Notes from S/V Wapiti September 2013

Baly Bay lies west of Mahajanga on the west coast of Madagascar about 60 miles east of Cap St Andre which is a good departure point for South Africa. Baly Bay is often used as a place to wait for a weather window but it is rather open and it can be difficult to find good shelter. Tucked away in the NE corner is an inner harbour which is very sheltered. The entrance is quite shallow and can be difficult to find but there is the least depth of  3.1mtrs above chart datum at low water. Entrance is best done about an hour after low water when the sandbanks and can be clearly seen (not at high water as Delwyn McPhun suggests in his East Africa Pilot). Also if you get stuck the rising tide will lift you off.

A suggested entry track is as follows but bear in mind that the channels can shift.

16o00’.87’S   45o20’.06E

16o01’.85S    45o20’.65E

16o 01’.94S   45o21’.13E

16o 02’.41S   45o21’.40E

16o 02’.79S   45o22’.14E

16o 02’.44S   45o23’.19E

16o 02’.08S   45o23’.40E

Anchorage was in 3 mtrs sand. The anchorage is totally sheltered. There is a small village ashore and we took a few present such as rope, medicines etc as a thank you for anchoring in “their” bay.  We were given a quite formal reception and the chief showed us around the village. He said yachts did not visit. Wireless broadband reception is just possible with persistence.

Roger Morgan

Yacht Wapiti