Contributed by Amanda & Mark Church – Farrell (NZ)

SY Balvenie

Yemen Anchorage and Passage Information

11 – 31 March 2008

We had a great time in Yemen, I would recommend it to anyone that’s “been there, done that” and wants something different. The history is mind-boggling, back to Noahs Ark times, artefacts 12,000 years old (water urns and tools), buildings from the year dot, you really did just feel that the three wise men were going to pop round the corner at any time.

We left Salalah in company with 2 other boats, to head west along the Oman and Yemen coasts, through “pirate alley” and into the Red Sea. We were all tired of passages so decided to try and do short hops wherever we could.

The first short hop, however, was an overnighter and saw us arrive late afternoon in the Yemenese fishing village of Nishtun, judging by our reception there we may have been the first yachts they had seen for quite some time. We had the chance to wander around the dock in the morning and watch all the fishing boats arrive in with their catches. There is certainly no shortage of fish around these parts. We were not permitted outside the port and were closely watched by armed personnel at all times but felt very safe.

Nishtun

15 49.11N 52 11.73E

Initially anchored here in 6.5m, quite choppy and just outside the breakwater and dock (CMap not accurate and shows this as another side of the bay). Just on dusk, we were requested to up anchor and to come into the small harbour and tie alongside the big concrete wall for our own safety. We weren’t that happy about it but had a peaceful night tied up. We had officials check our passports and boat papers but were not checked into Yemen by them. There was no charge for processing or tying up. Armed guards either protected or watched us all night!

Then it was on along the absolutely stunning coastline for another overnighter to Ras Sharma, an absolutely beautiful horseshoe bay tucked behind an easily accessible headland. Simply gorgeous complete with a whitewashed building in biblical setting on shore, so good we stayed two nights. There is no village here but the few locals ashore were welcoming enough when we visited the next evening to sit with our sundowners to watch the sun dip into the sea.

Ras Sharma

14 49.37N 50 01.29E

9.7m, horseshoe bay, excellent protection and holding.

Next stop was Al Mukalla, a day sail along the coast. First and lasting impressions of Al Mukalla from the sea is WOW, like a scene from 1001 Arabian Nights. We experienced our first true multi-player call in here, the acoustics inside the bay was almost deafening but just amazing.

Al Mukalla

14 31.59N 49 07.98E

7.0m, mud bottom, good holding. Seven boats in there with us and started to fill up as a couple of wrecks to be aware of (easy to see).

We had a very easy check-in through an agent (Maher) who organised shore passes for us straight away so we could get in and explore up close. Maher also did tours inland so we left Balvenie at anchor and along with several crews from other boats set out in 2 minivans for an overnight tour inland. The tour up into the Hedrawat Wadi (Valley) was incredible, this is where the Bin Laden’s have been for centuries.

We stayed the night in Seiyan in a good tourist hotel with ensuite for USD15, went to Shimbunn, “Manhatten in the Desert” built 1600 years ago, one square mile with all these high rises about 8 stories high!!!! Its not like they didn’t have enough room!! We saw the women goat herders, totally covered in black in the searing heat tending their herds and doing all the farm work, they wear a conical hat unlike anything we have seen else wear in the world. This is a land untouched by modern ways and the women in particular did not welcome the attention afforded them by the few tourists around.

Maher arranged this tour, processed our visas, and escorted us along with an armed guard on each minivan and it was excellent. Yemen is certainly having its problems politically and there have been some incidents involving tourists, but we felt very safe and generally welcome where ever we went.

Into Pirate Alley

From Al Mukalla, it was back to sea and into “pirate alley”. Again we were in company with 2 other boats for the 2 night sail to Aden. We sailed during the day within sight of each other then closed together at night and motored in very light winds. It worked very well for us and the only other boat we saw was a Yemen Coastguard vessel that came alongside to make sure we were ok. When our friends said the only thing wrong was that they weren’t catching fish, the Coastguard vessel went off to a nearby fishing vessel and came back with two tuna each for them, now that’s hard to beat!!! We had absolutely no issues with feeling threatened and personally think the closer to Yemen you stay the safer you are. We probably averaged about 15 miles offshore for this part, while day/overnight sailing from we were within sight of land.

