Route planning from the east to Madagascar

Created by webmaster. Last modified on 2002-09-05 13:46:30
Contributors: Lilly Vedana &Thomas Mueller, Yacht MIZMAE
Countries: Chagos, Cocos Keeling, Comoros, Madagascar, Maldives

With the strong current setting NNW with up to 3 knots on the northern half of Madagascar's east coast a well planned landfall is essential or you might find yourself in the washing machine 30 miles north of Cape d' Ambre. This cape is beautified almost daily with a strong wind warning, featuring anything around E-SE-NE up to 35 knots.

Therefore most boats in 2001 coming from Chagos, Cocos Keeling or the Maldives, choose a point some 40 miles south and 100 miles east of Diego Suarez/Antsiranana as a navigation mark. The light on Cape d'Ambre hasn't been operational for many years and it is a good idea to time arriving the cape in daylight.

The calmest conditions around the cape are found about half a mile to one mile off the coast line. But beware that GPS positions are out by almost 1 mile in this area !!

Lilly Vedana, Thomas Mueller

Yacht MIZ MAE

www.mizmaesailing.de

September 2001