Eritrea - Yachting Essentials

Eritrea Yachting Essentials

Electricity:

• Voltage: 230 V
• Frequency: 50 Hz

Water:

Water can be obtained from the Port Authority in Massawa - payable by the tonne.  Bottled water can be obtained from shops outside the port.  In addition, fresh water is available by tanker or jerry can. Ask at the Port Authority.

Water is also available from the fishing cooperative in Massawa - but reported to be not of good quality.

Fuel:

To obtain fuel (diesel) in Massawa involves first visiting the Ministry of Tourism who contact and obtain a letter from the Eritrean Petroleum Corporation. In the past you then had to pay for the fuel you needed in advance, at the Housing & Commerce Bank of Eritrea, pay US$ into their account at the agreed price of the diesel and they issued a receipt.

However, it now appears that payment is possible (in US dollars) at the fuel station. The whole process to get the official letter, however, does take about 30 hours, so it's advisable to act quickly on arrival if you need to refuel.

Go to the authorized fuel station with the authorization letter (Tam Oil at the Taulud Island end of the causeway next to the tank memorial - far end of the anchorage) and jerry cans, and purchase the diesel you need. The price paid is an agreed governmental duty free price.

The official bank rate is almost four times that of the "street" exchange rate, making fuel very expensive!

Petrol is available without a permit.

Yachts are not eligible for fuel in Assab.

Repairs:

There are very few options for repair work here.

Some services may be found at the Government ship repair yard (near to the port) which has a machine shop that can likely provide assistance to replace various parts.

It is possible to be hauled out via a crane at the shipyard. Some of the workers speak English. This yard can do reasonable quality fibreglass work, stainless steel repairs as well as carpentry.

Ask at the port for local merchants.

Hardware and electrical goods shops can be found in town, but stock is limited.

Navigation:

• Approaching Eritrea through the South Mits’iwa Channel, cruisers report normal functioning of GPS throughout (no spoofing).
• The navigation lights on Shumma Island, Assarca Island and Madote Island are not visible on a clear night - quite possibly none of them are working (March 2026).
• Navionics charts are reported to be adequate for navigating the channel at night.
• There is a lack of navigation aids along the Eritrean coast so night sailing close to shore is not recommended.