Aden and a visit to Sana’a

12 47.53N 44 58.84E

8m, mud, holding ok, chopped up some in strong winds. Not a huge anchorage but think we had about 14 boats at one stage, which was snug.

The anchorage in Aden is ok, not great but a secure area and reasonably sheltered in the inner harbour. The weather had been settled so we decided to fly up to Sana’a, Yemen’s Capital, just USD108 return and only 45 minutes for an overnight excursion. We didn’t pre-book but stayed in the www.dawoodhotel.com in the old city, in an original tower building. The cost was USD35 a room with bathroom share (between 2 rooms). It was absolutely amazing and would be the most authentic of anywhere we have ever stayed and had a great location.

The walled Sana’a old city is incredible, all women either completely covered in their black (as with everywhere in Yemen and Oman) or some of the older women (they were stooped so guessing they were older!!!) had brightly coloured shawls (but all same pattern) but still completely covered, heavens knows how they see out. The men either had the “thobe” white robe or earthy tones wrap with a shirt, but all from about age 10 wore traditional heavy belt and dagger, just amazing, you really felt like you had stepped back in time couple of hundred years, had to be there really, words can’t describe it. Annie and I went with a local girl for a hammam “Turkish bath” which was quite an experience, the surrounds looked about 1000 years old and most probably were, then had our hands and feet hennaed. The market was amazing, the street scenes out of biblical movie sets, the architecture stunning and we even got interviewed for Yemen television as they have so few tourists.

From Aden we moved ever westward heading for the Red Sea, we had an overnight stop in Ras Imran an excellent sheltered bay, then the next night at Ras Al Arah which sits on a low, windy sand spit. It’s not great but we were leaving at 1 am to head for the biggie “Bab el Mandeb” – “The Gates of Sorrow” the southern entrance to the Red Sea on 31 March 2008.

See Eritrea Cruising Notes for further information about the next part of the trip.

Ras Imran/Jabal Aziz

12 44.50N 44 42.57E

6.2m, flat water even though rolly outside.

Ras Al Arah

12 37.30N 43 54.73E

11.4m, flatish water in 25 knots. No shelter from wind, bleak looking place but good jump off around 1 am for dawn arrival at Bab el Mandeb.

Yemen Cruising info:

Security

We had a boat boy onboard in Al Mukalla (shared 1 between 2 boats) while we did our tour. We didn’t bother in Aden. We felt very very safe on land and at sea in Yemen.

Phone/Internet

Our Oman SIM card worked here also. Didn’t find Wi-Fi but the good internet at an internet cafe in Lulu’s mall.

Checking into Al Mukalla

Maher (who looks about 16) turned up at the boat to take away our papers, we checked with the boats that had arrived the previous day to check he was some sort of official! He doesn’t charge a fixed price (always tricky) we paid him YRL4,000 on departure. Visas for the 2 of us were YRL20,000. We would not have required these if we had not done the inland travel, we would have been issued only with shore passes which are free.

Checking out of Aden

No charge, do it yourself – all within walking distance ofAnchoragee.

Tour from Al Mukalla

Our tour was YRL22,000 including van, driver, guard and Maher. All meals, entrance fees and the accommodation were extra (but cheap).

Tour from Sana’a

Return Flights from Aden were USD108 each. Dawood Hotel USD35 double, we got taxis to/from both airports.

Provisions

Huge Lulu’s but I actually thought the one in Salalah was better. Top up to get you through to Hurghada in Egypt. Can get nearly everything except pork products. Prices much the same as Thailand. Last chance for milk powder (can’t even get in Turkey).

Fuel in Aden

There is a fuel dock you can go alongside to. We filled our jerry jugs at USD.715 per litre. Its a drawn out exercise, with plenty of people to see and forms to fill in.

Money

USD1 = YMR200 (16 Mar 2008).

USD available in cash machines in Al Mukalla and Aden – stock up on USD for the Red Sea, no where takes credit cards. Any fuel, food, tours, check-in/check-outs will need USD or local money changed from USD. This is your last chance to get it.

I really cannot speak highly enough about our time in Yemen, it is definitely not for those not used to being off the beaten track, and you should check out the political situation first (not that we did). But it was outstanding, the most welcoming people we have come across, good food, interesting shopping, spectacular anchorages and good fishing, 10 out of 10.

Amanda and Mark on Balvenie

see our Blog at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com