American Samoa

This information has been contributed by and is intended for use by competent amateur yachtsmen as general guidance solely to supplement research of their cruising plans.It has not been checked or verified by the OCC. The Information may be inaccurate or out of date and is NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION.

Apia – 13°38.00'S, 171°45.00'W [Approximate]
1) Information Submitted by Beth Bushnell
2) Date June 2004
3) Harbour or Area Covered Include Lat & Long Apia, Western Samoa 13°50’00 lat, 171°41’00 long
4) Suitability and Attraction for Yachts Only port of entry for W. Samoa and only place to leave boat to see island. Good anchorage unless NE winds so not suitable for summer/cyclone time. Can get a bit of surge if much north in the wind.
5) Marinas, Berthing or Anchorage Anchor only. Good holding in thick mud/sand. 5-10ms. Beware reef sticks out from southern shore. Dingys are left in port so good security.
6) Entry Ports Apia.
7) Formal Requirements for Yachts Entering/Departing:
a) from/to same country Report to Apia port control
b) from/to abroad Call Apia port control on approach VHF 16. They will usually advise boats to moor against the pilot boats to await Customs , Quarantine, Immigration, Port Police clearance. They all visit the boat.. They can be slow to answer but if no response anchor flying Qflag. Sundays are strictly no work day anchor and clear in on Monday.
c) visa requirements None. Issued for 30 days on arrival
8) Location/Existence of:
a) harbour master Blue building by dingy landing in port. $25us port fees.
b) customs/immigration To left of port entrance as leaving. .Immigration are in town in the building next door to the cinema. Need to visit them first when clearing out then customs. Customs charge 33tala on leaving per boat.
c) health authorities Near customs
d) police In port 9) Control of Foreign Yachts If wish to visit other anchorages need to have permit from customs.
10) Attitude of Officials to Visiting Yachtsmen Friendly, and helpful but work on island time.
11) Repair/Hauling Facilities none
12) Sailing Directions or Charts C-maps was accurate at entrance.. American chats better than BA
13) Cruising Guide and where Obtainable. Include Phone and/or E-Mail Landfalls of the Pacific
14) Port Radio Services Apia port control VHF 16, working 12.
15) Weather Forecasts Local radio gives good forecasts.
16) Yacht Club(S) None reported in 2004. 1997 report is that Apia Yacht Club is situated on Mulinuu Peninsula about ½ mile beyond the Tusitala Hotel. Visiting yacht crews are very welcome to join in the Happy Hours at 5.00pm Friday and weekends. Contact the Secretary Trevor Gregory for further information Telephone 23-351 (business) or 20-502 (Private)
17) Other Facilities: drinking water Tap at showers by dingy landing. Jerry can only. fuel Jerry can from garage or for large loads tanker will deliver. gas (propane)/gaz Yes there are 2 gas companies in town both fill cylinders. chandlers None but some hardware stores with odds and sods. bank Yes with ATMs shops/market Good provisioning. Across the road from port entrance is an excellent Big Fresh as cheap as others in town. Fresh meat from supermarkets and AMC in town. Food is not cheap. Market has good local produce. restaurants/hotels Aggie Greys worth a visit , good evening shows. post office/telephones including mobile facilities PO in town, Telephone at Big Fresh outside port entrance. No sim card mobiles. internet cafes Several in town but nearest with good fast connection is 5 mins walk from port entrance best mailing address Didn’t use. showers At port dingy landing, primitive but clean and free. laundry At road junction near bridge before Aggie Greys Hotel turn left 100ms on left is commercial laundromat. Can land dingy on beach 200ms away but don’t leave unattended. transport/air services International airport with connections often via Pago Pago with rest of Pacific. medical facilities/hospital Hospital in Apia.
18) Recommendations or Warnings 19) Other Information – please include here general impressions, opinions, comments or any other matter which might be of use to those visiting. Enjoyable stay. Easy 20 min walk to centre of Apia. Car Hire reasonable price and good way to see the island. Dramatic scenery especially on east end. Bus service is good and Taxis very cheap and plentiful. 5 mins walk from port to left is marine reserve, 2 tala entry fee. Changing/showers , good snorkelling. Very friendly people living in a very traditional society especially in the villages outside Apia always ask before taking photos in villages . There is often a small charge. Beach Fales usually have a charge.

