Latest Cruising News Maldives January 2004

Created by doina. Last modified on 2004-02-28 22:15:47
Contributors: Polly Hester, SY Papagena of Mersea
Countries: Maldives

I hope the following information is useful as an update for the website following our recent visit to Male (Mid January 2004). In general we found the Maldivians helpful and welcoming and Male an excellent stopover but we don’t think it’ll take off as a cruising ground.

Clearance

We highly recommend you use an agent both to help with entry and with fuel, water, laundry, collecting and clearing mail during one’s visit. We used the services of AMSCO and dealt with Abdullah Jaleel, the managing director. A more proactive, helpful and efficient agent would be hard to find and at a very reasonable agency fee of US$50 he was worth every cent.

One of the major problems is where to arrange clearance. We were given the option of anchoring in the commercial harbour with stern lines to the harbour wall. A combination of foul holding and a significant cross wind almost ended in disaster for us. The one spot shallow enough to anchor outside is occupied by a barge and also dived upon by a tourist submarine. After our scare in the harbour we motored up and down outside in a stiff current whilst our agent brought the officials out to us by dhoni. This is not ideal but relatively safe. I would strongly recommend getting in touch with Abdullah before arrival and saying you are going direct to the anchorage at Hulhumale (ie the anchorage in the lagoon next to the airport) and asking him to arrange for the officials to visit you there. You will have to pay for their transport out there so check the cost in advance but it will save some considerable stress.

Dogs – check with your agent first. At the time of writing dogs were not welcome even if confined to the boat. A yacht before us was fined quite heftily for having a dog on board.

Fuel and Water

Abdullah arranged for a barge to visit us in the anchorage. Diesel was US0.42 per litre.

Laundry

Abdullah arranged it for us – it was picked up and delivered back to the ferry in Male. It costs about $10 for a large load and comes back smelling a bit sulphurous but fairly clean.

Anchorages

Hulhumale. A very safe anchorage with excellent holding though a fair amount of aircraft and construction noise. A good base for going into town on a regular ferry. If you fancy dinner ashore, to the north of the anchorage (no need to go out of the lagoon entrance) is the Club Med Faru resort where you can take your dinghy up to their landing jetty and the security guard will take you to reception. There you can purchase tickets for drinks at the bar and pay $39 for an enormous and excellent buffet spread including as much wine and beer as you need! To the south of the anchorage, go out of the lagoon and turn left about a mile away is the airport hotel where there’s a swimming pool which caters for paying day guests, a bar and a couple of restaurants. You need flat conditions or a proper dinghy for that trip or go by ferries (into town and out again).

Laguna Beach Resort is a safe anchorage once you’re in and you’ll be welcomed ashore especially if you spend money in the restaurants and bar in which case they may well waive the $15 landing fee! No compulsion to go ashore if you’d rather not.

Otherwise our experience with resorts was very negative despite going to considerable lengths to telephone in advance and ask if we could come and anchor and eat ashore – ie spend money in their restaurants. We gather this suspicion of yachts stems from advantages taken by safari boats over the years resulting in all dinghies being intercepted at the earliest possible opportunity by security guards. The places mentioned above were fine and we heard good reports of Baros though we draw too much (2.6m) to go in, but I’d say the Maldives is not necessarily the best cruising ground we’ve found! Interestingly the sunsail fleet that was set up is no longer operating.

Polly Hester, SY Papagena of Mersea