the harbor in Apia, Samoa. We arrived after a passage from Suwarrow just in time for the opening of the 13th South Pacific Games and the newest marina in the South Pacific. The South Pacific Games are held every four years and is an Olympic style competition of island countries throughout the Pacific. This year 100s of competitors from 22 countries participated in 33 sports. Smaller teams from Niue, Norfolk Island, and Tokelau joined large contingents from Tahiti, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa, and American Samoa. All but one country left with at least one medal in the games and a good time was had by all, competitors and spectators.
"The new marina was funded by the Samoa Port Authority and built by Bellingham Marine at a cost of $1.25 million. Phase one provides 47 slips. Phase two will add another 36 slips and other amenities such as new restaurants, shops, common area on shore, showers, etc. The fees for using the marina are the same as anchoring in the harbor to encourage use of the marina. The fees range from approximately $12/day for a 10.5 meter boat, $20/day for 16 meter, and up to $40/day for a 30 meter boat. Power at the slip is 220v so a transformer is needed for those of us wired for 110v. There is a security guard on duty 24/7 and leaving the boat unattended is not a problem. Apia was always a nice place to stop but gone are the days of tying up to the barge to check in and getting your boat tattooed by the big tire bumpers and the slippery, crowded dinghy landing. The new marina is one more reason to bypass American Samoa and head directly for Apia. Sisiutl was the first boat into the new slips."
The web sites that have additional information are: Marina: www.spasamoa.ws and South Pacific Games: www.samoa2007.ws.