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| Madagascar Dhows |
Thanks to the Hacking family on sv Ocelot for very good information on Madagascar:
Currency Malagasy Ariary (MGA)
AU$1.00 = 2,160.00 Madagascar Ariary MGA/AR
I arrived at Hellville, Nosy Be in the early evening Sunday. (Nosy = Island in Malagasy). I raised my "Q" flag and headed for my bunk. In the early morning I heard voices and was greeted by brothers Jimmy and John - the Hellville Boat Boys. These smiling lads had been recommend to me by Des and Nell on Sakatia island. Jimmy speaks better English than I speak French and was able to assist with the checking in process. Brother John minded the dingy (I had rowed in). The dingy minder is essential unless you didn't mind it possibly being used as a fender for the larger boats coming into the very busy and crowded jetty. Cost of dingy minder 5,000 Ariary/day. Outboard motors tend to go missing very easily. It took the better part of a day to clear in to Madagascar. I have checked in for Three months.
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| Busy Hellville Jetty |
- Harbour Police - 50,000 Ariary (Despite the receipt probably not legitimate)
- Immigration/Department fo Finance Visa/Timbre (Stamp) - 140,000 Ariary
- Customs - 20,000 Ariary
- Port Captain - Harbour dues based on vessel length 69,000 Ariary
- Cruising Permit - Free
- Health Quarantine (I seem to have skipped this saving 20,000 Ariary)
Cost roughly 130 Australian Dollars. If staying for less than 30 days then the visa (Timbre) is free. At least two copies of your previous Port Clearance is required. When paying the harbour dues check that the Port Captain has used the correct vessel length in the calculation. Initially I was quoted at four times the price actually paid. A very impressive looking Cruising Permit is produced from a very antiquated type writer. Despite the hint of corruption here and there the check in process was very civilised and I hardly had to fill in any forms. Most offices will close for lunch between 1200 and 1500.
The next few days were spent shopping replenishing food stocks, fuel, water etc.
The biggest and most frustrating problem I have had is that I don't speak French or Malagasy. There is very little English spoken, which surprises me as I was under the impression that English was more widely spoken in the world than French.
Doing some research on Wikipedia French did not even rate:
When the political situation stabilizes the tourist potential here would be outstanding - that is if you like something a little more rustic. It's very early days since arriving in Madagascar and I have much more exploring to do.
Shopping for provisions with Des and Nell. There is the hard way of shopping at the produce market - haggling over prices in French and there is Nell's way of shopping. Shopping with Nell is to prepare a detailed list, give it to Abud at the market entrance, come back an hour or so later, pay for it and put the bags in the taxi. It was effortless. Visit Mandipos pub for a THB - it also has toilets - something that appears quite novel here.
By Mid June I had reprovisioned the boat and fixed what needed to be done. It was time to explore some of the islands and anchorages around Nosy Be. I set off from Hellville after getting fresh provisions to Nosy Komba. I anchored off the village of Ampangorinana. The village was set for the tourist trade with beautiful embroidery work, carvings etc. there weren't many tourists about. I filled the water tanks, the water is piped from an old volcanic crater above the village. Saturday night I listened to the live band and music playing in the village. On Sunday I listened to the singing coming from the church.
Mid morning I hauled anchor and headed for Nosy Mamoko 22 miles south west. The motor was grumbling away as there was very little wind. I put out a fishing line and lure. Well, I tried various lures and trolling them at different distances behind the boat, as not a lot was happening. The afternoon sea breeze began to fill the sails from the west. I gave the engine a rest and had a great sail in 10 to 12 knots of wind from the west north west. I looked back at the fishing line and saw a fish was being towed on the surface of the water. The nice size mackerel was hauled in - dinner. On more than the odd occasion there appeared to be more fish than there was water, the water boils with fish attempting to leap from it. This was in stark contrast to the eastern Indian Ocean where there appeared to be too much water between the fish.
I arrived at the very pleasant anchorage of Nosy Mamoko by mid afternoon. This was a very sheltered and very beautiful anchorage.
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| Nosy Mamoko |
I went ashore to the small village on Nosy Mamoko. As I rowed I spotted, what looked like, a large rock lumbering along the beach. This turned out to be a large tortoise ambling past the villagers. I had been advised to take a gift to the Chief (Mpunjaka) by Des and Nell. The village looked like a prehistoric live exhibit out of a museum. No electricity, running water, satellite dishes, television, mobile phones - no mod cons at all.
I asked if there were Lemurs (Maki) and was lead passed the huts where man shouted "Maki, maki." Soon small fluffy lemurs appeared over the hut roofs and through the trees. They were very cute, tame and alert with very orange, almost satanic, eyes. Alas, I did not have any bananas to give them. The language barrier beat me again.
