Suvorov Atoll CW (Repost)
Suvorov Atoll - Landsat Image S-03-10_2000
Suvorov Atoll - Marplot Map
Suwarrow Atoll (13˚16'S., 163˚06'W.) consists of several wooded islets lying on a barrier reef which encloses a lagoon. Anchorage Island on the NE side and High Island on the W side of the island are covered with coconut trees from 18 to 25m high; they are easily recognized. The barrier reef shows a little above HW. It is dangerous to approach the reef on its S or SE side unless the weather is clear. The N side projects to a sharp point; on the E side of it, there are some islets covered with brush.
Northeast Reef lies about 0.5 mile E of Anchorage Island and forms the E side of the entrance. East Reef lies 0.3 mile E of the S extremity of Anchorage Island, and South Reef lies about 0.2 mile SSW of East Reef. South and East Reefs can be distinctly seen from 3 miles.
The coast in the vicinity of the passage is said to be dangerous to approach at night due to irregularities in the line of the barrier reef. The lagoon entrance is just E of Anchorage Island. A vessel, with a draft of 4.6m, can use the channel between Anchorage Island and South Reef, but caution and local knowledge is necessary. Currents in the lagoon entrance are irregular. Rates on the flood reach 0.5 to 1 knot, while the ebb flows at rates of 2 to 3 knots. At the anchorage within the lagoon, the ebb current starts about 1 hour 30 minutes before HW.
Suvorov Atoll - Marplot Map (Detail) Entrance to the Lagoon
Anchorage.—Anchorage, unsafe in N weather, may be taken inside the lagoon, 0.2 mile off the W side of Anchorage Island, in a depth of 33m.
(SD Pub-126)
Suvorov Atoll (aka Suwarrow) is made up of many little islands scattered around the barrier reef. The islands are low to the water and are not safe in storm tossed seas. According to sailors that write on their blog sites, the islands in the north have a caretaker that ensures the safety of the islands.
This was the home of Tom Neale, a guy who decided to get away from it all. He escaped to Suvorov and stayed "away from the world of man" ("Joe vs The Volcano"). He stayed on the island two separate times and loved it, both times. The above link will give you more detailed information.
This island took about 6-hours to complete. I divided the work into two sessions. The reefs were fairly complicated to digitize. The finished map consists of 14-different layers of information. The island map turned out quite nice. The finished map was as much fun to admire as the process to complete it was.
Enjoy!
Labels: atoll, Cook Islands, EVS, island, Landsat, map, Marplot, Pacific
