Madagascar 2017 Cruising Notes - North of Nosy Be

Mpaninabo Bay (12°00.9S 48°13.2E)

2007 Ocelot - S12°00.9  E49°13.2 24' (7.5m) mud Uninhabited. Can be windy. 5 miles to Cap d'Ambre. In 2009 we jumped off for the Seychelles from the farthest north anchorage we could find on Madagascar, that being the lovely  Mpaninabo Bay (S12°00.9 E49°13.2).  Carved out of limestone karst, this bay extends several miles inland from the coast and provides full protection from the swell.  Because the surrounding land is fairly low, it can be quite windy, but we spent 2 nights here in comfort.  The island in the middle of the bay has extensive shoals/reef surrounding it, and at high tide the water was not quite clear enough to tell how far down the rocks were.  Be VERY careful.  There's no one here but you.  It must be one of the very few uninhabited bays on this coast.  We did see some fishermen out during the day, but don't know where they came from.  The tide is about 1.5-2 meters, and a couple nice beaches appear at low tide (as do the edges of the shoals).  The loom of the Cap D'Ambre lighthouse is very visible at night, as is a lesser loom of Diego Suarez to the east.

2014 Inifini - S12deg00.8min/ E049deg13.2min; Mpaninabo Bay. We had a fast sail here, covering 1514 nm in 10 days, 2 hours; average speed 6.3 knots. We'll be updating this blog when we get SIM cards in Hellville, Nose Be (connecting to SailMail and Winlink has been almost impossible, and frustrating hours have been spent in the effort). We're so happy to be here; everything's fine with the boat and crew, and Team Infini sends hugs to all; we'll catch up to emails when we're able. 

2013 Two Oceans - Once around the top the wind moderated somewhat and the sea became completely flat. Taking the pole down was quite a chore and after it was done we headed towards the entrance to Mpaninabo , an uninhabited and well protected bay. It was low water as we entered; tidal range in this area is about 3 meters and the fact was reflected in the shapes of the rocks in the entrance.

We found a spot we liked and dropped the anchor; I watched the GPS plotter and it showed we were moving. It’s supposed to be a muddy bottom here so maybe I should put down two anchors in tandem. Once I did that we were stationary.

The wind blew hard all night; taking the anchors out was a tricky operation, working with the engines to make sure there was as little pressure on the windlass as possible. It was high water and going out presented no problems, except of course for the wind which blew out of the southeast at 30 knots and more. As we went out of the bay I showed Gili the flat water to the south and promised it’ll be calm in about 200 meters.

We opted for a conservative sail-plan: main and jib in second reef. We could always open up when the situation becomes clear. The wind, which abated for a while came back and we had to reef the main to the third position. Still, with flat water, we sailed fast, around 7-8 knots.

Nosy Hoa (12°06.82S 049°02.31E)

2017 Alba - Didn't stop because it was blowing 30 knots....

Nosy Hara (12°14.51S 049°00.27E)

2017 Alba -

2013 Two Oceans - We planned on anchoring on the west side of the island in order to be protected from the prevailing south-easterlies but that anchorage was open to the west. At one point I asked Gili to take out the trolling gear; the the very same moment a fish was caught. I pulled it out to find a tail-less bluefish, a shark taking its share of the booty. We made a quick pass through the bay and went back to the east side, anchoring at 12 14.022 S 049 01.353 E.

As evening arrived, the westerly died down and a light easterly sprang up. Memories of yesterday’s southeasterly surfaced and we quickly raised the anchor, seeing that my little trick was in fact improving the situation and motored to the bay on the west, where we noticed two fishermen boats on shore. Not long after dropping our anchor, one of them came over; it turned out this island is a part of a national marine park and there is a payment of 10000 ariary for each person on board.

Oh, well…The anchorage on the west side was at 12 14.659 S 049 00.368 E.

Ampisandava (12°15.60S 049°06.20E)

2017 Red Herring - Anchored 12 15.6S 049 06.2E  off the yacht facilities/marina Ampisandava. Well one mooring ball,  great place to beach a catameran. William, the French man here is so friendly and his wife we went to dinner last night for their daughters 5th birthday. Today we walked up to Windsor Castle 391m for fantastic views all over the north saw Diego Suarez and the entrance and bay . it is very close, almost see Cape Ambre and to south cape sebastian. Found old French gun emplacements from 2nd world War . Tired having a day off tomorrow but may go for a snorkel to find a ditched torpedo bomber plane in about 6m not far away. Wednesday a day trip to Diego Suarez and hopefully Mantagne DeAmbre then we will dive south more quickly and catch up with you all.

