Tristan da Cunha - Facts

Tristan da Cunha FAQs

Pre-Arrival Boat: The island requires as much advance notice as possible and ask that yachts do not arrive at the weekend. See Clearance for details.
Pre-Arrival Crew: No visas are required for yacht crew, however all crew must complete a biosecurity declaration prior to going ashore. See Biosecurity for details. Travel Health Insurance is mandatory.
Where can I enter? Edinburgh, on the north coast, is the only settlement on the island and the port of entry.
Are fees high to enter by yacht? There is just a crew landing fee of $15 per person. See Fees for details.
What security concerns should I know about? Security is not an issue in Tristan.

Tristan Facts for Sailors

• Tristan da Cunha is a remote group of volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, colloquially known as Tristan.
• Part of the British Overseas Territory, (nowadays called St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha) it is under the sovereignty of the British Crown.
• Other islands nearby are the small, uninhabited and inaccessible Nightingale, Middle and Stoltenhoff Islands. A weather station is located on Gough Island and manned by a few personnel.
• Tristan da Cunha is almost circular, the core of a volcano with steep cliffs plunging into the sea. On the north-west corner is a small habitable plateau, and the settlement of Edinburgh.
• As of September 2024, Tristan da Cunha has a population of 275 people living or visiting the surrounding islands. Tristan da Cunha's official language is English, with a distinct local dialect derived from various cultures, including Scottish, English, St Helenian, South African, American, Dutch, Italian, and Irish.
• The local currency is the UK pound sterling.
• Local time is GMT.
• Tristan’s climate is temperate and oceanic with rapid weather changes. See Weather for more details.
• On Friday 13th November 2020, the most remote inhabited island on Earth became the fourth largest completely protected marine area in the world, and the largest in the Atlantic. The 687,247km² Marine Protection Zone – almost three times the size of the UK – will safeguard one of the world's most pristine marine environments and protect the wealth of wildlife that lives there.
• The anchorage is completely unprotected and a heavy swell is constant, worst in a north-westerly. The small boat harbor has only about one meter (three feet) of water and a heavy surge from the constant swell.  Yachts can rarely stay for very long, even if they want to.  The best time to visit is from January to March when the chances of actually being able to land are highest.
• In spite of all the difficulties, every year this remote community is visited by a few intrepid yachts.
• The Islanders are very adept at all kinds of repairs and have helped yachts in the past. The Government workshop may be able to help with repairs.