Mauritius Cruising Notes

Mauritius Cruising Notes

Our Mauritius stay was between June and October 2013. In these notes, we first cover Port Louis and Grand Baie (the most-frequented yachting areas, due to ease of access) then we deal with the west side (N to S) and lastly the east side anchorages we try. These notes will be updated as we get to more areas.

Port Louis

Entry and formalities

Mauritius has no army or navy but a police force with a well-organised and equipped Coast Guard. Call “Port Louis Port Control” on Channel 16 when near the channel into the harbour to obtain permission to enter the port.The port is open to yachts during daylight hours; if arriving after this time, you can apparently anchor clear of the entrance until morning (or in Tombeau Bay).

To clear in, follow the leading line down the channel (our Navionics chart was accurate and all easy) to the end; the customs, immigration and coast guard building is on the port side of the channel adjacent to a quay lined with restaurants. You may not use the coast guard / customs wharf (reserved for their boats), but tie up on balustrades or lamp poles alongside the restaurants. We tied up at 20:09.586S 57:30.030E.

Someone will come to the boat and probably instruct you to wait there for health, then to remove the yellow flag and go on shore for immigration and customs and coast guard. You will complete a million forms for customs. Take the boat stamp on shore. Immigration should grant 30 days immediately; if you plan to stay longer you need to make application at Immigration offices at Sterling House in town (they may require copy of bank statement to prove funds available. Max stay is 6 months during any twelve month period).

Port Control requires that you call them on 16 when you wish to leave Port Louis and the harbour area.

Berthing

The Caudan “Marina” is miniscule. It can accommodate about 12 yachts without rafting; often has yachts rafted 3-up (despite signs disallowing rafting) so there is no space to manoeuvre when inside.

After clearing in procedures, it is easiest to go across and tie up on the big wall on the outside of the marina (a concrete lip can be a problem during surges, but made manageable by tying up against the tyres that are hung on the concrete wall; we tied at 20:09.580S 57:29.819E), then walk across and see what space is available, and then get to the office and pay (relevant office is the Waterfront Security Office across the parking lot). 

Cost is 300  rupees per day for 10-12 metres. 12-14m is 350; you pay in advance for however long you wish, and can extend as you go. Power and water is included in this price.

There is no management of the berthing and you must fend for yourself. We ended up being forced to go onto the wall right in front of the hotel because of tall ships arriving and needing our long outer-wall berth; this put us onto a very dodgy berth but 2 tyres, the plank and 6 fenders kept Ketoro undamaged but dirty!

The local crew who look after the resident boats (Fabrice on Royal Orchid; Vi on Ingwe; the guys on Chaka) are all very friendly and helpful with local knowledge. As is Sunil, who owns a couple of boats in Grand Baie and who also looks after boats for absentee owners (Sunil can also arrange for you a mooring in Grand Baie).

Within hours you will probably be approached by a couple of more profit-driven locals:

Rashid: a taxi driver who is in fact able to organise a lot of things (taxi, tours, LPG, diesel in jerry cans, transport to specific shops, etc). He is okay but not above some sharp practices – mostly along the lines of telling you of some additional charges after the fact.
(Diesel and petrol is also available alongside at the yacht club in Grande Baie but max draught at spring high is about 1.8m. The Le Morne fishing club jetty at Black River also sells fuel)

Deodath: runs a laundry nearby. Price is between 100 and 125 rupees per kg depending on the need for ironing, but he does a fantastic job of restoring respectability to whites and seems to include ironing (even if you specify no ironing).

If you need to leave your boat here to travel, it has become an onerous task, with new rules and you probably need to speak to a well connected local like Sunil. 

Facilities / services in Port Louis

Electrical: Patrick Boisvin (230-781 5723) did a great job on the electrical end of our AC genset.

Sails: Rob Stevenson from MU-Sailmakers Ltd (230-211 2569,musails@intnet.mu) is reported to be very good.

Haul-out: We have heard that there is a facility that looks very good and professional, if somewhat expensive, towards the commercial port.

Chandleries are in short supply and boats that have needed parts make do with the couple of local offerings and hardware shops – Rashid the taxi man is probably the best way to get to these.

Grand Baie

You are required to call the Coast Guard on 18 before entering and leaving Grand Bay, but we had no response.

From a waypoint at 19:59.3 S 57:34.1 E proceed on about 170M past the red and white buoy (either side) then head towards the Grand Bay Yacht Club buildings, cross a shallow (2.4m) sandy patch before approaching the first of the moored boats (depth here is 4m plus).

The anchoring area is deeper into the bay and the depths are 4-6 metres over sand with reasonable holding. We anchored at 20:00.813S 57:34.676E in 4m near the Grand Bay Coast Guard station. The Coast Guard patrol regularly and may make a friendly visit to check your papers.

Grand Bay Yacht Club provides free access for the first month. Thereafter temporary membership is 500 rupees per week per person. Diesel, petrol and water is available by jerry cans or from the club jetty (max 1.8m water at spring high). Dinghy tie up is available.

You can also tie up a dinghy at several places closer to the commercial centre of Grand Baie Village or pull up on the beach - tidal range and surf is minimal. But be aware that theft of outboards does happen on occasion. Supermarkets are good: SuperU within 10 minutes’ walk, La Croisette (with Intermark and Food Lover’s) and Mount Choisy (with Pick n Pay) are about 20 min walk away.