2017 Red Herring - Well Allah didn't want for us to go to Amber Mountain today so we are on our way to Mitsoi.  It was  all organised and a good place to leave the boat but late yesterday we had a visit from the resident ranger while we were on the beach. He knew all about us from the guys on the island and said we should pay again at the mainland. His boss was coming to the village in the morning (today)  but we decided we didn't want to DISCUSS with him so cancelled.  A real shame as the village misses out on so much.  Yesterday the village kids took us on a mango hunt, it was fun but not many ripe ones yet.  Found the the Blackburn Skua torpedo bomber in 4-5m but vis not that great, better with a bottle but we only snorkelled.

2013 Two Oceans - Our destination for the day was a waypoint where according to some report on www.noonsite.com a marina and a boatyard were located. My curiosity, as well as the need for the windlass base repair, made me decide to go and see for myself. The C-Map electronic charts were quite accurate and we skirted reefs, passed shoals of 4 meters depth and finally reached the target. Eagerly I watched the shore with my binoculars but could not find anything like a marina. A hint of a boatyard emerged when we saw a beached catamaran near a small village just a bit to the south of the given coordinates.  The bay was open and not appealing at all so we turned towards Nosi Hara, 5.5 miles away. 

Cathedral (12°15.62S 048°57.68E)

2017 Alba -

Nosy Tanga (12°26.32S 048°42.75E)

2017 Alba -

Rantabe Bay (12°27.5S 48°45.0E)

2007 Ocelot - S12°27.5  E48°45.0 22' (6.5m) sand/mud Somewhat exposed. Beware wind shifts. In 2007, on our way south, we came gratefully into the lee of Madagascar after a pounding sail from the Seychelles.  The northern tip of Madagascar extends far north of the visible mountains, so we were in lee waters sooner than we had hoped.  Tired, but elated, we poked around the headlands with their black rocks and sturdy baobab trees (trees that look upside down!) to find a patch of sand for the night.  We dropped the hook in Rantabe Bay (S12°27.5 E48°45.0) in 22 feet over sand/mud.  One fisherman approached us and we traded lobster for clothing, which seemed to thrill him.  In the morning it got rolly, with a small break on the beach, so we headed south.

Andranoaombi Bay (12°26.7S 48°46.2E)

2007 Ocelot - S12°26.7  E48°46.2 19' (6m) sand/mud Well protected. A few small villages. No hassles. Had we had more time in 2007 we might have gone farther east into the deeply protected northern arm of Andranoaombi Bay to the east.  There, in 2009, we anchored in 19 feet at low water, over mud, near the village of Ambaro (S12°26.7  E48°46.2).  Far from the mouth of the bay, this anchorage afforded protection from the swell and chop kicked up by the onshore/offshore breezes.  There were several small villages (of fewer than 10 huts each) scattered along the coast wherever there was a beach.  We found the families friendly, curious, and eager to trade their meager offerings of limes, shells, eggs for whatever we had.  Aspirin and T-shirts were at the top of their list.

2013 Two Oceans – We left Nosi Hara to the south; trying to keep a daily distance of not more than 30 miles, we found a long protected bay called Andranoaombi. Three villages were shown on the chart in the bay and we saw ourselves going ashore, doing some shopping for things we needed, like eggs, veggies and beer. On the way we passed the islands west of Hara and some of them were a real pretty sight.

This cannot be said about Andranoaombi, which had no charm at all. With difficulty we spotted a single village, poor dwellings hiding behind the shrubbery. A small dugout canoe with three girls came for a visit. Interestingly they have a stabilizing outrigger on them here, just like in Micronesia.

Maribe Bay, Nosy Mitsio (12°54.540S 48°34.691E)

2016 Adina - 12 54.540S 48 34.691E. Maribe Bay provides excellent shelter from both day and night time breezes. The sea breeze (onshore from the west) usually kicks in about midday while the land breeze (offshore from the east) starts at about 9pm. You will get canoes coming asking for things, the village is very poor and has little so don't expect much trading. Ashore is a village to visit. We had teenage girls show us around. While friendly, throughout the walk we were asked for things. Many yachts make day trips up to the beaches in the north of the bay and come back south at night. A very relaxing place to stay.

2015 Totem - 12°54.400S,48°34.650E,27,Sand, SW side of island. Easy in, with Navionic being accurate. 

It’s been a week since we made landfall. We might have kinda sorta not quite checked in right away, which you really should do, as failure can result in some unpleasantness…fines, expulsion, etc. But we hoped the angle a bit farther north would give us some sailing. Unfortunately, that also requires WIND…

And we were keen to stretch out our official entry date just a bit. And we had a message from friends on Delos that they’d be up north a bit – wouldn’t we like to meet up? Why yes we would!

