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KIRIBATI and US - Line Islands Cruising Guide

Posted March 8th, 2008 by YachtPals

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KIRIBATI and US - Line Islands Cruising Guide

1.970970 -157.548752 ki

The Line Islands, or Equatorial Islands, are a group of eleven atolls and low coral islands in the central Pacific Ocean south of the Hawaiian Islands. Most of the islands and atolls belong to Kiribati, while three (Palmyra Atoll, Kingman Reef and Jarvis Island) are United States territories.

Line Islands General Coordinates: 1°52'N., 157°22'W

Line Islands Cruising Guide Contents:
CURRENTS IN THE LINE ISLANDS
MARINE WEATHER FOR THE LINE ISLANDS
LINE ISLANDS TIME ZONES
ABOUT KIRIBATI
NORTHERN LINE ISLANDS
Kingman Reef - US
Palmyra Atoll - US
Teraina AKA Washington Island - Kiribati
Tabuaeran AKA Fanning Island - Kiribati
Kiritimati AKA Christmas Island - Kiribati
CENTRAL LINE ISLANDS
Jarvis Island - US
Malden Island AKA Independence Island - Kiribati
Filippo Reef - Kiribati
Starbuck Island AKA Volunteer Island - Kiribati
SOUTHERN LINE ISLANDS
Caroline Island AKA Millennium Island - Kiribati
Vostok Island AKA Staver Island - Kiribati
Flint Island - Kiribati
LINKS FOR CRUISERS - LINE ISLANDS
FREE ONLINE MARINE CHARTS FOR THE LINE ISLANDS

-- CURRENTS IN THE LINE ISLANDS --

The Line Islands group should be considered dangerous to navigation as the islands are low, flat, and surrounded by strong, variable currents. These currents are described below.
The N section of this group lies in, or near the boundary of the Equatorial Countercurrent. Correspondingly, Kingman Reef experiences an E set, while the sets around Palmyra Atoll are strong and variable. The rest of the group lies within the W setting South Equatorial Current.
When within 200 miles of Kiritimati, the current was reported to have rates of 2.5 to 3 knots.
In the vicinity of Malden Island and Starbuck Islans, the general set is W; however, E sets have also been experienced. Some of these E sets have exceeded rates of 1 knot.

-- MARINE WEATHER FOR THE LINE ISLANDS --
Marine Weather Kiribati and Banaba
Weather Christmas/Cassidy, Kiribati - Line Islands

-- LINE ISLANDS TIME ZONES --
The Line Islands that are part of the Republic of Kiribati are in a time zone with the earliest time in the world: UTC + 14. The time of day is the same as in Hawaii, but one day ahead; and even 26 hours ahead of some other islands in Oceania.

-- ABOUT KIRIBATI --

Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. It comprises 32 atolls and one raised coral island dispersed over 3,500,000 square kilometres (1,351,000 square miles) straddling the equator and bordering the International Date Line to the east.

English is an official language of the islands, and is widely spoken. The native I-Kiribati language may be useful in more remote locations, however.

Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)
Calling Code: +686
Time Zone: UTC+12 to +14

Kiribati Island Groups:
The country is divided into three island groups which have no administrative function, including a group which unites the Line and the Phoenix islands (ministry at London, Christmas). Each inhabited island has its own council (3 councils on Tarawa: Betio, South-Tarawa, North-Tarawa; 2 councils on Tabiteuea).
The island groups include:
* Gilbert Islands
* Phoenix Islands, now the largest protected marine reserve in the world.
* Line Islands

Visa Requirements for Kiribati:
Nationals and citizens of the following countries are exempted from obtaining a visa before entering Kiribati where the intended duration of their stay is 30 days or less: Belize, Federated States of Micronesia, Macao(only in respect of holders of Macao Special Adminisirative Region Passports), Marshall Islands, Palau, Republic of china (Taiwan), Republic of Korea.

