Ascension Island - Update History

Ascension FAQs

Ascension Facts for Sailors

• A mountainous peak rising from the floor of the South Atlantic Ocean, Ascension is a dormant volcanic island like Tristan da Cunha and the Azores on the mid-Atlantic volcanic ridge.
• Ascension Island one of the largest marine protected areas in the world..
• The island lies roughly halfway between the horn of South America and Africa.
• Ascension Island is part of a British Overseas Territory, (nowadays called St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha) under the sovereignty of the British Crown.
• The 34 sq miles (88 sq km) island is a communications center for the BBC, the RAF, the US Air Force and the European Space Agency and hosts one of four ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational system. NASA also operates a Meter Class Autonomous Telescope (MCAT) on Ascension Island for tracking orbital debris.
• Although a traditional port of call for ships on the Cape of Good Hope route, the few yachts that sail on this route only occasionally stop at Ascension. Because of their isolation, the people who work on the island (the island's only inhabitants) are friendly and hospitable. There is no indigenous or permanent population.
• The RMS St Helena visits Ascension approximately once every three weeks on her voyage from Cape Town and St Helena.
• Local currency is the St Helena Pound (£) which is on parity with the Pound Sterling (£). There are no ATMs on the island. It is recommended to either register and load the Tourist Card App before departing for Ascension to deal with payments on the island, or arrive with Sterling. See Money for more details.
• Marine services and supplies are very limited. See Yachting Essentials for full details.