Niuatoputapu

Niuatoputapu sits about 107 miles east-south-east of Niuafo'ou, a long way north of the rest of Tonga. The village of Hihifo is on the north-west side, behind a barrier reef and a lagoon that NGA describes as full of shallow patches. Treat the chart with suspicion here: NGA passes on a 1994 report that the island lies 2 miles west of its charted position.

At a glance

Getting in

The reef. NGA says a barrier reef enclosing a lagoon full of shallow patches lies 0.7 mile off the north-west side of the island. The other sides are fringed by a narrow, steep-to reef. A 6 m islet stands on the seaward edge of the barrier reef, and a wooded 21 m islet lies close off Hihifo.

From the south-east. NGA advises giving the island a berth of at least 1 mile when approaching from the south-east, to stay clear of the shoals that extend from it.

The detailed plans. LINZ chart TO 201 (January 2022 edition, read 28 October 2026) carries a 1:9,000 plan of Niuatoputapu Harbour and a 1:3,000 plan of the harbour entrance. Get the chart before you go; the free TIFF on the LINZ page is for planning only.

Anchoring

• NGA's anchorage. NGA gives an anchorage in 18 m, 0.5 mile north-west of the 6 m islet off the north-west side of Niuatoputapu.
• Inside the reef. NGA doesn't describe an anchorage inside the lagoon. Use the TO 201 harbour plans and good light.

Clearing in

• Not a listed port of entry. Tonga Customs' ports-of-entry page (read 28 October 2026) lists ports in Tongatapu, Vava'u, 'Eua and Ha'apai, and none in the Niuas. Ask Customs whether you can clear in here before you make it your first stop in Tonga.
• Clearing out. Customs form C15 says that once you have cleared out you must head straight for your next overseas port and not call anywhere else in Tonga. That includes the Niuas.
• Advance notice. Whichever port you use, the small-craft Advance Notice of Arrival must reach Customs at least 24 hours before your ETA.

Hazards and cautions

• Charted position (dated). NGA reports (1994) that Niuatoputapu lies 2 miles west of its charted position, and (1991) that Tafahi lies 2 miles west of its charted position. LINZ's TO 201 is a newer edition, but keep a good radar and visual lookout.
• Off-lying reefs. NGA describes a dangerous reef that breaks heavily, with less than 1.8 m over it, about 2 miles north-west of the island, and a dangerous coral reef extending about 1 mile from the south-west extremity.
• Durham Shoal. NGA gives 8 m over Durham Shoal, about 9 miles south-south-west of Niuatoputapu.
• Further north. NGA describes Curacoa Reef, about 24 miles NNE of Tafahi, where the sea breaks heavily, and reports volcanic activity in an area 5 miles SSW of it.
• Tafahi. NGA says Tafahi gives a good radar return up to 24 miles.

Weather and seasons

• Cyclone season (dated). Tonga Meteorological Services' Tropical Cyclone Seasonal Outlook for 2026–2027 (released 28 October 2026, read 30 October 2026) gives the official season as 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2027 and notes that cyclones have occasionally formed outside it. It expects an average season, with 2 to 4 tropical cyclones affecting Tonga and a moderate to high chance of at least one severe tropical cyclone, and the highest risk from January to March 2027. It also reports drought declarations in force for Tongatapu, 'Eua, Ha'apai and Niuatoputapu, with Vava'u and Niuafo'ou under drought warning, so plan your water. NGA Pub. 126 adds that at Nuku'alofa sudden, violent west and north-west squalls are common from December to April.
• Trades. NGA describes the trade wind in Tonga as mainly east-south-east in early winter, becoming south-east in July, with occasional strong north-westerlies in summer that don't usually last longer than 12 hours.

Facilities

• Landings. OpenStreetMap shows Pasivulangi Wharf on the north side of the island and the Vaipoa small boat harbour slipway west of it, toward Hihifo.
• Supplies. We haven't found an official source for fuel, water or provisions here. Plan to arrive self-sufficient.

Ashore

What's within about a 15-minute walk (1.2 km) of each marina, ramp or landing on this page, measured along streets and footpaths in OpenStreetMap. Addresses are from OpenStreetMap where it has one; where it doesn't, we show the name and distance only. Listings as fetched from OpenStreetMap on 28 October 2026; check opening hours before you walk.

From Pasivulangi Wharf (wharf / landing)

Nothing mapped within the 15-minute walk of: Vaipoa small boat harbour.

No marine stores or chandlers are mapped in OpenStreetMap within the walk.

Places, types, addresses and walking distances: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), fetched 28 October 2026.

About this page

These are free planning notes written by a working delivery skipper from public sources. They are not for navigation. Use the current LINZ chart corrected for notices to mariners, current local notices, official tide tables and local advice. Spotted something out of date? Please use Report a correction below.

Official links

Check these before you go. They beat anything on this page.

• Tonga Customs: ports of entry
• Tonga Customs: private crafts (advance notice, temporary admission)
• Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Forests: Quarantine and Biosecurity
• LINZ Notices to Mariners (cover the TO charts)
• NGA Pub. 126 Sailing Directions (Enroute) Pacific Islands (free PDF)
• Tonga Customs forms (Advance Notice of Arrival for small craft, C15 outward clearance)
• Tonga Meteorological Services: forecasts, tides and cyclone outlooks
• Tonga Meteorological Services: marine forecasts
• Maritime NZ: search and rescue in the Pacific (Mayday, beacons)
• TO 201 Niuatoputapu Group and Niuafo'ou (plans)
• TO 101 Tonga (1:750,000)

Sources & credits

Need a delivery skipper for this coast? Get a quote from Garry Hartshorne, AMSA Master <45.