Nationals and citizens of the following countries specified are exempted from obtaining a visa before entering Kiribati:
(Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Grenada, Greece, Hong Kong (only in respect of holders of British Nationals Overseas passports and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports), Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Poland, Portugal, Romania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Bahamas, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United Kingdom Overseas Territories of (Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands), United States of America, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe).

There are honorary consulates in Rose Bay (near Sydney), NSW, Australia; Honolulu, Hawaii; Suva, Fiji; Hamburg, Germany; Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, Korea; Auckland, New Zealand; and London, United Kingdom. Also, visas may be obtained by writing the Principal Immigration Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, P.O. Box 68, Bairiki, Tarawa, KIRIBATI (Central Pacific). Caution: Do not apply directly to Tarawa within a couple months or so of your departure date, or when you need your passport elsewhere. Usually, it's best to inquire at their nearest consulate abroad. There's no requirement that you be a resident of the same country that the consulate is located in.

Stay healthy in Kiribati:
Don't drink the water without boiling or filtering. Chemical treatment is not recommended as it may not prevent giardiasis. Get a hepatitis A shot, and be up-to-date on all your other vaccinations, preferably several weeks beforehand. Mosquitos can be very bad at times, so use repellent. Be sure to bring your own insect repellent and sunscreen, as these are not available locally. Don't expect any needed medications to be available either.

There's no malaria, but dengue fever outbreaks (mosquito transmitted) do sometimes occur. The fish caught locally may give you food poisoning (ciguatera), so be extra careful. Ciguatera is not preventable by cooking or freezing the fish. Promptly treat even the smallest cut, sore, or insect bite, as these can become infected very easily.

Medical evacuation insurance is highly recommended for Kiribati. Many outer islands have no airstrip, making any sort of evacuation long and difficult.

NORTHERN LINE ISLANDS

-- Kingman Reef --

Kingman Reef - US
6°25'N., 162°26'W

Kingman Reef is closed to the public.

Kingman Reef is a largely submerged, uninhabited tropical atoll located in the North Pacific Ocean, roughly half way between Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa. It is the northernmost of the Northern Line Islands and lies 65 km NNW of Palmyra Atoll, the next closest island. Kingman Reef is an unincorporated territory of the United States, administered from Washington, DC by the U.S. Navy. The atoll is closed to the public. The total area within the rim of the reef, which has greater depths in the western part, is 60 km². There is just one small strip of dry land on the eastern rim, with an area of less than 0.01 km.

The pre-20th century names Caldew Reef, Maria Shoal and Crane Shoal refer to this atoll, which by then was still entirely submerged at high tide.

Kingman Reef is about 920 nautical miles (1,700 km) south of Honolulu. At times, its shoreline might reach three kilometers in circumference, but the highest point on the reef is about one meter above sea level and wetted or awash most of the time, making Kingman Reef a maritime hazard. It has no natural resources, is uninhabited, and supports no economic activity. The reef partly encloses a lagoon up to 73 meters deep.

FROM THE US GOVERNMENT ABOUT KINGMAN REEF:
Kingman Reef (6°25'N., 162°26'W.) is located about 33 miles NNW of Palmyra Atoll. The reef, a U.S. possession, is a Defensive Sea Area and Airspace Reservation, and is closed to the public. The airspace entry control has been suspended, but is subject to immediate reinstatement without notice.
The reef is triangular in shape with its apex to the N. The reef is about 9 miles long E-W and 5 miles N-S. A small islet, 0.9m high, lies on the E side of the reef. The reef dries on its NE, E, and SE edges; the remainder of the atoll is contained within a ridge with depths of 18.3m. However, there are breaks in the reef, one on the N side and one on the S side, with more water. Outside the ridge the bottom slopes steeply to over 183m.
The reef has been reported to be difficult to identify, both visually and by radar. The reef has been sighted at 7 miles.
Kingman Reef is within the belt traversed by the Equatorial Countercurrent, which in this vicinity sets E at a rate of 1.3 to 1.8knots.
Caution: A shoal, the existence of which is doubtful, is charted at 6°50'N, 169°36'W.
2.4 Teraina Island (Washington) (4°43'N., 160°24'W.) lies about 120 miles SE of Palmyra Atoll. It is administered as part of the Republic of Kiribati.
The island is about 3m high and is covered with a luxuriant growth of coconut and other trees. It is reported to be visible at 14 miles.
The fringing reef extends about 0.5 mile off the E part of the island and for some distance off the N side. At the W end, two tongues of reef extend from 0.3 to 0.4 mile offshore. In all other parts the shore reef is narrow. Off the W side of the island, a bank, deepening gradually, has depths of 18.3 to 26m, 2.3 miles offshore.

