It seems Seychelles was deliberately designed for the recreational sailor. With most islands lying outside the cyclone belt, Seychelles offers year round sailing in calm waters. There is no better way to enjoy a dazzling array of islands than by cruising its pristine waters and exploring the extraordinary bounty of Seychelles at your own pace. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your sailing holiday experience.
Current legislation mandates that all yachts visiting the Outer Islands shall be of the higher specification ‘Over 60 miles’ class and that they be supplied with Captain and appropriate crew. The charter companies can advise which of their yachts are equipped to visit these areas.
Fringing reefs and shallows make navigation a full-time occupation and currently only crewed charters are offered in the Outer Islands. Anchorages tend to be better during the south-east trades (May to September) or during the calmer transition months (April and October), although each island may have its own particular configuration for favourable moorings depending on the season. Be sure to get the necessary permissions prior to landing on the various islands.
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Access and Fees While you are free to explore most of Seychelles' waters at will, there are a few limitations which are often meant to help preserve the unique and fragile environment so that all can enjoy it today and in the years to come.
Access to the ecologically sensitive Marine Parks and Reserve areas are managed by various conservation organizations and requires either permission, and/or payment of a landing or entry fee, and mooring fee for overnight mooring. However, streamlined procedures now make it easy for yachts to visit. Simply arrive and anchor in the marked zones and the marine park officials will come out and visit the yacht to collect the required fees.
The Marine Parks and Reserves areas are: Aride, Cousin, Curieuse Marine National Park, ïle Cocos Marine National Park, Ste. Anne Marine National Park and St. Pierre. Entrance fees start from Euro 10 per person. Overnight mooring fees start from Euro 10 per yacht.
Some islands are privately owned or managed, therefore access is controlled by the owners. Islands that fall into this category are: Anonyme, Bird, Chauvre Souris, Cousine, D'Arros and St.Joseph Atoll, Denis, Félicité, Frégate, Grande Soeur, Petite Soeur, Moyenne, North, Round Island off Mahé and Round Island off Praslin. Please contact the island management for permissions. Landing fees start from Euro 10 per person.
The following islands are under the management of the Island Development Company (IDC): Alphonse Island, Bijoutier, Coëtivy, Desroches, Farquhar, Poivre Atoll, Platte, Providence Atoll, Remire, Silhouette and St. François. Please contact IDC for permission to access. Landing fees start from Euro 20 per person.
Entry and Exit Formalities Port Victoria on Mahé is the only official port of entry and exit of the Seychelles. Locally chartered yachts that will sail within Seychelles are not subject to entry and exit formalities.
However, all vessels arriving from a foreign country or departing Seychelles must call at Port Victoria to carry out all customs, health, immigration, port and security formalities.
Vessels must submit the following documentation to the customs authorities upon entry:
1) A valid outward clearance from their last port of call 2) Crew list3) Passenger list 4) Store (or consumables) list 5) Arms and ammunition list
A one-month visitor's permit is normally issued to crew members and accompanying passengers (if there are any) on arrival. Extension of the permits must be sought at least one week prior to its expiry should they decide to stay longer. If a trip to the Outer Islands of Seychelles is planned and the return to Port Victoria, Mahé will be later than the expiry date of their permit, visitors must secure the extension of their permit prior to embarking on their journey.
Immigration must be advised in advance and in writing of any crew member or accompanying passenger either signing off or joining the vessel.
Upon exiting Seychelles, vessels must complete the outward clearance formality with the customs authorities and are not allowed to call at any of the islands once cleared by the relevant authorities in Port Victoria.
The islands of Assumption, Farquhar and/or Desroches may be substituted as alternative entry or exit ports, but this is a very costly option, as all officials concerned will have to be flown out from Mahé at the requesting vessel’s own expense.
Moorings/Navigation Sailing within the Inner Islands is easy and safe, with sailing distances of under 32 miles between mooring grounds.
Mooring buoys are provided in several locations (particularly around north-west Mahé, north-east of Praslin and a few of its surrounding islands) and should be used where available; otherwise anchoring is required. Good sand bottom anchorages with depths of 5-8 metres may be found in most of the desired overnight areas. In line with Seychelles’ eco-friendly policies, ANCHORING ON CORAL IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN.
In the Outer Islands that lie between 130 miles and 630 miles from Mahé, navigating is more difficult due to the presence of low-lying coral reefs and other hazards. The mooring grounds of many Outer Islands are less sheltered and the waters between them less frequently sailed.
1/10000 scale charts of the ocean surrounding the islands have been published as mooring guides and are available in the offices of Sunsail and VPM (two sailing operators based in Seychelles) and on the yachts themselves. Due to the remoteness of the islands and the infrequency of mapping surveys the correct depths (surroundings) are sometimes missing or inaccurate, so care should be taken to sail cautiously over the mooring zones and in waters surrounding the more remote islands. Do not trust the printed figures blindly as coral bottoms can vary constantly, obliging the skipper to be alert to the sounder at all times.