The silence in the area was palpable. Other than the children squawking, laughing and playing near the village, the hammering and sawing of a hut being built, a few bird calls there was very little noise. The only mechanical noises came from Sadiqi's fridge compressor running every now and again, a passenger plane flying high over head or the engine of a charter boat visiting the village. This has to have been one of the most peaceful anchorages I have been in.
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| Tranquility at Nosy Mamoko |
After 4 days anchored near Nosy Mamoko enjoying the tranquil serenity of the place it was time to move on. There was very little wind. I engaged Ken the autopilot and headed northwards to Andassi Be (Russian Bay). Called Russian Bay because a Russian ship ended up in the bay way back around 1905. I dropped anchor in the north eastern part of the large bay. Oh the tranquility.
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| Russian Bay |
Away from Nosy Be there does not appear to be much mobile/cell Internet access. What a pleasure not being contactable - life goes on. I attempted to use the HF radio to send and receive email and failed. The HF radio has worked pretty well for the past 2 years. I noticed that one of the wires had become disconnected. I also noticed that the copper wire itself had crumbled and gone black. The same thing happened to the leader wire to the backstay antenna just before I left Thailand. Russia Bay was a very good tranquil place to find out what was the problem with the Radio.
After a very pleasant and quiet stay in Russia Bay it was time to move on. I hauled up the anchor on Tuesday June 26. Because I had no internet access and had not managed to fix the HF radio I motored toward Nosy Be to try and get an internet connection to send and receive email. Alas, for some reason I need that link to the outside world. After sorting sending and receiving the email I turned around and headed south west 22 miles toward Baramahamay Bay/River. Called "Honey River" by cruisers. I had the fishing line out and hooked a Trevally, which I let go as I did not like the look of it. I baked a loaf of bread on the way as I knew I'd get some honey. Fresh backed bread, butter and pure honey - Mmmmm.
As I dropped the anchor in the sheltered river a dugout canoe rowed toward me from one bank and another from the opposite bank. They were selling pure wild honey in 1.5 litre water bottles. The cost 10,000 ariary (about $5.00). I could have bargained. I now have more honey than I know what to do with. I have honey in my porridge, in my coffee and of course on bread/toast.
There is even a restaurant around somewhere serving Malagasy food and even beer. The next morning there was wind. I decided to head back to Russian Bay. From Russia Bay I passed the little tourist island of Nosy Tanikely and went on to Nosy Komba.
Back to Nosy Komba to do the chores; fill up with water and do the laundry etc.
I decided to treat myself and went to the fancy Maki Lodge for a few beers and a meal. There I met John on holiday from England and everything went down hill from there. I blame the red wine for the whopper of a headache the next morning.
Needing some excersise I decided to go for a walk up the hill. I paid 2,000 Ariary to visit the Nosy Komba Park to see Lemur, Chameleon, tortoise and snakes. It was a very pleasant and enlightening little tour.
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| Lemurs |
I ordered a lunch at a beach restaurant Chez Yalande, Nosy Komba. The chalk board said "Tartare de zebu avec frites 15,000 Ariary ($7.00)". I thought this was steak and fries with tartar sauce. Hmmm, well, you can imagine my surprise when this mound of raw mince with a raw egg on top circled with mustard, capers and other condiments! The language barrier again! Well, I could not exactly send it back and my pride got the better of me again. The guy, smiling, who could speak pretty good English saw my dilemma and said that I should mix it all together and wash it down with beer. I doubt very much I'll be trying that again! We live and learn. It took many beers before the lump in my stomach shifted.
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| Chez Yalande, Nosy Komba |
Saturday June 30, I offered John, who had never been sailing before a ride to Nosy Be. We stopped off at Crater Bay - Le Marina de Nosy Be - Met Rudi who gave me the ins and outs of the area. There were a good number of boats anchored off the marina - most of them charter catamarans. The marina is fairly close to the tourist, and probably seedy, area of Nosy Be - Ambotoloaka. That was an experience. I spent the first evening with John washing more beer down the throat at "Taxi Be" pub. It was an entertaining evening.
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| Ambotolaoka Sunset |
After a few days seeing some the sights, enjoying pubs, restaurant food of Ambotolaoka it was time to retreat to the safety and tranquillity of Sakatia again. John was keen for another sail. We left Crater Bay and headed toward Sakatia with John on the helm. I think he has become a sailing convert. I dropped him off at one of the resorts and continued on my way to Nosy Sakatia.