Tides and Currents: As Teraina Island lies near the S edge the Equatorial Countercurrent, great variations in the strength and direction of the offshore currents may be expected. For this reason, every opportunity should be taken to fix the position of the ship when in this vicinity.

-- Palmyra Atoll --

Palmyra Atoll - US
5°53'N., 162°05'W

Palmyra Atoll is privately owned. Permission to enter the atoll must be secured from the owner in advance.

Palmyra Atoll is located in the Northern Pacific Ocean at 5°53'N, 162°5'W. Geographically, Palmyra is one of the Northern Line Islands (southeast of Kingman Reef and north of Kiribati Line Islands), located almost due south of the Hawaiian Islands, roughly halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa. It is about 120 miles northwestward of Washington Island, 200 miles northwest of Fanning Island, 33 miles southeastward of Kingman Reef, and 960 miles south by west of Honolulu.

The atoll consists of about 50 small islets, having a total area of about 250 acres, in a horse shoe surrounding three lagoons. The islets stand but 5 or 6 feet above sea level, but dense vegetation rises to a height of 75 to 90 feet, making the island visible from the deck of a ship at about 15 miles, when it is clear.

The islets of the atoll are all connected, except Sand Island in the West and Barren Island in the East. The largest island is Cooper Island in the North, followed by Kaula Island in the South. The northern arch of islets is formed by Strawn Island, Cooper Island, Aviation Island, Quail Island, Whippoorwill Island, followed in the East by Eastern Island, Papala Island, and Pelican Island, and in the South by Bird Island, Holei Island, Engineer Island, Tananger Island, Marine Island, Kaula Island, Paradise Island and Home Island (clockwise). Average annual rainfall is approximately 175 inches (4,445 mm) per year. Daytime temperatures average 85°F (29°C) year round.

Palmyra's 9 miles (14.5 km) of coastline has one anchorage known as West Lagoon. It consists of an extensive reef, two shallow lagoons, and some 50 sand and reef-rock islets and bars covered with vegetation—mostly coconut trees, Scaevola, and tall Pisonia trees.

FROM THE US GOVERNMENT ABOUT PALMYRA:
Palmyra Atoll (Palmyra Island) (5°53'N., 162°05'W.) is an atoll which consists of many small islets lying on a barrier reef which encloses three distinct lagoons. The reef surrounding Palmyra Atoll is 5 miles long E-W, and 2 miles at its widest part. Shoal water extends 1.8 miles E from the SE extremity of the reef and the same distance from the NW and SW extremities. The islets are low, about 1.8m high, and covered with coconut and other trees reaching heights of 30m and visible 12 to 15 miles.

Winds and Weather at Palmyra: Palmyra Atoll has unfavorable weather, and is the only island in its latitude where fresh W winds occur. A tropical front hovers in the vicinity of the island and is caused by the meeting of the Northeast Trades and the Southeast Trades.
Northeast Trades prevail, with an average velocity of 10 to 12 knots. There are frequent squalls of short duration and occasional winds up to 22 knots, but typhoons are infrequent.
Rainfall is heavy and humidity high, ranging from 2,540 to 4,572mm annually. Rain occurs almost daily; heavy squalls come up suddenly from the SW, but there are no severe storms.

Tides and Currents: The tidal rise at Palmyra Atoll is about 0.6m at MHHW and 0.0m at MLW.
Strong and variable currents may be expected in the vicinity of the atoll. Caution is advised if approaching the atoll from the SW as dangerous tide rips have been reported to lie 5 miles SW from the atoll.
A current sets NW across the entrance channel and is particularly strong SW of Sand Island.