Navigation aids are provided at Port Victoria and at the entrance to the Port, as is the case at the Baie Ste. Anne jetty on Praslin. The buoyage system is based on the IA system, as in Europe. Red cylindrical buoys and even numbers to port; green cones with odd numbers to starboard. There are also a few lights with charted characteristics positioned on headlands of Mahé and Praslin.
Apart from these, navigation is by pilotage. The return to compass, chart and feel is a most refreshing change from the world’s buoyed and beaconed waters.
Sailing by chart is both enjoyable and rewarding and with due care for the well charted rocks and reefs makes Seychelles a delight to navigate. The most severe offshore rocks are visible by eye but do not carry buoys or lights.
Self-skippered yachts are therefore limited to daylight hours only and are required to be at anchor by nightfall.
Special Zones have been designated around areas or foul ground, underwater pipelines and cables and areas of special interest or security where care with anchoring and access to the beach are required.
For example, in Beau Vallon Bay on Mahé, there are zoned anchorages and access channels around designated swimming areas.
The art of sailing is a combination of reading the weather, using it to one’s advantage, avoiding dangers and using depth, bearings and transits to navigate freely, enjoy the voyage, and finally anchor in a safe and beautiful location. Seychelles provides this in abundance.
Sea Conditions Throughout Seychelles the ocean is subject to currents with speeds of 0.5 up to 1.5 knots that develop with the trade winds.
The currents over the Seychelles Bank are on average 0.4 to 0.8 knots and increases around local obstructions and headlands.
The effects of the tides are more noticeable within the Inner Islands than the ocean currents and are generally less than a knot, increasing to up to 2 knots in channels between islands or close to underwater ridges. Tides are semi-diurnal and asymmetrical with about 6 hours between high tide and low tide. The tidal range around the Inner Islands can get as high as 2 metres at spring tides and as low as 0.9 metres at neaps. Tides give rise to currents that can be strong in the channels leading to lagoons, which may empty completely at low tide.
The tidal range at Aldabra is 4 metres at springs and 1.8 metres at neaps.
Swells are generally moderate with waves of up to 1 to 2 metres becoming higher only in strong winds on open water.
Currents and upwellings around the Amirantes Bank often cause choppy conditions in a small area whilst currents in the Aldabra region run up to 2.5 knots and tidal streams around the atolls reach 3 knots at spring tides.
Water and Refuelling Facilities Water and refuelling facilities are available on the islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue at the areas listed below.
On Mahé, local charter yachts may use the facilities available at the Marine Charter Association, Port Victoria. However, foreign yachts must contact the Harbour Master at Port Victoria at least 24-hrs in advance.
Sailing vessels visiting Praslin or La Digue and wishing to make use of the facilities available at the jetty at Baie Ste. Anne or La Passe should contact the island’s Pier Master -- preferably 24 hours in advance. Or, contact either jetty on VHF channel 16 upon arrival. For overnight mooring please also contact the relevant Pier Master.
Pier Master - Baie Ste Anne Jetty Baie Ste Anne, Praslin Tel/Fax: +248 23 24 34
Pier Master - La Passe Jetty La Passe, La Digue Tel/Fax: +248 22 43 00
Winds There are two opposing wind patterns in Seychelles, blowing seasonally either north-westerly (December to March) or south-easterly (May to September).
In general, the north-westerly winds strengthen at daybreak, however, it is relatively weak with average wind speeds of 5-10 knots and reaches its peak strength in January. The north-westerly trades often have intermittent rain squalls and stronger winds during the period December to March. These are sometimes associated with the presence of tropical cyclones over the south-west Indian Ocean. Remember that all but Seychelles’ most southerly islands lie well outside the cyclone belt.
In comparison, the south-easterly trades are drier and tend to blow more consistently throughout the day and into the night, reaching its peak in July/August. Average wind speeds during the period June to September are 10-15 knots, with occasional gusts exceeding 30 knots, normally associated with surges in the trade winds.
In the months of April and November there are calm and sometimes windless periods when the trade winds change direction. These light and variable wind periods are accompanied by calm seas and clear waters.
In terms of strength, the Outer Islands would probably experience stronger winds during the south-easterly trades season due to their more southern location as well as exposure (low lying atolls). Whereas, the Inner Islands would expect to have stronger winds during the north-westerly trades season since the zone of weaker winds (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone) would normally be lying to the south of it.
Weather forecasts are available by calling Seychelles Radio (Coast Station) on VHF channel 16 and normally switching up to channel 26. Yachts may also place a radio link call via Seychelles Radio.
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