Ascension Island - Clearance
PRE-ARRIVAL
All visitors to Ascension Island must obtain an E-visa at least 14 days prior to arrival and Medical Insurance to cover medical costs which must include provision for medical evacuation. See Immigration for more details.
ARRIVAL FORMALITIES
General Process:
See https://www.ascension.gov.ac/travel-and-shipping/travel-by-sea/#yachts for full details of procedures for yacht arrivals.
At the earliest opportunity after arrival the Skipper must contact the Assistant Harbor Master on VHF Channel 8 to agree a time to come ashore to register the vessel and carry out port formalities. Immigration procedures will also be carried out at the port office which is situated on the pier head.
Yachts arriving after 16:00 and over the weekend must report their arrival to Ascension Radio on VHF Channel 16, which operates 24 hours a day.
The Skipper should bring ashore details of their vessel, a crew list and crew passports with proof of medical insurance and clearance from their last port of call.
No crew may leave the yacht at Ascension Island without prior permission.
You MUST have exit papers from your last port-of-call. Without them, you cannot stop here.
Anchoring:
Arriving yachts may anchor in the area to the north of the pier head at Georgetown in a position where they do not obstruct the arrival and departure of ships or cargo operations. There are NO moorings available for use by yachts (they are all privately owned and maintained) so yachts must anchor only in the north of Clarence Bay. Be aware of the floating hose line that is secured in this area, the hose is connected at each end to moorings however the middle can and does move quite significantly and also has vertical metal posts intermittently along its length, so be sure to leave sufficient space.
The anchorage is a little rolly, but you will likely see turtles around your boat along with schools of fish. See Related User Comments. Be aware that much of the anchorage is foul ground, so take care when setting your anchor. Anchoring in depths >15m both reduces the effect of the swell and the chances of fouling your anchor.
Getting Ashore:
There is no water taxi service available so landing must be made with your own dinghy. All landing must be at the main pier head steps, Georgetown – landing on the beaches is strictly prohibited. When approaching the steps, dinghies must tie on to one of the moorings adjacent to the landing steps and not the landing steps themselves. Take care to secure your dinghy so it is held away from the steps.
If there is a ship in port, then a ferry shuttle may be available (call on VHF Channel 08).
Notes:
- Animals are not allowed ashore.
- Be sure to read the official website before visiting the island.
- If a hire car is required, then this will need to be booked in advance through the Assistant Harbour Master’s Office – kitty.george@ascension.gov.ac
Last updated: April 2022
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We just visited Ascension – five yachts – and for all of us it was an absolute highlight of the Atlantic. It’s an incredible island and not to be missed. The walks on Green Mountain are easy and nothing less than spectacular- Elliot’s and Dew Pond are absolute must do’s. Also Mars Bay, sooty tern bird colony, and Comfortless Cove (take your dinghy over) and the unusual cemetery behind Comfortless Cove – not to be missed.
You can hire cars – arrange with Kitty at the Harbour Master’s office ahead of time. (I don’t have her email on me but get it from Immigration at St Helena if you can’t find it) You MUST now apply ahead of time for a visa – it’s online and not difficult! The websites give confusing info on this but you do need to apply ahead.
The anchorage can be a bit rolly but we had no problem at all. It’s an awesome anchorage in the turtle season – they will be all around your boat along with the fish. Provisioning is also quite good here – plenty of cheese, bread, frozen goods – short on fresh food but have frozen berries etc. Anyway its better than St Helena in our opinion.
Finally – the people are awesome. Welcoming and beyond friendly. And it’s always pleasant to be in a place where there’s no such thing as theft or locking up required etc. Cannot recommend Ascension enough!!!
We anchored of Ascension to in Sept 2017. The hotel had closed, there were no cars for hire, the transport was limited to a bus at weekends on a fixed route, the one saving grace was the supermarket (operated by a Falklands company) it was great! We were also trapped onboard due to very large swells making the landing unsafe. Eventually realised our anchor had fouled and due to the diving ban no one was allowed to help us. The whole island is really a large semi military – communications centre in a geographically strategic location. The people were were very nice but nothing goes on here!!! Best bypass enroute to Brazil or the Caribbean
After a short 7 day sail up from St Helena, we arrived at Ascension. We had pre-applied for permits to visit as this is basically a joint military base for the British and American forces and part of the British Overseas Territories.
Once we arrived and set our anchors, we had to wait 4 days for the swell to calm down before we could get to land. The pier landing is small and fairly dangerous when there is a swell and currents – never mind the Galapagos sharks that always seen to lurk around the landing.
Link to attacks http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/27/second-shark-attack-three-months-ascension-island
The volcanic landscape is a sight to see as well as the area up at the higher altitudes of Green Mountain. We hired a car from the Obsidian Hotel (but see notes below) to do a day’s sightseeing and lunch at the Two Boats club.
Friends of ours also sailed to Ascension in September 2017 and they said that they would probably be the last tourists that are allowed to come to the island as it was “closing down” …. No more cars or accommodation & meals at the hotel etc. Will have wait for a more complete update on the situation and hopefully their official website information is also updated.
For information on visiting Ascension Island please contact the Ascension Island Tourist Information Office on tourism@ascension.gov.ac they will be able to provide information on entry permits, light dues, services and facilities, car hire, tours and much much more.
Further information also available on the website http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac and the facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Ascension-island-tourism