Depths and Limitations: A dredged channel, which leads through the SW side of the island, is the only entrance. It was reported that the channel had a depth of 7.9m its entire length. The depths within the lagoon vary from 3 to 53m. A pier was reported in poor condition, with depths of 6.4 to 9.1m along-side, is situated in the W lagoon. The reefs and shoals within the lagoon are shown on the chart.

Aspect: A group of four radio towers stand as a good landmark on the SW part of the atoll.

Anchorage: The island should be approached from the W and anchor on the bank, in 22m, sand and coral, with the NW extremity of the island bearing 071°, 2.5 miles distant, or farther in, in 14.6m, sand and coral, with the point on the same bearing 2 miles distant.

It is not advisable to attempt to anchor between sunset and sunrise.
In 1988, a 2 knot current setting S was observed during a NW fresh at the anchorage.

Caution: An explosive dumping area is situated with its center about 15 miles WSW of Palmyra.

-- Teraina AKA Washington Island --

Teraina, Kiribati
4.71° N, 160.76° W

Teraina, also known as Washington Island and formerly also Prospect Island and New York Island, is a coral atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, part of the Northern Line Islands belonging to Kiribati. The island has an area of 7.8 km² (3 mi²), and the population in 1990 was 936 (more than 1,000 in 2000). At the western end of the island is the capital, Tangkore (Tengkore). Teraina differs from other atolls by having a large freshwater lake concealed within its ubiquitous coconut palm.

-- Tabuaeran AKA Fanning Island --

Tabuaeran, Kiribati
3°51'36 N, 159°21'52 W

Tabuaeran, also known as Fanning Island or Fanning Atoll (both Gilbertese and English names are recognised) is one of the Line Islands of the central Pacific Ocean, and part of Kiribati. The maximum elevation is about 3 m (10 ft) above high tide.

Tabuaeran has a population of 2500, principally Gilbertese settlers brought from Kiribati by Fanning Island Plantations, Ltd., to work in the copra industry (copra is the meat of the coconut). The capital is Napari (Paelau) in the northwest. The former capital is Napia (English Harbour) on the western side, south of a passage into the lagoon. Other villages are Tereitaki, in the northwest, Aontena, a resettlement area just south of Napia, and Manuku, a resettlement area in the south.

Reef fish and shellfish, babai (Cyrtosperma chamissonis), coconut, pigs, chickens, and seaweed (limu) grown in a lagoon are local foods, supplementing a main diet of imported rice and tinned meats. The island's major exports are copra and hand crafts (including cowrie shell, shark tooth knives, and Kiribati stamps).

From the US Government about Fanning Island:
Tabuaeran (Fanning Atoll) (3°52'N., 159°20'W.) is administered as a part of the Republic of Kiribati. The District Commissioner for Tabuaeran is resident at Kiritimati Atoll.
The islands of the atoll are thickly covered with coconut trees, 18.3 to 27m high, visible at a distance of about 15 miles.
The barrier reef is not more than 0.6 to 1.2m high, except on the N and E sides, which are about 3m high. The reef is steep-to; on the N and NW side of the atoll the 200m line lies about 0.5 mile offshore.

Winds and Weather: The prevailing winds are from E to the ENE. Average velocities are about 10 knots, with occasional gusts up to 40 knots. Gale force winds average less than 1 day per year. Rainfall averages 190mm. The dry season extends from August to November. There is no fog.

Tides and Currents: The currents in the vicinity of Teraina are strong and variable; when in the vicinity every opportunity should be taken to fix the vessel's position.

-- Kiritimati AKA Christmas Island --
Kiritimati, Kiribati

Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is a Pacific Ocean atoll in the northern Line Islands and part of the Republic of Kiribati. The island has the greatest land area of any coral atoll in the world: 642 square kilometres (248 sq mi). It comprises over 70% of the total land area of Kiribati, a nation encompassing 33 Pacific atolls.