Gunner’s Quoin / Coin de Mire

This beautiful island is a National Park and access to land (at least from the sheltered southern bay) is not practical. There are a number of mooring buoys in the vicinity of 19:56.68S 57:37.25E; depth is over 8m but some are close to rocks. The ones we dived looked good with heavy chain all the way up until the last few metres of pick up and mooring line.

Merville Beach / Pereybere

We wished to anchor off the northern end of the beach and had heard that the charter cats enter through the reef then go right to anchor near the Merville Beach hotel. We set up a track on the dinghy (using GPS, IPad (with Navionics software) and a fish finder for depth) and subsequently have taken Ketoro over the route several times. Some track waypoints and info are given below. One needs to be content with only about 2 to 2.5m water for this entry and anchorage, and it must be done in good light.

From 19:59.56S 57:34.45E, head to SB of the red buoy: Wpt approx. 19:59.77S 57:34.64E. Beware the rocks to starboard of track at 19:56.96S 57:34.54E which is near another charted shallow area. The red buoy in fact marks a high-reef area so leave well to port and head for waypoint, which is also your turning point.

At this waypoint we turned to head for our anchorage at 19:59.836S 57:34.941E (in 2.5m). There is a tricky zone around 19:59.80S 57:34.79E which must be zig-zagged through. Good observation from the bow is required; water is generally very clear.

General 

NB Sailing down the west coast, we came across 3 sets of orange buoys (about 15 in each string) that would be a hazard at night. We do not yet know their purpose, or if they move position, but the positions of two of them were as follows: 20:01.165S 57:30.407E and 20:04.227S 57:27.807E.

Tamarin Bay

We saw a pod of three whales on this coastline, near Tamarin Bay. Dolphins apparently leave Tamarin Bay every morning and swim out to sea via Le Morne; so whale- and dolphin-watching boats come here every morning to view and swim with them, following up with snorkelling on the reef and then go inside the reef area near Ile aux Benitiers to swim and have lunch on the island.

Grand Riviere Noire (Black River)

The Coast Guard here requests being called on VHF 18 on entering and leaving Riviere Noire. This anchorage has a very broad, deep and easy entrance channel. We approached from 20:21.76S 57:20.81E and headed straight for the moored boats, a course of approx. 120M. We subsequently anchored in 3.5m depth at 20:21.91S 57:21.92E, in sand.

The Coast Guard is fairly busy, and we had two apprentices approach us at 9:30 pm the day we came in! They boarded and filled in the same Coast Guard forms as at Port Louis, and were very friendly.

The anchorage is pretty, with the Black River Mountain range as backdrop, and the water is clean. We had a pod of dolphins feeding near us. There are many day boats going out for fishing, dolphin-watching and swimming but we were not disturbed by them.

La Morne Angler’s Club allows use of the jetty for dinghies, and they supply water and diesel; depth is adequate at all tides. Beers are cheap at the club; food is only basic sandwiches. Head straight up the road to the main road; then left for supermarket and some restaurants and shopping centres - London Way supermarket is less than 30 min walk from the club.

Car hire here is difficult: we found one supplier (on the right, 300m after London Way heading away from the club, next to Tutti Fruity) who was expensive (smallest car 1600Rs pd) but he was the only supplier we found. Bikes were Rs 800 pd.

Dinghy exploration from here was fun. To enter the reef area north of the channel and get to the nice Le Preneuse beaches: from the main channel, cross the northern reef SB of the white stick and take a line towards “the yellow house”. We also went to Ile Benetiers by dinghy, to ascertain the channels and depths for the yacht when anchoring in Baie de la Petite Rivier Noire as we did not have any information and were unsure whether or not to trust the charts (see info below).

Baie de la Petite Riviere Noire

This bay is close to Le Morne on the south west of Mauritius. The reef area encloses the Petit Riviere Noire Bay, Ile aux Benitiers and Ilot Benitiers. This large lagoon is protected, has beautiful crystal-clear water in the shallows and local yachts go there for day-trip outings. The day catamarans sail in the shallow (2-3m) areas west of the channel and island; we anchored in the deep channel.

Approach from the top of the Riviere Noire (Black River) channel from 20:22.025S 57:20.961E; we found the Navionics chart to be accurate and the channel easy and deep (10 to 20m except for a few shallows we found, referenced below).

Reference points from our track are as follows:
20:22.121S 57:20.929E;
20:22.193S 57:20.983E after which COG 142M

20:22.359S 57:21.249E after which COG 160M

20:22.528S 57:21.365E after which COG 190M

20:22.678S 57:21.347E;

20:22.791S 57:21.269E; (NB At 20:22.89S 57:21.29E we measured 4.5m)
20:23.204S 57:21.497E; (NB if entering the anchorage at Petit Riviere Noire, do not cut the corner; there is sharply-rising ground which nears the surface at 20:23.287S 57:21.563E; keep this to port)

20:23.363S 57:21.516E;

We anchored at 20:23.579S 57:21.379E in 11m and found the holding very good in strong winds, gusts up to 33kn and strong currents.

If venturing further there is a shallow of 2.5m at 20:24.313S 57:21.385E (ascertained via dinghy, GPS, fish-finder).