Where is Banjul?

Banjul is the capital city of The Gambia, a small West African country bordered by Senegal. It is the centre of the administrative division which is home to an estimated 400,000 residents, making it The Gambia’s largest and densely populated metropolitan area. Banjul is on St Mary’s Island (Banjul Island), where the Gambia river enters the Atlantic Ocean.

There are anchorages at Half Dike and Lamin Lodge.

Banjul Cruiser Highlights:

• Lamin Lodge is not only an excellent anchorage but a very good place to be for bird watching and a starting point for a trip upriver.
• Yachts can easily go all the way up to Georgetown on the river, the best areas are above Baboon Island. However, this does mean going under the new Senegambia bridge, also known as the Trans-Gambia Bridge, which opened in January 2019 and connects north and south Gambia. Located at 13°30′59″N 15°34′21″W you must have a mast height of 17m or less to get under it.  However cruisers have reported passing under with a 17.5m and an 18m mast, the latter at LW neap tide.
  
• At Georgetown there is a power cable across the river, however, cruisers report it is possible to go further up to Basse at low tide on the north bank in a smaller yacht with one man at the masthead (see reports).
• Some 27 kms (17 miles) upriver lies James Island, site of an infamous slave market.
• There are many villages along the river banks, where it is possible to stop and barter for food.
• Cruising the river with the tide is comfortable and when you want to stop you just anchor close to the side. There is an abundance of wildlife (hippos, monkeys, crocodiles and birds). Always put anchor lights on at night as there are a lot of fishermen with long drift nets.

Banjul Entrance Notes and Cautions:

Beware of the many nets and flagged fishing buoys for many miles on the approach to the port.  If arriving at night, it is advisable to wait outside the harbor until sunrise. However, you will need to maintain a close watch to avoid the local fisherman, who will make their presence known.

It is also possible to anchor at the “stop in time bank” but do not anchor at a bank closer to Banjul as there are breaking waves.

The average depth in the channel is 30 ft (9 m). Vessels should keep all buoys to starboard when entering.

Port Control keeps a continuous watch on VHF Channel 16 on weekdays and should be contacted prior to arrival.

Banjul Position:  

13° 29.7’N, 16° 37.2’W (river entrance)

Last updated:  March 2024

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