“Two oceans” has reached Mozambique.

Made my entry in Pemba; good anchorage east of the harbour, 12 58.179 S 40 29.476 E; watch the tide range!

Opposite, in a green roof building, there is Wilson’s Wharf restaurant with good food and pleasant to sit in. They also have a shop with only imported stuff, including frozen meats, shrimps etc.

Harbourmaster is in a big building just outside the exit from the port on the left. Immigration agent is also there. “Maritimo” guy issued an entry document, which was a permission to sail around the area plus a clearance to Maputo, which supposedly covers stops on the way. Docs cost 5300 metical (about 32 mt to the US$). Immigration stamped my passport which had a valid visa in it and charged 1845 mt for “assistance in stamping the passport”. Please note that communication was difficult due to my non-existent Portuguese and their poor English. In answer to my question, Maritimo said I did not need to go to customs. Only commercial vessels did that.

Yachts anchor by Wimbe beach 12 58.147 S 40 32.432 E which is open to the north, good holding and nice surroundings. The whale show is on at this time of year and it is incredible; worth coming here just for that!

Met the people on s/v Myriam who did the entry in Mocimboa da Praia in the north – about 11 20.82 S 40 22.54 E.

Dive Libelula is, according to their internet site, located at 14 29. 376 S  40 40.875 E, checked and found correct. Their beach is easy to land on with the dinghy at all tides. They have a good restaurant to which there is a steep climb.

Ilha de Mocambique: we anchored at 15 01.65 S 40 44.408 E, sand, good holding. A bit rolly when the wind is against the tide. We were approached by a young man named Daniel, who, with his friend Jackson, helped with all we needed – took us around town, arranged fuel, water and guarding the dinghy. Wanted 1500 meticals, agreed to 900, which to me seemed fair. His tel. 824954006.

In the TDM internet café, you cannot use your own laptop but there are some other restaurants that have Wi-Fi, Escodidinho pension is one. Market O.K plus a few shops in the same area. Not a lot of selection but enough to survive until Vilanculo.

Bazaruto archipelago: (coordinates in a list at the bottom): Entered by night, not very pleasant, big waves in the channel with the northerly wind.

Paradise (Santa Carolina) island: strong currents around the island. Going ashore we met a man who said it was a part of the park and there was a 1000 metical payment for the yacht and 400 per person. Having no money on us, we promised to pay in Vinakulo. Over there nobody came to collect.

Vinakulo’s anchorage is difficult to get into as a bar blocks the way in low water, enter only at high tide.  Shallow – minimum 1.5 m at low tide but deeper further away from the beach. Sand, good holding but on the whole an open anchorage. It’s quite far from town and the “port” to which you can take the dinghy at all tides. Local boat-boys will approach you: a guy named Anthony was O.K. On the way to town the Kilimanjaro café has O.K food and free internet. Bank and a good supermarket in the same location. Town: walking distance if you don’t get a Tuk Tuk; two markets good for fruit and veg. We took water from the Vinakulo Beach Resort; ask permission from Daniel, who seems to be the man in charge. No charge was made. For fuel, we went to a petrol station in town with our jerry cans using the supermarket’s car for a fee.

Northwest Benguerra: an anchorage near the Benguerra Lodge; tricky entrance and very shallow! We sat on the bottom for a while in low water, sand, good holding.

We got out of Bazaruto to go south via the Benguerra northwest pass; the C-Map chart was quite accurate but good light and reading the bottom is essential. We passed a shoal of 1.5 meters one hour after high water. The exit to open ocean has currents and waves caused by the uneven bottom, oscillating between 33 and 3-meter depths.

Bazaruto as a whole is not so nice to be in although Vinakulo is good for provisioning and has an airport.

Inhambane: A long way from the entrance to town with many shallow spots; C- Map quite accurate apart from some surprises here and there. Harbormaster people came and made a very strict and annoying inspection of the boat. Their office is close to the ferry dock, a long building with a tiled roof. We paid 4600 meticals for permission to stay in the area; it may have included the port clearance to South Africa for which there was no charge. Their office is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Take the dinghy ashore to the root of the ferry dock. A nice restaurant, Bistro Pescador, is located on the south side of it; good food and free internet (when it works), they also let us take water at no charge. Nice market in town, a good Chinese supermarket and a bakery all close to each other and a walking distance from the dock. My impression was that the harbour master people were not used to yachts leaving the country. For departure we were sent to the immigration office in Maxixe (pronounced Masheesh), to which you go by ferry. They did not speak English and obviously were not accustomed to yachts leaving, refusing to stamp our passports; we left without.

Linga Linga anchorage was O.K, watch out for shallow patches. Going out of the bay with wind from the southeast at 25 knots was not an experience I would ever want to go through again. 3 meters waves over a 4 meters bottom…

Our Mozambique anchorages

Always consider tide range!

Pemba harbour – 12 58.179 S 40 29.476 E   9-13 m sand, good holding

Wimbe beach – 12 58.147 S 40 32.432 E   6 m          “              “

Baia Almeida – 13 35.607 S 40 35.105 E   2.8 m       “              “

Simuco – 13 59.008 S 40 36.825 E shoaling 5-8 m coral patches medium holding

Nacala (Libelula) 14 29.384 S 40 40.754 E   8 m sand good holding

Ilha de Mocambique 15 01.657 S 40 44.408 E 7 m sand good holding, currents!

Puga Puga 16 26.529 S 39 56.793 E 6 m sand, swell

Bazaruto night entry anchorage 21 37.897 S 35 26.417 E  6 meters, and good holding

Santa Carolina Island 21 36.947 S 35 19.872 E rock and sand, mediocre holding, strong currents.

Benguerua northwest 21 51.615 S 35 24.861 E shallow-sat on the bottom for a while, sand, good holding.

Vilankulo 21 57.874 S 35 19.207 E shallow approach, enter only at high tide. sand, good holding.

Linga Linga 23 42.892 S 35 23.515 E 3 meters, and good holding, strong tidal currents

Our route into and out of Inhambane:

23 39.324 S 35 29.719 E

23 41.271 S 35 26.318 E

23 44.735 S 35 25.172 E

23 46.019 S 35 24.651 E

23 47.902 S 35 23.296 E near a concrete marker, do not go for the second marker, follow the C-Map closely.

23 48.477 S 35 22.865 E

23 48.892 S 35 22.428 E

23 49.313 S 35 22.178 E

23 50.334 S 35 22.063 E

23 51.910 S 35 22.575 E Anchorage, 6 meters, sand, very good holding tested in 32 knots.

Conclusion

On the whole, Mozambique was a bit of a disappointment. It is quite difficult for the cruiser, especially for those with a keelboat. You can see more details in my blog.

I found Bradt travel guides to be good, both for Madagascar and Mozambique.

Michael Barzam

http://www.catamarantwooceans.wordpress.com/