This quiet village turned out to be the perfect place to ease into a new country. It’s intimidating, facing an expressionless crowd of villagers, all staring at you, when you land on the beach in front of their homes – while you wonder if it’s really OK to anchor in their front yard. In rural island cultures, it’s the norm to ask permission. In Fiji, we’d be bringing kava for the chief. In PNG, we’d have a fish for the village elder/leader. We had no idea what to do here, and we don’t speak French, so … well. A combination of the terrific French for Cruisers book, a little physical humor (Jamie entertained kids trying to juggle shells on the beach), and a smile seemed to make everything right. I think we locked that in when we traded a snorkeling mask and some fishing gear for four of the biggest lobsters I’ve ever seen. The guys asked for a picture…who am I to refuse?!

It was all right enough we ended up on the sidelines of a soccer tournament / party. A team from another part of the island had walked more than two hours (on dirt footpaths–there are no roads) to get there: this field had recently been cleared, and the goals built, for the purpose of such an event. The home team, barefoot, was intimidated that some of their opponents wore shoes.  Sounded like the perfect time for a little soccer ball diplomaDSC_4865cy, so we inflated one from our stash to donate. After some coaching in the appropriate words in Antakarana for gifting the ball immediately went into play!

Because it would be surprising if our experience here unfolded in any kind of expected manner, it seemed perfectly normal that speakers blared dance music on the sidelines while the game was in play, and the event was also described as a “discotheque.” We got to do some serious hip-swaying while the game went on.

Our days were filled with exploring. A small island nearby used to have a resort, but was empty save a fishing camp and a handful of ruins. Nice beachcombing. Crazy big trees (Mairen and Max demonstrate: you can put your WHOLE BODY in this one).

Plumeria trees were left untended on the tumbledown resort grounds, their fragrant blooms just beginning to bud.
A pretty coral garden in about 4 meters, perfect for Siobhan’s first dive (thank you Utopia!). A memorable night with Delos, and waving them off in the morning, nudged us to get south to Nosy Be as well.

2015 Totem - We headed back to Nosy Mitsio from the bustle in Nosy Be Mitsio, looking for some quiet and new experiences. It’s humpback migration season, and we passed several pods along the way.

Within a short time of settling in at anchor inside the deep vee of a bay, a dugout with two visitors came out. We’d probably have managed trading with our mix of pantomime and phrasebook French, but JP not only makes it easier- his skill means we get to know Sharaf a little better, while we trading a collection of clothes and household goods (some needles and thread) for some lobsters.

Sharaf came back to Totem the next morning while French toast was flying off the stove, with a handful of shark’s teeth and a dozen or so limes to trade. We took the opportunity to add a plate for him at the table and with JP’s help, learn more about his home. It’s still imperfect, because Sharaf’s French actually isn’t all that great, but we learn a lot over breakfast from this soft spoken man. What he fishes. What he farms. The age of his son.

Afterwards, he takes us on an extended walk that lets us see first hand what life in a rural corner of Madagascar looks like. The village school. The dry fields where rice is grown during the rainy season. Which trees are used for building homes, which are used for boats, and where they come from (an island to the north, Nosy Lava; most of Mitsio is bare). The pens where zebu are kept. The fences up around banana trees, which wandering goats would otherwise mistake for tender forage.

Everyday village life: simple homes. Rice drying on a pandanus mat. Pandanus leaves being stripped to use for weaving.

Jamie uses physical humor – making a mess of trying to juggle shells on the beach – to turn these cuties into a writing mass of giggles. Non-verbal communication for the win! For the record: I cleared taking this photo with their mom first, and she clearly appreciated it.

Tucked in the shrubs was this funny looking flower. See all the bugs around it? There’s a reason. (this may or not be the species “discovered” in 2012…but we’re in the right place, and it sure looks like the one described)

This “flower” is nicknamed Corpse Flower: a bloom with a truly wicked stench, and the oddly wicked name – Amorphophallus (that would be the green spikey bit). It’s earned ‘corpse’ because IT REALLY STINKS. And yet… Sharaf felt compelled to demonstrate. Which in turn we felt we had to reciprocate. eeewwww!

I spy this gorgeous Japanese fishing globe in a heap of broken plastic fish floats. A jewel among the no longer useful. We try trading for it, and initiaallit looks like we have a deal, but another villager steps in and asks an outrageous sum. We were prepared to be generous, but not to the extent of the average per capita income, so we’ll just have a photo for a memory.

Back on Totem, we’re having fun introducing JP to our life. The ritual of a sundowner: sitting in the cockpit for some snacks and a glass of wine while the sky turns pink. It’s lovely. And it feels ridiculously privileged after our walk through Mitsio’s simple villages. And we discover that Sharaf has left all the shark’s teeth and limes, a quiet departure gift.

2013 Two Oceans – Today’s destination is Nosi Mitsio which some people described as "a must" mentioning the availability of lobsters from local fishermen. Good sailing to start with but quickly the wind went forward an down to less than 10 knots so it was motoring again. At least the batteries get charged.

