boats to Pitcairn

I'll give it another try, to see if anyone has info on how to get to Pitcairn, smoothly, fast, and comfortably.

These are the options I found so far, which are all not perfect:

1) Cruise ships go, but none of them guarantees that the landing on Pitcairn will happen. In fact, most state that landings are mostly cancelled due to weather.

2) There are adventure boats from NZ etc., sailing mostly from Mangareeva. They are not very comfortable. In addition, their price is ridiculously high compared to luxury cruises, i.e.
- A good luxury cruise will cost USD 3,000-3,500, all the way between Santiago and Papeete, and INCLUDING flights from Europe;
- These boats cost around USD 2,500-3,000, just from Mangareeva to Pitcairn and back, AND WITHOUT ANY FLIGHTS.

3) Renting a boat is possible in Mangareeva for around 25-30,000 USD. Six people can share, but this still means 4-5,000 per person.

Any suggestions on other options ? Or any idea on whether I am correct with my reservations about (1) and (2) above ?

Cheers,

You are NOT going to find ANY cheap way of getting to Pitcairn! Sorry.

It sounds like you have already researched all the options to get there.

I guess if you really have your heart set on going there, you will have to bite the bullet and re-mortgage the house!! :)

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>These boats cost around USD 2,500-3,000, just from Mangareeva to Pitcairn and back, AND WITHOUT ANY FLIGHTS<hr></blockquote>

Well, Maurizio, but with these trips you can stay on Pitcairn for up to one week and not just a few hours, as with the luxury cruises.

Venezio, thanks a lot.

Yes I know that. Indeed this is the dilemma, there are two options that can be done with similar prices:

A. Luxury cruise.
Advantages: luxury experience, lots of places between Chile and Tahiti, smooth schedule. Overall not so expensive for such a trip.
Disadvantages: only one hour on Pitcairn, maybe...

B. Rough boat
Advantages: time on Pitcairn.
Disadvantages: really rough, schedule unsure, need to get to Mangareeva by myself, more expensive than luxury cruise once flights are counted.

I just wish there was a semi-luxury cruise that stays in Pitcairn at least 48 hours, but I guess not...

Any recommendations ?

Contact Ocean Expeditions in Sausalito, California, run by Mary Crowley. She knows of a couple of special charters each year from Mangareva, if they have an unsold berth the cost may not be too bad.

But you still have to get to Tahiti and then Mangareva. If you get a RTW ticket that includes Tahiti it's not too bad, but the domestic leg can be expensive by air. There may be a monthly supply ship from Tahiti to Mangareva, not sure. But you'll need a lot of time set aside if you are going to do that.

It's always a balance between time vs money when one heads to a remote place---or, actually, heads anywhere!

Hi, check out www.pacific-expeditions.com.<BR>They run the RV Bounty Bay that visits out of the way locations in the south pacific...

I've only heard bad things about the Bounty Bay.

There are two more options I can think of:
1. The tall ship Soren Larsen stops at Pitcairn on the Easter Island - Tahiti part of its voyage. The whole trip lasts 7 weeks, though you may be able to get off in the Marquesas after 4 weeks. Next trip will be next may. You'll probably get two nights on Pitcairn.
2. Find a cargo ship that passes nearby, usually on the Auckland - Panama canal run, and pay them to stop and drop you off at Pitcairn. Of course you'll be stuck there until the next boat and you'll need to clear your extended stay there with the authorities well ahead of time.

But with any of your options nothing is guaranteed as getting from ship to shore is very weather dependent. If you're on a yacht someone will need stay on the boat at all times, as there are no protected anchorages.

Pitcairn is a cool place and for some people it has a certain mystique. But you might also be disappointed, as it's not the South Seas paradise some make it out to be. And it really is in the middle of nowhere.

I think Venezio (poster above) took the Bounty Bay to Pitcairn in 2005 or 2006.

#6---What bad things have you heard about the Bounty Bay? My friends took it to Suwarrow, Palmerston, etc., and enjoyed the trip.

#6: cf. Raro: What bad things have you heard about the "Bounty Bay"? I can only imagine that some people did expect a luxury cruise liner and not a 15-m boat with bunk beds. I was in Pitcairn with them in 2006 and enjoyed every single minute - on the boat as well as in Pitcairn and Henderson.