Kiritimati is about 150 km (93 mi) in perimeter. Parts of its lagoon are dried out. In addition to the main island, there are several smaller ones. Cook Island has a size of 47 acres and a large seabird colony. Other islands are Motu Upua (47 acres), Ngaontetaake (67 acres), and Motu Tabu (8.6 acres).

FROM THE US GOVERNEMENT ABOUT KIRITIMATI ISLAND:
Kiritimati Atoll (Christmas Island) (1°52'N., 157°22'W.) is about 27 miles long SE-NW and is 16 miles wide in the N part. A neck extending from near the center of the atoll toward the SE is about 4 miles wide; this part is low-lying scrub land, with trees adjacent to the coast. The island is about 12m high in the NW part, where there are growths of scrubby trees and coconut palms visible for a distance of 12 miles.
There are several indentations in the coast. The Bay of Wrecks, the largest, is on the E coast and Vaskess Bay is located on the SW coast.
Bridges Point Light is a good landmark, as are radio masts situated 0.2 mile N and 4 miles NNE of it. A tank farm lies N of the light, while a large sled lies 7 miles E of the light.
Kiritimati Atoll has been declared a nature reserve. Per-mission to land on the small islands S of London must be obtained from the warden.

Winds Weather: The general tendency of the winds from November to May is NE and from June to October, SE, with an occasional squall from the N or S. North, NW, and W winds occur occasionally between March and June.
Rainfall at Kiritimati Atoll varies greatly from year to year. The weather is generally excellent for navigation.

Tides Currents: The spring range here is about 7m.
Offshore, the majority of the sets reported are between the NW and SW, with a large portion of the rates exceeding 1 knot. A rate of 2.5 knots has also been reported. E sets appear to be infrequent from June to November, but may occur at other times, particularly from March to May.
A strong NW current along the atoll's N coast forms tide rips N of the atoll's NW extremity. A very strong W current sets onto the island's SE end.
During passages between Kiritimati Atoll and Tabuaeran Atoll, a vessel reported currents to be variable, but not exceeding 1 knot.

Anchorage: There is good anchorage, in 33m, coarse sand, with Bridges Point Light structure bearing 110°, 0.5 mile dis-tant. Anchorage can be found anywhere W or NW of Bridges Point; however, anchorage SW of the light should be avoided as abandoned moorings lie about 0.5 mile SW of it.
Caution.—Fish Aggregating Devices (FADS) have been moored about 2.8 miles W and 3 miles NW of North West Point.
The fringing reef in the vicinity of South West Point was reported to be extending W.

Villages on Kiritimati (Christmas Island):
* London - main city and port
* Tabwakea
* Banana - near the airport
* Poland

CENTRAL LINE ISLANDS

-- Jarvis Island --

Jarvis Island - US
0°23'S., 160°01'W

Jarvis Island (also formerly known as Bunker Island) is an uninhabited 4.5 square kilometer coral island located in the South Pacific Ocean at 0°22'S 160°01'W about halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands. It is an unincorporated territory of the United States administered from Washington, D.C. by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system.

Since 1974 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States Department of the Interior have maintained Jarvis Island as a National Wildlife Refuge and the Island is only available to visit with a special permit, however typically only researchers and similar persons are given permits. Amateur radio operators have also been known to be granted access to Jarvis Island.

There are no ports or harbors but a few offshore anchorage spots have been noted. Swift currents are a hazard. There is a boat landing area in the middle of the western shoreline near a crumbling day beacon and another near the southwest corner of the island.

The center of the island is a dried lagoon where deep guano deposits later gathered and were mined for about 20 years during the 19th century. The island has a tropical desert climate with high daytime temperatures, constant wind and strong sun. Nights however are quite cool. The ground is mostly sandy and reaches seven meters (23 feet) at its highest. The low-lying coral island has long been noted as hard to sight from small ships and is surrounded by a narrow fringing reef.

Located only 25 miles south of the equator Jarvis has no natural fresh water lens and scant rainfall. The outcome is a flat landscape without any plant larger than a shrub. There is no evidence the island has ever supported a self-sustaining human population. Its sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines and low-growing shrubs are primarily a nesting, roosting and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds and marine wildlife.

