THE LAST OF THE 2024-2025 BURGEE 🚩

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

HEELED OVER ⛵ FOR THE BAR CROSSING

BIGGEST FISH CAUGHT
🎣 AWARD ENTRY 

PUTTIN’ HER ON THE HARD ⚙️

OCEAN POSSE HAUL OUT MAP 🗺️

PLEASE LET US KNOW OF ANY ADDITIONALHAUL OUT FACILITIES
BUT ONLY IF YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY USED THEM ▶

NEW PARTNERSHIP MARINA
MARIGOT YACHT HAVEN
🇱🇨  SAINT LUCIA 

YACHT BERTHING

OCEAN POSSE YACHT 🤝 FOR SALE 

 ⚓ Real-World  Observations from Offshore Cruisers

• Squalls in the tropics typically move west to northwest, but local wind and fronts can alter this.
• Use radar in tandem with satellite weather if offshore (like Starlink + PredictWind).
• In fast squall zones (e.g., Caribbean at night), keep radar on standby with alert zone alarms.

from Dashew, Steve and Linda, Mariner’s Weather Handbook

USS MARPA (Mini Automatic Radar Plotting Aid) to track a squall’s direction, speed, and closest point of approach — but with some limitations.

USE MARPA ON A SQUALL

• Identify the squall echo on radar
  • dense rain cell or blob with irregular edges.
  • Choose a part of the squall that shows consistent returns (typically the leading edge).
• Activate MARPA Targeting
  • Put the cursor on a distinct radar return within the squall.
  • Hit the MARPA acquire key (often labeled “Target,” “Acquire,” or “MARPA” depending on brand).
  • Wait 30 seconds or more while the radar calculates the target’s motion vector.
• Monitor the Target
  • Once locked, you’ll see:
    • Bearing
    • Speed over ground
    • Course over ground
    • CPA (Closest Point of Approach)
    • TCPA (Time to CPA)

🟡 Limitations of Using MARPA on Squalls

from Dashew, Steve and Linda, Mariner’s Weather Handbook

GETTING A WAY FROM THE WIND
There will be times when you want nothing to do with the squalls. In this case it is generally better to
do just the opposite of what we’ve discussed. When you see a squall bearing down, visually or on radar, adjust your course to stay on the light wind side (i.e. on the pole side, away from the equator). This approach assumes you have the time to get to the pole side of the squall. If you are on the equator side of the storm track, then it is better to head down toward the equator as this avoids the necessity of having to cross the squalls track. This would be port jibe on the Northern Hemisphere and starboard jibe in the Southern.

OCEAN POSSE AWARDS WILL BE HANDED OUT THIS WEEKEND AND DAYS TO FOLLOW
BUT WE ALREADY HAVE A WINNER
THE COURAGE AWARD 🏆  GOES TO PATHFINDER

🏆 Ocean Posse Courage Award  SY PATHFINDER

This season, the Courage Award is presented to the crew of SY PATHFINDER , not for the miles they sailed, but for the uncharted challenges they faced when everything changed in an instant.

South of Tahuata, in the remote Marquesas, PATHFINDER was lost. But what was not lost was something far more important, the lives of her crew, their bond, their clarity in crisis, and their refusal to give in to fear when neptune took hold of Pathfinder and almost sunk her.

Clinging to paddleboards, their remaining flotation, they endured, fought through shock, and held on. It was measured courage with calm decision-making, mutual care, and the kind of quiet strength that only sailors know: do whatever you can do to survive together.

Their story, marked and aided by the rescue efforts of local fishermen and JRCC Tahiti, is a testament to the best of seamanship, resilience, readiness, and respect for the ocean’s power.

PATHFINDER may be lost but her name now sails with every vessel in the Ocean Posse fleet as a reminder: courage at sea is not just about facing storms, it’s about staying steady when the unthinkable happens.

We honor them, JP, Nicole and crew and we salute you and today we raise a glass to your next chapter, wherever it begins.

For sailors who have danced with the Caribbean winds, dropped anchor beneath Spanish fortresses, and chased the equator’s arc across Colombia’s coastlines, the idea of turning inland might seem counterintuitive. After all, most adventures on the water take place, well, on the water.

Mompox Is Magic, Not a Museum
Walk into the heart of Mompox, and time slackens like a sail in dead air. There are no cruise ship terminals, no international chains, and no traffic lights. Horses still outnumber motorbikes on some streets, and iron balconies hang from whitewashed walls like lace.
Founded in 1537, Mompox once rivaled Cartagena in importance. It was a safe inland storehouse for gold and trade during the colonial era, but as the Magdalena’s flow shifted and transport routes changed, the town was bypassed , left out of the modern world. That abandonment became a blessing.
Unlike many colonial cities that were modernized, Mompox was preserved. Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the most authentic colonial towns in Latin America, with six major churches, a dreamy riverside malecón, and a plaza where little seems to have changed in 300 years.
But Mompox isn’t fossilized. People live here, celebrate, grieve, gossip, flirt, and fall in love here. You won’t walk through it like a museum , you’ll feel like you’ve wandered into a living novel.