Yes Venezio, I've been on the Bounty Bay when it was docked in Rarotonga, and it definitely is not a luxury cruise ship! I was hoping to head to Suwarrow on Graham's first trip a few yrs ago, but injured my shoulder before the trip and thus couldn't climb down that ladder to the berths! Never did get a chance to go on it later on.

I did check with Mary Crowley (see above) via e-mail, and a couple of years ago there were two upscale catamarans/trimarans that were planning a week visit to Pitcairn. It was a lot more $$$ than the Bounty Bay, but if I could afford I'd do it on one of those!

I heard that the boat is in bad shape, and the schedule highly erratic. Strictly 3rd hand info, though.
If other info is first hand, then obviously go with that.

Well, then I guess Bounty Bay and Soren Larsen are the only two options to get me to Pitcairn which meet these two requirements: (a) certainty of landing; (b) schedule. Am I right ?

If I'm not mistaken, the landing with the soren Larsen is not a definite. they will wait a day or two if the seas are rough, maybe three, but after that they have to move on as the voyage segments are paid for by other people at further destinations down the line, so they can't wait too long at any one spot.

The Bounty Bay, on the other hand, usually sets about a ten-day window, more or less, for the Pitcairn segment, as that is the main destination. so, even if it's rough for a couple of days, you will still be able to go ashore for a few days after that passes.

You'd basically have to look for a ship whose goal is Pitcairn, and not one just stopping on the way around the Pacific.

True, all landings are weather dependent and the SL is on a schedule. Not sure about the BB.

Are you really going through all this trouble just to get to Pitcairn? Would like to hear what your fascination with the place is and what you hope to see/experience there.

And just in case you didn't know, they charge NZ$35 a day now to stay on Pitcairn.

A Gardiner, well... I like going to remote places, they provide a special feeling. so far the places I most enjoyed in that regard are Antarctica and Tokelau. To a much lesser extent Nauru, Bhutan, etc. The places are special and one feels special too.

In addition, as I have been to every single independent nation on Earth, and to most of the non-independent territories, I really feel like going somewhere new sometimes... Though I do have some new places on my list which are probably more exciting, but they are not even separate territorial entities: Darfur, Chechnya, Tibet, Western Sahara (I mean the free territories near Tindouf), Kurdistan part of Iraq, etc.

Uncharted World Travel are running 3 sailing trips to the Pitcairn Islands in July and August 2013. One of them visits just Pitcairn Island for a week (US $4000), one to Pitcairn and Henderson, for a fortnight (US $7500) and a final one to all four of the islands (Oeno, Pitcairn, Henderson and Ducie) for 3 weeks, it seems like a pretty unique voyage, very very few people visit the outer islands. The 4 islands trip is US $11,000.

www.unchartedworldtravel.com

Xenslo

Pitcairn is a lovely little island, but you would have to be a serious "Bounty" nut to spend that much money and effort to get there. And chances are you would get a little underwhelmed, too.

It's been a long time since the post was made to say that the ship in Jul/Aug 2013 will be sailing to Pitcairn. Is this still true? Is there not a budget way that has been developed to get there? I heard some time ago about a Royal Mail post ship that sails out close enough to Pitcairn every fortnight, but you would need another boat from Pitcairn to meet you just off the isle, to ferry you in.

What are all the possible options of getting to Henderson and Pitcairn next summer? What freight ships sail close by, and how is it possible to get in contact with the authorities on Pitcairn to meet you "half-way", so to speak, if that provides a cheaper solution.

Many thanks.

Jamesdueeast - I do not believe there is any Royal Mail ship option to get to Pitcairn. As for the July/August 2013 trips they are still running, with a few extra trips that are a bit cheaper too. I have booked to go in May, there are some good deals to visit Pitcairn, Henderson and Oeno in 1 trip, and also just Pitcairn. Just call up/email uncharted world travel. their website does not show full details of all their trips as they mainly seem to do charters to really remote islands and go by word out mouth and previous customers, but they have quite a big pitcairn schedule for 2012-13

Xenslo