FROM THE US GOV. ABOUT JARVIS ISLAND:

Jarvis Island (0°23'S., 160°01'W.), an island of sand and coral formation, is located about 202 miles SW of Kiritimati Atoll. The island is 1.8 miles long in a E and W direction and about 1 mile wide; it rises to a height of 6.1m.
A narrow fringing reef, which dries in places and has breakers along the S shore, encircles the island. There are two breaks in the reef on the W side. A shoal, with a least known depth of 4.6m, extends about 0.6 mile from the E side of the island. The depths drop rapidly outside the shoal area.
Jarvis Island is a U.S. possession and a National Wildlife Refuge. It is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wild-life Service.
The higher ground surface lies on the W end of the island. Although low lying shrubs cover on most part of the island, it was observed without appreciable size of vegetation.

Caution: Jarvis Island has been reported to lie 1 mile NE (1991), 1.6 miles E (1992), and 1.3 miles ENE (1996) of its charted position.

-- Malden Island AKA Independence Island --
Kiribati
4°1'S 154°56'W

Malden Island, sometimes called Independence Island in the nineteenth century, is a low, arid, uninhabited island in the central Pacific Ocean, about 39 km (15 sq mi) in area. It is one of the Line Islands belonging to Republic of Kiribati. The island is chiefly notable for its "mysterious" prehistoric ruins (of Polynesian origin), its once-extensive deposits of phosphatic guano (exploited by Australian interests from c. 1860-1927), its use as the site of the first British H-bomb tests (Operation Grapple, 1957), and its importance as a protected area for breeding seabirds.

FROM THE US GOV. ABOUT MALDEN ISLAND:
Malden Island (4°03'S., 155°00'W.) is triangular-shaped, of coral formation, and located 375 miles SE of Jarvis Island. The island is a wildlife sanctuary under the control of the Government of Kiribati.
The island is about 5 miles long and 4 miles wide at its E end, with the apex to the W. It is about 9m high, and visible for about 15 miles.
Malden Island is steep-to, with reefs extending from all its extremities for distances of 0.2 to 0.3 mile.
The settlement was situated on the N side of SW point and the ruins still remain.

Tides Currents: Between Malden Island and Starbuck Island, currents with rates of 1 knot are usual, but may reach 2 to 2.5 knots. Between September and November, the highest rates occur, sometimes exceeding 3 knots. The usual direction of the set is W, but E sets have been experienced rarely exceeding 1 knot.

Anchorage: Anchorage is available, in a depth of 28m, off the W side, about 0.2 mile WNW of a tripod beacon, which is close SE of the landing place.

Caution: Caution is advised as no implicit reliance can be placed on current rates and direction. Great care should be taken when navigating in this area.

-- Filippo Reef --
Kiribati
05°30'S 151°50'W

Filippo Reef is a submerged, reef-topped seamount located in shallow water 450 km east of Starbuck Island in the Line Islands. From the breakers it has been estimated to have a least water depth of only 0.6 to 0.9 meters. It is about 1.6 km long northwest to southeast, and less in width.

FROM THE GOV. ABOUT FILIPPO REEF:
Filippo Reef (5°31'S., 151°47'W.) has been reported to be about 1 mile long in a NW-SE direction, and less in width. From the appearance of the breakers on the reef, it has about 0.6 to 0.9m of water.
Breakers were reported (1926) to have been seen about 30 miles SW of Filippo Reef; a line of breakers about 68m in length were reported (1944) about 80 miles SE of Filippo Reef. This area lies outside of US chart coverage (2002).
Caution: Vessels are advised to make due allowances for the strength, velocity, and erratic directions of the current in the vicinity of Filippo Reef; it may set vessels up to 50 miles off course in a 24-hour period.

-- Starbuck Island AKA Volunteer Island --
Kiribati

5°37'S 155°56'W

Starbuck Island, also known as Volunteer Island, is an uninhabited coral atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, part of the Central Line Islands belonging to Kiribati. Former names have included Barren Island, Coral Queen Island, Hero Island, Low Island, Starve Island or Volunteer Island.