A Revolutionary Pulse
Few visitors realize that Mompox played a critical role in Latin American independence. In fact, it was one of the first towns to declare total independence from Spain, on August 6, 1810 , six months before Cartagena.
Simón Bolívar, the Liberator himself, famously said, “If to Caracas I owe my life, then to Mompox I owe my glory.” He recruited hundreds of Mompoxanos to join his campaign to free Venezuela. That fiery spirit still simmers under the town’s quiet surface.
For history lovers, the Casa de los Apóstoles and local museums paint a rich picture of this revolutionary legacy. But even without visiting a single exhibit, you’ll feel it in the air , Mompox is proud, dignified, and just a little defiant.

GOOD ANCHORAGE IN GOOD NAUTICAL
PLANA CAYS 🇧🇸 BAHAMAS
22° 35.0775′ N  073° 37.6343′ W
by Spirit of Argo 

Columbus Landfall Controversy :

“If the Plana Cays were one island . . . it would absolutely be the landfall”
— Joseph Judge, former National Geographic Senior Editor, in a letter to Keith Pickering, August 10, 1992

Why drop the hook at Plana Cays  ?

1. Raw, Untouched Wilderness
• No settlements, no developments, no services, just nature in its purest form.
• The cays are part of a protected nature reserve; it feels like anchoring in a time capsule from the pre-Columbian Caribbean.

2. Turquoise Clarity + Great Holding
• The water here is electric blue and crystal clear, typical of the Bahamian out islands.
• Sandy bottoms in many spots offer solid holding, though careful anchoring is required due to reef structure and exposure.

3. Endangered Species Refuge
• Home to the Bahama Hutia, a nocturnal rodent once thought extinct, rediscovered here in the 1960s.
• Also a nesting site for seabirds and sea turtles, making it an ecological gem.

4. Snorkeling + Exploration
• Pristine coral heads and abundant sea life, with virtually no human interference.
• Shore excursions lead to white-sand beaches, limestone cliffs, and scrub forest, bring shoes and a sense of wonder.

5. Isolation with a Side of Legacy
• Reported by historians as the likely first landfall of Christopher Columbus before San Salvador, adding historical intrigue.
• Being there connects you to the very edge of navigational history.

6. Tricky to Get To And That’s the Point
• It’s not a casual stopover. You’ll need good weather, charts, and confidence.
• But that remoteness is part of the reward, you’ll likely be the only vessel for miles

7.  One of the top ten anchorages to go to in the Bahamas to get away from it all 

Current Challenges Facing 🇧🇸 Bahamian Marinas

(FYI ) The Ocean Posse is an allied  member of the Bahamian Marina Association >>

 Current Challenges Facing Bahamian Marinas

• Occupancy Declines: Marinas in the southern Bahamas have reported occupancy drops of up to 60%, while those in the central regions, including New Providence, have seen declines averaging 30%
• Reduced Yacht Show Participation: The Bahamas Charter Yacht Show experienced a nearly 40% decrease in registrations, highlighting a broader decline in yachting activity
• Taxation and Bureaucracy: The introduction of a 10% VAT on yacht charters, coupled with a 4% port fee, has led to a 40% drop in yacht charters, as operators cite increased costs and complex entry procedures
• Revenue Losses: Marinas have reported up to a 20% decline in boating-related food sales, indicating reduced spending by visitors .
• Competitive Pressure: Neighboring destinations like Turks and Caicos, D.R. and the British Virgin Islands have seen increases in yachting activity, drawing business away from the Bahamas .
• The perceived FFFS FEES FOR FEES SAKES

CORAL Predator 🪸 CROWN OF THORNS 

The crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) is not an invasive species in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Great Barrier Reef, but it can cause devastating damage to coral reefs. They are native to these areas and are known for their ability to rapidly consume large quantities of coral, particularly during outbreaks. These outbreaks, often due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors, can lead to significant declines in coral cover and reef health

Tourism operators play a key role in how we protect and manage the Great Barrier Reef. Their high frequency visitation to the Reef positions them to provide regular pulse checks of the health of the Reef and witness changes when they happen.

The Tourism Reef Protection Initiative empowers Reef Tourism operators to monitor and protect the sites that they visit. Operators are contracted to undertake reef protection services that ensure the preservation of the world heritage values now and into the future.

The Initiative builds on the highly successful Eye on the Reef monitoring program.

Tourism operators provide high quality data via the Eye on the Reef program which provides near real-time Reef health information for Reef management and reporting, including Reef Health Updates, Reef Snapshot and Outlook Report.

MORE DETAILS @ >>

OCEAN POSSE PARTNERSHIP MARINAS 

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