Anchorage· Moorea· French Polynesia — Society Islands
Superyacht Anchorage Zones Opunohu & Cook's Bay (20–90 m)
17° 30.1′ S · 149° 51.4′ W
Swing-circle anchoring points for yachts of 20 m and over, set by decree 910 CM in the middle of Opunohu Bay (MO-5) and Cook's Bay (MO-4), with a third small zone at Matauvau Pass (MO-6). The position given is MO-5-Opunohu.
Practical
Anchor points and radii (WGS84) from decree 910 CM: MO-5-Opunohu (20–90 m) 17°30.14'S 149°51.42'W, 200 m radius, 7 days max; MO-4-Cook (20–70 m) 17°29.31'S 149°49.39'W, 150 m radius, 7 days max; MO-6-Matavau (20–90 m) 17°34.218'S 149°52.36'W, 160 m radius, 48 h. Cruise ships use MO-1-Opunohu (90–345 m, 17°29.802'S 149°51.45'W, 400 m), MO-2-Cook (90–200 m, 17°29.1'S 149°49.29'W, 250 m) and MO-3-Cook (90–220 m, 17°29.568'S 149°49.302'W, 350 m). Drop the anchor on the point. Yachts of 20 m+ must keep enough crew aboard to manoeuvre, show anchor lights and keep AIS on. The commune's CGEM (Aug 2025) also approved two 24-hour places for 20–90 m vessels at Matauvau Pass / Haapiti quay. The brief says 20–90 m yachts must anchor in these zones until secure mooring buoys are installed in 2026. Legal status (Oct 2026): the ZMR quotas come from arrêté 910 CM of 26 June 2025, which the Administrative Tribunal of French Polynesia annulled on 15 July 2026 (case 2500441, brought by the Association des Voiliers en Polynésie); the anchoring articles of the 2021 PGEM were also annulled by the Paris appeal court with effect from 1 June 2026. Noonsite (Aug 2026) reports the restrictions are not currently ratified and talks between AVP and local groups are ongoing. Until a replacement rule is published, treat the ZMR quotas and 48-hour limit as the expected good practice, check escales.gov.pf or call DPAM (40 54 45 78, 24/7) before arriving, and expect the nautical patrol (87 704 657) to ask about your stay.
Best for
Large yachts needing a legal swing circle