Pago Pago – 14°16.00'S, 170°43.00'W [Approximate
1) Information Submitted by Richard Masterton Smith - Baliceaux A. Clive King - Sonoma of the Isles
2) Date 1989 &1991
3) Harbour or Area Covered Include Lat & Long Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango), American Samoa 14deg16 'S 170deg43 'W
4) Suitability and Attraction for Yachts There is not much to see or do outside the small town, but the big plus is the prices. Heavily subsidised by the US, this territory of the United States uses the US dollar, and most goods are at prices lower than can be found even on mainland USA. Fuel, groceries and other supplies all are at the lowest prices in the South Pacific. As US territory, goods ordered from the mainland arrive with no custom hassles or duty. Best source for most special order goods is Hawaii. The locals play cricket, but it is their own raucous and more lively version of the game - definitely not English county cricket.
5) Marinas, Berthing or Anchorage There is a passably secure anchorage in the bay, but the harbour floor is reputedly littered with scrap making for occasional problems in anchoring and at times it can get rather crowded. It is recognised as a hurricane hole, and many yachts avail themselves of this. There are several large mooring buoys occasionally available. The customs slip is good for yachts, but only available for transient use, refuelling, clearance etc. The main problem with the bay is environmental. There are large tuna processing plants, and the noise and odour continue round the clock. It is also dirty. and the local people have little compunction when it comes to washing anything unwanted into the bay. I am told there is a pleasant anchorage on the north coast, but better information on this could be found locally.
6) Entry Ports Pago Pago is a US Port of Entry, but only for American Samoa. Yachts continuing on to Hawaii or California will need to re-enter. 7) Formal Requirements for Yachts Entering/Departing:
a) from/to same country This is the sole Port of Entry for American Samoa b) from/to abroad Last port clearance c) visa requirements As per US. $50 Entry fee for non US yachts.
8) Location/Existence of:
a) harbour master
b) customs/immigration At Customs dock on port side of main harbour and walk to Immigration.
c) health authorities d) police
9) Control of Foreign Yachts As per mainland US, subject to qualification of (10 ) below.
10) Attitude of Officials to Visiting Yachtsmen The authorities all exist to some extent as per US mainland but this is still a Pacific island and the pace and procedure is rather less rigidly defined. Mostly easy going, sometimes a little belaboured.
11) Repair/Hauling Facilities No yacht facilities per se. but marine repair services available and US products either readily available or easily shipped from Hawaii for most goods, or the US mainland for special items. Smaller yachts can haul out at the customs dock. At most time several cottage industries (sail repair, refrigeration, divers etc) are available, because US residents can live and work there without special permits.
12) Sailing Directions or Charts US Chart 83484 has both the main island (Tutuila) and the harbour chart for Pago Pago.
13) Cruising Guide and where Obtainable. Include Phone and/or E-Mail
14) Port Radio Services VHF Ch 16 and SSB.
15) Weather Forecasts Local weather service, also Arnold (Ham radio) in Raratonga on 8815 USB at 1805 UT for a more detailed yachtsman’s service. 16) Yacht Club(S) No 17) Other Facilities: drinking water Clean and plentiful - at Customs dock fuel Clean and very cheap - at Customs dock gas (propane)/gaz Yes, other side of bay chandlers Yes, mostly catering to fishing boats, but stock wide range of items. bank Full US banking services available shops/market Supermarkets and small retail stores. There is a daily market, produce is so-so and not as abundant as in the larger islands. restaurants/hotels A mixed and mediocre selection, but adequate. post office/telephones including mobile facilities US post office. US coin operated telephones. Phone calls to US or UK are expensive. Fax commercially available internet cafes best mailing address General Delivery, Pago Pago, American Samoa. showers At the Customs dock laundry Local laundrettes transport/air services Airline service from Hawaii is twice a week, but be prepared for long delays. medical facilities/hospital Good
18) Recommendations or Warnings 19) Other Information – please include here general impressions, opinions, comments or any other matter which might be of use to those visiting.