Approaching the northern entry to Mitsio we saw a yacht, a Privilege catamaran at anchor near a nice sandy beach; we went on to Maribe bay in the south which is protected from all directions except the north. We saw a village on shore, with some huts looking as if they were part of a resort.

Not a lot of people on shore but we did get visitors; three young kids on a canoe with a colorful sail came by to ask for anything we could give. Gili gave them some of her old cloths.

A single man came and offered "Langouste" but he could only deliver next evening. Instead we accepted his offer of coconuts and papaya. He went ashore for the goods, came back with four small coconuts and a big shell. We didn’t want the shell and when I offered to pay for the nuts he made it clear that money was of no use for him. He actually wanted a spear for his old gun. That I didn’t have but decided to let him have one of my old diving masks. This made him happy.

Three men passed by on a relatively large wooden boat, maneuvering expertly with their lateen sail.

The Privilege left her anchorage and found a place near us; their dinghy came over with a young Malagasy, Anselm, who was one of a two man crew on it. They work for a charter company and I used the opportunity to ask him about repair facilities on Nosi Be. After a bit of a palaver he went and brought two useful telephone numbers, a fiberglass repairman and an official of the Maritime authority who is maybe a relative. "Tell them Anselm gave you the number".

2007 Ocelot - S12°54.5  E48°34.7 27' (8m) sand/mud Delightfully relaxing. About 25 miles south of Rantabe Bay we eased our way between the rocky buttresses that flank northern Nosy Mitsio and anchored inside the bay at S12°54.5 E48°34.7 in 27' (8m) over sandy mud.  This was a lovely place, with several small thatch-hut villages along the shores and nice hills for walking.  You can leave the dinghy on the beach and explore.  We found the people friendly and happy to have us wandering their hills and footpaths in the warm sun.  They are a bit spoiled when it comes to trading, however, as charter boats frequent this bay and the tourists are happy to part with Euros or dollars for lobster, goat or fish.  We struggled to trade lobster for our filet knife, mask and snorkel and fish hooks.  Speaking French is very helpful.

This island group is reported to have good snorkeling/diving near some of its northern islets, (upper left, and center, in the photo) but we were busy with a yacht rescue and didn't have time to check it out.  Local trading dhows often come here from Nosy Be.  It's fun to see how they careen the dhows on the beach at low tide, off-load the goods, then wait for the rising water to set them afloat again.  So who needs an anchor??

Ampasindava, Nosy Mitsio (12°50.782S 48°36.679E)

2016 Adina - (12 50.782S 48 36.679E)  8m at HW, Sand. Daytime stop with land breeze from the east so typically best in the morning. Long beach, clear water."

2015 Totem - 12°50.212S,48°36.570E,33,Sand,Anchored 0.1 miles south of last time and bottom had fewer bommies.

Anikarea, Nosy Mitsio (12°50.567S 48°35.028E)

2016 Adina - 12°50.567S 48°35.028E  7m at LW,Sand. Popular daytime stop, including snorkelling. If winds are light it's fine to stop in the morning but if there is a strong easterly land breeze then it's bumpy and better to stop at Ampasindava first. Around midday winds swing around to the west. Boats typically stay here until sunset and then head back to Maribe Bay 3 miles to the south.

2015 Totem - 12°50.418S,48°35.022E, 33ft ,Sand / Bommies, Bommies prominent, so hard to keep chain off coral - best to float chain. Good afternoon wind protection, but not protected from night winds. 

Tsarabanjina (13 01.47S 48 32.77E)

2013 Two Oceans - A short trip today- to Tsarabanjina, a resort island about 10 miles away. We first went to the southeast side, where the snorkeling is supposed to be good. For the first time since we came to Madagascar we were able to enjoy clear water and nice, healthy reef. We then went back to the northwest side, where the resort is located. Anchored at 13 01.474 S 48 32.776 E 8 meters on sand, good holding. The C Map is not so accurate here as you can see from what it showed as we were passing the island northeast corner.

In the late afternoon we went ashore for a beer and internet. Succeeded in getting the forecast and our e mails but could not publish to the blog, the internet was so slow! Oh well, tomorrow we go to the big town, Hellville and do it from there.

As night fell the wind changed direction and became easterly; this seems to be the rule here. In a short time it raised waves at our anchorage. A traditional looking schooner, which came in just as we were sitting at the resort’s bar, anchored on the west side of the island, about 13 01.57 S 48 32.69 E which seems to be the better place to take.

We rolled through the night with the wind topping at 28 knots. I was happy to leave at 0700; the sea outside was smoother than in the bay! After about two hours the wind started the diurnal change and moved to the south, losing strength.