Sailing the West coast of Africa

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Michele iCan, and coenvanwyk.

[Pietje]

i give you my experience of cruising in West Africa :


Mauritania : the only real protected harbour of Mauritania is Nouadhibou It is in the Baie du Lévrier . There is no yachting facilities and the quay are in very bad conditions. It s better to have your visa before arriving in Nouadhibou otherwise you have to go to the Airport witch is on the opposite side of the town . i dont pay anything to moor . interesting is that you can have a permit to go to One of the most beautifull natural reserve ( birds and fish ) you can only use your sail to go to réserve du Banc d'Arguin . There are no maps of the réserve ( intentionaly) you have to take a guide ( a Imragen ) to go to Cap Timiris and Cap Tagarit .
A fantastic fishing spot !



Nouakchott is only a commercial harbour , you can eventualy anchoring miles north on the fishing "harbour"



Saint louis du Sénégal is a very active fishig port with no facilities for yacht but the town is very attractive ( a great party the 15 august on the beach nammed langue the barbarie ) a lot of anchoring just in front of hotels , but you have to inform you for the intrance (sand banks deplacing every year) Unfortunaly no intrance formalities in Saint Louis ( in 2017) you have to go to Dakar



Dakar only one goog anchoring place : CVD ( club de voile de Dakar ) on the Han beach ( one of the most beautyfull beach in the world ... 30 years ago) now complely polued by plastics and seaweed ( in some place 40 cm deep and 10 meters width : a shame the sewer commes directly to the beach at 750 m from the CVD .
shuttle organised by the club , very good bar , and very competent mechanic, sailmaker, shiphandler just in front of the club , and a lot of nauticshops in the town ;
ALLways negociate te price !!!!


i dont speek about Sine Saloum and Casamance.


I dont go to Gambia because of civil war at this time its over now .


Bisssau is one of the badest experience in Afrika : the port autority ask me to go to a quay where there was a wrek at low tide i hit it and my rudder lost 20 cm GRRR . and it is not finish every authority triy to have backshish for every paper : its the most corrupted town i see.
From Buissau to Bijagos its about 6 hours sailing . and you arrive inthe paradise !!! we anchor the first day infront of a fisshing camp Chez BOB et Sabine . they help us for the formalities in Bubaque ( I recommand to arrive directly to Bubaque and ask help at Bob or Sabine and never go to Bissau)
I spend 10 days in this archipellagos Fantastic no other yachts only sportfishing boats . Its very wild and wel preserved

[Pietje]

I want to return to Bijagos this year in november and continue to Sao Tome .
All information wellcome, specially about piracy : witch distance from the nigerian and ivory coast etc