Mauritius
Kindly submit all your documents to the Acting Port Master (Captain Newoor):
KAVIDEV NEWOOR (CAPTAIN) k.newoor@mauport.com
Port health: Principal Public Health & Food Safety Inspector port-ho@govmu.org
Harbour radio : Harbour Radio (MPA) harbourradio@mauport.com
Passport and immigration: HARBOUR PIO pio_harbour@govmu.org
All pleasure boats coming from abroad must dock in Port-Louis to clear in and not dock in another port on the island.
Marinas:
In Port Louis the only marina is Caudan Marina
OSASA contact in Mauritius:
Bruno Armansin: bruno.armansin@taylorsmith.mu
REUNION\MAURITIUS TO RICHARDS BAY SA
If you have not yet read Anne Lloyd’s (SV SOFIA) Noonsite notes on the crossing from Reunion to SA I would strongly suggest you do so before setting out or even planning the trip.
She points out the main issue being you have to set out from Reunion based on a f\cast min 4 days into the future assuming you will reach a waypoint 600nm away (26S 47E) just in time to pick up favorable winds to drive you west across the bottom of Madagascar.
The Equatorial current which hits Mada at +-12 – 13S splits in two and the southern bound section runs down the Mada east coast. At the bottom of Mada the continental shelf extends +-50nm offshore and SW winds against the current on this shallow section can generate some pretty nasty conditions and should be avoided at all costs except in very calm conditions.
The east coast of Mada has very little by way of shelter and harbors and it would be suicide to rely on finding shelter anywhere along the E\SE\S\SW coast.
Assuming you arrive at the waypoint in time and you have SE15+ wind you need to stay on 26S and head due west. You are then still 900nm from Richards Bay and still need to be aware that the next SW gale could be coming up the coast and you need to know where you can find shelter in the event of not being able to make it safely into Rbay.
The two tried and tested options are
St Augustine Bay – Nosy Ve 23 38S 43 36E – alternatives further north into the bay depending on wind direction – do not go to Toliara as the officials have elevated corruption to an art form.
Inhaca Island 25 57S 32 58E – not perfect but considering the alternative in the Moz current safe enough.
The Moz current is very concentrated (70nm wide) from Bazaruto to Zavora 24 30S on the Moz coast – 3kts+
From Zavora it spreads out and reduces to +-2kts but still results in horrendous conditions in sustained SW winds (6m breaking seas @ 6seconds)
It hits the SA coast just south of Jesser Pt\Sodwana Bay 27 30S where it concentrates and 3kts + is normal.
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