Rogue yacht arrive unannounced at Alofi Bay told to leave

The Niue Police were yesterday alerted to a yacht that had arrived unannounced in Alofi Bay at around 5:30pm.

The yacht Ujay I is a French flagged vessel and had left Tahiti on the 11th of December en route to New Caledonia. The skipper of the vessel failed to report via radio upon arrival as required by Niue law.

The Niue Police responded quickly to the incident, made contact via radio and determined the vessel and its passengers were not in distress but were seeking fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and diesel.

It was determined they and had entered Niue waters illegally and because they were not in distress, they were ordered to leave Niue waters immediately.

Chief of Police Tim Wilson says that “Niue continues to have strict border restrictions and our waters are closed to all yachts. Those who enter our waters illegally are at risk of prosecution. The Niue Police urge all yachts in the vicinity of Niue waters to check their routes before they depart and to respect our border restrictions”.

This is the fourth yacht to enter Niue waters since the closure of borders in March as part of COVID 19 protection protocols.