Located at 5°37'S 155°56'W, the island measures 8.9 km east-to-west and 3.5 km north-to-south. Because of its low profile (at its highest point, the island rises to about 5 meters) there are dangerous surrounding reefs, a number of ships had been wrecked at Starbuck Island in the late 1800s, including the French transport Euryale on March 10, 1870.

Starbuck Island has been designated a protected area by the United Nations and is home to a colony of Sooty Terns.

SOUTHERN LINE ISLANDS

-- Caroline Island AKA Millennium Island --
Kiribati
°56'13.13S, 150°12'41.40W

Caroline Island or Caroline Atoll (also known as Millennium Island), is the easternmost of the uninhabited coral atolls which comprise the southern Line Islands in the central Pacific Ocean.

First sighted by Europeans in 1606, claimed by the United Kingdom in 1868, and part of the Republic of Kiribati since the island nation's independence in 1979, Caroline Island has remained relatively untouched and is considered one of the world's most pristine tropical islands, despite guano mining, copra harvesting, and human habitation in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is home to one of the world's largest populations of the coconut crab and is an important breeding site for seabirds, most notably the sooty tern.

Three large islets make up the bulk of Caroline's land area: Nake Islet (1.04 km² or 0.40 mi²) at the north; Long Islet (0.76 km² or 0.29 mi²) at the northeast of the lagoon and South Islet (1.07 km² or 0.41 mi²). The remaining assembly of small islets, fall into four major groupings: the South Nake Islets, the Central Leeward Islets, the Southern Leeward Islets, and the Windward Islets (see map). Caroline's islets are particularly ephemeral — over the course of a century of observation, several of the smallest islets have been documented to appear or disappear entirely following major storms, while the shapes of larger ones have significantly changed.

The central lagoon, roughly 6 km by 0.5 km (3.5 miles by 0.3 miles), is shallow – at most 5–7 m (15–25 ft) in depth – and is crossed repeatedly by narrow coral heads and patch reefs. Reef flats generally extend about 500 m (1600 ft) from shore — although some sources report them to extend more than a kilometer from land — and make boat landings perilous except at high tide. There are no natural landings, anchorages, or deep water openings into the central lagoon; water which spills into the lagoon over shallow channels at high tide is contained within the surrounding reef and remains stable despite ocean tides. Most landings are generally made at a small break in the reef at the northwest corner of South Islet (visible on the satellite photo above).

There is no standing fresh water on Caroline Island, although the Nake and South Islets harbor underground freshwater aquifers (or Ghyben-Herzberg lenses), and wells have been built to tap drinking water for temporary settlements. Soils on Caroline are similarly poor, dominated by coral gravel and sand, with significant organic content present only within stable, forested island centers. Guano deposits make island soil, where it does exist, nitrogen-rich; but even in the oldest and most vegetated regions of the atoll, soils are only a few centimeters (one or two inches) thick.

Like the rest of Kiribati, Caroline Island enjoys a tropical maritime climate – consistently hot and humid. Meteorological records are sparse, but temperatures generally range between 28 and 32 degrees Celsius (82 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit) year-round. Caroline lies within a region of highly variable precipitation, but is estimated to receive an average of 1500 mm (60 in) of rain annually. Tides are on the order of 0.5 m (1.5 ft) and trade winds, generally from the northeast, mean that corner of the island experiences the roughest seas.

Caroline Island is among the most remote islands on earth – 230 km (140 mi) from the closest land at Flint Island, 1500 km (930 mi) from the nearest permanent settlement on Kiritimati, 4200 km (2600 mi) from the Kiribati capital of Tarawa, and 5100 km (3200 mi) from the nearest continental land in North America.

Despite more than three centuries of occasional human impact on Caroline, it is considered to be one of very few remaining "near-pristine tropical islands," and has been rated as one of the most unspoiled Pacific atolls.

