Djibouti - General Info

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Description:

This large commercial port is a crossroads for sea based commerce. After a long period of unrest due to piracy activity around the Horn of Africa, the port is now opening up to visiting yachts.

Entrance Notes and Cautions:

Cruisers recommend that after leaving the IRTC* at point A (11°54.095’N 45°0.010’E), aim for way point 11°46.350’N 43°8.499’E north of Iles Moucha and follow the recommended track on Navionics.

If arriving at night, anchor 6NM outside the port at the islands and proceed into the port at daylight. There are a number of unlit moorings that are difficult to see at night on the approaches to the port.

* The International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) is a shipping route through the Gulf of Aden that is patrolled against pirates by international naval forces. The IRTC is 490 nautical miles (910 km) long and 20 nautical miles (37 km) wide.

Continuing on to the Red Sea

If heading north to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the advice is to wait for winds to calm down in Bab el Mandeb before leaving Djibouti. Often winds average 25+ kts gusting 40+kts in this area.  Stay on the west side just outside the shipping lane and follow the westerly route (south of the Hanish Islands).  Caution is advised close to Position: 13°22.644’N 42°34.859’E.

Eritrea, Yemen and Sudan are still considered areas to be stay away from due to ongoing internal conflict.  See the Reports section for latest information from cruisers who have sailed this route in 2023.

Cruiser Highlights:

This is a useful port to stop for fuel and re-provisioning before heading north.  There are big French supermarkets with everything including alcohol. While it may be necessary to use an agent for clearance processes, it is possible to do it yourself.

Position:  

11°35’57” N, 043°07’56” E (anchorage)

Last updated:  August 2023

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Djibouti was last updated 7 months ago.

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  1. April 17, 2019 at 7:00 AM
    Lynda Lim says:

    Apr 17, 2019 07:00 AM

    We spent 9 months at Djibouti. Djibouti is not dirtier than some Asian or African countries and can be a very good stopover for refueling. A very large French super market is a 5 minute walk from the jetty to the Bawadi Mall where we find lots of very good products and an ATM that provides in dollars or Djiboutian francs. At the exit of the fishing port while continuing towards the city, we also find a new department store with products like tools, plumbing, paint or epoxy impossible to find elsewhere in Djibouti.

    The entrance formalites are really simple. On arrival, you drop anchor in the port, between the old marina, which no longer exists, and the fishing port on the right, then you take your dinghy to join the harbor master’s office and complete your visa formalities. The price of visas has fallen sharply and there is now a transit visa for up to 15 days ($ 10 to $ 20). The port fees are paid per period of 3 days, a month costs is around $ 120. The anchoring is done by 3 to 5 meters with is of very good behavior.

    To go to town, leave your dinghy to the pontoon of the coastguard, otherwise someone will automatically ask you a backshich to keep it. A taxi to the city center costs 500 francs or 30 minutes on foot. Djibouti is a very safe city and the sailboat will not risk anything to leave it several months and enjoy it to visit the country. We left our sailboat more than a month and a half.

    Useful information
    – ATM in town center or Bawadi Mall
    – Diesel : By ordering more than 1000 liters, we bought diesel at a price of around $ 0.60 / L which is half the price at the pump. For this, you have to ask for a paper at the captaincy then go to town – near “le cafe de la Gare” – in order to pay his diesel and return with receipts. Once did, you will be allowed to come to the dock fill your tank.
    – Postoffice : We have repeatedly tested the post that works very well and we paied only the reception fees depending on the size of the package around 2 to 7 euros but never paied taxes. Attention, if you go through DHL or Fedex, taxes will be added and you will pick up the parcel at the airport and not at the post office. Count a month for delivery.
    – Shipyard : in Djibouti, there is no real shipyard for sailboat but only for tanker or cargo, but you can still lift your boat if it is less than 10 tons at DSE (near Kempinsky) which has a crane. Do not go to shipyard of port they charge the slipway and the docks as cargo price and prices tend to double once on site.

    Djiboutian are very smiling, relax and nice people but it is very difficult to count on them… Be patient.
    Les Siamois

  2. February 11, 2019 at 10:55 AM
    Lynda Lim says:

    Feb 11, 2019 10:55 AM

    Visa costs changed recently. Now it’s 30 USD for 30 days. You can extend the visa twice up to 90 days at all with no further costs.
    The anchorage costs 40 USD for the first 3 days, every additional 3 days are 10 USD
    Moustique had some trouble with the coast guard. He is a nice guy, but the only official agent is Mohamed Ali +253 77 88 00 07 // https://www.facebook.com/qinxaalibara.mohamed

    Fair winds
    SV Mango one

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