Caroline Island is an important breeding site for a number of species of seabirds, most notably the Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscata), numbering around 500,000 – a colony of Sooty Terns dominates the eastern islets – and the Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor), numbering over 10,000. Caroline Island and its neighbor, Flint Island, also host some of the world's largest populations of the coconut crab. (Birgus latro). Other native animals include the Tridacna clam, which is abundant in the central lagoon, hermit crabs, and multiple species of lizards. The endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) also nests on the beaches of Caroline Island.

FROM THE GOV. ABOUT CAROLINE ISLAND:
Caroline Island (9°57'S., 150°13'W.) is an atoll consisting of a number of small, low, islets 4.6 to 6.1m high. The barrier reef is about 5.5 miles long in a N-S direction and about 1.4 miles wide at its S or widest end. The S end of the S island is reported to extend 1 mile S and then extends further SW and SE; it should not be approached at night. Broken water is reported to extend nearly 2 miles S of the island.
There is a boat passage through the reef near the SW point of the atoll that is narrow and tortuous.
Vostok Island (10°06'S., 152°25'W.), a densely-wooded is-land with trees, which rise to a height of 24m is roughly triangular in shape, and is about 0.4 mile long in a N-S direction. A sunken reef extends about 0.3 mile N from the N extremity of the island, and about 0.2 mile from the SW extremity, and 0.3 mile from the SE extremity.
The offshore current sets W at a rate not exceeding 3 knots. Close inshore, on the E side of the island, the current sets N. The eddies on the lee side of the island are changeable, depending on the velocity of the main current.
A sounding of 55m was obtained (1927) about 0.5 mile NW of the N extremity of the island.
In 1985, it was reported that the island lies 4.8 miles ENE of its charted position.

-- Vostok Island AKA Staver Island --
Kiribati

10°05'S, 152°54'W

Vostok Island also known as Staver Island, is an uninhabited coral island in the central Pacific Ocean, part of the Line Islands belonging to Kiribati. Other names for the island were Anne Island, Bostock Island, Leavitts Island, Reaper Island, Staver Island, Vostock Island, Wostock Island or Wostok Island.

First sighted in 1820 by the Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, who named the island for his ship ("Vostok" means "East" in Russian). Only 1.5 kilometers in length (0.24 km²) and approximately triangular in shape, it rises to a height of about 5 meters above sea level, with a dense thicket of Pisonia trees covering the central portion of the island.

Vostok Island is conserved as the Vostok Island Wildlife Sanctuary, protecting important seabird breeding colonies such as the Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor), Lesser Frigatebird (F. ariel), Black Noddy (Anous minutus) and White Tern (Gygis alba).

-- Flint Island --
Kiribati

11°25'48S, 151°49'9.12W

Flint Island is an uninhabited coral atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, part of the Southern Line Islands belonging to Kiribati. The island is surrounded by a narrow fringing reef and with no safe anchorage landing is difficult.

Flint Island is located about 740 kilometers (400 nautical miles) northwest of Tahiti, 190 km (100 nautical miles) south-southeast of Vostok Island, and 220 km (120 nautical miles) southwest of Caroline Island. It island has a land area of 1 mi² (3 km ²).

FROM THE US GOV. ABOUT FLINT ISLAND:
Flint Island (11°26'S., 151°48'W.) lies about 90 miles S of Vostok Island. It is about 2.5 miles long in a NNW-SSE direction and about 0.5 mile wide. The island is densely wooded with trees which rise to a height of 15.2m.
Flint Island is surrounded by a steep, fringing coral reef which dries at LW and extends about 0.6 mile from the N end of the island, breaking for about 0.2 mile from the shore and terminating in a strong tide rip. The reef extends about 0.4 mile from the S end of the island, breaking for 0.1 from the shore. Both reefs have heavy breakers in a low swell and the reef extent is easily identified by lighter colored water.
A current sets W past the N and S reefs at up to 0.5 knot.
There is a boat channel through the reef with a least depth of 0.8m near the settlement on the NW side of the island.

LINKS FOR CRUISERS - LINE ISLANDS: